Tag: creativity | Page 9 | Artisan Creative

7 Freelancing Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

Thursday, September 13th, 2012|

A few weeks ago, we posted a link to an article on InspiredMag, 5 Unforgivable Mistakes in Freelancing which it turned out a lot of people were interested in reading. We have some comments on those mistakes and a few more to add.

Inspired’s Mistakes:

Stubbornness. You know what you’re doing and, rightly, feel that the client should trust you to know how to do it well. However, it is important for your client to both be listened to and feel that he or she has been listened to. You know your business, but he knows his. He really does have insight that you do not. Use your EQ and practice active listening.
Lying. Oh, dear, no. Transparency is essential. If you make a mistake, let the client know, preferably after you’ve fixed it, of course, or have a good strategy for fixing it if not. When (not if) a client finds out that you have not been truthful, you have lost that client forever and your reputation with their network which could be catastrophic. Owning up to a mistake could lose you a client, but it won’t lose you everyone they’ve ever met.
Overpricing. Getting a lot of money from a naive client is a short-term benefit with a long-term consequence. That client won’t be a newbie forever. Your bid should be fair and pay you a living wage. Build in the costs of phone calls and meetings and your overhead. Make a profit. But don’t take advantage. Gain a lifetime client, not a one-time windfall.
Lack of Communication. You don’t want to interrupt your work on your project to send emails, but you need to. Progress reports and check-ins are a way of reminding your client you are on the job and alert to her needs. Give her a chance to ask questions and keep her informed of how the job is coming along and she will support your process.
Apathy. If you, like me, love freelancing because of the creativity of the work, the flexibility of the schedule, and the control of your life it gives you, keep that love at the front of your mind when you get deep into the weeds of your project. Not every task on every project is creative and stimulating, but keeping your mind on the big picture can keep you motivated, even during the duller stages.

We would like to add a couple more:

Underpricing. You might be new to freelancing and not know how to price your work or afraid that the client will choose another provider, but you must make sure you are earning enough money for your project that it is worth your time. It’s easy for apathy to set in if you feel underpaid and overworked. As above, do the math and charge what is fair for both you and the client.
Poor Time Management. Getting the work done is important and so is taking breaks. Especially if you are working on multiple projects, take the time to schedule your day or your week in clear blocks, including time off. It will keep you focused on the task at hand and make sure you take the time to recharge that all creatives need to do their best work.

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you know that I love freelancing for the reasons laid out above. Avoiding these mistakes should help you add success to the list of joys that freelancing can bring!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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What’s Your EQ?

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012|

One of the most interesting topics I studied in my Career Development program was Emotional Intelligence or EQ. It still makes me think.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is defined as “the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways.” The way my instructor put it was understanding and using emotions to achieve your goals at work and in life. This was a bit of a surprise to me, as I thought it was probably best to be able to put emotions aside and think analytically, at least at work.

Why is EQ important in recruiting?

On the Undercover Recruiter blog, they emphasize the intangibles that can be the most important factors in a job interview. When we are thinking about a candidate’s energy, their “vibe,” their sincerity and their manner, we are evaluating their EQ and using our own to make those same evaluations.

Why is EQ important in job search?

When you are looking for a new role, it is essential to know what your emotional as well as your salary and benefit needs are. What is important to you in a company culture, what makes you happy, these are the things that should help you decide whether to accept or reject an offer should it come your way. Your EQ is also a tool in your interview process, helping you to determine what kind of an interviewer you are faced with and what your best strategy might be.

Can you raise your EQ?

You can absolutely make a concerted effort to become more aware of your emotions and of the emotions of others. Try to listen actively and pay attention to what others are telling you with their tone and their body as well as their words. When you have strong feelings, think them through and see if you can find a way to use them to reach your goals, rather than suppressing them. Use the nonverbal information you receive in your work interactions and job interviews to help you think and plan strategically.

As a creative, I am fascinated by the process of becoming more aware and able to utilize the ideas that come from greater awareness. It’s awfully fun to be on a team of people who all understand each other, even if some information is never verbalized.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

On this 11th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, our thoughts are with those who lost their lives and those they left behind.

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So You Say You’re Not Creative?

Thursday, August 30th, 2012|

Did you know that half of the surveyed managers say that they are not creative? According to a recent article at the Harvard Business Review, those who think they are not creative are indeed less creative in their work.

But is it true?

What if you think you’re not creative, but you could be if you just changed your thinking?

Find out if you think you’re creative by answering yes or no to these 5 questions:

Do you solve challenging problems by drawing on diverse ideas or knowledge?
Do you ask questions that challenge fundamental assumptions?
Do you directly observe how people interact with products or services?
Do you talk with people from other industries, departments, and regions to get new ideas?
Do you experiment?

