After announcing last week I was going to rebuild some foundations over here, Silvia of Silvia Reitsma Creative Photography asked some questions that got me thinking:
“When you say you have to do some foundation work, what do you mean exactly with that? What do you consider the foundation for your business, in a practical way? Do you have any idea, plans? How to start building the base?”
Truth be told, these questions left me stumped for a few days but eventually the answers started to reveal themselves. Bare with me as I try and show you how they are all intertwined.
“The foundation of modernemotive is my creativity.”
Pretty simple declaration huh? So why did Silvia’s questions leave me stumped? The answer to that is simple too – I stopped being creative and lost sight of everything. I truly think this is why I have been so unfocused and disoriented lately.
Creativity fuels me and allows me to keep going. So, as sales increased and orders began taking all day to process, there was no longer any room for creativity and I ran out of steam. In essence, this shook my foundation and cracked it. That’s why it is in need of some work.
How am I going to fix it? I only have one choice and that’s to make “creativity” the driving force behind modernemotive again. Not sales, not delivering product lines because they are working for others nor worrying about (and sometimes envying) my competition. With creativity back in the driving seat, those sales will come, I’ll deliver product lines true to me and one day I’ll be able to share the same successes as those I admire in the stationery world. I just need to believe in my creativity, my foundation.
So, how do I start building my base? By listening to myself. Yesterday, Michelle of Holley & Gill asked this simple question of me:
“What at this point in your life would you be the most happiest doing on a daily basis?”
Again I was initially stumped and my response was scattered. But now that I’ve redefined my foundation – my creativity – I’m able to respond with a more clear and defined answer.
If my answer to this is to simply be creative as much as possible, I need to eliminate anything stunting that creativity. Here’s what I’m currently considering:
- Outsourcing printing and production – not only will this allow me to expand my line beyond greeting cards, but it will also expedite order fulfillment as everything will be ready to ship.
- Discontinuing personalized stationery as it stands today – more on this another time.
- Focusing on wholesaling my product line rather than being the direct point of sale myself - As much as I love working with my customers, as one person, the effort needed to make those sales can be a full time job in itself. While I am truly honored with every sale I get, in order to take modernemotive where I want it to go, I need to generate revenue that allows growth at a faster pace than it’s at today. Therefore I need to focus on moving 100s of product units at a time rather than securing a sale of one card. Make sense? This doesn’t mean I won’t sell direct to the customer too, just that my primary focus needs to shift.
Of course, all of the above requires more thinking and will not happen overnight. For example, I know I’m not in a place right now where I can outsource my whole product line. However, with small, deliberate steps it all seems achievable. I just need to keep leaning on that foundation whenever I have any doubts.
As many of you commented that you too were going through an identity crisis with your businesses, I hope sharing my thought process over the past few days helps you redefine your foundations too. To end, I’d like to share some advice inspired by one of my favorite quotes:
“We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails.”
Author Unknown
Think of your business as a sailing boat out at sea. Elements are going to come along that will unexpectedly take you off course. You have a few options. You could turn the boat around, return to the habor where it’s safe and go nowhere. Or you could trust in your sailing boat (your foundation), adjust your sails (to compensate for the elements rocking your foundation) and keep going towards your destination. Once reached, you’ll have the confidence to get back out there and keep sailing to new destinations.
Photo Credit: S@ilor
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I have to say that I have taken a similar path. I started out all gung-ho and spent HOURS each day with marketing, online groups, packing, etc. And I got burnt out – I had taken on so much work outside the actual work that I was just making my pieces to get them done and out. I have found that putting my pieces in a gallery/store setting allows someone else to do the marketing and sales for me. I can now spend more of my time working on new pieces and making more of those that sell well. (What little bits of time I have.) Of course, I can’t outsource the actual work for my pieces, but it sure does take a load off of me. Best of luck with your shift!
FormFire Glassworks | February 25th, 2010I think your introspection is definitely leading you in the right direction. If you can cut back on the administrative work, you’ll have more time and more energy to be creative. And if the foundation of your company is your creativity, finding ways to get back to basics is exactly what you need to do. Congratulations on recognizing the problem and some potential solutions.
PJ | February 25th, 2010To see someone so talented and creative struggle is always hard but now that you’re in the “zone” and that you see nothing but a clear road ahead, I foresee nothing but bigger and better things for you.
Michelle from Holley & Gill | February 25th, 2010Wow Adele, another great post! We’ve been going through a similar identity crisis. Production was just becoming too time consuming and unrewarding, but for us the reason we started doing what we were doing in the first place was that we THOUGHT we loved MAKING things. But you’re completely right, we only like making things, whereas we love DESIGNING things. I think we were just thrilled to have sales, so it didn’t occur to us to reevaluate when the making started overtaking designing! I think we came to the same conclusion as you but with much less self awareness. We’re testing the waters though and just placed our first order at a print shop last Friday and it feels like a great weight has been lifted! If you had posted this two months ago we probably wouldn’t have waited so long! This post just makes everything seem so obvious!! Thanks again =) Trisha
PAWLING | print studio | February 25th, 2010adele – i think the changes you’ve highlighted sound perfect! i think it can be sooooo tempting for us DIY types to do everything ourselves. but in the end, that only makes us less creative and more like machines, right?
i’m certainly struggling with many of the same feelings. i know where i want to go but the steps to get there seem a little fuzzy and i think outsourcing part of what i do is certainly the answer. i just haven’t figured out what the balance is going to be for that yet!
thanks so much for sharing this journey with us – your insights are going to help A LOT of people!
tara - scoutie girl | February 25th, 2010My experience is most artists have a hard time to find balance between creativity and business. While creativity is something that requests time, inspiration, a look to your inner dimension, business is the other side of the coin, you have to move at fast pace, attend your customers’ wishes, and all of this consume time. These “off course” periods will always happen; the wind will always be there. In my case I didn’t start yet to make that many sales, but I’m already being deviated off my course by having to discover how to set up my business. What we can do is learn how to put creativity back on track. Instead of just adjusting your business you could do the same with your creativity. The question now is: how to work out your creativity? What can you do in a practical way to get those sparkles, to get the excitement when you envision your next design?
Silvia | February 25th, 2010Great post – very insightful. All the changes you’ve been making have been leading you in this direction. It will be fun to see where this new direction brings you.
Tara | February 25th, 2010great thoughts adele, thanks so much for sharing. i think you’re definitely on the right track! and very much looking forward to where the wind takes you :)
wendy | February 25th, 2010Keep goign Adele. This post came on a day I started questioning what am I doind and my tutor said to rebrand everything in my life . Thought he was mad but started calling myself a designer not a design student, hung a sign on my study door with the name of my future company on it…and then rebranded my study the studio…it has had a powerful effect. Self employed can be so lonely…but blogs like yours makes us realise that there’e many of us striving for a future where we are solely in control. Keep on going.
julie | February 26th, 2010Hi Adele – great post! I am right there with you, trying to figure out how to take the next step to make my business a profitable and sustainable enterprise. I think wholesaling and outsourcing are really key. Going the “Etsy” route (although incredibly valuable in the beginning) is just not sustainable in the long run for many of the reasons you mentioned; selling low volume, chasing the sale, etc… I think making yourself the head of creative is what is most important, I know for myself, selling, promotion and production are not my strengths. Thanks so much for sharing your process, I look forward to hearing how it goes :) Bess
Bess | English Muffin | March 1st, 2010