(In other words, business + wellness strategies that lead to a healthier you.)
So please take what interests you (or what you need most right now)!
Slow Creative Session
I always maintain that you can’t be as creative on a screen as you can in real life.
So this slow creative session is all about connecting to something boringly ordinary and using your hands and mind to create something with constraints.
→ Pick a single, ordinary object (like a mug, leaf, key, etc).
→ Using just one medium (pen, marker, brush, etc.), create 50 variations of it.
Think about changing the scale, line weight, angle, abstraction, style, negative space, etc.
This helps you do 2 very important things:
Build creative stamina through repetition. One of the things we would do in college is hand draw 50 variations of a logo with pen and paper before we would be allowed to use digital tools. This helps you go beyond the obvious solution.
Learn to work within restraints. (Especially great if you work directly with clients and/or follow a brief!)
Off Grid Client Framework
Referrals are sustainable and don’t require you to rely on the algorithm to bring in clients. They come pre-trusted, often making them the best-fit clients.
And the ROI is high because they often don’t cost you anything to obtain.
Make the referrals roll in with The Referral Ecosystem:
Do good work (of course) and make sure your client feels cared for by doing little things that show big care, like sending a thank you note or surprise gift at off-boarding. Clients who feel like they were respected and held in the process, will want to share about you with others in their network.
Make it easy for your client to provide you with a testimonial. (I personally include this in my offboarding process by sending a link to where clients can leave a review.)
Check in with your clients periodically. A yearly check in email keeps the relationship alive without being salesy.
Don’t just take referrals, give them, too! Share client wins with your own audience because reciprocity strengthens the ecosystem.
Fresh Finds To Fuel Your Creativity
The Happiness Hacks Card Deck is my current favorite way to create a small win in my day. I draw a card when I need a little zip of energy and good endorphins in my system that remind me I have a lot to be thankful for!
This lovely collection of joys, titled Things To Look Forward To is such a great reminder of the little moments of magic in everyday things that are all too easy to overlook when you’re having a grey sort of day.
As you may have guessed from my Slow Creative Session suggestion, I find comfort and inspiration in using my hands and non-digital mediums. This cute Travel Watercolor + Sketchbook Set sits on my desk and reminds me to connect with the world around me when I’ve gotten too wrapped up in the screen in front of me.
