They say the first step is to admit you have a problem. Well, here goes.....I AM A COLLECTOR! Yes, it's true. Over the years, I've collected dolls, Xmas ornaments, fabric, yarn, beads, books, glassware, china teacups....you get the idea. Somewhere along the way, a good portion of those things I loved have become a huge weight around my neck. A lot of the stuff has been packed away in boxes for years. I don't even remember half of what is taking up space in the storage room and closets throughout my house. I'm not enjoying any of it! Does that make any sense to you? Why do I keep it all?
I think the urge to collect goes back to our ancient ancestors who had to collect things to help them survive long enough to have offspring and guarantee the survival of human beings as a species. Okay, we survived, so why do we continue to have the urge to collect? Here are some of my thoughts on that.....
1. To acquire knowledge and learning
2. As a form of relaxation and stress reduction, an escape from our hectic lives
3. For personal pleasure, including appreciation of beauty and pride of ownership
4. For the fellowship and social interaction with other collectors and non-collectors
5. A competitive challenge, the urge to have the most and the best
6. Recognition by fellow collectors and perhaps even non-collectors, a status symbol
7. Altruism, since many great collections are ultimately donated to museums and learning institutions
8. The desire to control, possess and bring order to a small corner of the world
9. Nostalgia and/or a connection to our history
10. Accumulation and diversification of wealth, which can ultimately provide a measure of security and freedom
There has to come a point when enough is enough though, right? I think I've reached that point. So, what now?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Creative Block: Strategies To Overcome It
Staying creative is hard work. But sometimes, there seems to be a wall between me and my creative self. This week is a prime example of that strange phenomenon in action. So what can you do when 'creative block' strikes? I've learned some strategies that can help and thought I would share them with you, gentle readers. And maybe, just maybe, I can apply them myself and knock my own wall down in the process.
1. Dont sweat it. Do something else. Dont try to force it.
2. Go for a walk, a swim or a workout. Do something physical, to take your mind off of it, and to get the oxygen flowing back into your brain and body.
3. Check your inner self to see if you have been getting enough sleep, enough rest, enough vitamins and nutrition through a healthy diet.
4. Practice deep breathing or meditation. Try to release the stress and open up the channels again to receive the creative force.
5. Create in a different medium. Switch directions. If you are a fashion designer move to painting to be inspired. If you are a writer, get your camera and go outdoors & take pictures.
6. Change your subject matter. Work on something else for awhile. Choose something of a completely different topic or pick something that you know nothing about. Stretch your brain in a different direction.
7. Stop being so responsible. Stop being perfectionistic. Even if only for a moment, or a day. You need to give it a rest sometimes.
8. Go out and have some fun! Fun is an amazing creativity energizer and motivator. By being distracted from your deadline or project for awhile, you'll be amazed what new inspiration will show up.
Wish me luck!
1. Dont sweat it. Do something else. Dont try to force it.
2. Go for a walk, a swim or a workout. Do something physical, to take your mind off of it, and to get the oxygen flowing back into your brain and body.
3. Check your inner self to see if you have been getting enough sleep, enough rest, enough vitamins and nutrition through a healthy diet.
4. Practice deep breathing or meditation. Try to release the stress and open up the channels again to receive the creative force.
5. Create in a different medium. Switch directions. If you are a fashion designer move to painting to be inspired. If you are a writer, get your camera and go outdoors & take pictures.
6. Change your subject matter. Work on something else for awhile. Choose something of a completely different topic or pick something that you know nothing about. Stretch your brain in a different direction.
7. Stop being so responsible. Stop being perfectionistic. Even if only for a moment, or a day. You need to give it a rest sometimes.
8. Go out and have some fun! Fun is an amazing creativity energizer and motivator. By being distracted from your deadline or project for awhile, you'll be amazed what new inspiration will show up.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Test Marketing New Products
According to Wikipedia, test marketing is a small-scale product launch used to determine the likely acceptance of the product when it is introduced into a wider market. This is a practice I highly recommend. Items that I thought would be wildly popular because I liked them and was having fun making them have been sitting in my inventory for two years and are destined to be taken apart this year so their components can be used in new projects.
Believe me, there is great value in testing the viability of a product before spending lots of time and money developing it. Many a company have gone under quickly by not employing this strategy. You want to make absolutely sure that your product is something people want to buy. It's a fact that four out of five new products fail to catch on and sell.
Your test market should not be too limited. Some items don't budge at one event but will fly off the table at the next. I typically carry a product for a year and if there is no significant movement, I re-evaluate whether I want to give it a second year. Many items never make it to the second year. I'm not going to give valuable display space to something that is not selling.
Online aution sites could be an inexpensive way to test market products also. Ebay & Etsy are the main ones that come to mind but there are many others, possibly some more focussed on the type of product you are creating. iCraft is a Canadian site similar to Etsy and ArtFire is another such auction site.
I've had some real lemons in the last couple of years....treasure necklaces, pocket meditation beads and tri-bead pendants created with beautiful lampwork beads made by Canadian artists. Last year, I carried pewter pins & pendants in pagan & Celtic designs that did not catch on either.
There are a number of reasons some products just don't work out....the cost might be prohibitive, the idea is too different for people to accept, a design flaw, etc. I cut my losses, learn from my mistakes, and move on to newer, better things! And there are plenty of new products and designs coming in 2011!!
