Tag: creativity | Page 8 | Artisan Creative

A Change of Scene Can Work Wonders

Thursday, June 6th, 2013|

One of my favorite things about living and working in Southern California is the weather. And how could you blame me? Sure, it’s hot at times, and every couple of years it rains for three weeks in a row. But the weather here is great for outdoor activities all year round. It can also be a boon to your work life.

Sometimes we get stuck on a project and just can’t seem to move forward. Whether it’s trouble solving a problem or the need for an innovative idea, there are times when the solution just doesn’t come to us. If you’ve ever found yourself faced with a creative block, it is important to figure out how you can change your situation to overcome it.

What can you do?

Change your Location—If you always work in the same spot or the same room, go to another area or, better yet, go outside. Hear the birds, feel the breeze, work in natural light. Breathe.
Change your Routine—Take a break and do something you enjoy, engage in your hobby, take a walk outside, or go to the gym. Give your brain permission to be elsewhere for a while and it will come back refreshed.
Try a new Project—Unless you have a looming deadline, take a break and work on something else for a while. Maybe another project will give you a good idea for this one.

True – not everyone works in a job where they can leave the office and sit in a park or on the beach and wait for inspiration to hit. As a freelancer, I love having the perk of being able to work anywhere I can concentrate. But I promise, if you give yourself the freedom to change something—anything—then your creativity will blossom, right alongside nature’s garden.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Reflections: Charlie Brown

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013|

I was privileged recently to see a middle school production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” I say privileged because not only were the performers adorable (of course), confident and committed, but they really brought home the simple but important themes of the show that we could all stand to be reminded of:

Lucy is a crabby person. A very crabby person. She could use some of our tips on being a leader instead of just a boss. But Lucy is also filled with determination. No one would expect Lucy to be unsuccessful in her work life. And she is smart enough to learn how to deal better with people. Determined leadership can take you far.

Sally is an amazing negotiator. She has taken the lessons of being a younger sibling and her emotional intelligence to heart and uses them with her friends and with her teachers. There is no doubt that she can win an argument or close a deal. Emotional intelligence is an important element in success.

Schroeder is a creative force to be reckoned with. He does not let the the opinions of his peers make him question his passion or his choices. He even brings his friends into his world and shows them other ways of thinking through their celebration of Beethoven Day. Schroeder is already using his marketing skills to promote what he is passionate about and he is thinking like an entrepreneur.

Linus is an innovator. He thinks outside the blanket. He is always ten steps ahead of the other kids, but he is empathetic enough to want them all to understand with him, not to want to leave them behind. When Linus ditches that blanket, watch out! He’s not afraid to come up with something new.

And Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is my favorite. On first look, Charlie Brown could be depressing. He is depressed. He is lonely. He is unfulfilled and has no self-esteem. But Charlie Brown has a quality that the other characters—and we all—need to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. Charlie Brown has hope. No matter what has happened, Charlie Brown starts over every day sure that today will be better. Today is the first day of the rest of his life. Today has every possibility of being the best day ever.

And so I find myself inspired: to persevere, to lead, to build, to be passionate, to reach out, to innovate. And, yes, to hope. And to start each day fresh.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Creativity in Wonderland: Tips from Lewis Carroll

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013|

We hope your workplace isn’t like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, but when you are having trouble with a creative block, Lewis Carroll’s famous tale may have some good advice for you:

“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Of course, it turned out there was no answer to this riddle, but setting yourself a nonsense question to ponder can get your mind out of a rut and into a more creative place.
“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” There’s a lot to be said for doing something—anything—to get your process started. Finishing has a lot to be said for it, too. Remember your first draft doesn’t have to be good; it’s always easier to edit than to write the first draft.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” Setting short-term goals, even just for the next hour or two, can break your project up into manageable pieces that are easy to complete.
“Yes, that’s it! It’s always tea time.” Take breaks. Counterintuitive as they seem, even fifteen or twenty minutes of doing something different can give you a great idea of what to do next.
“It was much pleasanter at home.” A change of scene can do you a world of good, especially if your office walls are closing in. If you have the option, go work outside, at a coffee shop, or even in your living room.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” It will if you let your mind and your body make a new path.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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5 Ways to Create a Standout Online Portfolio

Thursday, March 21st, 2013|

Every Creative knows that the interview process for them is unique. While the resume is still important to potential employers to see where creative talent has been and what they’ve been doing, the work produced is what matters most.

Whether you’re a designer, developer, copywriter, or producer, employers expect to see an online portfolio of work that emulates what they are trying to create.

Sadly, many creatives fail to follow these simple steps to improve their portfolios, thereby decreasing their chances of success in the freelance or direct hire job market:

- Keep work relevant – Portfolios could be a unique URL of work or a collection of work on one of the many portfolio sites. In either case – the work presented should always be fresh, current, and up to date. Outdated work is the quickest way to be overlooked for a potential job. Update it regularly. Our recruiters recommend at least every three months.

