Project Review: The Album Design of Jeff Blaney's Go Now, Don't Look Back

I've done several album design projects over the years, the most recent being for Jeff Blaney for his latest EP Go Now, Don't Look Back. I take care to do every project well, but this one had an extra little string attached to my heart: Jeff used one of my Horse Trail -> Highways images for his album cover!

The original photo used for the cover

When Jeff asked me to handle the cover and disc layouts, I was so excited. Not only was he using my photo, but I was getting creative control over how the image would appear when printed.
When we met to discuss his ideas, I was pleasantly surprised by Jeff's excellent notes and mock-ups. It made the entire process much easier.

Notes and mock-ups. Jeff became a dream client for bringing these.

The first time I ever did an album and disc layout, the templates totally threw me for a loop. Was it all the colors? The layers? I'm not sure why it was so difficult. As I've gained experience, though, the process has gotten much easier.

A few small changes were made to this layout before printing

The final product looks exactly how Jeff planned. It's a thrill every time a client, especially when that client is a friend, has that "YES!" moment. I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding experience! 

The final product

The other awesome bonus of this project is that Jeff is using this image for a lot of his marketing and PR materials. Seeing my work peppered around the internet has been exciting and humbling. 

A couple of Jeff's promotional pieces

It's wonderful to live in a city where there is such a solid arts scene, and being part of my friends' successes is one of the best parts about living and working in Nashville. 

Interested in catching one of Jeff's shows? Details here. 

Getting My First 500 Twitter Followers, and the Value of Organic Growth

I confess: I only have 498 Twitter followers at the writing of this blog. However, the number isn't the most important part of my social media marketing strategy. To me, the quality of the people behind the number is what matters most, especially as I grow my modest business into something larger.

Twitter remained a mystery to me for quite a while. It wasn't until about eight months ago that I decided to start using Twitter in earnest. What, I thought, is the "thing" with Twitter? I know plenty of people who use it, but what do they use it for, and how? It only took a few months for me to really get the hang of it, and I've learned some valuable lessons along the way!

Scheduling Tweets
Tweets have a life cycle of about eighteen minutes. What's the solution to staying as visible on Twitter as you can? Post more often! Of course, I'm not even going to pretend I can post every twenty minutes, nor can I come up with the quality of content needed to do so. But, with the use of my awesome Buffer app, I schedule up to ten Tweets per day for free, and it gives me suggestions about what to post. This makes Buffer a perfect solution for me-I get the quality of content I desire from sources I trust, I can Tweet at both high-traffic times as well as when my target target audience is online, and I still have the flexibility to be able to retweet the people I follow without feeling like I'm clogging the news feed.

Using Lists
I just started using lists, and it's been quite a timesaver. If I want to check in with what some of my favorite social media marketers are doing, I go to my Marketing list. Or I can always zone out for a few moments with my list of Arts and Photography. All in all, I no longer have to sift through the entire list of people I follow, I can find what I need quickly. This is a great resource when I'm gathering content to share, as well.

My Twitter List of Bloggers-I'm still building my lists from the people I follow, but as I follow more people, it's easy to keep everyone organized.

Blocking Other Users
When I have followers who are just glorified advertisers for other shops or people who keep offering to sell me 20,000 followers for $5, I block them. I want to have followers who are engaged with my content, and the spammers don't qualify.

Organic Growth
I tend to only follow people I find really interesting, and I hope the people who follow me feel the same way. You can purchase followers on almost any social media site, but, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not on Twitter for number of followers, I use Twitter as my professional community. When I started following people and building my followers, I stayed away from the crossover of my Facebook social community and focused primarily on people who use social media marketing daily, as well as professional bloggers and designers. Now, in addition to Buffer, I have an entire online community whose content I can share and learn from, and they share my content and learn from what I do, as well.
While some people may think it looks great to have a certain number of followers, I am happy to have grown my list in a slower way-with people who are engaged in the Twitter community and who have a similar professional focus to mine.

All told, Twitter has become a valuable tool for my business in that it has helped me to find some of the true experts in my field, and I've been able to expand my knowledge base and sell myself better because of it. Are you on Twitter? What has your experience been with using it? Share your story in the comments below!

The 2015 International Gift Show in Atlanta

One of my regular jobs is as a production assistant for local jewelry designer Freshie and Zero. Three days a week, I hammer, shape, bend, and wrap to help create this lovely line of jewelry.

