Archive for June, 2009

23
Jun

Wishing Chapter 3, Stylesearch

   Posted by: Mattie    in Wishcraft

http://wishcraft.com/wishcraft_ch3.pdf

How does our style define us? How does it determine who we are or even what we do? The answers to some of these questions may be surprising.

This is actually my favorite chapter in the entire book. It starts helping to create that ideal environment that I so clearly lacked growing up, and it helps me to focus on not allowing myself to duplicate that situation in my own life. My favorite part is the last exercise in the chapter, Your Ideal Day. When I first read Wishcraft *gets a coughing fit* (oops, sorry, hairball) years ago, I was still a secretary, hadn’t been to college yet and probably would have laughed at the idea if someone had told me I would now have an art studio and be doing graphic design. (I don’t think I ever even attempted to draw the turtle or the pirate.  http://www.creativepro.com/article/creativeprose-tippy-the-turtle-and-pirates-too-) I wrote out my ideal day, IN FULL DETAIL, from the moment I woke up – with my window facing east – to what I had for dinner and I can still see it so clearly it’s less like a daydream (I would love to…) and more like something that actually happened (This is what happened TODAY…). That’s how well her technique works, so read that part carefully.

Exercises in this chapter (these are FUN!):
EXERCISE 4: Pick a Color
EXERCISE 5: The Private-Eye Game
EXERCISE 6: Seeing Yourself as Others See You
EXERCISE 7: Twenty Things You Like to Do
EXERCISE 8: Your Ideal Environment
EXERCISE 9: Your Ideal Day

Here’s my answers to 4, 5 and 7. I’m saving 8 and 9 for another post since those will be longer.

EXERCISE 4: Pick a Color
I am Brown
I am the earth. I provide all the life on the planet with the nutrients it needs to grow. I hold all of history in my arms and I hide deep secrets. Because others look all around me for the bright colors of the flowers and the deep richness of the grass, I am able to observe without being seen, and provide enrichment to the flowers and the grass. Without my fertile brown soil, they would wither and die. They give back oxygen and keep me from becoming barren wasteland. I work quietly in the background, and am free to be myself. I am, perhaps, the most contented color of all.

I. CHOICE AND IDENTITY – She couldn’t have been more wrong here. Even the first time I did the exercise, I remember picking a color quickly (actually, I think I had so much fun with it then, I picked several colors just because I enjoyed it). But I can very definitely state that “there is no such thing as the wrong color.”

EXERCISE 5: The Private-Eye Game
House is definitely unorganized with the exception of the office and the kitchen. The least clutter of the entire house (and most tranquil) is the bedroom. It also has the most mild colors. (greens, browns, blues, earth tones) The most striking thing throughout the entire house is the use of color everywhere. The same is true for the clothes. Bright yellows; deep, rich reds; royal purples. Wardrobe is full of long, flowing sleeves; more dress slacks than jeans; soft, flowing fabrics. Shoes range from earthy sandals to spiked heels to moccasin-boots. Comfort appears more of a concern than fashion, but the clothes are more fashionable than most “trendy” items. The majority of the books are technical manuals, but there are a lot of books, including fantasy, history and a nice selection of auto-biographies, many of which appear to be signed. The fridge is well-stocked with fresh foods, and no frozen dinners at all. There’s vegetables, seafood, a variety of cuts of beef and chicken, and tons of spices and sauces. There are at least 5 or 6 different hot sauces in the fridge, most almost empty. The food processor, knives, cutting boards, as well as grill pan and other pans are out and ready for use. The office looks like a tech geek lives there with more than one computer (turned on and ready), monitors, printers. Notebooks, pens, and calendar pages are organized together on the desk. Behind the comfy looking office chair is a well-used large white board taking up one entire wall. Notes on the wall are organized into sections (To do today/this week; contracts; long-term projects).

I would have to say the person who lives here is scatterbrained except when it comes to office work. Current trends are not important to her, but looking fashionable is. She might be an interior designer or a professional chef. She seems to actually enjoy reading technical manuals as there are so many, and most appear well-used. She spends more time in the office than in the living/dining room, but that room is the most decorated with colors, fabrics, knick-knacks and abstract paintings. Organization just may be the last thing on her mind, however.

EXERCISE 7: 20 things I like to do
1 – work on jewelry
2 – code/program
3 – write
4 – work with my hands
5 – cook
6 – help others
7 – swim
8 – attend festivals
9 – photography
10 – graphic design (include web sites here)
11 – web programming (different from coding or graphics)
12 – organize/plan
13 – paint
14 – crafts (all kinds except sewing. category is a bit large, I know)
15 – travel
16 – go to gem shows (local ones and Tucson)
17 – eat out
18 – read Internet articles
19 – create
20 – (should be #1) spend time with my SO

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16
Jun

Wishcraft, Chapter 2

   Posted by: Mattie    in Wishcraft

http://wishcraft.com/wishcraft_ch2.pdf
Answered Yes only to question 6a.Were you bailed out? (not 6b either)

What would I be if I hadn’t had the obstacles I did growing up? If I’d been encouraged and allowed to go to school and pursue MY dreams? I would be a female Indiana Jones, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.

