It's Time for the August Meetup!

Bill Reaves, Field of Flowers, c. 1972 via U.S. National Archives


 Wow, the summer has just flown by! It's hard to believe that August is already here. How did all your summers go? Mine was pretty good so far.  I did manage go on a little vacation back East to visit my family and go to a wedding. I did get a bunch more illustrations done. Yay!

I think have a good mellow flow happening right now.  But, if I face reality,  I know I need to pick up the pace and get a lot more done. What about you?

So, as far as the next few months go, here's the big plans:
  1.  I'm trying to get close to 100 pieces in the shop by October 1st. So basically I will be drawing/painting like a maniac the next few months...
  2. Start getting prepared for the holiday rush on Etsy. 
  3. Work on a bunch of editorial pieces to add to my portfolio.
  4. Focus on getting my work out there more...blogs, websites and online magazines.
  5. Work on my portfolio site. Make sure it looks perfect to start showing off to publishers.
  6. Gallery shows...hopefully I have a few coming up.
  7. I applied to my first art contest/art show. Fingers crossed that I get in.
  8. Art/Craft shows. I would love to get in at least one this fall. 
  9. Get my jewelry in stores. There a couple places that would like to consign them. But I have to make a few more to feel ready.
  10. Add more necklaces to Etsy.  
  11. Rework photography (photographing these necklaces has been harder than I thought).
  12. Design postcard mailers and have them printed.
  13. Choose 10 publishers to send my work to.
  14. Study up on professionalism in send my work to places. 
  15. Design logo.
  16. Design stationary and stickers.
  17. Rework blog.
  18. Look for some magic way to make some money (Ok, maybe not magic but I need to figure out a way to get a little more income coming in). What do you do when you need a little extra?
  19. Damon and I have a bunch of mini trips coming up, so I need to get better at time management.
  20. Find some few places to advertise my shop.
  21. Get more involved with SFEtsy and the Center for the Book! Volunteer and get out of the house more!!!
  22. Work on book ideas with the Ladies & Gents series.
  23. Get better working schedule for New Bohemia Signs.
  24. Get a better blog posting schedule.
Well, that seems pretty good for now, don't you think? Do you have crazy plans for the end of summer rush?

Here's to much success and productivity!!!!!

What is the Meetup thing, you ask? It is a group of creatives that encourage each other each month to make and complete their goals. Join us...it is an amazing to watch the progress of others and yourself...
Contact Liz for more info here.  

It's time for the August Meetup!

Looking a little closer at things...via The Smithsonian Institution


Wow, July just flew by, didn't it? I am ready to be pushing myself hard this month. Pushing past the rality of my 40th birthday on the 25th. Yikes....So, I've got a lot to do. But I'm pretty excited about the possibilies of it all.

So what did I accomplish in July? Not as much as I wanted but I did manage to create 10 more illustrations for my Ladies & Gents Series. I started reworking my blog. How do you like the new header so far? (there still a bit of work to be done but I'm happy with it so far.) and I worked on creating a better system for working. Yay, for better time management and making schedules...I'm doing better at finding balance with all my different projects I've been working on. And believe me, it is a very good thing.

My plans/goals for August:

  1. Get all prints up on Etsy. I'm hoping to have have at least 25 prints for sale.
  2. Start blogging for The Center for the Book.
  3. Keep schedule at New Bohemia Signs. 10 -15 hours a week. Create a solid project list.
  4. Paint a new Nursery Painting for Angela.
  5. Create a Blogging schedule and stick to it.
  6. Create at least one painting a month for Illustration Friday.
  7. Get my profile up on Illustration Mundo.
  8. Take more pictures...
  9. Draw everyday. 
  10. Start getting ready to market myself as a freelancer. Anyone have any tips? I need to get more business minded.
  11. Take a mini vacation and enjoy my birthday...
  12. Get my work out to at least one new blog or website. 
  13. Find a good exercise and mediation routine.
  14. Start creating ideas for the "Ladies & Gents" series as a book possibility.
  15. Bring some focus to working in Editorial Illustration.
  16. Practice my lettering for the sign shop 2x a week.
It should be a pretty interesting month. Wish me luck...

What is the Meetup thing, you ask? It is a group of creatives that encourage each other each month to make and complete their goals. Join us...it is an amazing to watch the progress of others and yourself...
Contact Liz for more info here.


It's time for the July Meetup!

Girl Playing Via Nationaal Archief


Hey Everybody, hope you are enjoying your summer so far. Wow...I don't believe that it is already July. It has been a crazy month for me and I really need to refocus on my artwork. And find time for a little bit of fun too, no?

As you may know, I have been working at New Bohemia Signs for the last few months and and am very thankful for the work(mostly administrative stuff but I'm also learning some lettering). It's been great to be surrounded by such amazing  and inspiring artists and I have been loving watching them finally get the recognition they deserve. Way to go everybody!

Now that the craziness of me working full time at the sign shop and our gallery show almost over, it is time for me to get back to it my illustration work.

So what's a the Bluehour Studio plate for July?

  1. Redo the Blog! I need to get a new look that matches well with my website.
  2. Finish up the new website...It is not 100% done yet but I'm pretty happy with the results so far. You can take a peek here.
  3. Add artwork to my Etsy page. I have work to go up. I just need to figure out the descriptions for each of the pieces. I need to get this going already. Why am I so nervous about this? Damn you fear.
  4. Redo my business cards. I've never been totally happy with them, so a new design is in order. And I need to get in the habit of carrying them with me wherever I go. I need to really focus on becoming more business oriented.
  5. Create a mailing list and postcards to send out to potential clients.
  6. Get back to drawing everyday.
  7. Restart Morning Pages.
  8. Add more work to my portfolio section of my website.
  9. Actively search for new illustration jobs. 
  10. Get back to blogging more( at least 3x a week), updating Twitter and Facebook(both pages) and updating my other art sites more often ( Society 6 and Design Related)
  11. Bi-Monthly Illustration Friday drawings. This weeks topic, " Remedy". I love doing these because it gets you used to doing deadlines.
  12. Lose 10 pounds by my 40th birthday. This is coming up at the end of August. I'm pretty freaked out about it and I want to look my best. 
  13. Get on a better exercise routine.
  14. Add more paintings to the "Ladies & Gents" series
  15. Create painting for my Nursery Series AKA super cute birds and animal prints to sell on Etsy.
  16. Take as many mini-vacations as humanly possible...it is summer after all.
OK that's it for July. Hopefully I can get many of these things done this month.

Oh, yeah and it seems this is also my one year anniversary as a business. I've grown so much in the last 12 months. It has been exciting and difficult but I'm ready rearrange a few things, learn some new strategies and push forward...Here's to all of that!

What is the Meetup thing, you ask? It is a group of creatives that encourage each other each month to make and complete their goals. Join us...it is an amazing to watch the progress of others and yourself...
Contact Liz for more info here.