The Adventures

Every day is an adventure. I share the view, the gratitude and the news on Fridays – you’re invited to join in. You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.

The view

I am so grateful for…

The lovely autumnal weather + produce
This weekend's opportunity to talk to so many sweet, passionate businesses.
Generous gifts from readers and students: DELICIOUS Organic Polwarth from Sheep Spot (pictured above), Yarn Love yarn, and Ewe Clips!

The Finds:

I’m exploring:

When Elise first linked to the Capsule Wardrobe idea, I giggled to myself: the idea of paring your wardrobe down to just 37 pieces you'd wear in a season, well, it presumes that you have over 37 items of clothes. And it presumes you go shopping (I don't, Jay has to convince me to try anything on, and then to buy what I actually say I want/need.)
But when Elise shared her own, I thought: It would be awesome to know that I was actually WEARING everything in my closet and that it all fit together into grown-up outfits. (I tend to wear the same 3 tshirts/sweaters/cardigans with my 2 pairs of identical jeans – the joys of self-employment.) Off I went to my closet and drawer and pulled out everything I'm not going to wear in the cold weather (sleeveless shirts, lighter dresses) and donate-able stuff (stained shirts, too-big dresses and pants I've been holding on to “in case”.) As I counted up what was left, I realized that there are some gaps that I've been frustrated about for years, and that I could actually, ya know, fill them. (The gaps: Clothes to meet students/friends for coffee in. I have plenty of “working at coffeeshop” tshirts/jeans/hoodies and enough “teaching in front of a room” dresses (3)…but nothing in between.) I got another pair of jeans, a sweater and a button-down (to dress up my pullover sweaters) and suddenly BAM! I feel a grown-up with an actual wardrobe of options. I also signed up for a Stitch Fix, because, man, I hate to shop (Jay bribes me) and my local options are limited. (I'm still not up to 37 piece, but I have what I need, and it actually fits together.)

I still don't care anything about fashion and meeting someone else's standards of beauty and “appropriateness”, but as I started to explore my own resistance to buying clothes (I could write many, many more posts about my issues around money, shopping, objectification), I'm realizing that it's possible to look at clothes as another opportunity to feel good, to be myself, just for me.

I’m eating:

This delicious Apple Crisp
Dilly Stew with Rosemary Dumplings – the perfect meal for a rainy fall day

In case you missed it:

This week I shared my own lessons from doing craft shows, and how I survive weekend-long shows (or conferences, trade shows, etc) as an introvert.

What adventures have you had?

Craft Shows for Introverts {Podcast}

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Last week we talked about marketing for introverts and this week, since I just did a show last weekend, I want to talk more about how you can best prepare for a craft show, as an introvert. If you find it hard to speak extemporaneously or you feel depleted after you spend time with a lot of a people, I'll help you feel your best at your next in-person event.

In this episode

3 practices to be as ready and refreshed as possible for your show
How to prepare, so you know just what to say
Introvert Recovery (what I do + what my students do)

Links

Craft Shows Changed my Life

How to listen

You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

The Secret Power of Craft Shows

Craft shows changed my life.

(I didn't know it until I started writing this post, but as I started to trace the roots of what I do today, I realized that's where it all started.)

Last weekend I sold my yarn for the first time in over a year (I put my yarn business on hold when I could no longer get packages out on time, thanks to traveling to teach. This weekend I was back in the game with a few skeins of my yarn (and my mom's sheep's fiber). Preparing for the show and helping my pal Misty think through the process brought it all back in a rush.

Even though I help Starshippers get prepared for their first shows (and 50th shows) every month, I had forgotten what it was like to be in it.
To be worried you don't have enough.
To do late night, last-minute labeling.
To get nervous about people seeing your work.

So, to calm my nerves, I searched my own site for advice (the major benefit of having a blog!). And sure enough I found it.

In 2008 (that's 6 years ago!), I wrote about my first craft show here, in 5 1/2 Shocking Facts about Craft Shows.

“You don’t have to (and probably can’t) fake enthusiasm.”

A month later, I wrote about my next show, with even more lessons:

“Be prepared to answer the “Can you make this in ***” question. Know how long it would take you and how you’ll handle payment for a custom order. If you don’t want to do custom, come up with a nice way of saying no, so you’re not taken by surprise in the moment.”