At Artisan Creative, we think these are excellent questions. We believe that the people who think they are not creative think of creativity as something that just happens by itself. That creative people just naturally think of new ways to do things all the time. Sure, some of them do. But no truly creative person relies entirely on that magic moment of inspiration. Truly creative people are opening themselves to input from everywhere, always learning, always challenging assumptions, always observing others and trying things out.

So the next time you hear yourself saying or thinking “I’m not creative,” try doing one or more of the suggestions in the questions. Challenge an assumption. Talk over the problem with a bunch of people from different places. Read something new and see what comes to you. I bet you’ll change your mind about your problem–and yourself!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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You Need a Hobby

Thursday, August 9th, 2012|

Remember when I gave you some advice about how to ask for a raise? Well, I took my own advice and it worked!

And so, because of the way my life is structured, soon I will have a little more time to spend on my hobbies. You say, why aren’t you spending all that extra time on work? Guess what—I am!

Creatives, like you and me, need to spend some time on creative activities just for themselves to replenish their energy and keep them on the cutting edge.

A hobby is a wonderful way of jumpstarting your creativity for your work, as well as offering personal rewards. But once you have carved out some time to “play,” it can be hard to decide what exactly you should do. Here is where a hobby comes in.

Whatever you do for fun outside of work is a hobby; be it collecting, visual or performing arts, craft activities, athletics, or cooking, they all require creativity for success. Some of the skills you use in your hobby can enhance your skills in your work, too, like small motor control or doing research.

The other important element a hobby brings to work, though, is the energy we gain from taking a break and doing something that we are passionate about. We’ve talked on the Artisan Blog before about how to be at your most productive all day and taking breaks is essential to that productivity. What we do with those breaks, though, determines how valuable they are. If I take a break from writing a blog to read on my computer, well, that’s not much of a break, is it? Doesn’t rev me back up to finish the post. But twenty minutes of one of my hobbies will help me think of the conclusion, wake me up if I’m in a slump, and get my afternoon’s work done more efficiently every time.

A Twitter Follower was having trouble getting down to work the other day and asked the Twitterverse, “What can I do to be more productive today?” My answer: “Counterintuitive, but take a break with a definite end.” If I had more characters, I would have added “and do something you love for a little while.”

What is your hobby? We would love to hear about and how your avocation it helps you do better in your vocation! And if you don’t have one, go get one! Hey, I’ll teach anyone to knit!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Reflections: Meditation and Time Management

Thursday, July 19th, 2012|

If you’re at all like me, you’ve got a lot going on every day, all day long. You’re switching tasks, maybe even switching clients and projects from hour to hour if you’re lucky, or even more often. Those kinds of days can be very productive, especially if you make a schedule and stick to it, but a recent study found that there was another way to make your busy days go more smoothly: meditation.

Professor David Levy at the Information School at the University of Washington, who has many years of experience using meditation in his own life, wanted to find out whether meditation had any value to the workplace. Three groups of subjects were used: one group was trained in meditation techniques for eight weeks; another group was given eight weeks of body relaxation training; the control group was not trained at the beginning of the eight weeks, but received the same training as the other groups at the end of the time.

Each group was given a difficult multitasking test before and after the experimental period.

The group trained in meditation not only were able to focus longer without being distracted, they reported lower stress levels as well. The other two groups reported no reduction in stress until that third group received their meditation training. Then their stress levels were reduced.

Today’s economy has made a stressful, multitasking day a common experience for ever more workers, and companies are beginning to realize that their talent will work more efficiently, be less likely to burn out, and be more creative if they are feeling less stressed and some are even offering training in mindful meditation already.

Let’s do an experiment.

Stop. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Feel better?

Wendy Stackhouse for Artisan Creative

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Artisan Interviews Animator Kenny Roy about his KickStarter Project Success

Thursday, July 5th, 2012|

Over the years, Artisan has been fortunate to work with many talented creatives on a variety of projects. Back in 2003, we were first introduced to Kenny Roy, Owner/Director of Arconyx Animation Studios, LLC when we worked together on a number of animation projects for the SyFy Network. A great relationship was formed and we remained a big supporter of both his business and talent as each continued to grow.

Earlier this year, eager to take a short animation project literally from dream to reality, Kenny began a quest to raise funds for his passion project – The Little Painter – on Kickstarter. The overwhelming response he received not only enabled him to far surpass his original fundraising goals but also create the most incredible community of support he never knew existed!

Our interview with Kenny explores his creative background, exciting project, and excellent lessons on how creatives can make their creative visions a reality.

