What Do You Know?
It always surprises me how much insight is possible in the obvious. But it is only when we step outside our normal framework that we can perhaps have the vantage point to see.When I began this journey...
View ArticleToo Busy
Have you missed me? I have missed the time I had been spending writing here, but lately it seems like that is a luxury for which there is no room. I thought I worked a lot before. Now I have had to cut...
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Digging a Hole with a Teaspoon
You have heard the expression of a death by a thousand cuts. This idea is similar. Digging a hole with a teaspoon is slow and you don't really see the progress you are making until suddenly you look up...
View ArticleOrigami Convention in New York
Origami USAwill hold their 50th annual convention in New York City this weekend, at the Fashion Institute of Technology. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be an exhibit of origami works open to the...
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Can You Afford NOT to Advertise?
Do you do advertising?Where, and how often?Advertising can be a leap of faith. It is often hard to measure the effectiveness of an ad, at least in the short-term. And ads will often need to have...
View ArticleAre You Running a Non-Profit?
Back to the issue of pricing.I recently wrote about how I had to make a dramatic increase in the price of my cranes, and I want to explore a little further one of the traps that caught me, and I think...
View ArticleCreative Retreat
Each year, for the last few years, I have tried to attend a creative retreat. A chance to get away from the normal routine and immerse myself in a creative environment. I recently returned from the...
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Is It Bullying or Just An Innocent Request?
I found myself in an awkward position several times during the retreat weekend. I had brought some of my new work to show, and sell. It was wonderful to have a group huddled around the work, touching,...
View ArticleOn a More Positive Note
I received a concerned note from one of the organizers of the Connecticut Guild retreat, after my most recent posts. It struck me over the last few days, how I had a slew of comments to each of these...
View ArticleAnother Reason to Find YOUR Voice
Once again, the issue of voice arises. What makes your work identifiably yours, and belonging to no one else? And why in the world is it such a big deal?When you first start out, voice is hard to...
View ArticleHow Much Do I Need to Bring?
This was the question I desperately searched in vain to find an answer to as I began to prepare for my first show. When will I know if I have enough work? An artist I met with the other day posed that...
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Deadline Approaching for ACRE's of Opportunity
Once again, the National Polymer Clay Guild is providing a perfect opportunity for someone who has been considering doing a wholesale show. They will again have a sponsored booth at the ACRE show in...
View ArticleSublte Shifts
About a month ago, I began working with a personal trainer. We meet every week or two for about a half an hour. I needed someone to be accountable to in order to make sure I would get myself to the gym...
View ArticlePoint of View
Over the nearly two years that I have been writing this blog, I have written from my point of view, and experience. In some areas, that experience is deep, and in other areas, I have barely scratched...
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Insights from Ford and Forlano
Steven Ford and David Forlano have been in business for twenty years now, making objects, and jewelry from polymer clay. Over that time their work has evolved to incorporate metals, and now even the...
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Sabbatical of Sorts, and Random Observations
I guess you could say I have been on a sabbatical. A break from blogging.Blogging can be a great way to communicate your thoughts with a larger audience, but...they can also get to be like a nagging...
View ArticleLeft Turns
Last night I had to drive down to the pediatrician's office to pick up a prescription. Unfortunately, I had to make the drive during rush hour, and now, after darkness. It is about a twenty to...
View ArticleThe Prison of Your Voice
I know, I know. I have told you how important it is to develop your own, distinctive voice. It is your trademark, and your brand. But,.....I can't help but wonder if all this emphasis on voice can be a...
View ArticleHabits that Help, and Habits that Distract
I have been thinking about habits lately. Over the last four months, I have been building the habit of getting to the gym. After four months of conscious effort, my car now seems to effortlessly drive...
View ArticleThe Beginning of a Chain
I am beginning the new year with a little experiment that I began last month, with the help of some smart, talented, and wise women. It began with a question. A question to another artist/entrepreneur....
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