...it's been so long.
i took kelly rae robert's class "Flying Lessons" and that was really a trip. 5 weeks of almost daily inspiration and interaction... then a private or closed facebook page was started for all participants and all this time later, it's going strong. all of these fly girls are bantering back and forth, questioning, helping, sharing, venting, supporting. it's amazing. hundreds of them. fun. overwhelming. women from all over the world.
the e-course is all about how to grow your creative business, to promote yourself online -using social networking. facebook, twitter, blogging, etc. add to that instagram, pinterest, hmmm...what else? Etsy!!! buy domain names, think about website, and on and on.
the course really gave me the nudge i needed to make some things happen that i'd been wanting for so long! and ... a reason for this blog... i mean, even more reason.
wow. overwhelm. so, as i was learning, i dove in. or took off. flew, i guess. i made a facebook page for my biz: come 'like' me here!
started an Etsy shop: visit my boutique here!
i even learned how to put that Etsy link here on the side of this blog page! {duh.}
then... i got back to twittering more regular... come follow me! i've also been having a blast with iPhone apps and the iPhone camera... and etc., etc.
mostly, i became overwhelmed. oh. i already mentioned that. several times... but that was ok. the overwhelm. i just plugged along. at the same time, i heard about christy tomlinson's She Art e-course. it was a deal i couldn't pass up, esp. since i adore her 'girls'... so, the classes overlapped some. which was fine, they're very different.
one fun thing i realized during the 'flying lessons' was that i've already done a bunch of what she was teaching. in the Spring, i had started and opened my own Pilates biz {long story} ...i had done the trade name thing, insurance, website, blog, bought domain names, started a facebook page, biz cards, brochures, advertised, ...! not that that all panned out for me... but i did it. i tried. i learned!
so, i'm learning, growing, flying, moving forward... and did i mention that it took me days to learn, photograph and list about 18 items on Etsy? i saved all of the listings in drafts until i was for sure ready to ;put it out there;... finally, one night, late, i was determined to get this done. and i did. i clicked 'publish' - thought i was just going to head to bed, and almost immediately i had a message from someone in Australia asking to buy an item and whether i would ship overseas!!! Sold! wow.
also during this time - a dream comes true for me to be able to have my things in a boutique downtown - my daughter's salon! and to be able to help with all of this social networking and marketing that we hope will make all the difference.
and... was offered a job teaching Pilates that is also a dream come true. on top of all of this, i've been savoring/craving being outdoors, biking, walking, hiking, ...and now running. i didn't plan this. it's been a wonderful serendipity. finally figured out how to/not to eat and my body is soooo happy, changing. shrinking. it's mind boggling. there have been days when i needed to be home, inside, sorting, making, creating, producing - or even outside in the garden, and i just couldn't. the urge to be out on a bike- soaking it all up won. but i'm learning 'temperence' - plus, it's getting cold now...
so... my Etsy boutique is stocked, sorta. the salon/boutique has a start, and i've finally been able to focus, sort, create... have about twenty-five canvases in progress. all kinds of fun wall art. not even sure what's next for them. i'm watching, listening, processing... excited. it'll be fun to post some photos as soon as there are some finsihed. can't wait...
for now... jpb