One year later, I wrote about the Pain of Craft Shows:

” I do craft shows because it’s the one place, the one situation in which being a full-time yarnie feels good, normal, accepted. The people get me. They get my yarn. It’s a place to be me: handknit clothes, stripey knee-socks, pink-haired, yarn-making me.”

Two years after that first post and my first show, I wrote this: “That feeling hasn’t faded in the last 2 years of doing shows; in fact, it’s only grown stronger.”

It occurred to me, in reading through these posts that this where I really got clear on the power of following my enthusiasm. This is where I learned that it is OK to be weird, pink-haired, wonky me. Those first shows, while I still worked in a boring office in black slacks, were the first taste I had (maybe ever?) of being myself out loud and connecting with people as that true self. Once you get a taste of that, you can start to imagine the possibility of being yourself, expressing yourself, like … all the time.

Once you get a taste of it, you can start to imagine the possibility of being yourself, expressing yourself…all of the time.

Click To Tweet

And this taste, this experience totally transformed my life. (Very, very slowly.)
For me this meant making more yarn, doing more shows, and connecting with people in the maker community. That led to me spending my days writing, talking, and helping other makers bring more of themselves into their businesses, to craft a life they really want.

But for you, the path will be different. It will lead you in different directions. You can start to express yourself more in how you dress, how you tell the truth and how you embrace all your weird bits.

I totally haven't figured it out yet, and I'm certainly not comfortable being myself all the time, but it's a process. You can kick-start the process by choosing to do things you're enthusiastic about, by doing more of what makes you feel like yourself, and by letting those experiences transform you.

Whether it's craft shows, or making your art, or just starting to take your enthusiasm more seriously — it could change your life.

PS. I made a class sharing everything I knew about craft shows 4 years ago. Currently it's only available in the Starship, but I hope to refresh it and offer it again in 2015. Sign up here to get notified when it's ready.

Marketing for Introverts {Podcast}

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Talking about your work is hard for any artist or maker, but when you're also an introvert, the idea of “sharing your work” can feel totally overwhelming. In today's episode I'm going to share my tips on marketing for introverts.

In this episode:

What it means to be an introvert (it's different than feeling shy)!
How to get comfortable with the idea of connecting with your Right People, when you prefer to be alone.
How to build a marketing plan that respects your needs.

Links:

My CreativeLive class is rebroadcasting this week. Catch Session 3 on 10/10, starting at 9 am and playing all day. (Or buy it and get access any time!)
Market Yourself
My interview with Introvertology
Traveling for Introverts episode
Quiet, by Susan Cain, is my favorite book on the subject of introversion (and it's only $2.99 on the Kindle!)

How to listen

You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

If you'd like some help crafting a marketing plan that is custom-suited to your introvert preferences, sign up for Craft Your Marketing and we'll work through it together!

What I’m reading: October 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here.

What I read

GirlBoss, by Sophia Amoruso – If you like business biographies, this has got a healthy dose of that, which I think is the best part. Less interesting is her “advice” for young women. On one page she's giving you interview tips, on another page tips for hiring, and it left me thinking: who is this book for? A woman entering the workforce? Middle management? What I was hoping for was a book aimed at US, women who build our own businesses…but the advice was a little shallow for that.
The Odyssey, by Homer – I'm sure I read parts of this in High School, but as part of my Great Books Project (details below) I wanted to read the whole thing. I was completely shocked by how gripping and … modern it all felt, especially if you read any sci-fi. I wholeheartedly love it, recommend it, and can't believe it took me so long.
Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles – Another Great Book that was actually great. Of course I knew the story, but Sophocles's play positions us so we watch Oedipus discover his crime. My favorite bit from the forward (written by the translator, Robert Fagles), that perfectly explains its relevance:

“Sophocles play has served…our own terror of the unknown future which we fear we cannot control– our deep fear that every step we take forward on what we think is the road to progress may really be a step toward a foreordained rendezvous with disaster.“

I mean, right?

