Athena Dreams Design

Creating the Road You're On

An Invitation to Travel, original mixed media painting by Liz Kalloch

As small business owners, creatives, and entrepreneurs we are all on our own road to somewhere.

For most of us there is no map, no mapquest directions to be downloaded, no Michelin guide to help us find our way. So, what do we do? We create most of it as we go. I like to think of it as creating for the journey, and since creating is fun and gets us to unexpected and sometimes miraculous destinations, and a road map that you have to fold up neatly to get it back in the glove box isn’t, I’m going with the fun map. . .

I am over at Scoutie Girl today, to read the rest of the story, go HERE.

11 Weeks In

• Our cat had never been outside until she came to live with us, she is now an indoor/outdoor cat. She, like many cats, hates the rain. Today she tried to go out, and a raindrop splatted in her face. Her response? Hiss at the raindrop and run back inside. I am right with her on this.

• The house we used to live in leaked. Leaked a lot. Leaked in many rooms. Many things were damaged. I worried every time it rained. And then we moved into the house we're in now and the FIRST thing I had checked out was the roof. Was it going to leak? Answer: No. But I still worried in the back of my head. And 2 years into living here the roof does not leak, BUT the window in my painting studio? Yeah, it leaks. This goes under the heading of be careful what you worry about, it might end up coming true.

• The more I go into my studio to paint, the more energy and excitement I have about painting. Funny (and not so funny) how that works.

• Wisdom thought today: Don't go to sleep and fall back into old patterns, you might miss an opportunity to see things differently.

• When on a spending budget, don't go looking at the new spring shoes from Keen. It's temptation. It won't end well.

• Inspiration begets inspiration.

• Talking about the things that excite, inspire and remind us why we do what we do are lifelines to further inspiration. Details? Go here, and here.

• I have some great wind in my sails right now. I write this to remind myself the next time I hit the doldrums that the wind always picks up again. Always. (see below)

• My grandfather used to tell me that the only thing we could count in this world is change. (see above)

It's Almost Spring

and I am over at Gypsy Girl's Guide today . . .  where are your travelling dreams taking you to this year?

March 2011 .:. Biz Goals

Welcome March! Isn't it March that they say in like a lion out like a lamb about? I always loved that phrase, it gives such a visual metaphor for winter moving into spring.

Okay, and wow, its really March. Did anyone else get up thinking, damn, it's already March? Okay, so since time is streaming by us so very quickly, let's get to the goals...

 Here were my February goals

1. Identify 3-5 new product categories to create with my art/design. Research. Prototype. Came up with 5 or 6, and one is already done and done: pillow covers!
2. Find a mentor. I have NO idea how to do this, but the first step is always putting it out there. I want to find a mentor who is also an artist and a designer, and has worked their art and design into brilliantly placed, licensed product that are seen and bought and loved all over the world. OK, so I identified 2 people - Amy Butler and Tricia Guild, and I wrote them both letters! So it's in their hands now, and fingers crossed, they say YES!
3. I think #2 above might go under the category of working smarter.
4. Repeat #2 from last month. Yes!

And March will go a little something like this:

1. Finish up design for at least 2 more product categories, and submit.
2. Work more on re-branding and asking for testimonials/words from peers.
3. Be BOLDER in presenting showing and talking about my work - this is a life lesson for me.
4. Create AND finish 2 new paintings or illustrations, and I mean FINISH!
5. Make some time to dig in the garden a bit, pull some weeds and make a plan for planting.
6. When feeling down or frustrated or impatient (or any other related feelings) spend a moment to count all my blessings.

OK, so here comes March, spring will be on the other side, and the world is full of possibility!

________________________

IF you are new to The Meetup or would like to play along, here's the scoop:

• Post a list of your business related goals for the current month on the 1st of each month on your blog. {If the 1st falls on a weekend, post on the following Monday.}
• Come back over here and leave a link to your goals blog post in the comments of my current month's goals.
• And then {and this is the most important part, since we are a community} visit all the links in the comments, stop in and say hello, have a conversation, meet and greet and etc.
• You can also "meet" the Meet Up peeps, go here and visit the links.