Feeling impatient
October 2, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
It’s funny how when things start happening you just want even more to happen. That’s where I am this week; trying to reign myself in. At the last minute I found out about the chance to submit artwork for the giant hospital expansion nearby – since I can hear them pounding and shouting all day, it seems like having it include my work would only be fair. I’m hoping that it was synchronicity that made me look at that website on that day as it was highly ironic that I had to send everything off to Texas for inclusion in a building I can see from home. And now that my jewelry is in the gallery I’m seeing new cracks in the business side of things and wondering if this will be a short-lived experience. It’s hard to sell anything if you aren’t open for business. But… some patience is required; not everyone likes to run with scissors which I constantly have to remind myself!
I have plenty to keep me busy – I will be doing my first craft show at the end of November and currently have nothing ready to sell which will need to be rectified quickly. I also have my new volunteer case which was enough to give me some nightmares after I read the file but impatient (again) to keep going which I can’t do until the judge signs the official paperwork.
It’s now been just about a year since I returned from my solo road trip – in some ways it feels like yesterday and in others like it’s time to do something similar again. Instead I’m going to try to create a book from it so that’s also high on the agenda. And although I don’t want to, it’s getting to the time where I need to go find a part-time job while my other enterprises incubate. Things always seem to move like a roller coaster!
Patience may just be paying off
September 25, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
I’m resolving from here on out to start doubling my estimates of how long it’s going to get something done – it ends up taking that long anyway and I beat myself up for not getting to the rest of the things on the list! That aside, it’s been a productive week, at least for the jewelry side of the business. I finished a few show-stopper pieces and got them photographed, got a few smaller and lower-priced items loaded up to Etsy and finally got a website up – http://jewelry.julietchase.com so that I can direct people to the buying end of things. My view for website analytics now stretches to two pages. I will not even make the attempt to blog on this page – my goal is just to keep the pictures fresh with the latest and greatest and make sure any show and selling information is accurate. It took me a full day just to decide on the WordPress template I liked the best, sometimes too much choice is a bad thing. I’ve also configured some online advertising and ordered business cards and even got a free car decal included – I’ve never been one for bumper stickers but if I can pull in just one person to take a look at the website, then it’s worth it.
And then yesterday I got a request from a major magazine to use an old photo for an internal advertisement. I chose not to push for money but instead hope that the wide distribution with a photo credit is like free advertising for me. It was completely unexpected although it did result from my putting some things out there for free Internet use which I talked about back in April. I think it was probably a very good idea. Crossing my fingers that this is just the beginning of something great.
On the non-business front, I’m picking a new volunteer case today, it’s always interesting to learn people’s stories and find out what I can contribute to the kids. I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter there. I’m also keeping the exercise in my routine although I’ve not put in quite as much time the last few days – I’m determined not to let that dwindle into nothing, however. I have a good feeling about the next few months…
Progress and learning
September 18, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
What a busy and productive week! My beach glass jewelry is now in the gallery which will have its opening reception in just a few weeks. Of course, once I got the initial set displayed things looked a little empty so I’ve been busy making even more to fill in the gaps. It’s a bit scary because of the risk of not selling anything but at the same time I’ve figured out display ideas like hanging earrings from wine glasses that I can continue to use at art festivals and shows. In the midst of all that I’ve been studying up on how to get traffic over to the etsy shop and learned how to post things to Google’s shopping search. It sounds easy but I’ve had to force myself to relax in the face of ‘oh no, another thing to do. How do I do THAT?’ It is starting to come together. What I haven’t gotten done yet is business cards and the website. I also have been thinking that a YouTube video on my design process would be a good idea – and one more thing that I haven’t a clue about how to do!
In the midst of running around last weekend, an absolutely free treadmill came into my life and I’ve been using it every day, which I’m hoping turns into an automatic habit. I’ve also been conducting my ‘baby-steps’ experiment on running, adding just one house a day – it’s surprisingly fun. Forcing myself to stop and walk at a certain number leaves my wondering how far could I go? How long can I keep this up? I actually find myself looking forward to it which is a surreal experience.