10 years in the Tub: a Decade of Soaking in Great Books, by Nick Hornby. I picked this up randomly from the Reading section of my library (geek alert!) and I am so happy with it. It's a collection of Hornby's “What I'm Reading” articles (you know I love that!) for the Believer magazine, which he wrote for 10 years. The articles are funny, memorable, and perfectly express what it is I love about reading. It's a biggie, and I've been reading a few articles every day, stretching out the enjoyment. (Warning: It caused me to add over a dozen books to my To Read list. Beware!)
(Some of) How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler. I didn't read it all, because the tone totally turned me off. The author gets snobby (or as British Nick Hornby would say, sniffy) about reading and how to properly do it and while I learned bits, I didn't like his voice or style enough to keep going. But according to Mr. Adler, the only fair criticism is to agree or disagree (with a non-fiction book). I agree with this:

“The first piece of advice we would like to give you for reading a story is this: Read it quickly and with total immersion.”

And this:

“A story is like life itself; in life, we do not expect to understand events as they occur, at least with total clarity, but looking back on them, we do understand. “

What I’m reading

Make it Mighty Ugly by my pal Kim Werker. I'm taking it slow, because I really really love it.
The Magician's Land, by Lev Grossman
Fictitious Dishes, by Dinah Fried
Aeneid, by Virgil
Confessions, by St. Augustine

The Great Books Project

After months of waffling, the Great Books Project is finally underway. At your suggestion, I'm holding most of it over on the Facebook page, with discussions of our lists, our progress, and regular quotes from the books I love. I'll be sharing a little update here each month, and you're welcome to join in on your own project, either in the comments, or over on the FB page (the joy of FB is that we can all reply to each other).

My project officially started October 1, but as you can see I got a little excited and hit two of my books already (The Odyssey and Oedipus Rex). This month I hope to plow through Virgil and St. Augustine. Do you have any recommended resources for any of them? (For example, I'll be using CraftLit when I hit Dickens and Wilde.) My entire list is here.

What are you reading?

The Adventures

Every day is an adventure. I share the view, the gratitude and the news on Fridays – you’re invited to join in. You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.

The view

I am so grateful for…

Finally reaching a long-time goal (and breaking my own records)
Roast pumpkin!
Kind words by Libby + Nat!
I know I could say this every week (and often do), but I am so so grateful for the fantastically inspiring people I get to work with. And I am truly grateful when they have successes. (An author got an agent! A maker experienced a selling frenzy at a national trade show!)

The Finds:

I’m reading:

One of my favorite-ist authors just leveled up in a big way. YAY!
This article about the power in sharing our personal narratives, recommended by Alicia

I’m eating:

Roast pumpkin over rice and black beans with Chimichurri, from Isa Does It.
The very last homegrown basil pesto.

In case you missed it:

I was interviewed by Introvertology about my introversion.
Marketing for Crafters is rebroadcasting next week! Tune in at 9am on 10/6 to watch it for free!
I'm teaching at “From Ideas to Action” (map making) Haywood Community College on Thursday, October 9th.
For the first time in over a year, my handspun yarn will be available! If you're local, come by and say hello!

What adventures have you had?

What to do in the middle

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are you in the middle? Past that clearly defined start-up phase, where you knew exactly what to do, and now … what? After your shop is up, your products are photographed and you've made your first sale – your destination becomes fuzzy. How do you keep going, day after day?

In this episode we'll talk about what the middle is, and how to thrive in it.

How to listen

You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

Adventures in Business with Writer Alicia de los Reyes

Today I'm sharing an adventure with Starship Captain and writer, Alicia de los Reyes. Alicia is a writer and teacher in Seattle, where she lives with her husband and her cat. Alicia likes to write fiction and nonfiction, especially fun writing guides.

You can read some things she has written here. She also likes running and hiking, eating cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies, and reading Gothic novels.

People have this fantasy of what it's like to be a writer. But what's a normal day for you really like?

I'm not a full-time writer yet, but I try to live and work like one. So, most mornings, I get up at 6:30 and write from 7-9. Then, I do some marketing/blogging/guest posting/pitching/querying/submitting for another hour. Three hours of work doesn't sound like much, but I'm usually pretty wiped by then. I go for a run, take a break, and get ready for my other job, tutoring.

There are so many ways to make a living as a writer – how are you doing it? What have you combined and how has that changed through the years?

I do it by tutoring and teaching SAT prep classes in the afternoon and evening — so, right now, by not writing, though sometimes I get to tutor kids who want to write, which is fun. My writing income comes from my ebooks: a guide to writing chick lit now called DIY Chick Lit (formerly The Chick Lit Cookbook) and a guide to taking yourself on a writing retreat, called, creatively, DIY Writing Retreat — coming soon. I also submit my work to lots of journals, and sometimes it gets published, which is very exciting. Eventually, I hope to get a book deal for my narrative nonfiction book about hanging out with evangelical Christians for a year, and for my novel about a missing woman's family.

