'm preparing a big site launch and refocus here so stay tuned. It's time to refocus and get people on their way to Living Their Creative Dream! When you'd like to know when it's all up and going. Shoot me an email! Also, tell me a little about your self or link me to your website or blog. I might be interviewing you in the future!

orry to be neglecting this blog. I've been working on a book about Living the Creative Dream and am trying to decide if I want to self publish it and have special site access to those who buy the book (forums, special mentoring, accountability, etc). I have these grand plans and wheels are still turning on it.

Would anyone have any interest in this sort of thing? Let me know via email.

am wanting to continually feature & interview some artists on this blog to show others how they are living their creative dream.

Are you living your creative dream? I am!!

I am looking particularly for photographers, painters (fine artists), scrapbookers, crafters, knitters, designers, potters, sculptors, chef's and those with unique creative talents.

In order to narrow the responses I get, I have come up with some requirements for being featured:

Being an artist must be your full-time job (working for your own business). You must have a significant income from your business (by significant, I mean you are supporting yourself and/or your family with your art).

So if you have an interesting story about how your dream job has become your day job, please email me!

brightideas(at)hollicongerstudios.com

*Feel free to pass this post on to others!

o, you give a client the world when all they give you is a little budget. All you want is clients and you will bend over backwards in order to get just one. That's pretty much what happens when you first start out in your career. I have done my fair share of underpaid and over-delivered work. And I have to admit I still do some but I know my worth now and some jobs just aren't worth it. And you know what? It's ok. It got me where I am today and will get me where I want to go tomorrow. Don't beat yourself up over taking jobs that are not the best paying (but it is ok to say no, trust me, you will survive!). Think of it as a chance to add something great to your portfolio that you will use to get bigger and better clients. I once did an illustration early in my career that was a basic farm scene. Nothing spectacular about the project or the budget, but I wanted to do a really good job and I know I spent way more time on it than I should just because #1: maybe they would work with me again on something bigger and #2: I needed to fill my portfolio. I have gotten 4 jobs, that I know of, that were directly from seeing that one illustration and the clients referenced it in their first contact. See, bigger and better. Don't think of it as paying your dues in the industry, think of it as gaining future clients!

ccording to Webster's the word "freelance" is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer.

Over the last few months this word has really gotten under my skin. I can't pinpoint why, it just does. It bothers me when people ask if I'm "still freelancing" as if it was something temporary. Maybe that's the mentality of the people I run into. I'm sure some of it is my fault because I haven't really expounded on what I do. Part of it is shyness, the other part is prejudging and thinking they wouldn't understand if I told them. But no more!

From this day forward, I am not a freelancer, I do not "work from home." Nope, nope. I own a successful creative studio, I take action with my ideas and make a great living - all while spending time with my family. Don't you want my job?

How do you categorize yourself? Your business?

orry for my lack of posts for the last few months. I've been a wee bit busy.

I plan on going full force with the site next year now that I have the physical space to think. Go ahead and start writing out your goals for next year and get busy making them happen!

've written before about feeling successful in your business and even got others opinions on it. Anette let me know about this newsletter from Michael Katz and it's worth a read!

was going to write this whole long post on agents, but the girls from Illustrator Group Soup did such a great job I'll just link to their's instead.

Here, here, and here.

And also, here's an oldie but goodie post from Janee (we share the same rep).

n the summer of last year (2006), I joined a network marketing company. I know, I know! I did it to help my sister-in-law and then it turned into "hey, I could do this business." My reason then turned into getting out of the house, focusing on something besides art. I really enjoyed it and I overcame a lot of personal fears. I was around motivated and motivational people who wanted to be successful and have their dreams come true. And they wanted that for me too! I loved the atmosphere and excitement of each meeting. It also taught me a lot about people and a lot about negativity. I discovered I don't have room for negativity in my life. I've separated/limited myself from some negative people in my life and I've pretty much stopped watching the news and tend to fill my head with entertaining movies, music and art. I can tell it's done a lot of good in the way I feel day to day and I approach my work in a more carefree attitude. I'm not as rigid as I used to be.

At the beginning of this year I had to take a break from that MLM (multi-level marketing) business. My father had unexpectedly passed away and the situation surrounding his death was extremely sad, difficult and just plain weird. During that time it forced me to really see how fortunate and blessed I was to have my dream job and still be able to take the time I needed to deal with everything going on. I leaned upon my work and really fell in love with it all over again. It was really hard to stay sad and depressed when I was drawing happy kids and cute little animals. It was good therapy for me and it became so clear as to what I needed to do from that point on.

I still had that MLM business waiting for me, people in my up line and down line depending on me for activity and sales, but I realized I didn't need that business. I don't want to be know as a so-and-so consultant. I want to be known as an illustrator. I've worked hard to get that title and I'm proud of it. I wasn't wanting to get out of my day job or replace my income, I do get paid what I'm worth, and yes, I can and do make more than the potential income that the top level of consultants make in this company. And a residual income? Those are royalties in our business. Don't get me wrong, I didn't sour on the company (I'm a product user for life) I just realized the reason I was involved in it and it wasn't income. It was education.

I then starting going through what I learned while doing MLM and applying it to my illustration career. Be positive, do something to reach your goal everyday, be accountable. Going back through all my notes, I've been able to apply all I've learned to my business and career. Success in this business is only going to happen if I make it happen. Things start happening when you're in constant activity. Meaning: following up, promoting, getting involved in things, appreciating your clients and rep and let them know that. Be gracious! It's all about goals and having a no matter what attitude.

I wanted to help people in the way I knew how. In the same career field I was in. This blog actually came out of all this. I want to help people reach their dream. I don't feel I'm giving away trade secrets or too much information where my competitive edge is depleated, it's just some instruction to help others along their journey. It's up to you to make it all happen! Remember, I had to start out too.

I'm not saying go out and join a network marketing company, but if you do, open your ears, take it all in and apply it to the career you want!

now what you want out of your creative business. Make your career as fun as a hobby. Better yet, turn your hobby into a career. People do it all the time. I spoke to someone recently about opening an Etsy shop (Oh how I love etsy. Buying and selling! Here's a shameless plug for my shop). They were only interested to know what was selling and then that's what they would make and sell. If they go that route, they would have no passion or enjoy what they are doing. My response was for them to find what they like to do/make and then sell that because it's not going to work the other way.

Do you have a purpose for doing what you do. It can't all be about the money. I thoroughly enjoy my job because I know what I'm working towards and why I'm working. I'm staying home with my daughter, I can visit my 91 year old grandmother whenever I want, I can take mini vacations during the week and not be constricted to weekends and I don't have to ask permission. I'm a tough boss for myself to have, but I'm good to myself for jobs well done.