Believe me, there is great value in testing the viability of a product before spending lots of time and money developing it. Many a company have gone under quickly by not employing this strategy. You want to make absolutely sure that your product is something people want to buy. It's a fact that four out of five new products fail to catch on and sell.
Your test market should not be too limited. Some items don't budge at one event but will fly off the table at the next. I typically carry a product for a year and if there is no significant movement, I re-evaluate whether I want to give it a second year. Many items never make it to the second year. I'm not going to give valuable display space to something that is not selling.
Online aution sites could be an inexpensive way to test market products also. Ebay & Etsy are the main ones that come to mind but there are many others, possibly some more focussed on the type of product you are creating. iCraft is a Canadian site similar to Etsy and ArtFire is another such auction site.
I've had some real lemons in the last couple of years....treasure necklaces, pocket meditation beads and tri-bead pendants created with beautiful lampwork beads made by Canadian artists. Last year, I carried pewter pins & pendants in pagan & Celtic designs that did not catch on either.
There are a number of reasons some products just don't work out....the cost might be prohibitive, the idea is too different for people to accept, a design flaw, etc. I cut my losses, learn from my mistakes, and move on to newer, better things! And there are plenty of new products and designs coming in 2011!!
Monday, February 21, 2011
I Have a Dream
Perhaps the word 'dream' is a bit too ethereal for my purpose here. A better word might be 'goal'. Yes.....I have a goal. The goal is to build my company, Jasper Moon, into a viable entity that will provide me with plenty of income in my retirement years.
How that dream or goal will ultimately manifest itself (a retail gift boutique, a thriving online business, or as a wholesaler of handmade creations) is not important right now. As long as I stay focussed on the end result and take small achievable steps toward it each day, I know it will happen.
To keep me from getting too overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it, I have started a flow chart to break it down into more digestable bites. At the very top is Jasper Moon, with my logo flanked by two big dollar signs. Below that are the major steps needed to reach the end result desired. Underneath that are the minor steps that have to be achieved to reach the major goals. Next comes the yearly, monthly, weekly and daily tasks required to get me closer to the realization of my dream.
The most important component in the whole process is to keep on believing. In the words of Napoleon Hill, a twentieth century author of personal/success principles, 'Anything that the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.' I choose to believe.
How that dream or goal will ultimately manifest itself (a retail gift boutique, a thriving online business, or as a wholesaler of handmade creations) is not important right now. As long as I stay focussed on the end result and take small achievable steps toward it each day, I know it will happen.
To keep me from getting too overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it, I have started a flow chart to break it down into more digestable bites. At the very top is Jasper Moon, with my logo flanked by two big dollar signs. Below that are the major steps needed to reach the end result desired. Underneath that are the minor steps that have to be achieved to reach the major goals. Next comes the yearly, monthly, weekly and daily tasks required to get me closer to the realization of my dream.
The most important component in the whole process is to keep on believing. In the words of Napoleon Hill, a twentieth century author of personal/success principles, 'Anything that the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.' I choose to believe.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Vendor Profile: Stick To The Story
Stick To The Story is a collaboration between a husband & wife team, Dave & Victoria. He creates one-of-a-kind walking sticks using the distinct shape of the wood and treasures of nature as inspiration. Only by grasping one, Dave says, will you understand its purpose and if it was meant for you.
Inspired by her husband's work, Victoria began writing a story for each staff. These tales will enhance your understanding of the walking sticks, and the journeys they were meant for. Any divine guidance given during the creation of the stick is included in the story.
According to one satisfied customer, the stories enhance the sticks, give them a background and make them seem like they're already a friend to you. In her words, 'The couple selling them makes you feel like, instead of walking into their booth, you are walking into their home. You're not their customer, you're their guest. And it's almost as if you're adopting the stick, not purchasing it, that's what the story does for them.' She loves her walking stick and the story.
Buyers of unique items are not looking exclusively to buy a 'thing'. They are buying a story to tell others. You can describe your item in bland terms and people may still buy it. They can still tell the story of finding a one-of-a-kind item but if the story stops there, the value ends there because the story is nothing special. That ultimately limits how much you can sell, and at what price. Bottom line....stories sell products. Dave & Victoria are employing one of the most effective marketing tools around.
To see more of their work and to find out where you can get your own unique walking stick, check out their Facebook page...
Inspired by her husband's work, Victoria began writing a story for each staff. These tales will enhance your understanding of the walking sticks, and the journeys they were meant for. Any divine guidance given during the creation of the stick is included in the story.
According to one satisfied customer, the stories enhance the sticks, give them a background and make them seem like they're already a friend to you. In her words, 'The couple selling them makes you feel like, instead of walking into their booth, you are walking into their home. You're not their customer, you're their guest. And it's almost as if you're adopting the stick, not purchasing it, that's what the story does for them.' She loves her walking stick and the story.
Buyers of unique items are not looking exclusively to buy a 'thing'. They are buying a story to tell others. You can describe your item in bland terms and people may still buy it. They can still tell the story of finding a one-of-a-kind item but if the story stops there, the value ends there because the story is nothing special. That ultimately limits how much you can sell, and at what price. Bottom line....stories sell products. Dave & Victoria are employing one of the most effective marketing tools around.
To see more of their work and to find out where you can get your own unique walking stick, check out their Facebook page...
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