Tell us about your life as an animator from your start in school to running your own animation studio?
The great thing about animation is that it is an amalgamation of so many different artistic pursuits. You have acting, drawing, directing, cinematography, staging, storytelling, and an extra bonus if you like working on computers (which I always did.) So as I grew up, I felt I was being pulled in many different artistic directions and couldn’t decide on what I wanted to do. To make matters worse, I was rejected from CalArts on account of not being able to draw as well as was required of Character Animation applicants.

When I found computer animation, I felt like I was ‘home’. Everything that I was interested in had been assembled in a single, insanely difficult but equally rewarding package. I put everything into animating until I found myself working on some major feature films, traveling around the country and world following my dream. Then in 2006 I was approached by an old employer who had a project that needed animation, and I saw it as an opportunity to strike out on my own. 6 years and some really challenging projects later, Arconyx is still going strong.

What do you love most about the world of animation?
The community is pretty incredible. I have been a mentor at AnimationMentor for 7 years and especially the students have a zeal and a passion that is infectious. Even most of the veterans I know still get almost a childlike giddiness when we see some breathtaking animation. This industry, if you are passionate about the art, can really be very…preserving. All it takes is seeing a Pixar film or an inspiring short on YouTube and you feel the same way you did when you got your first job. I can’t imagine really any other industry that can offer that.

How long has The Little Painter been a dream?
I dreamed it (literally) two years ago visiting family in New Zealand. Of course, I immediately wrote it down and spent the rest of my vacation tweaking and pitching it to my niece and nephew over and over. It was a while before I got it back out again and started designing, boarding, and modeling the characters. That was about a year ago. The thing about stories like The Little Painter is they really sustain your motivation. Every time I’ve had a chance to take the project and work on it a little bit between paying projects has been almost like a little vacation all over again.

Is this your first passion project?
I’ve done short films before in school that I was really passionate about, but the thing that sets The Little Painter apart is the clarity with which I see the entire project finished. It starts with dreaming the story, start to finish. In my dreams I am always in my own body, except when I was dreaming this story it was like I was in a theater, watching the entire thing as an audience member. My passion for this project now stems from a NEED to make it as great as when I first “watched” it in my dreams.

What’s been the hardest thing you’ve experienced between the time you were inspired and now finally seeing funding for your project?
I think most animators and freelancers, in general, will agree that the hardest thing to do is find the time to work on anything. It can get very frustrating without the funding to really dedicate the time you need to a project like this. The only advice I can give is that every little bit helps. I read a story once about a person that worked 5 minutes a day on an animated film that was Romeo and Juliet retold as seals in the ocean. If he had more time, then great. But at least 5 minutes EVERY DAY, he worked on the film. It might mean he only gets two drawings done, but the film progresses. I tried to do as much as I could in the very little free time I’ve had. But in the end, I had enough that I could clearly show my KickStarter backers the tone and the feel of the film and they liked it enough to fund the project and then some!

Why did you choose Kickstarter to fund your project? What other alternatives had you considered?
I considered only Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. The only reason I chose Kickstarter over IndieGogo is that it seemed that because of the urgency of having to fund your project 100% or get nothing at all, that your backers were more motivated to help you along. People like to feel like they are part of the project, and the funding doesn’t have to be a cold, businesslike moment in the life of the project. Giving out great rewards, interacting with the backers, and putting some ownership in their hands to help you hit 100% is very exciting. IndieGoGo didn’t have the same feel for me.

How did you get the word out about your project? Who did you connect with?
Since I’ve been teaching animation for so long, I have hundreds of students who are unbelievably supportive of me. They really showed up. Through animation, I have around 2000 friends on Facebook, maybe 5000 on LinkedIn, 600 Twitter Followers, and a few hundred that have come through my training site. This combined network was basically a machine that just needed to be fed the information and turned on. The incredible people supporting me did the rest. All my FB posts were ‘liked’ by 100+ people and reposted by dozens, same with the Tweets.

I should also point out that it was a huge boost to the project to do a funding launch event and a funding close event. I chose to animate LIVE and broadcast a video stream for 24 hours for the first day of funding. An average of 406 people watched the ENTIRE broadcast and raised $19,500 the first DAY. Then, on the last day, I announced a super special reward level during the last two hours (also webcasting), and we went from $33,000 to $50,246. I can’t stress how important it is to have awesome rewards that are catered to your most dedicated supporters. They’re just looking for an excuse to pledge more!

