Approximately nine years ago I stumbled upon the blog of artist Michelle Armas. I often checked back to see what she had to say as we both have a thing for design and interior spaces. At that time I was only creating paintings for my own home and as gifts for friends and family. I was too afraid of my inner critic to try and persue being an artist as my actual career. Fast forward to 2015 when I decided to take the plunge and make my dreams happen. My husband helped me make a website and there was a section for a journal or blog. I told him I would try to write a post once a week for a month, and then just go from there.
Well it turns out that even though I never enjoyed writing in school, I have found a topic to share here every week since then. I took a week off at Christmas...that's it! It kind of shocks me still that I have stuck with it. When fellow creatives tell me that they enjoy what I'm doing it makes it all worth while. Maybe a year ago I listened to a great podcast that interviewed Armas & one of the things she said to do was "write a blog". Allowing people who enjoy my artwork into my world has allowed me to make some real connections.
As I was reading this book I got for Christmas I thought to myself, I need to go back & bookmark all my favourite pages. Most of my reading choices are online articles that are design and art related. In The Company Of Women is something I couldn't put down, it's that good. If you are a creative female I think you will agree. I thought I would share a few quotes that have really stuck with me.
"Whether it is the hours you are open for business or the frequency in posting a blog, let people know they can depend on you. I believe that being consistent has been one of the best ways to build our reputation and to grow our business." - Cheryl Day
"Embrace social media completely. It is the most incredible tool to feed your audience, to engage, and to advertise ( skillfully ). You should give a portion of every day to do this as a creative business owner. Follow people in the field; follow people who are really, really good at it to learn your craft." - Genevieve Gorder
"You have to be willing to be bad at it in order to get good at it." - Mary Going
How incredible is the work space of Dana Tanamachi! Loved her interview on page 203.
"To me, success means staying true to the vision and values I held before ever setting out to be "successful". As long as my work continues to foster joy, celebration, community, generosity, and simplicity, I'm on the road to success." - Dana Tanamachi
"I love seeing brilliant, creative women making space and laying down tracks for other women. It's easy to fall into the pernicious trap of thinking that just because you scrapped your way toward achieving your goal, there's no room for anyone else. I also think generosity can apply to both self-care and care of others, allowing yourself time away from work, allowing mistakes, allowing forgiveness. To me generosity is openness, and openness is crucial for creativity." - Carrie Brownstein
"Ever since becoming a mother, I am mostly motivated by the desire to set an example for daughters. I want them to see that they have a mom who truly loves what she does." - Joy Cho
"I would have started my own company sooner. I started my design studio the day my daughter was born. She was basically my biggest career catalyst. I thought I wasn't ready before that. I was waiting for that angelic choir to come down from heaven to tell me I should start my business now. But what I realized is that perfect moment doesn't exist. The perfect moment is when you realize you actually want to start your own business and you have the freedom to make it happen. Take small steps but work your way towards it. Don't wait. Also, your twenties are the ideal time to experiment." - Tina Roth Eisenberg
Moving forward in 2017 I will take the words I have read and put them to use in my own business. Grace Bonney I thank you for writing this book, you are a wonderful role model. Design Sponge is one of the websites I look forward to checking out every day.