A year ago, I was a teaching assistant at the University of New Hampshire, where I was earning my MFA in writing. That was probably the ideal writing lifestyle for most: write for 10-20 hours each week, teach for 20 hours each week. But grad school doesn't last forever, alas. Before that, I wrote infrequently in my free time while I worked full-time at various places.

The biggest change is that now I have a cat supervisor (her name is Mitzi).

I don't think I've found the perfect way to write and work at the same time, but tutoring lets me have a lot of free time and a break from writing that I think is necessary for me.

What new thing are you exploring now?

I'm always working on lots of projects. I'm exploring how my “platform,” a word that I can't stand and don't really understand, can help me get published and find readers. An agent I pitched a book to told me thought the project was great, but that I didn't have a platform. That stung! So I'm trying to increase my web presence in a way that feels good to me, basically by blogging. I was inspired by {fellow Starship Captain} D.N. Frost for how professional everything looks on her website & social media accounts.

‘I'm trying to increase my web presence in a way that feels good to me.' – Alicia de los Reyes

Click To Tweet

What's your definition of success in your business?

My definition of success is related to several things. One is productivity: am I writing? Am I generating pages? I think this one is the most important to me — I sometimes think, if I end up with a drawer of beautiful writing, that will be enough. The writing is the most important part.

Another is financial: I have a number of sales I want to reach and a monthly income I want to make. I would love to write full-time and spend my free time making crafts and hanging out with my friends. Right now, my free time is pretty limited. Not a lot of crafts.

I also measure it in readers, using markers like getting published, tracking visits to my site, and reviews of my books. It's good to have a few different measures, because I'm usually happy about one or two of them, but rarely all three at once.

What's the next destination you're working towards?

I'm working towards increasing my web presence. I've been blogging regularly, tweeting, and reaching out to other writers and bloggers to share my work. I'm usually shy about telling people what I've been working on, but I'm forcing myself to get over it.

Are you a writer in need of accountability and support as you build your platform? Check out the Starship and join Alicia (and D!).

The Adventures

Every day is an adventure. I share the view, the gratitude and the news on Fridays – you’re invited to join in. You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.

The view

I am so grateful for…

The opportunity to see a few of our favorite bands in person at Bristol Rhythm and Roots – Jeff Tweedy, Sturgill Simpson and St Paul and the Broken Bones.
One of the best performances I've ever seen: St Paul and the Broken Bones. Seriously amazing.
A humblingly, surprisingly awesome Starship boarding.
The sparks of a new opportunity, and the bravery to pursue it.
My running playlist

The Finds:

I’m reading:

Kim's Make it Mignty Ugly. LOVE it.
This great post on…a shoe by Elise. This is exactly how I think about pieces of my wardrobe (my shoes, my purse, a few dresses) – the part of my life they've experienced and clothed me for.

I’m eating:

These almond cookies and nothing else worth mentioning (bean dip and spaghetti and pizza).

In case you missed it:

This is my favorite thing I've written, in a long time.
The Starship is open and Captain Ana shared a peek into what her life as a full-time maker is like.
This is what I've learned in over 4 years of working up close and personal with artists.
A new episode of my knitting video podcast is out!

What adventures have you had?

What works (and what doesn’t): Lessons from 4 years aboard the Starship

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In four years of leading the Starship, I have had an inside look at dozens of creative businesses. I've seen what works (and what keeps them stuck). I've watched captains grow their business until they could quit their day job, captains start their business from scratch, and captains totally change directions. I've noticed some things are true of all the captains who have met their goals, and I'd like to share them with you today.

In today's episode I'll share:

What the most successful captains have in common
What stops businesses (and people) from growing
What it really takes to be a successful knitwear designer (Since the Starship is about 30% knitwear designers, I've learned a lot by watching what works for them.)

The Starship is an online community for makers, artists and writers with a library full of classes, a forum to ask and answer questions, and a weekly live chat with me, where everyone checks in on what's going well, what they're working on, and how we can help. It is open this week (it closes on Oct 1); join here.

How to listen

You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

Want to beam aboard the Starship or sign up to learn when it's open? Click here!