5 blog posts to get you started in 2020
Now that it’s January, many of us may be reflecting on the year that’s just gone, or planning for 2020. There are all sorts of things you might be thinking about in your creative practice. Do you take the leap and start a brand new endeavour? What can you improve with what you are doing now? And how do you start the year in the most organised efficient way?
So, this month we are revisiting the blog archives with some valuable tips, tricks, and reflections to help you along in the new year.
2 min read
Now that it’s January, many of us may be reflecting on the year that’s just gone, or looking towards new horizons. There are all sorts of things you might be thinking about in your creative practice. Do you take the leap and start a brand new endeavour? What can you improve with what you are doing now? And how do you start the year in the most organised efficient way?
So, this month we are revisiting the blog archives with some valuable tips, tricks, and reflections to help you along in the new year.
For getting yourself organised…
Andres McArthur
For getting started in January…
Lizzie Stafford
For changing careers this year…
Bec Mackey
For making things happen…
Dannielle Cresp
For understanding why desire and motivation pull us in different directions…
by Emily Willis
CWC Summer Reading
Summer is upon us, and along with the festivities of the silly season, the summer days lend themselves wonderfully to some solitary reading time. Whether on the beach or in the bush, for improving the mind or just plain unashamed escapism, I love getting stuck into a book. It’s not something I get to do very often in my day-to-day. So when I get some time off during a holiday period, the lure of a good book and a well-worn couch is simply too hard to resist.
Photo by Krisztina Papp. Source: Pexels
Summer is upon us, and along with the festivities of the silly season, the summer days lend themselves wonderfully to some solitary reading time. Whether on the beach or in the bush, for improving the mind or just plain unashamed escapism, I love getting stuck into a book. It’s not something I get to do very often in my day-to-day. So when I get some time off during a holiday period, the lure of a good book and a well-worn couch is simply too hard to resist.
I remember that time in my 20’s where I read Alex Garland’s The Beach, on the beach in Thailand, reliving the story it in-situ like all the other tourists. Then there was that year I read all of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in one uninterrupted sitting, bleary-eyed but determined to get closure from a decade-long literary journey.
This summer, I’m working my way through A.S Byatt’s The Children’s Book. Set in Victorian England through to WW1, a famous children’s author writes a story for each of her children. I’ve been promised a tale of family secrets, betrayal, lies, and treachery and so far it does not disappoint.
I’m always out for new titles to try from friends and family who have given their seal of approval before it gets into my hands. So when it came time to put together this post, I called out to some people (including the trusty CWC board) to send through their favourite reads.
So, in no definitive order and with no particular genre in mind, here are 12 recommendations and why you should read them, without giving away too much. And if they don’t make your summer reading schedule this time, you now have one book to read a month for the upcoming year.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain
Susan Cain delves into the power and value of the introvert in a world that seems to worship the extrovert. But this is not just a beneficial read for introverts to learn that their approach has merit. It’s also an important book for extroverts to pick up to better understanding of the introverts in their lives.
Unpolished Gem – Alice Pung
Alice Pung’s memoir takes the reader through her childhood and adolescence growing up in working-class Footscray. She describes three generations of women - herself, her mother and grandmother - navigating through their worlds from war-torn Cambodia to suburban Melbourne . It is witty, vivid, nuanced and shows a girl’s experience of moving between cultures and identities in contemporary Australia.
How to be Both – Ali Smith
How to be both has an interesting way of telling the story of two very different lives that exist in completely different times, but the book subtly shows how we are all intertwined as humans. Ali Smith paints people in their purest form with their purest thoughts, which makes it a book that can really ground the reader.
This is Marketing – Seth Godin
This is the quintessential marketing book of the decade. Seth Godin speaks about the value of making connections with customers that last over a lifetime. It’s about the long term success over the short term buzz that people will quickly forget about. A solid read if you want to refresh your marketing approach or don’t have much experience with marketing.
