Athena Dreams Design

Moving My On-line Home

Since 2007 my art and design life has been chronicled here at Athena Dreams Design, and that's all changing as of now. I've been working on my new website for about 6 months and as of now, my blog will be living there too: Liz Kalloch Art & Design

I am saying goodbye and a fond farewell to Typepad, and to Athena Dreams, and moving on to a blog housed on my website, under my own name. Please join me over here, and thanks so much for reading and commenting and joining in on the conversations.

May 2012 .:. Biz Goals

I completed several of the many goals in April, (yay) and you will find the Biz Goals post happening over here!

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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.

April 2012 .:. Biz Goals

So here's the first quarter of 2012, finished. Yeow that's crazy, but anyway here we are at April.

Got a fair amount of the heavy lifting things done in the first 3 months, or at least started and now onward to April.

JAN-MAR 2012 Goals

1. Identify and contact 2-3 potential licensors over the next 3 months - Moved to June
2. Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work- Didn't happen
3. Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio - DONE, you can see it here!
4. Pattern design - create 2-3 series - have thought about this one, and actually haven't done Anything, I feel like I have a lot of other boats in the water, and need to work on them first.- Decided to put this one on hold, too many other things going right now. It'll come back around.
5. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint. This ended up feeling too calculated a way to start, so I've been painting and will evaluate any potential series that I could add to in the next few months
6. Put a list together of 10-12 people I know and ask them about what methods they have used to market their work. Move to April-June
7. Write announcements and press releases about my current work. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out! Sent out 3. No responses. Will focus more on this April-June.
8. Work more on branding and ask for testimonials/words from peers. - started putting them up here. These are design specific, need to get the art/jewelry ones up elsewhere.
9. Re-evaluate ALL of these things as the days and week pass, and listen to my own voice and re-evaluate their importance/priority I am re-evaluating a few things on this list. Patterns: I need to follow through with my Etsy shop and my jewelery and a few other things before I throw out another thing. Too much. Painting Series: the idea is OK, but it's too forced. At least right now. I AM painting. I need to paint what is speaking to me, and not set it up trying to pre-suppose what a licensor wants, and paint to that. Nope. not goign towork that way.
10. Add to this list with any new ideas/possibilities
11. Create for FUN and JOY. 

APRIL Goals

1. Contact the potential licensors I identified in March. Try to get all contacts out by end of April.
2. Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work before 15 April.
3. Put more time and effort into marketing my Etsy shop and trying different ideas/methods. This item needs consistent focus all month. Limit diversions and distractions and disappointments.
4. Finish the About Liz sections of website by end of April.
5. Move the blog to WP by end of April and have a cohesive site.
6. Continue marketing research and interviews with people I know. Read more. Listen more. Try more.
7. Write {and re-write} announcements and press releases about my current work: jewelery, cards art. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out!
8. Spend some time each day just drawing. Re-visit the pencil, or the pen and a piece of paper. Think about shadow, think about perspective, go back to the basics!
9. Practice {everyday} some of the self-care techniques that I learned at the Steady Burn Retreat with Jen Lee and her band of merry-wise women that was held at Teahouse Studio last weekend. I am rearranging my time, and my focus, in so many ways that are helping me to find more creative space.
10. Paint. Create. Revel. Celebrate. Focus. Collaborate. Rest. Repeat.

April is here, and we are so not fooling around. Let's embrace the month of April in a wave of creativity and abundance!

________________________

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.

March 2012 .:. Biz Goals

The extendo-month of February is done, and even with that bonus day, it flew on by - {AND I'm a day late posting}.

In addition to below, I joined SF Etsy, I've been meeting {in person} with a group of "-preneurs" on ce a month which Rocks, and I'm taking a painting class with Michael Cutlip {which is taking me out of my confort zone, and that's exactly why I'm doing it.}

OK, let's check out those goals:

JAN-MAR 2012 Goals

1. Identify and contact 2-3 potential licensors over the next 3 months - Have identified 25, and now need to put together queries. Query lettters put together, and images chosen to send
   
   
2. Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work- am re-evaluating this, I'm not sure I'm interested in doing this {gulp} every time I think about it I think "sigh... I'll do something else on my list." I'm flipping this, and am going to choose some places that I'd like to work with...
3. Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio - STILL working on it (with some help from a friend)
   
   
4. Pattern design - create 2-3 series - have thought about this one, and actually haven't done Anything, I feel like I have a lot of other boats in the water, and need to work on them first.
   
   
5. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint. Nada, BUT I've been painting, just not that calculatedly.
6. Put a list together of 10-12 people I know and ask them about what methods they have used to market their work. Put the list together, and now need to compose an e-mail.
7. Write announcements and press releases about my current work. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out! Sent out 3. No responses
8. Work more on branding and ask for testimonials/words from peers. - putting a list together of people to ask for "praise". All the people on my list have been asked, I have some back already, am waiting for others!
   