- Less is more – Remember to make the work the hero of your portfolio or site. Keep design clean, interface simple, and navigation to as few clicks as possible.
  - - Don’t include every piece of work you’ve ever done – Only include those of which you are most proud or that represent the work you want to be doing most. This might mean including screenshots of short-lived projects and even conceptual or personal work that was never produced.
    - Mention that additional samples of work are available upon request – A PDF of targeted samples can sometimes be more effective for some clients. Be sure to list the other industries or media across which you have worked.
- Organize your work – Depending on the nature of your work, find a way to display it most effectively. Should the work be categorized by industry, media type, client, or project? Whatever you decide, don’t forget to provide a short description that explains the company/agency for whom you worked, the client’s objectives for the project, your role on the piece, and (if applicable) the software utilized.

- Introduce yourself – While including your resume or past job experience is a must, be sure to also include a bio that explains who you are, your creative process, and even some personal trivia. Let your personality shine.

- Broadcast your brand – A portfolio of work is part of a creative’s personal brand. Make sure everyone can find your site easily. Include your URL on your resume and LinkedIn profile. If creating your own site – make sharing easy so people can easily follow your Twitter feed or blog. You might also consider a “Contact” form for potential employers to inquire about work.

Want to get a recruiter’s perspective of your portfolio? Send us your portfolio. One of our recruiters will get back to you soon with feedback.

Jessica Bedford, for Artisan Creative

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Artisan Resolves…

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013|

Are you making New Year’s resolutions for 2013? We thought we would ask the Artisan Team what some of their goals for the new year might be:

Sr. Account Manager & Recruiter Carol Conforti is resolved to “play golf once a month” in 2013. Sounds like fun!

Creative Recruiting Manager Jamie Grossman wants to spend more time “getting more involved in the community.” I hope she lets us know what she’s doing!

Account Manager Melinda Geniza‘s resolution: “Make working virtual more dynamic. I want to get out of the house more. Working virtually doesn’t mean having to stay home all day. I’d like to make an effort to move my virtual office to co-working sites around town, or coffeehouses that lend themselves to the creative community.” Maybe you will see Melinda out and about more this year!

Marketing & Project Manager Jess Bedford is still in Australia visiting family but she sent me her resolution: “Watch no more than 5 hours of TV a week (so as to have more free time to accomplish some personal goals I’ve set for myself this year) and do 100 crunches a day.”

Talent Manager Maggie Grant: “My resolution is to work on my posture!”

At this midway point in our school holiday, we are hosting a small New Year’s eve gathering and the kids are resolved to stay awake till it’s midnight even on the West Coast. My resolution is to carve out more time for the hobbies that feed my creativity–knitting and spinning–in 2013.

Everyone at Artisan Creative wishes you and yours a Happy (and safe) New Year!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Artisan’s Favorite Things

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012|

Maybe not raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but on this particular Tuesday, we thought we would ask our team at Artisan for their favorite things about the holiday season.

Artisan President Katty Douraghy: “This year, I’m spending the holidays in LA for the first time in 10 years! I’m looking forward to taking in the sights and sounds of this great city.”

Melinda Geniza: ”My favorite thing about the holidays is spending time with my family. For the entire week before Christmas my cousins and I put together a production and perform for our entire family at our Christmas party. We’ve done original plays, musicals, and even tribute shows completely unrelated to Christmas. It’s a tradition that has been going on for 25+ years! This year will be special because the party is being held at a clubhouse with a theater so we will have access to a stage and movie screen… it will be a multimedia show with live performances and allow us to do things we haven’t done before. Gotta love technology!”

Marketing & Project Manager Jess Bedford is spending the holidays Down Under: “Choosing just one thing is way too hard! Christmas is my favorite holiday for so many reasons: I love decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music, baking treats, making home-made gifts, wrapping packages, and donating to a number of charities. Then to have several dedicated days off to be with my family, enjoy all the hard work that went into making the time so special, and counting our many blessings. That’s what Christmas is all about!”

Talent Manager Laura Burns: “My favorite thing about the holidays is the spirit of caring, getting together, and celebration. This year I will be touring SoCal like a tourist and visiting places that I have never seen after being here 7 years from NYC!”

Talent Manager Maggie Grant: “My favorite thing about the holidays is being with my family, and Christmas morning, my dad makes a special breakfast casserole he only makes once a year! This year, we are hosting a party for all of our friends and family.”

My family is enjoying a 2-week break from homework and school projects, spending time with friends, and getting excited about the fun things we have planned for the new year, especially volunteering with middle school choir!

These are a few of our favorite things. We would love to hear about yours!

