Laura Simms « oh my! handmade goodness

Laura Simms

Finding your way is the best way

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I was a good student. Respectable amounts of As, healthy load of B’s, and a few C’s thrown in to vouch for my imperfections. I was raised with a strong work ethic, and have always considered myself to be focused and productive. Yes, I procrastinated with the best of them at times (starting to write a paper at mid-night the night before it was due in college, anyone?), but I was a doer. I made things happen.

When I started my online coaching business in January 2010, all of that was put to the test. I was overwhelmed by all the of the stuff I was supposed to be doing. Stuff that established creative entrepreneurs I admired kept telling me was important. Stuff that seemed like it couldn’t wait. Well then, I always thought, I better drop what I was going to do today and do what they’re saying right this minute.

You may guess that this way of working did not go so well. And you would guess right.

I spent several months trying to run a business in this reactionary mode. It finally hit me that while all the messages I was absorbing could have been helpful and a boost to my business, they needed to happen on my timeline. I had to take responsibility for setting my own agenda. I had to base my daily actions on my big picture. And start from where I was on that day.

A+ for me, because this method actually worked. I saw more engagement on my blog, more clients, more money, and more ease in my business.

I knew other creative entrepreneurs had a similar story, because I was working with them. And seriously: every creative I worked with, no matter what aspect of their business we were focusing on or how long they had been in business, needed help with the actually-getting-it-done part.

I wanted to create a framework for other creative entrepreneurs that would allow them to find their own way of working. I’ve worked with enough people, and tried enough magic fixes myself, to know that there is no one-size fits all solution to getting stuff done and defining priorities.

I developed an e-guide called Roadmap to Action. It contains 62 action-packed pages, all tried and true stuff that I use in my own business or share with clients. The structure is there–you just have to put yourself into it.

And because I use things more when they’re beautiful, I made it pretty. And included 13 right-brain friendly planners. Because planning should be pretty.

The invitation is open: learn more about Roadmap to Action so you can find your own way of working. And true to form, you pay what it’s worth to you. Yep, this is all about you.

Mischief is magic: a tradition of being bad

Friday, December 23, 2011

image: woven paper gift topper tutorial via minieco.co.uk

My dad does not care about presents. Every year all the women in the family go through the ritual tooth-pulling of trying to coax some gift ideas out of him.

“I don’t want anything. Some socks. Gunpowder.”

Great! Just what we wanted to wrap up–socks & gunpowder!

But as much as he’s not into making a wish-list, he is into being bad. It’s tradition.

Every year, with great anticipation, we gather around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Instead of a big fancy dinner, my mom puts out some snack plates filled with goodies that friends have brought over. The lights are low. The fire is lit. We snack.

And then, with a twinkle in his eye, my dad says, “Well, girls, it’s time to rip one.”

“Ripping one” is the big tradition at our house. Each family member, after a thorough inspection, chooses one gift to rip into. The gift giver has veto power if the chosen one is too succulent for Christmas Eve or might give away another gift. After the selections have been finalized, we all simultaneously rip a present.

It’s quite satisfying. It’s institutionalized naughtyness. It’s one of my most cherished family traditions. Mischief is magic.

Merry mischief,

Wonder Walk: fresh tool for fresh sight

Monday, October 17, 2011

Oh my, handmakers. Do you ever fall into a rut? When you just kinda go through the motions of your art? When your spark and vision have faded? Mal. Muy mal.

As an artist–and if you are a maker of any kind (a blogger, a product creator, a newsletter writer, even)–you are an artist, the effectiveness of your work relies on inspiration and execution. Let’s talk inspiration.

What is the most vital ability of an artist?

The ability to see.

I’m not just talking literal vision. I’m talking your aptitude for perceiving your world. Noticing. Making observations. About all the beauty, absurdity, subtleness, whimsy, and outrageousness surrounding you.

Once you truly see, next comes having a viewpoint about it. Taking in raw material and processing it through the unique filter that is you.

Finally, you do something, make something, in response.

Think of your favorite artist, be it Picasso, Lady Gaga, John Stewart, or Jessika Hepburn :) Isn’t that essentially what they do? Notice something–a problem, a delight, a need–and create something in response? So what would happen if you were able to see more? To see richer?

This is the foundation of great artistry. And when you see your world, really see it, you open yourself to endless inspiration. My favorite way to flex those muscles is by taking what I call a Wonder Walk. This is easy peasy to do and I am blown away by the experience every time.

Wonder Walking

You will:

Grab your camera. The one on your phone is fine.
Pre-determine a limitation. You might limit yourself to texture, the color orange, decay, the letter “J”, or architecture. Pick something that sounds fun.
Start walking. You choose the place.
Photograph everything that falls within your limitation. This is not just about cataloguing; really take a good picture, even if it’s a photo of a trash can or a dead bird.
Push the boundaries of the limitation. Is that swing set architecture? What about the anthill? Your boot?
Go home and check out your new photo collection. What do you notice?