   
9. Re-evaluate ALL of these things as the days and week pass, and listen to my own voice and re-evaluate their importance/priority I am re-evaluating a few things on this list. Patterns: I need to follow through with my Etsy shop and my jewelery and a few other things before I throw out another thing. Too much. Painting Series: the idea is OK, but it's too forced. At least right now. I AM painting. I need to paint what is speaking to me, and not set it up trying to pre-suppose what a licensor wants, and paint to that. Nope. not goign towork that way.
10. Add to this list with any new ideas/possibilities
11. Create for FUN and JOY. Another reason #5 wasn't working

Happy March everyone, looking forward to seeing where you're all at!

________________________

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.

February 2012 .:. Biz Goals

 

So this is my cat, spying on the cat next door who's spying on a crow in the grass. It somehow seemed the perfect Meetup photo for this month. I think first because it made me laugh, and second, I love the intensity and focus that both of the cats possess. And the crow, well he/she knew the cats were there, and just ignored them. There was a deck and a fence between them, and the crow was busy picking up seeds.

They all kept their focus on the task at hand, and they all stayed on task. SO it's my new metaphor for getting the tasks at hand done: think cat spying on cat spying on crow, and crow continuing to do a crow's business.

January came and went, and since the goals I listed for January are really about Jan-Mar, they are MORE my first quarter goals. I've made progress on a few things, and getting close to completion on a few more, so I am going to leave this list up and keep updating and crossing out till it's DONE (and dusted), and then move on to the second quarter. I'm testing this out as a new way to function and a way to keep up on those larger goals as well as all the small actions that accomplish those larger goals.

Am feeling ready for February and good about my progress so far. Wow. that feels good to write!

JAN-MAR 2012 Goals

1. Identify and contact 2-3 potential licensors over the next 3 months - Have identified 5, and now need to put together queries.
2. Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work
3. Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio - working on it!
4. Pattern design - create 2-3 series
5. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint.
6. Put a list together of 10-12 people I know and ask them about what methods they have used to market their work.
7. Write announcements and press releases about my current work. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out!
8. Work more on branding and ask for testimonials/words from peers. - putting a list together of people to ask for "praise".
9. Re-evaluate ALL of these things as the days and week pass, and listen to my own voice and re-evaluate their importance/priority
10. Add to this list with any new ideas/possibilities
11. Create for FUN and JOY.

February is making it's entrance, and now for the year that winter never really, truly arrived in many parts of the world (I know some of you have been snowed in but not to many) so, will Phil see his shadow on the 2nd? Hope you all have a great start to February!

And for anyone working at better writing skills, better branding and beng an alla round better publicist for your own work: a new book is available called: Recipe for Press by Amy Flurry. I just ordered my copy, and hoping to get some great tips.

________________________

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.

January 2012 .:. Biz Goals

Oh Lucky Cat*, welcoming in this new year... your left paw raised in the universal sign for good luck and good fortune, and your right paw raised to protect all that luck and fortune, I will be keeping you in my mind's eye, every day.

So we are already a week into January, a week into this new year, and I am lagging a bit with the goals. I've been trying to re-imagine how this Meetup might work, and make it more action-able, more accesible, more helpful for everyone who shows up here every month - and in the midst of that and all the other things that have been going on this First Week, I lagged.

So without further hesitation, I want to pose this question to any and all re: their monthly goals:

DO you find that there are broader goals that are getting left undone each month, maybe for months on end, because you are so busy working on the smaller, more immediate goals (like getting orders out, and making your product, and taking work that pays so that you can keep making your own things)?

I do. And I'd like to change that. Like, now. This first quarter of 2012. I was hit with the realisation that some of these larger goals are going to be important to me and my business a little further down the road, and I am not reaching my destination a little further down the road because I have not tended to the larger goals.

It's all a full-circle conundrum, isn't it?

Okay so long term goals, for the first quarter: I went back through 2011 and looked at all the long term items that were not finished, and they are:

1. Identify and contact 2-3 potential licensors over the next 3 months
2. Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work
3. Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio
4. Pattern design - create 2-3 series
5. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint.
6. Put a list together of 10-12 people I know and ask them about what methods they have used to market their work.
7. Write announcements and press releases about my current work. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out!
8. Work more on branding and ask for testimonials/words from peers.
9. Re-evaluate ALL of these things as the days and week pass, and listen to my own voice and re-evaluate their importance/priority
10. Add to this list with any new ideas/possibilities
11. Create for FUN and JOY.

I hope all your January's are starting in a splendid way, and hope to hear about your goals - long and short term. OK, stepping into 2012, and here we go!

________________________

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.

*The Maneki Neko (招き猫^?, literally "Beckoning Cat"; also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Cat Swipe, Money cat, or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning. In the design of the sculptures, a raised left paw supposedly attracts money, while a raised right paw protects it. (from Wikipedia)

December 2011 .:. Biz Goals

Ok, so November has passed us by, and here we are at the last month of 2011.