The biggest gift show in the world takes place in Atlanta, about 250 miles from Nashville. I've been assisting Freshie with her booth in the Boutique section for a couple of years now, and it's always an inspiration to see how she displays her wares. 

If you're a maker, whether you're on the craft fair circuit or have a thriving wholesale business, your display can have a huge impact on your sales. Below are a few suggestions for making your booth as engaging as it can be.

Choose colors that are eye-catching but not overwhelming

Freshie and Zero items are dainty, so potential buyers need to be drawn in with some punch. Freshie has chosen a palette of mint, gray, and pink to add some color to her booth. The decor she has chosen corresponds with her website and her packaging. 

The booth! It's such a fun, cheerful environment. Note the use of bunting, flowers, and small accessories to incorporate color into an otherwise neutral line.

Mint is incorporated on the tags with the item information, as well as in the ampersand on the letterpress earring cards and hangtags.

Invest in professional photography

One of the reasons the booth looks so good is because all of the images are taken by professionals. Jewelry is challenging to photograph, but the vignettes that were taken show the details of her work, while the photographs with models showcase the scale of the pieces.

The photos and displays at different heights keep the buyers' eyes moving throughout the booth. The better the booth flows, the easier it is for potential buyers to say "Sold!" and for existing customers to reorder.

Take the guesswork out of it

I don't know how many vendors there are at the gift show, but it is in the thousands. Three buildings, each with over ten floors, make up the show, and it lasts for four and a half days. Many buyers plan out what to see, but everyone hits a point of sensory overload. Making new items easy to find is key, especially for existing customers who are familiar with the line.

The stars indicate new items. Grouping them together in this creative display makes it easy to shop.

Another great way to entice buyers to choose your line is to have a pre-selected package. Freshie has two different packages: the best-sellers, and the best-selling earrings. She always offers some sort of show incentive with them, as well. This works in two ways: it takes the pressure of decision-making off of the customer who is bleary-eyed from shopping, and it also puts the top sellers in one place so people who do want to create their own order have one place to look for the best-performing pieces.

The best-seller package is the main focus of the booth. Everything is here: the logo, booth number, the package of top-selling items, and beautiful photography.

The earring package is at the front of the booth in a highly visible but sleek display. Paired with bright flowers, it encouraged many people to enter the booth and get information about the line.

Do you have a story? Tell it!
People love a good story, and incorporating items with meaning into your line is a great way to engage new customers. Displaying her Sentimental Notions as a collection on the wall, Freshie has made it easy for buyers to choose which pieces best represent their customers.

Each item from Sentimental Notions collection comes with it's own meaning card, which acts as both a display tool and a little bonus for the customer.

These are just a few observations I've made over the years of seeing the booth of Freshie and Zero update and upgrade. Freshie often has other vendors ask for tips on how to make their booths more attractive, and buyers often take photos of her displays to get ideas for their stores.

Freshie's displays are exemplary: the pops of color are engaging, and each item has it's own space in the display, keeping it from looking crowded or junky.

What does your booth look like? If you have any other suggestions, please share them in the comments!

Laying the Groundwork in the New Year

It's here, it's here! The new year is HERE!! I had a great New Year's Eve - my husband and I chilled out for a few hours after work, then got dressed up, went to dinner at a local brewpub, headed to a party half a block from our house, and rang in 2015 with new friends and a bit of bubbly.
I am not a big resolution maker. I find if I want to do something or break a habit, I have to just decide on it and DO IT. However, I do believe in setting goals and making a plan to attain them. Following are a few of the goals I'm working toward in 2015 and beyond.

Writing and building my email list
In my research, I am finding that writing, whether it's a newsletter or a blog or a hand-written note, is the backbone of most successful businesses. My email list is the most important aspect of my business in certain regards, and one of my goals is to build it up by writing regularly about my projects and what I learn over the year. In 2014, I posted six times on this blog. I'm setting a reasonable bar-I'm going to double that number this year. That means one post per month, which is an entirely attainable goal. Heck, I might even post more (fingers crossed)!

Old fashioned and new fangled - both very valuable.

Of course, intentions are great, but how will I manage to write more? Again, I'm starting small. I am going to try to spend between ten and thirty minutes per day writing. This will probably mean I have to get up a little earlier, but since my office re-design, I have a lovely creative space to write, photograph, and design. Did I mention my office faces east, so I always get the morning light? I can't think of a better motivator than the morning sun (featuring coffee) to get my creative juices flowing.