Uprooted - Naomi Novik
Uprooted is a delightful read. It’s a high fantasy tale with roots in Polish folklore. Naomi Novik crafts an intricate world and her prose carries strong characters such as the heroine Agnieszka. It was one of the most highly lauded and award winning fantasy novels of 2016. Best thing is that it’s a stand-alone book, which can be quite rare in the fantasy genre.
The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion
As a professor of genetics, the protagonist Don lives an orderly predictable life in an academic setting. The Rosie Project explores the romantic and comedic errors of a man with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome as he looks for a wife. It’s funny, empathetic and beautifully written.
Crazy Rich Asians – Kevin Kwan
The book is always better than the movie, they say. So if you’ve seen the film and liked the bling, extravagance and crazy rich relatives, check out Kevin Kwan’s original words. And if you like this book, you might as well stay for the sequels. It’s a witty trilogy full of drama and couture, and it’s a whole lot of escapist fun.
Women of Letters: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Michaela McGuire & Marieke Hardy
This is a part of the Women of Letters series of book that is curated by Michaela McGuire & Marieke Hardy. It champions the lost art of letter-writing and showcases the humour, sentiment and wisdom of these notable Australians. This is a great non-fiction option to dip in and out of when you have a bit of free time.
Stardust – Neil Gaiman
Another book that’s been adapted to film, Stardust is Neil Gaiman’s much loved fairy tale about a young man who seeks to capture a fallen star. A wonderful book that is not too long, it is sweet, funny and a cheeky departure from reality.
Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
If you want an uplifting story that will make you want to hit the running trails after an overindulgent Christmas, then this is for you. Christopher McDougall’s tale begins with him looking for answers to his running injury woes, which leads him on an incredible quest to discover a hidden Mexican tribe who run 100’s of kilometres, often barefoot. McDougall makes a great case for the simple pleasures of running.
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
Set in 1969 on the North Carolina coast, Where the crawdad’s sing is a story of a woman, Kya Clark, who defies her circumstances to create her own success. It’s a coming of age story intertwined with a bit of crime. A movie adaptation is currently in the pipeline, set to be produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Levy Neustadter.
Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth – Phillip Pullman
This is the second book of the The Book of Dust trilogy by Phillip Pullman. It is part of the His Dark Materials universe, now a HBO show currently on Foxtel. The His Dark Materials universe has always walked the line of young adult/adult fiction with a rich tapestry of fantasy, character building and deep philosophical themes. This new book explores the world and perspective of the protagonist Lyra (Belacqua) Silvertongue as an adult in college who witnesses a murder. A great read for fans of the broader series.
So there you go, hopefully some of these provide your summer with some solitary indulgence.
Happy holidays to you all, and see you on the other side!
To blog, or what to blog? 50 ideas for creative businesses
To blog, or what to blog? That is the question. If you are wondering about the relevance of maintaining a blog for your creative business, or you are feeling uninspired about creating content, fear not. Blogs are still seen as reliable sources of information as buyers look online to answer their questions. Done well, blogs further express your brand personality, help identify your niche, and enable you to connect with your clients or customers.
Over the past several years blogging has evolved from personal journal to marketing platform, given the rise of social media. While platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook may come and go in popularity, a blog is home to all your platforms. A directory for your portfolio, podcasts, products, services, and information while creating additional online visibility.
Given that blogging is slower and more expensive than social media, the key is quality over quantity. Below is a list of 50 blog topics to inspire you to create original, authentic content for your client base, while building community. Whatever your creative business or niche, you will find inspiration for your blogging content.
Ok, here we go!
Image: Christina Lowry
Restate your brand vision. Your why.
Q&A - They ask, you answer. Comb through your client emails for your most commonly asked questions, or use social media to put a call out for client questions, then answer them in this post. Invite readers to leave further questions in the comments.