So, for November here's what I had:

1. Finish 2 more journal designs, and then get to the binding and producing - finished designing, but am not loving the way the covers are printing, tried 3-4 different papers, still experimenting
2. Jewels - made and more being made
3. Flower series - not started yet, BUT I painted 4 pieces for a Holiday Art show at artstream gallery
4. Contact 2 licensors this month TWO! - nada
5. Finish the website (it's seriously almost done!) - mostly done, ALMOST done, except for the blog (but it's linked to this one for now), oh and my artist statement and like that, have a visit: http://www.lizkallochdesigns.com

So for December:

1. Contact 2-3 potential licensors
2. Get packages off to 2 companies that are interested in my design work
3. Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio
4. Teahouse Studio Art Fair
5. Pattern design
6. My word for 2012
7. Play and experiment in whatever down time I have from deadlines
8. Breathe. Deeply. Slowly. Breathe.

So December is staring us down, and I'm planning on giving it a little wink back. Here comes the last month of 2011, and so let's make it fabulous, and creative, and dynamic, and restful, and rejuvenating and all around wonderful.

Hope you all have a great month, can't wait to see what you all have planned!

IF you are new to the Meet Up, 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.

November 2011 .:. Biz Goals

And there went October! I got most everything done, and then some: taught at create explore discover in mid-October, got a big design job I wasn't expecting, and fit in some time for friends, and laughing, and talking too.

1. Jewelry - didn't get as much done as I wanted but here comes November
2. Journal Covers X3 - 1 done, 2 more coming
3. Get Holiday cards into Etsy shop - done and more coming
4. Flower painting series - not even started (!)
5. Start making contact with potential licensors - at least 3 contact this month. - 1 contact made and another going out this week
6. The Money Book - started (again!)
7. Incorporate #5, #6 and #8 from September back into October. THESE were the easiest bits all month long.

OK, so coming up in November, more of the same as above, plus a quick trip back east for a wedding, getting ready for some Holiday Art Fairs, and a birthday.

1. Finish 2 more journal designs, and then get to the binding and producing
2. Jewels
3. Flower series
4. Contact 2 licensors this month TWO!
5. Finish the website (it's seriously almost done!)

I think this is enough... okay here we go down the path to November and onward to winter. I hope you all fill your Novembers with whatever you deeply and surely and truly want to fill it with, and I hope that you find deep satisfaction in any and all of it. Happy November-ing.

 

October 2011 .:. Biz Goals

 

After doing extensive research and polling influential marketers (i.e. sending mock-ups to good friends for feedback) I have a card for my jewelry pieces. Artful Jewelry Constructions is what I'm calling my pieces, I came up with it while thinking about something completely else, so often the way things happen, and I'm really happy with it... and so, here's my card!

And so September was:

1. Finish out the 2 remaining design projects over the next month and a half. - almost done!
2. Make room for lots of jewelery design. - making room everyday
3. Design 3 covers for journal series I want to produce on my own. - OOO need to move this to Oct.
4. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint. - October
5. Allow myself to re-schedule something when I am on a roll with something else. Remember to remember that going where the fire is and re-scheduleing (if possible) is where my best work is going to come from. Oh this has been my motto for the month.
6. With whatever free time is left, make things that make me happy, and don't think past that. Love this one, keeping it for Oct.
7. Take out The Money Book again, and do a thorough read, and thorough note taking/plan for the "new" year/financial assessment - Add to October
8. Get some Long walks in this month. Many short ones, need some really long ones, we're moving this to Oct too!

And October will be:

1. Jewelry
2. Journal Covers X3
3. Get Holiday cards into Etsy shop
4. Flower painting series
5. Start making contact with potential licensors - at least 3 contact this month.
6. The Money Book
7. Incorporate #5, #6 and #8 from September back into October.

OK, I think I'm ready! The first "winter" storm is on it's way in from somewhere across the Pacific, and it's gray and gloomy and verging on chilly here, perfect weather to be inside and DOing. Hope you all have an amazing October.

It's the 4th quarter of 2011, and there's no time like the present, so let's do this!

Going with What's Happening

Much of September has been about throwing away the daily to-do list and going with what is happening for me. I have some deadlines. I have some contract jobs. And then I have the rest of my time. Time that is spent on what I choose to spend it on.

Until this month, I have been blocking out chunks of my days: 2 hours for design time, 3 hours for painting, 1 hour for a walk, etc. Well, this month I changed all that, and opted to experiment a bit with my time and my schedule. I have my larger to-do list, but the day to day one: gone.

I have been spending the time that is not taken up with a deadline or a client, doing what I am excited about in that moment, on that day. So today, I had planned to paint, but, today, I am way into printing miniature images of my paintings and setting them into various and sundry bezels and flats, and pouring resin.

Today, the only brush I am using is the one that's coated with matte medium to seal the ink on my prints, and then it's mixing and pouring the resin, and hovering, waiting for the air bubbles to form and rise to the surface so I can get rid of them. It's what I MOST want to do with the time that is mine today.

I think I might be onto something with this experiment in how I use my time. It's just a bit past 11am and I count 20 something pendants poured and setting.