Having finally reached (and far surpassed) your goal how do you feel?
As of writing, it’s almost a month later, and it STILL hasn’t sunk in. I think the best way to describe the feeling is after the initial shock of walking in on your own surprise party. After you are startled a bit, you look around and see these faces smiling back at you, and you get a little overwhelmed (almost embarrassed?) by the gesture these people have made. I feel so much love for all my supporters, it’s hard to contain. I wish I could hug them all!

What excites you most about the whole experience?
Something that I didn’t expect was the number of students in the animation community who I haven’t even had in my classes pledging very large amounts. It’s very exciting to have fans and supporters that are more than one-degree of separation from you. It feels like we’re part of a community that all want to create something beautiful.

What advice would you have for other creatives who are eager to follow their own dreams and bring unique concepts or ideas to life?
If you are a passionate person, I promise there are people around you who are just WAITING to prop you up, support you, see you achieve success. Let them in. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be too proud to accept it. Nothing beautiful is ever created in a vacuum.

What’s next for Pierre? For Kenny?
Pierre is going on an adventure, and I’m going with him!

I don’t know about you – but we’re eager to see where the adventure takes them both!

Looking forward to seeing The Little Painter completed? Stay tuned to our blog for clips and updates in the coming months as the project nears its finish.

Jess Bedford, Marketing Manager – Artisan Creative

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Artisan Desk Pilates: Move #2

Thursday, June 28th, 2012|

Need a little creative inspriation today – but no time to get away from your desk for a break? Try our next Pilates Move from Artisan Talent Manager and certified Pilates instructor Maggie Grant. These exercises – all of which you can do right at your desk – will help strengthen your core and improve your circulation.

Did you miss Move #1? Give it a try and see if you can’t incorporate both of these moves into your daily routine.

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Building a More Creative Team

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012|

Creativity is essential to innovation and innovation, in today’s marketplace, is essential to success. While Artisan can definitely help you find creative talent for your business, there are also ways of helping the people you employ now be more creative, too!

Did you know that 68% of people believe that creativity is something people are born with and cannot be taught? This opinion, however, has been disproven in studies as far back as the 1970s. The difference is whether people developed their creativity early in life or whether they need some nurturing to bring their creativity to its full potential.

Managers can have a huge influence on the creative ideas and output of the people on their team. Some of their direct reports could already be fonts of ideas, coming up with new ways of solving problems every day. Other team members may not feel like they are creative at all. Both groups need a safe environment to talk through all the ideas they have until the good ones rise to the top. If they feel judged during the ideation process, they could become less willing to share.

Make sure you are giving your creative team the time and space to come up with ideas. Be sure to include those team members who need encouragement during brainstorms, too. Ask for their opinions, offer incentives for innovative ideas to everyone – not just the people labeled “creatives” in your organization. Remember, good ideas can come from anyone.

The more people in your company who are using their creative abilities to find new ways of doing business, new products, and new ways of communicating, the more success you will have and the happier your company culture will become.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Sleep and Creativity

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012|

I’m sure you’ve heard that not getting enough sleep is dangerous to your health, your relationships, your weight, everything.

I mean, if I could get more sleep, I would – but the demands of life only allow us so many hours.

Fortunately, there is one good thing about being tired: We are at our most creative when we are sleepy!

A study done recently on 428 college students tested their creative thinking abilities at night and in the morning and made a very interesting discovery: night owls are most creative in the morning and morning people are most creative at night.

The researchers ended up recommending that the students schedule art and creative writing classes during their non-optimal waking hours.

Why do I like this study? Well, I often find myself having to tackle a project at what I would certainly call a “non-optimal” time. As a freelancer, I get a lot of flexibility about when I do things, but equally the time slots available to accomplish my projects are at the mercy of family obligations and other activities that have to be worked around.

But my favorite thing about the findings in this study is that I don thave to feel like I’m not doing my best work, even if I’m sleepy. I might not feel great when I’m doing it, but the project will not suffer from my tiredness, it might even benefit.

So at times when I’m working and would rather be taking a nap, I’m going to try to remember that I’m at my most creative before I have that extra cup of coffee.

Wendy Stackhouse, Consultant for Artisan Creative

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Artisan Desk Pilates: Move #1

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012|

If you’re like most – you probably spend most of your time each week sitting at your desk working. Some days you’re lucky to even get out of the office to grab lunch! Maybe you get out one or two days a week to exercise – but wouldn’t it be nice if you could somehow build your workout into your workday?

Talent Manager Maggie Grant, a certified Pilates instructor will show us a few simple moves that you can do right at your desk to strengthen your core and improve your circulation.

Who knows – these quick workouts might just inspire a little creativity too?!

Give this first move a try and let us know what you think! And stay tuned next month for more!

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