This coming week is going to be more focused on photography, I feel like I’ve been neglecting that area while trying to get some other things moving – time to start my book project and think about how I can get that sold in a corporate environment. And more marketing, it’s the area where I feel less confident so I leave it to last , which is not the way to approach marketing successfully!
Rethinking old opinions
September 11, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
I’ve made some serious progress this week, and made even longer lists for the near future. My goal of ten sea-glass jewelry pieces was met and they are sitting in their boxes waiting for my meeting this afternoon. And now I’ve committed to doing my first craft show so that will mean even more that need to be done in the next few months along with getting a credit card processing account and displays etc.
Which brings me to the major rethink I’ve been doing – when I was in college I helped my mother set up at outdoor art festivals and grew to dread it, getting up at 4 a.m. hauling heavy stuff, no good food, uncomfortable weather etc. I’ve resisted doing them myself because of those experiences. Now I’m rethinking that. First, I’ve been reading about others’ experiences and while it’s not a life of roses there are ways to be a lot more comfortable – like getting a hotel room the night before, putting things on wheels and making sure you’re targeting the shows with bigger crowds, even if that means traveling further. So I’m seriously looking at this, both for income and as a way to increase visibility and customer interaction. I think it could actually be fun! I’ll learn a lot by doing some local inside shows this winter and I’m starting the list and looking for equipment now. Part of my dilemma now is whether or when to focus on jewelry or photography. I think I’ll end up switching off…
I’ve also managed to schedule both plumbers to come in and give an estimate -this is my basement project that the city has offered to pay for (how rare is that?) but it means I have to jump through a lot of hoops to make it happen. I’ll be glad when it’s done and I don’t have to keep it on the list. Next is to get the estimates actually in my hands.
My volunteer case wrapped up this week and now I’ll get to pick a new kid or kids to champion next week. I don’t know how much of a difference I’ve made but I know I’ve made some and that always feels good. I’ve even managed some yard work done too, getting the ancient iris bed dug up and separated and re-potting the blueberry bush. Maybe next spring things will come back to life.
In the interests of full disclosure, I might have gotten a bit more done if I hadn’t got caught up in the new online Monopoly game, (www.monopolycitystreets.com) which has had some bugs and server issues but I’ve loved Monopoly with a passion since I was about four - I was always the cowboy because it was the only piece I could pick up with little fingers without moving everyone else on the board!
Next week I’ll have to make some decisions about part-time jobs and what kind of schedule I’m trying to preserve (like weekends for art shows) and get busy with marketing again. I’ve been letting it slide which is never a good thing. Time to write some adds and start posting in forums and other blogs!
Doing instead of thinking
September 4, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
It’s funny how a certain message can come at you from many different sources in a short span of time. It’s a synchronicity of sorts although I find that these messages are usually telling me something I’d rather not hear. The phrase ‘thinking isn’t doing’ has come up in a phone conversation, a book I’m reading, and a few other places this week. I’m trying to listen! I’ve started using the task list in Google Mail, not as a permanent solution but as a way to keep track of the myriad things I need to get done this week and next. It’s everything from jewelry design to digging up the irises so they’re definitely not stored in the same part of the brain.
Another place this hit home was in reading on writing – being a better and more complete story teller. I find myself feeling like I should be good at that before I start drafting my book project (it’s a delaying tactic that I recognize) but there’s only one way to improve writing skills and that’s by using them. Luckily there are all kinds of places to put that into practice. Thinking is certainly part of the process but doing is the only way to get there. I’ve realized that I don’t tend to describe my surroundings very much when I write and yet surely that’s a huge part of the picture, even in non-fiction writing. Of course now I’m self-conscious about it and think that if I do it now, it will seem forced! I’ll sneak some in next week:-)
On the business front I have a meeting with a gallery next week so have been busy figuring out new beach glass jewelry designs. I have to say it’s an incredible amount of fun to slide frosty pieces of glass around the kitchen table late at night. They’re like fat puzzle pieces; eventually a few settle out to be the perfect match and arrange themselves into a design. While I was doing this it started to seem like brown is the underdog glass color – most people don’t even bother picking it up on the beach. I’m finding myself feeling like it needs a champion and keep looking for ways to make it the ‘it’ color. I may just have found it by pairing with clear pink quartz – the one that is the color of strawberry juice.
