Think rather than run

At Creacamp last saturday we had this discussion about art and money, wondering how it is possible for creative folks to earn a good living doing what we love.

One of the necessary elements named where Examples. Examples of people who make it well, examples of people who choose not let the outside world – and by outside world i mean the part of the society that is sleeping high on media, entertainment, pills and fear, not able to judge with their own mind – influence their own prosperity.

Lilla Rogers is an illustrator and agent, and today she published a post about her views on the current economy situation in the US.

This, to make you think rather than run like a headless chicken.

I’ve been through three recessions as an artist, and I’ve always done well. I want to let you know that great art will always get work. Great work and great promotion will get you jobs.

This financial crisis will pass. There are many people that are a lot more invested in making it work than we are.

(…) What doesn’t do well in a bad economy? Poor work, poor service, and people just sort of bored and tired of their own work. In our economy, it’s a new paradigm. It’s not JUST a good economy or a bad economy. It’s a multi-faceted economy.

How will artists fare? Since artists are trend-leading and entrepreneurial, the really good ones will make markets for themselves. The election looks promising, and that, too, will infuse the entrepreneurs and artists with energy, which, in turn, will fuel the economy forward. Also, leave me any questions in your comments and I will try to answer them. I care about our community and don’t want to see any unnecessary fear.

Telecrafting

It is with *great* pleasure that i welcome a new Vu d’ici contributor, Bruno. Bruno has been quietly watching and contributing to the web here, and there.

*applause!*
m-c

Ponoko is an interesting new site that offers to make objects from your design.  It’s also a market where you can sell either your design or the stuff you have made there.

“Armed with nothing more than an idea, professional and hobbiest designers, crafters, hackers and artists can turn their ideas into real products – and new revenue streams – using our web commerce and digital make-on-demand services. No upfront costs. No minimum orders. No inventory. Simply click to design, make, sell and deliver your creativity to the world, at your own speed.”

Nice pitch, but of course it’s a little more complicated than that. You have to design something, order it, have it sent to you, test it, change the design and hopefully they’ll be able to make something that works. Or you have to begin the whole process again and you don’t know the cost until you have submitted something, which I didn’t do.

The step by step explanations are very clear, though. The choice of materials is limited but interesting. Personally, I am intrigued by the potential of acrylic, especially to do colored lights like this one I found this week on the ideaco website .

Over all, it’s not yet the desktop universal fabricator from science fiction stories, but it’s a nice step in this direction. If you try Ponoko, please let us know about your experience.

Story by Bruno for Vu d’ici.

Authenticity

Inspiring interview with the creator of Moop bags on Etsy:

“… shopping on Etsy is about celebrating handmade and supporting those who have taken the time to honor their skills and invest in themselves. There’s an authenticity that you find in many shops on Etsy.“

Power women

“… women in low- and middle-income nations were found to be more than twice as likely to be involved in early-stage business start-ups as those in high-income nations”

Why this? Are these women better than us at leaving their comfort zone, at handling risk and insecurity?

“In Russia, women were involved in 39.9 percent of all early-stage entrepreneurial activity, while in the Philippines they were involved in 22.5 percent, the study found. That compares to just 2.3 percent in Sweden and 1 percent in Belgium.

Overall, about a third of the world’s entrepreneurial activity is driven by women, the study found.”

Women in Poorer Nations Twice as Likely to Become Entrepreneurs via Girl at Play.

Being as you are, in the business world

In my spring reading list i talked about the book The boss of you.

I have just found out that the authors have a blog to support the book, with resources for women trying to find their own way in creating a business, in the traditional business world which is often gray and dull.

I could easily relate to the post called Networking for Nonconformists, or how to stand out when you just dont fit in:

“When we started our business, one of the things that filled me with dread was the thought that to be a successful entrepreneur, I would need to master the art of glad-handing, delivering elevator speeches, and handing out business cards with aplomb (…)

… although we do encourage you to stretch a little beyond your comfort zone, we don’t insist you join a bunch of clubs where you won’t fit in. I really believe you can succeed in business without compromising the things that make you unique. After all, how are you ever going to stand out enough to be noticed if you follow the crowd?”

Another interesting read is the sample chapter of the book which you can get here. They also have a facebook page.