Create a library of free training – a one stop post for any tutorials, how to’s, lists of tips etc
Include client testimonials and photos of clients using your products – the more creative the better
Share behind the scenes of look books or photoshoots – shout out to the team, the location, relay stories from the day
Create a mosaic of your nine favourite images from Instagram with a call to action to follow you on Instagram
Share your successes – awards, features, published work, do a recap on your/ your businesses achievements
Travel diary – going away for the weekend, heading overseas on a holiday or buying trip? Create a travel diary with tips from your experience
Summer reads – books that fit your niche that they may not have heard of and will thank you for
Curated gift ideas – Create a collection of products from your range that would be perfect for a special occasion, like Mother’s Day. Or, inspire with a selection of local makers products for a Christmas wish list
‘Meet the Maker’ interviews – take five with a crafter you employ or represent, interview a staff member
Recipes – whether your brand is food related or not, recipes often add a sense of connection
Seasons – from seasonal products, to imagery of the seasons, nature is always a great starting point
Tips or advice – your favourite apps, the best way to do something, how to get a job in your industry, share your knowledge
Behind the scenes – everyone loves to take a peek behind the exterior and see the details of how things are made
Insider’s guide – share the secretes of your niche, your hometown, styling etc.
A studio/ workshop/ shop/ office tour – allow the audience to connect with and be inspired by your spaces and what they say about you or your brand
How To – use a product, make something, fix something. People love to learn.
The making of – a step by step visual of how something is made
Sneak peeks – create excitement about an upcoming collection
For the love of – share beautiful images relating to your audience. For the love of linen, gardens, lipstick, stationary
Highlights from the previous year, season or market – create a round up of images and info
Launch details – whether it is a book, product, event, share share share
Half yearly check-up – open up on how you working towards your goals, or encourage others to make plans for the next half of the year
Summer bucket list – things to do this Summer
Brand history – what has changed, what has stayed the same. When and where did you start out and where are you now?
Personal or funny stories – what you wanted to be when you grew up, how you thought Tasmania wasn’t a part of Australia, how you got a nick name
Create a regular feature – you can create a monthly challenge, feature a maker each week, a weekly editorial, a collection of inspiring images and quotes
Future plans – what are your big dreams? What direction do you see the business going in? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?
Write a list of your favourite accounts to follow on Instagram/ podcasts
Travel essentials – what do you pack when you go away overnight, overseas, with children?
A ‘day in the life' post – people are always fascinated by a day in the life of an entrepreneur or business owner.
Your routine – morning/night – do you wake at 5 am to do yoga and write your diary, or are you a night owl?
Share videos – video content is getting bigger and bigger. You can make a video out of most of the topics in this list.
Celebrate your businesses birthday – do a giveaway, celebrate your achievements, thank your customers
Your must-haves – what’s on your rider? Is it kombucha and lip balm? Coffee and a great bag? A certain pen, organiser or night cream?
Overcoming a creative funk – how do you find inspiration? What is your go to for self-care?
Explain one of your services – imagine a client came across your page for the first time and you were explaining what you do, or how a product works.
Your road to success – the path to overnight success is usually a long one.
Overcoming failure – think of a time when you used a failure to achieve a bigger goal, or to motivate you to do even better.
Things you won’t ever do – perhaps you won’t sell your originals, perhaps you will never buy caged eggs, we are as much what we do as what we don’t do.
Organisation hacks – do you batch production, are you a compulsive list keeper, are you terrible and being organised and have found ways to make it easier?
Create a roundup of your best content – save them from reading the whole blog and create a post that has the best of the best in one place.
Staying motivated – what keeps you motivated when business is slow, or you haven’t reached goal, or someone has copied you
Charity – do you support an organisation, do you fund raise, do you work with a company that pays living wages in third world countries?
How to style – a dress, a cushion, an office
Which _____ is the right one for you? This is great if you offer several similar products
Re-publish your email newsletter with a call to subscribe
Share something new – a product, team member, idea, business cards. People are attracted to new things.
Steps you have taking to have less environmental impact – recycled packaging, non-toxic dye, compostable mailers, timeless style.
Now, it’s time to get writing! Grab a cuppa and a notebook and brain storm some of the ideas on this list to create blog posts of value, with personality, that connect with your audience. Use you blog to inform, entertain and ultimately, give them the details that help them decide to work with you.