I’m so glad to be back home and trying to get back into my routine. Although I haven’t yet found the perfect place for my Dad’s alien suspenders (I bought them for him in Roswell.) They were the topic of our last conversation and he was thrilled with how much attention they drew! His death feels like an elevator door closing; it’s change that requires some adjusting but it also feels okay – you can only hold that elevator door for so long before alarms start going off.
It’s more of the same for the coming week – making jewelry, writing, marketing and tying up loose ends.
Organizing and more organizing
August 21, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
I don’t think I’ve done anything this week that doesn’t fall into the category of organizing – I’ve arranged a wake, cleaned out my father’s office which had as much stuff packed into it as the rest of the house combined, and made all the telephone calls required to inform companies and the government that he had died. If nothing else, the constant repetition of the information makes it seem like it’s been more than a week.
On the flip side, never having done any of these things before I’ve learned a lot about just diving in and figuring it out as you go and what a lot I’ve learned! Aside from one or two local opportunists, everyone has been very helpful which is also a good reminder as to the true nature of the majority of humanity. It’s also possible to let laughter (the real kind) process grief and keep everything in perspective.
I’m hoping this week to fit in a little more organizing of my own work although that may be wishful thinking. Sometimes you do just have to go with the flow and let things take their course.
Turning point
August 14, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
I did it – I finally got the first group of beach glass jewelry made, photographed, described and online – viewable at http://jewelsofatlantis.etsy.com. I’m pleased with how they turned out and very, very pleased to have reached this milestone. As I clicked save on the last item I had that odd feeling of having closed a chapter and wasn’t sure what was next, although there is plenty on the list.
But then, early Wednesday morning I got the news that my father had died. Now I have a completely different list of things that need doing and right now. Grief aside, it’s astonishing how many things have to be done, how many people need to be called and just how much an emergency plane ticket can cost. And yet, in some ways it’s a relief to know the hospital stays are over and everyone can start moving on to a new chapter.
The wonders of the Internet mean I can get some writing in as well and I’m hoping to check a few more things off the list next week. Strangely enough I had just retrieved my copy of Writing Life Stories off the shelf to give the title to a friend and realized that I had stopped several months ago at an early exercise and not gotten back to it. It seems like a good time to start exploring that again – old memories and stories of family. It’s the best legacy there is.
Intuition vs common sense
August 7, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
Some say that happiness is working through a challenge, not relaxing on the beach. And I admit to a certain state of bliss when working on a project as it goes from ignorance, confusion and chaos to something vaguely resembling the goal. That’s pretty much where I am now in my life project – still chaotic but beginning to take shape which is probably why I’m taking some pretty big financial risks to keep investing in the ‘project’ of me instead of being my usually fiscally responsible self and finding an outside job in addition. This week marked the first no going back on taking out financial reserves. Suze Orman and I are never going to see eye to eye but then I could never survive with just one pair of earrings. I know what convention would say I should do, but I can’t quite bring myself to pursue it, at least not this week!
As I’ve been working on the No Excuses Project, I’m beginning to see what a huge role excuses have played in putting ‘being safe’ in front of dreams. Sometime around high school I realized how much talk there was in my family of ‘someday’ and exciting projects, trips, and businesses. None of which ever materialized and I vowed that I would not become that. I haven’t, but I’ve let it influence me just the same and have been somewhere more in the middle of that spectrum then where I truly want to be. Of course I could be entirely wrong and have some serious crow to eat in a year or so but…. I’d rather find that out for sure, I guess.