Wonder Walks are deceptively simple, but there are several things going on here. Working within a limitation will automatically make you see your world afresh. I guarantee that you won’t make it past your mailbox without seeing something in a new way.

And by taking a photograph, you are making a definitive decision about how you see something. You didn’t choose any ole angle; you chose this one. Because you thought it was best for some reason. Because you had an opinion about it.

In the end you have a collection that may just be a neat bunch of photos, or you may have the inspiration seedlings for a project. Either way, you will have new insight in the world around you. And that, handmaker, is the gold.

Gathering light,

P.S.- Join us for the next #omhg chat on Twitter this Thursday the 20th from 1-2 EST. I’ll be co-hosting and would love to see you there.

Playing Office: your roots know how to have fun

Thursday, August 18, 2011

{Play-print by Katie Daisy of thewheatfield}

It was 6th grade. Other girls in our class had started going to parties with boys. But on a Friday night, Lindsey and I just wanted to play with Clarice.

Clarice lived in Lindsey’s basement. She was heavy, but perfect in every other way. She hummed when she was ready. She made the greatest sound under our fingertips. And her drawer operated with rapid precision, as if proudly declaring a finale for each transaction.

Clarice was a cash register. A real electric cash register that Lindsey had wanted for her birthday. We loved the hell out of her.

Playing office with Clarice made everything feel more real. We still used our carbon-copy invoices, but Clarice was different. Clarice was what real businesses used. We felt like pros.

So why is it, 20 years later, sending invoices and doing office-y things feels like a drag?

Simply: it’s just not fun anymore.

I say no more! Let’s reconnect with 6th grade brain–the one that can have a riot of a Friday night playing with a cash register. Some grunt work will always be grunt work, but maybe it can be a bit more tolerable. Here are a couple things to try:

1. Get cool equipment.
To this day, I’m more apt to use something practical if it’s pretty. Get some fancy pens, use the best shopping cart, treat yourself to a nice computer bag for when you’re schleppin’ to a coffee shop. Having neat stuff makes everything more fun.

2. Beautify your shop.
One of the best parts of playing office was setting up the store. If you work from home, you may be the only person who ever sees your “shop.” You deserve a comfortable, beautiful working space. Pick a lush screen saver, have a website you adore looking at, and de-clutter your workspace. Put some art on the walls and get a comfy chair. When you like your workspace, you like your work more.

3. Create systems.
Clarice won’t let you take a payment before you ring something up! If you have tasks that you repeat a lot, like blogging, shipping, or collecting payments, set up step-by-step system for each one. This will simplify the process, you’ll always know where in the process you are, and stuff is less likely to fall between the cracks. Automate where you can.

4. Batch the crappy tasks.
We didn’t play office all day everyday. If there’s a task you really don’t like to do, consider setting aside time each day or week to do all that stuff at once. Put on some music, grab your favorite beverage, and knock those suckers out. No need to pepper the crap throughout your day.

Hot dog, I know what you’ll be doing on Friday night! Really, some things will just never be met with kid-joy again.

But don’t be fooled: having fun is your heritage. In your business, don’t forget where you came from.

From Passion to Profit

Sunday, May 15, 2011

by Laura Simms of Create As Folk

from passion to profit, laura simms, create as folk

There is something, at least one something, that you have an undeniable gift for. And somewhere in the back of your head, a little bug keeps telling you that you could be making money doing it. Or maybe you’re already doing it, but really “going pro” seems elusive. Almost every creative entrepreneur starts this way.

One of the exciting parts of starting your own biz is that there is no one right way to do it. That also makes it frustrating! Wouldn’t it be nice if a benevolent deity handed you fire? A fool-proof blueprint?

Alas. How about if 8 mortals give you some matches and dry sticks?

Enter From Passion to Profit.

Ok, so last month I asked 7 other working creatives to weigh in the journey from passion to profit. And the insight and strategies they shared have really been speaking to people. Maybe you’ll recognize some of the contributors. We got:

Rebecca Leigh of Smart Fresh Writing

Thom Chamber of In Treehouses

Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up

Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl

Alexandra Franzen of Unicorns for Socialism

Dennis Baker of dennisbaker.net

Lisa Sonora Beam of The Creative Entrepreneur

and me, Laura Simms of Create as Folk

I strongly believe that one of the keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur is learning to think like one. And a good way to do that is by surrounding yourself with thriving kindred spirits. So soak it up!

Some highlights from the series are:

how fear affects your language
the truth about buckling down to produce
debunking some nasty myths
using your intuition to know when you’re on the right track
why earning is generous
makin’ out with boys. in the grass. on a tuesday afternoon.
freelancing tips
a visual guide to finding the sweet spot between passion & profit

I’ve put all this goodness into a free ebook for you. You can download it here.

What is your biggest obstacle on the road from passion to profit?

How do you plan to overcome it?

About Laura Simms & Create As Folk:

I help creatives design the life & work they want. Life coaching collides with creative business coaching. Pow! I encourage, inspire, and agitate you (hey, whatever it takes!) to go from big idea to big finish. Find me on twitter @laurasimms, and learn how to work with me one-on-one.