Actually, I would probably be right where I am now, with a few exceptions. I would HAVE that frellin’ college degree; I would have joined MENSA; I would have gone to Gemological Institute of America in California; and the biggest difference is I would have been doing what I’m doing now (or at least on the path to it) 20 years ago. I don’t mind at all the little deviations in my path that *I* chose. The ones chosen for me that got me off course are my biggest regret.

And of course, I wouldn’t have financial problems because with an actual degree plus one from GIA and 20 years experience, I would own that little million dollar rock house nearby and be happily running my business from there.

I heard the most interesting quote the other night on Food Network.

“What would you do if you knew you COULD NOT FAIL?”

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13
Jun

And the hits just keep on coming…

   Posted by: Mattie    in Business, CafePress

More news from CafePress. The link I mentioned to get to Shopkeepers from the MarketPlace has been removed. There is NO way to get from the MarketPlace to individual Shops! There is, however, a workaround to find them, but it isn’t easy and something the average customer will never know to look for. They’re even hiding the Shopkeeper’s name in some instances. Depending on how you get to the design, you’ll see either, "See all designs from XYZ Shop", OR you may only see this: "See all designs from this designer." With no reference to the Shopkeeper’s name at all!

By clicking the link to see all designs, you’re taken to a page with every design from that shop, but you are NOT taken to the Shop itself. You are STILL in the CafePress MarketPlace! In addition, the designs are just thrown onto the page in no particular order, and completely unrelated to the search itself. Shops with thousands of designs, ranging from animals to brides, to the zodiac, have all their designs mixed together in no particular order. So a bride looking for more designs for her bridesmaids might have to wade through several pages just to find a matching design.

Here’s how to get to the individual shops, where the majority of prices are now LOWER than the MarketPlace price:

Look in the address bar at the top of the page and you’ll see the Shopkeeper’s ID. It should look something like this:

http: / / shop.cafepress. com/?from=YellowRoseGal (I’m removing this as a link on purpose. I’d rather not link my OWN designs to the MarketPlace, nor do I want to direct you to anyone else there, so I’m using myself as an example)
Change "shop." (including the . ) to www. and REMOVE "?from=" in the address bar.

Example: http://www.cafepress.com/YellowRoseGal

This should get you to an individual Shopkeeper now.

But that’s not all they’ve done. It seems the CafePress executive team missed class the day business class taught them it’s not good to put all your faith
into a few large accounts while ignoring all the smaller accounts. If you’d like to know what I’m talking about, visit http://www.cafepress.com/ and type "the office" into the Search field. You’ll be redirected
directly to the Shop, bypassing the MarketPlace completely. The same is true for the lucky folks who are "featured shops." (Just how does one become a featured shop anyway? No, I’d really like to know. I want a link to MY shop from the home page!) No other shopkeepers are given this courtesy, even the ones who’ve been with CafePress for a long time, and helped them build their small empire.

Is that all? Far from it. People who have opted out of the MarketPlace, removed tags to stay out of MarketPlace searches, or even closed their shops completely are still getting MarketPlace sales! A few reasons have been given for this, including the time it takes for designs to be removed, shoppers placed the item in their cart prior to the change, etc. However, read this article for just one example of one astute shopkeeper and how his research shows a very different story:

http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2009/06/10/cafepress-shop-sales-posted-as-marketplace-sales/

CafePress: Why I’m staying

Wait, what? After everything they’ve done and you’re not leaving??? I’m not only not leaving, I’m doing what I can to support other Shopkeepers who are staying as well. Which is why you’ll continue to see CafePress shops recommended through my blog and my site. Anyone who thinks that EVERYONE will pick up and leave still has a lot to learn about the business world. Will CafePress stay in business much longer? I believe it’s inevitable that they’re going out of business. It isn’t a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. You don’t stay in business making poor, unethical business decisions that put hundreds of people out of work, and they’re making one bad business decision after another. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be hundreds of new shopkeepers and new designs signing up with them. The main thing they’re losing here isn’t shopkeepers, it’s their reputation. With every blog post I write, that won’t change. Nor will their decision. MY decision to stay is a purely business one. I’ve since found out there are other PODs that offer things like tile coasters and framed tiles, and still another that offers an almost identical keepsake box. But is it ethical for me to force my own customers to go to each one separately if they want a matching set? No, while I’m expanding to multiple POD companies, I don’t want to confuse my own customers by having the same items offered all over the Internet if I can possibly help it.

I don’t agree with what CafePress has done, but just because they chose to cut their legs off, doesn’t mean I have to shoot myself in the foot.

If you’re looking to open a new shop, or move your shop, have a look here for an extensive list and reviews of other PODs:
http://sefast.com/podreviews.info/index.html

And, as promised, here’s some really cute designs I’ve come across recently. Design reviews for even more coming soon!

 



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