Continuing to say NO to things that aren't a priority
In May of 2014, I hit a wall. We had inherited a dog, my husband was experiencing job fluctuation which led to financial instability, and I was working on my part of a collaborative art show, running my business, and singing with a few different acts in town. I basically had a breakdown, and decided that it was time to cut out some extracurriculars. Now, I have a much better handle of my schedule (sort of), and my resolve is firm in what I'm available to do. If it's a design project or photography, I'm all ears, but if it's another band project or a show in a gallery, I'm out. I have time to sing with Bill and his different incarnations, and that's about it. While I love showing my photos, it's incredibly time-consuming and expensive to put a show together. To read more about how I found my resolve, check out this post from last year.

A shot from the Very Entertaining Holiday Show. I love being involved with Bill's music.

Being present
We live in a society where being busy is seemingly becoming synonymous with being important. "Busy" is becoming a four-letter word to me, even though I do tend to be occupied for most of the time I'm awake. I'm making efforts to minimize the use of that word in my daily life.
That being said, my husband tends to get irritated with me when we sit on the couch to unwind at the end of a night and watch a little TV; I usually make it about five minutes into whatever we're watching before I pick up my phone and start Instagramming, shopping for work clothes or photo props, loading my Buffer for Twitter, or any number of things a person with a marketing job might do while having their entertainment spoon-fed to them. While I don't necessarily plan to entirely stop while watching TV, I am guilty of zoning out when I really should be engaging the people around me, especially my husband. I am actively working on using my time better to market, and not wasting so much window shopping or scrolling.

A photo from April 2009. This sums us up pretty perfectly, and I don't want to lose this joy.

This is just the start to my list of ways to make my 2015 the best year yet. Do you have any resolutions or goals? Share them in the comments!

A Look Back at 2014

This year has been a challenging one, both personally and professionally. Growing pains with MAW and at home have made every step forward especially sweet this year, and while I'm enjoying the last few days of 2014, I am also looking forward to the New Year.
I'm not much of one for dwelling on the past, but I do want to revisit some of the highlights of my year, to keep in mind that no matter how challenging life may get, the good stuff will always happen, too.

Placement - my collaboration with Miranda Herrick

Miranda figures heavily into this year being a professional success for me. We collaborated on this series at the request of the owner of The Framemaker, and it came together wonderfully.
Miranda wrapped and gessoed a globe for me to take to different locations and photograph in my style.
I photographed different collections of objects and supplied Miranda with photos to cut up into her signature designs.
This project stemmed from our compilation on a piece from a few years ago called Heartstrings. Miranda wrapped an anatomical model of a heart with fishing wire, and I photographed the progress at different intervals.

The Facebook banner image for Placement, featuring selections from Heartstrings.

It was awesome to work with Miranda, and the show came together better than I think either one of us expected. To see more of her work, check out her website, also designed by yours truly.

The show turned out beautifully!

Go Now, Don't Look Back - album cover art and design project with Jeff Blaney

When Jeff Blaney asked to use one of my photos from Horse Trails -> Highways on the cover of his new EP, I jumped at the opportunity! What an amazing thing to have a piece of mine chosen by an artist to represent a piece of his musical journey. He also hired me to design the layout of the CD jacket and disc. Jeff gave me a lot of lead time, brought all of the information I needed for the layout to our meeting, and even had rough sketches to work from. It was a perfect project experience.
The album will be released in February, but until then, give Jeff Blaney's music a listen. 

The front and back covers of Go Now, Don't Look Back

Works and Days - being published in an art book for the first time

Miranda Herrick is one of the most talented people I know, and her dedication to art is astounding. We have built this amazing working relationship around our friendship-she is the creator, I am the documenter. I've been working with her for about five years now, and one of my ongoing projects is to document as many of her shows as possible. Having this catalog gave Miranda the breadth of images she needed for the introduction to her book, Works and Days, which is the entirety of her year-long daily drawing project. It was gratifying to not only see my name in print in a book, but to see years of work pay off in such a wonderful way for both Miranda and me.

There it is, live and in print. Woo hoo!!

Some perspective: this is the full set of all 365 Works and Days. They span the color spectrum in order of the months.

All in all, it's been a really good year. I hope you're enjoying the final days of 2014, and happily anticipating 2015. Cheers to the close of one year and the new beginnings of another!