On a more tangible level, I’ve gotten prints made of my photography and gotten those posted on Etsy. Between clearing error messages on the temperamental printer I worked on going outside of my comfort zone when it comes to writing sales copy. I would much rather say ‘red hibiscus’ and leave it at that but I know better – still it’s struggle!
As soon as I finish one last necklace this morning, I’ll have the first batch of beach glass jewelry ready for photography. I picked up some sand and pebbles for props yesterday so hopefully I can get that done this weekend and the online shop setup quickly (more copy to write!) It’s taken a lot longer than I anticipated to get this far, as usual!
Out of practice
July 31, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
I spent the weekend and most of Monday rounding up the things I need to go gem hunting in Oregon (sunstones). I am appalled at how long it takes me to find and assemble what I need for what is essentially a weekend camping trip. I know what I have but is it in the basement or the garage? Upstairs or downstairs? Should the snake bite kit (which I will NEVER need, knock on wood) go in my daypack or gear bag? This would go much faster if it hadn’t been almost a full year since I last had this stuff out. I’m resolving to get out on a few more short adventures this year so maybe it will only take half a day to prep.
I finished up reading Julia Child’s My Life in France this week. It was an impulse buy while standing in line at Barnes & Noble; I dislike being an accurately judged marketing target by succumbing to those carefully placed browsing tables, but it had been on my reading list so I took as a sign and bought it. I’m still trying to decide if I like the book, and/or JC. It may be that we simply have no point of connection other than an appreciation of cats. She barely mentioned her time in the Secret Service which I was curious about and dwelled more intently on a variety of sauces and culinary challenges. While generally I love to read rich descriptions of foreign food, I don’t think my soul is French.
A large part of my heart is pure treasure hunter – my sister and I tried gold panning for the first time as adults this weekend and are planning a trip to Florida on the off chance that we’ll be lucky enough to find some Spanish gold that’s made it’s way from the ocean floor to the beach. It doesn’t really matter if we don’t the hunt is fun part. I guess this is my form of gambling (card games bore me) so I don’t think I’ll ever turn it into a career although I may be able to make jewelry from gem hunting or some such. Still, it’s something I love and I need to get it more in balance with the other aspect of ‘career’ I have going on. I’m hoping my No Excuses project has a quick and immediate impact on how I spend my time
Writing and pondering
July 24, 2009 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Juliet's Journal
My almost family crisis de-escalated early this week, which is great news but still takes a few days to switch back to life as normal. It’s hard to switch gears, particularly when you don’t quite trust the situation yet. I’ve continued to try and get as much writing done as possible, partly because once I’m in the groove it’s good to stay there but also to have some extra available just in case. Even though it’s more work, I’m glad I decided to do more than one blog. It gives me a chance to explore different types of writing, from the personal like this to more research-based posts; it’s amazing what you find when you have a quest and a time line. This week I learned a lot about the legal battles in Florida over rights to sunken treasure and how much the web is like the game of telephone – people post their interpretations of laws and before you know it they’re claiming that something is illegal that actually isn’t or vice versa. No different than talking to your neighbor, but curious to observe.
I’ve also been thinking about my No Excuses project. I’m committed to the what, but haven’t yet figured out the how. Something tells me that if I just tell myself to not make excuses I’ll find a way to excuse that before the year is out, so I need to come up with a little more structure, either working specific ones each week or specific goals, or some combination. Although I’m learning to trust my intuition more, sometimes my interpration of it is way off. Sunday I picked up my photography from the hospital exhibit and never met anyone from it or had anything develop from it which is what I felt would happen three months ago. So either it’s a latent development that hasn’t occurred yet, I got it completely wrong, or that experience will impact my decision on something farther down the road. I think sometimes the significance of something doesn’t become clear until years later, so I’m sticking to following intuition as much as possible.
