Current Read: Creative Girl

I love the Northfield Public Library. I find good books without even searching their catalog. Since I am sans full time employment at the moment, I was browsing the job hunting and business section. Picked up a fabulous book to help rewrite my office job resume and my fingers tripped over this book: Creative Girl, by Katherine Sise.

Katherine Sise may ring a bell, she is a successful Jewelry Designer whose collections have been featured in Lucky Magazine and Elle amongst others. She has designed for GAP and Keds and currently has a collection available at Target (Tar-jay boutique ;) ). You may also recognize her from her early career with a show on the Home Shopping Network.

I'm only 20 or so pages in but have a few pearls of wisdom, true gems to share with you. I am really looking forward to digging into this book. Since it was in the business and job hunting section, the content is very practical and very realistic with the objective of lucrative employment and income. I like this perspective.

"Creativity breeds creativity and your success is like a snowball; almost always, achievement in one creative field feeds into another...Each creative talent is a continually evolving business and it's exciting to push your artistic limits and find unlikely avenues that stem from your original pursuit. When you're strategic about your achievements, you'll cohesively build a career." (page 17)

"Often, when one aspect of your career is lagging, the other is flying high. This keeps you feeling productive and successful...The ability to shift gears and expand will serve you, so experiment and push yourself further than you thought you could go." (page 18)

"Be mindful, aware, and open to the fact that you are exactly where you're meant to be in this moment." (page 21)

I feel these notions can be applied to any job hunt, be it creative, office or whatnot. They make a lot of sense to me and with this sense I embark on the rest of my read.

Available on Amazon.com.

NOTE: Cover image Copyright 2010, Kristine A. Lombardi, artist.
Quotes from: Creative Girl: the Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity Into a Real Career, by Katherine Sise.

Wisdom from the Handmade Marketplace Book

I'm pleased as punch that I finished this book so quickly. I can't tell you the last time I read a book cover to cover. I start a lot of books, infrequently and lose interest quickly. A finish is a good judge of content for me. This one was good.

I jotted notes as I read, hoping to gain wisdom necessary to improve my state of affairs in 2011, 2010 was not my year for many reasons. I can credit 2010 with an engagement to a wonderful man, just the rest of the year was the goo at the bottom of the barrel. I've been joking, I think there is a hole in the bottom of my barrel.

Anyway, here are some gems I jotted direct quotes of from the book:

"Do not underestimate the value of your work. If you undercharge, you not only hurt yourself but other crafters who are a part of your community." -Page 49

"Remember, your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest photo, so make sure all of your product shots are your personal best." - Holly Becker of decor8, Page 126

"Nothing helps people imagine something in their own life like seeing it in action." -Page 175

Here's a little wisdom for you. I hope you enjoy these drops of knowledge.

Quotes from: The Handmade Marketplace; How to sell your crafts locally, globally and online, By Kari Chapin.

Current Read: The Handmade Marketplace

I just opened a new library card at my hometown library in Northfield, MN (my old one had expired several years ago since I hadn't been living here). I love the library. My favorite sections are DVD's and the new release book section. Even when I was in high school I enjoyed perusing the new release book section. As I am sure you can imagine, with my new card in hand, I charged right over to that section to see what they have.

One thing I have always enjoyed about the Northfield Public Library, is the abundance of arts and crafts books. Living in the woods, we made regular use of those books to keep ourselves entertained as kids. That said, of course there were a few gems in this genre on the new release shelves.

I got my paws on: The Handmade Marketplace; How to sell your crafts locally, globally and online, By Kari Chapin. It was published this year and is filled with valuable information for independent artists and crafters. Heck, I bet any business owner looking to learn how to better market online would benefit from this book.

With $3.49 to my name at the moment, I am looking for any information I can to grow my handmade fashion business. This is one of my favorite topics to read about online and I try to find out what I can in my free time. The $3.49, numerous rejections from office job applications and frighteningly lethargic sales on my Etsy.com store this holiday season are what provoked me to give this book a careful and thorough read. It is oh so timely I stumbled across it at the library.

This book is current and a wealth of information for anyone looking to improve their small business marketing efforts. I'm reading it armed with pen and paper and have nearly filled a small notepad with ideas...lots and lots of ideas and tasks I wish to execute sooner rather than later.

One of my favorite bonus aspects of this book: it fits in my purse!

Available on Amazon.com.

YazBerry Recommends: Oh My Stars: A Novel, By Lorna Landvik

It's funny when you visit your grandparents after not seeing them regularly for several months, how they come off being far more quirky than you remembered. Or maybe it is just that you notice their quirks more.

My grandpa is the only man I know that is easy to buy for: give him a gift certificate to a bookstore and he is as happy as a clam. (Side note: why on earth do we say 'as happy as a clam'? Silly colloquial phrase whose origin has fallen victim to fading time). Grandpa will read anything. He loves to read, so does my father for that matter.

While I was home over Memorial Day (note 100 pounds of fabric episode)my grandfather handed me this book Oh My Stars: A Novel, By Lorna Landvik. "Here, I thought of your YazBerry stuff when I was reading this book. The girl in the book does fashion stuff like you do. You might like it."

This is the first book recommended to me by Grandpa, so I thought, "hmm, well it's worth a try, it's not too thick, I might be able to get through it." I must admit I haven't gotten through many books for pleasure since College temporarily (I hope) killed my love a reading as a pastime. I dove into it on my flight home and couldn't put it down. This book is that good.

Violet Mathers is the main character and she has a truly sad childhood. But, she designs and hand makes some incredible clothing, which is her lifeline during her troubles. I don't want to give away too much of the plot as I hate when I know too much. So...at some point after her childhood she hooks up with this awesome band and tours with them. Landvik taps into every single one of your emotions as she takes you on the roller coaster ride that is Violet Mathers life. It honestly brought tears to my eyes and then the next page would bring a huge smile and even a chuckle.

You really should pick it up- it's a page turner and an enjoyable easy read. And, an underlying theme throughout is the fashion piece...intriguing, I know. Also, may I just comment that the texture of the paperback cover is quite appealing: the landscape is matte finish and the guitar is glossy (refer to my confession to understand why I would even notice this). When you do get yourself a copy either check it out from your library or buy it from your favorite Ma and Pa bookstore. Did you know that many used bookstores will order books for you if they don't have them on the shelf and that they are often cheaper than the national chains?

At least in the case of my favorite used bookstore around the corner, Ben Franklin Bookstore they will help you with this. The Dan and I go in there all the time with miscellaneous book search requests. Be sure to frequent them if you live in the area. I love this store by the way...they have two of the most cuddly cutest cats on the planet! Yay catbabies! One which they rescued from the ally this winter...a cute super furry baby!

Landvik, Lorna. Oh My Stars: A Novel. New York: Ballentine Books, 2006.

ISBN-10: 0345468368
ISBN-13: 978-0345468369