Tips For Organizing Digital Photos (and other files, too!)

One of the most frequent questions I get is "How do I keep all of these photos organized?" While it can be a daunting task at the beginning (especially if you've never organized them before), once you get a system down, it's a breeze.

Choose a system. This can be organizing by year, by event, or by color coding. There is no wrong way to do it, so long as you can find what you're looking for with ease.

As you can see, my system isn't perfect, but I can always find my clients' information when I need it. I tend to organize them by year, with subfolders for each client.

Get an external hard drive with plenty of storage space. Keeping files off of your desktop will keep your computer running smoothly. Storing images on an external hard drive keeps them all in one place, and hard drives are less likely to crash than a computer. 

Most of my files live on my external hard drive. I've had this one for about three years, and I'm using about 60% of it's capacity. Again, note that my system is date-oriented, with events nested under each year. and organized by date.

Purchase backup cloud storage. Cloud storage is perfect for people on the go who like to be able to access their images everywhere and from multiple devices. Verizon offers cloud storage with their data plans, and iPhone users automatically have cloud storage, as well. Using a third party such as Dropbox is also worthwhile, though different companies charge different rates for storage. Do some research to ensure you're getting a fair price-it will be worth it in the end to never lose those precious memories!

Start Small. Starting any system of organization isn't easy. Start with a small task, like organizing the most recent photos you have from the last month. Again, it will depend on how you like to access your files, but getting a few images into organized folders will help you hone your organization system.

We all have to start somewhere.

Don't be afraid to change your process. As you move forward in your organization, don't be afraid to change your system. The entire point is to have access to all of your images and files-if you find your first system isn't as intuitive as you'd like, switch gears and try something else. You'll be happier in the end when you can find everything you need!

Change can be a beautiful thing-embrace it!

Did I leave anything out? How do you keep your digital files organized? Share your tips with us in the comment section below!

Five Steps to Getting Control of an Overwhelming Schedule

We've all been there: taking on too many tasks and not thinking about the reality of our schedules. I recently went through period of saying "yes" to too many projects. It took some time, but I learned valuable lessons in managing my schedule and what my priorities are.

Here's how I came back from the brink:

1. I took a step back.

It's hard to follow this advice when one is overwhelmed.

I remembered to deep breathe. I have the ability to work until I am almost dead with exhaustion. This is not healthy, but it can be very productive...or can it? When I really started to look at my situation critically, I realized that I was running myself ragged by taking on so many projects. I was doing a lot, but accomplishing almost nothing in the process, and I was running at about 60%. I like to give 100% to any task I take on, so this 60% thing was like ice on my spine.

2. The hard edit.

At the opening reception of Placement in June. I look exhausted because I was.

Hard though it was, I cut out extracurricular band membership. Music is fun for me, but I am primarily a visual artist and designer. I set a limit: I sing with only my husband's bands, and I have to draw the line there. That still means performing with three different bands, but it's feasible since we can practice whenever we want. I don't have to schedule anything, we just do it.

I also decided to take a break from exhibiting my photography. While I love showing my work, I saw a recent collaborative art opening as a burden, not an outlet. Until it becomes a healthy, productive exercise again, I'm putting it on hold.

3. Priority refining.
I assessed the projects I have that don't have deadlines and decided where on the priority list they needed to go. Several have been postponed indefinitely, others have been finished, and a few are still in the queue. When time and motivation allows, I finish one of these open-ended projects, but until these clients and friends decide they need these projects completed, I am not going to worry myself by thinking about them.

4. Nurturing existing professional relationships.
I put a spotlight on my relationships with my current clients. If they have a need, I rise to it. When they need advice or just a sounding board, I make myself available. This is easier to do than I initially thought, especially since I started to prioritize properly.

5. Bringing it home.

Taking a walk with the loves of my life. Imagine a schedule coming between me and these two! How silly!

Finally, and most importantly, while all of this was happening, I really focused on my relationships at home. I had overwhelmed myself to the point of being short with and overly demanding of my husband, which created tension in our household. Even our dog, Sapo, felt it. When I started to give Bill the love he deserves, the tension melted and our family unit became stronger than ever.

Now, several months later, things are so much better. I can see clearly where I failed to be fair in my time allotments, especially to myself. Since I've taken these steps, life has balanced out and I'm back to being happy, optimistic, and my can-do attitude has been restored and upgraded.

Do you have any advice to add? Feel free to leave your comments below!