Happy Holidays!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Reflections: Making a Commitment to Creativity

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012|

Creatives are inundated with ideas. They come to you while you’re sleeping, while you’re cooking, while you’re reading or working or running. While brainstorming or in solitude. Sometimes at such awkward moments you can’t write them down before they float away.

How many of those ideas come to fruition? Probably not many. Some because they weren’t great ideas to begin with but most because we are wary of committing the time it takes to find out.

When you only have so many hours in the day, you are more likely to commit to creative ideas that have the very best likelihood of success, the ones you are sure of. But are they always the best ideas?

Here’s an exercise to help you find out:

Make a list of creative ideas. Don’t worry – you don’t have to develop them all!
Go away for an hour and come back to it. Read through your list and cross off the ideas that don’t really speak to you now that you are thinking about them again. Shorter list, right?
Now read through your list again and circle the ideas that are speaking loudly to you, that are practically yelling “Try me!” Are you absolutely sure they will be successful? If you were, you probably would have tried them already. These are ideas that could lead somewhere, that will energize your work hours, that will definitely teach you something about why things work or don’t work and why you do what you do.

Commit a couple of hours each week to exploring the ideas that speak to you the loudest.

Sometimes loud ideas are better than sure things, but you’ll never know if you don’t commit.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative
This blog post was inspired by an article at creativityforlife.com

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More Work? Yay!

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012|

If you work at a traditional job, this might not be your natural reaction when someone gives you a new project, but if you are a freelancer or an entrepreneur—or think like one—a day when you get more work is a day for smiling.

Why is more work better?

Well, to begin with the obvious, for a freelancer, more work = more money, but there is more to it than that. When you are developing your own business and a client list, every project is an opportunity to:

Deepen your skillset
Use your creativity to solve a problem
Prove yourself
Enhance your portfolio
Make valuable network connections
Get free word-of-mouth advertising

A busy freelancer is a happy freelancer. Probably also a tired freelancer, but the benefits of working long hours are greater than the costs.

How to get busier?

Stay connected—don’t let relationships with past clients lapse. Even if they don’t have a new project for you, maybe someone they know does.
Keep your portfolio up-to-date and easily accessible—you never know when or where someone will ask to see your work.
Register with a recruiting company which places freelancers—a recruiter can help you broaden your client base while making it easier to get paid on time.

Being a freelancer makes me happy every day: it suits my family, my temperament, and my skills. And more work always makes me smile!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Reflections: The Downside of Positive Thinking

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012|

Everyone says it—think positive! Imagine yourself at your goal and it will happen! Visualize success and success will come to you!

It can get…annoying.

Plus, it can work against you.

A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology looked at whether fantasizing about future success energizes people or weakens them and the results would surprise all those visualization gurus, I expect.

The study compared energy levels in people who fantasized positive, questionable, negative, and neutral outcomes. The psychologists also compared the energy levels induced by these fantasies depending on the level of need that the outcome be successful.

The results: “positive fantasies resulted in less energy” than any of the other fantasies and the decrease in energy was more marked when the need was greater!

What energized the test subjects most? Visualizing the obstacles to their goals.

Now, we’re not saying that you don’t need to see your goals clearly and be constantly moving toward them. But there seems to be a bigger benefit to imagining the things that might make them difficult than imagining that you have already achieved them.

Give it a try: think of a goal and why it is important that you achieve it. Now think of the three biggest things in your way. Finding strategies for getting past those hurdles may very well be the difference between success and failure.

Get to it!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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5 Tips for Overcoming Creative Blocks

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012|

We’ve all had them. You’re sitting at your desk, staring at that blank white rectangle. The one on your screen is more likely than the dead tree variety these days, but the feeling is the same.

You’re blocked. How to begin?

Read. Doesn’t matter what. Put someone else’s voice in your head and eventually your brain will start a conversation.
Move. Try working in a different environment—outside or at a coffee shop or wherever. Stimulate your senses with something you don’t usually have around.
Stop. Getting up and doing something else when you’re blocked feels like procrastination, but it might be just what you need. Stop staring.
Write. Okay, you’re blocked. Write about why. Write about how. Write about how it makes you feel. You’ll get there.
Play. Don’t work on your project, just play for a while in your medium. Draw. Write something silly. Design something ridiculous. Make yourself smile.

Whatever gets you where you need to go is necessary to your process, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re working. Don’t feel guilty if what you need is to be doing something different for a while.

Blocks do happen to everyone, but I try to prevent them by creating a calendar of ideas. In the zone, ideas come fast and furious, so I immediately schedule them for later. That way when I get to that one day when I just can’t think of anything, the calendar tells me what to do. And if a better idea has come along, it’s easy to switch everything around. After all, I’m in charge. Always having something in my pocket to use on a day when I feel less than inspired means I can always give myself a nudge to get going.

What do you do to get unblocked creatively? We would love to hear all about it!

Wendy Stackhouse, Consultant for Artisan Creative

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