*shared stories* new series launches today (and my blog has moved!)

Today is Valentine's Day and I can't think of a better way to celebrate all the love in the world than launching *Shared Stories*, a new series of guest posts which shares the stories of people determined to do what they love. Some stories talk of triumph, others despair. They all involve bravery, belief, courage and hope. They are real stories about real people chasing their dreams, and making choices and sacrifices which allow them to do what they love, for life. Every Monday this will become a space for sharing those stories.
It takes courage to share, and I hope you will read them, relate to them, and be inspired by them.


The stories shared here are our shared stories.
"Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams..." WB Yeats


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Sharing their stories today are Clare Mulvany and Cara Tilson.
Clare is author of 'One Wild Life: A journey to discover people who change our world' , which she wrote after a year travelling the globe seeking out extraordinary people. She now lives in Ireland.


UK-based Cara is artistic, and creative, but (in her words) 'too busy doing nothing to do what she loves'. It sounds like this is the year that all that will change...


Hop over to my new blog to read their stories


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The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap is back (***and I have moved to a new blog!***)

The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap is back for the third time! 

Come over and join in, give yourself a little fun creative project to do,

and look forward to receiving some creative love in the mail from somewhere else in the world!

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By the way, my blog has now moved. 

Come and visit the new site Do What You Love here

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I have moved!

I have moved... Please come and find me at my new place, Do What You Love

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See here for more info about the Do What You Love art retreat

I am moving! New blog and website launched - come with me!

(in the window of a New York cafe)

After nearly a year blogging here, I am excited to announce that I have a new home!  I have just launched my new website, Do What You Love, and will be blogging from there from now on.  Please come and join me!

Just like when you pack up and move house, it is with mixed feeling that I leave this warm safe space behind, with its happy memories and many lessons.  But as I close this door, I open a new one - it is time for a fresh start to coincide with the launch of the Do What You Love art and creative enterprise retreats.

Registration is now open for the first retreat!  (I can't believe I actually wrote that!  After much planning and preparation we are actually ready!)  So excited to be able to invite you to join us at the retreat, which will take place in a stunning countryside venue in Yorkshire, England in May. More about this very special event (and the early bird discount) here.

Thank you so much for sharing this space with me over the past year - I am so grateful for all your thoughts, comments, and creative love.  Please do come and join me at my new home - I'd love to know what you think of it.  Let's carry on the journey from there!

Beth

Bring it on!

2011 came a little early for me, and it showed in my first post of the year.  I was expecting it, but not quite yet.  Like when your dinner guests turn up while you're still tidying up and peeling the potatoes, finding you with wet hair and no make up. 

After a rollercoaster 2010 I had soaked deeply into the goodness of the festive bubble and slowed right down...  So I was taken a little by surprise when it was suddenly January.  I hadn't captured my big vision on paper, unjumbled my ideas, worked through my planning, cleared out or organised.  But now I have. 

Now I am ready. 

The dreaming is done. 

The plans are laid. 

The fire is stoked. 

2011?  Bring it on!

Don't you just love new beginnings (when you're ready for them)?

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By the way, I have been busy working with some talented folks on a shiny new website for the Do What You Love retreat, and my blog will be moving there shortly. So excited to share this with you – stay tuned for the new address – I hope you’ll join me there very soon

What's your colour for 2011?

According to the Pantone Colour Institute, the 'official' colour for 2011 will be Honeysuckle to "lift our spirits. (It) is a captivating, stimulating color, that gets the adrenaline going - perfect to ward off the blues". 

I love this colour.  It is full of energy, and is a great contrast with black and white.  I am going to create something using it this month.  Look out for 'honeysuckle' on the high street and in homes...

What do you think?  Do you like it? What's your colour for 2011?

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By the way, I have been busy working with some talented folks on a shiny new website for the Do What You Love retreat, and my blog will be moving there shortly. So excited to share this with you – stay tuned for the new address – I hope you’ll join me there very soon

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What will you make of 2011?

It’s nearly 2am and I can’t sleep.  Rain is pounding on the skylight and the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of camomile tea.

This isn’t how I planned to start my first post of 2011, but there is so much swirling round in my head it is hard to think straight. Ideas, plans, and a buzz of excitement about the possibilities. But also the shadowy doubts (are my dreams just too big?), endless to-do lists and looming deadlines (Already? It’s only January 5th!).

Running your own business tends to do that to you. I wrote on Facebook earlier today that I love not having a real job, in the 9-5 sense of the word. And I really do. But when it’s not 9-5, in your head it can end up being 24/7.

I have spent the past few days hidden away working on my plans to make 2011 a big year (of course those dreams aren't too big!). It’s going to be a long and winding road but I just know the view from the top will be amazing, if I can just make it there (and enjoy each step along the way).

How about you? What kind of a year do you want 2011 to be?
How are you going to make sure it turns out that way?
Wishing you a very special year filled with adventure and discovery!


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By the way, I have been busy working with some talented folks on a shiny new website for the Do What You Love retreat, and my blog will be moving there shortly. So excited to share this with you – stay tuned for the new address – I hope you’ll join me there very soon

That was the year that was...

2010 was the year...

- I started a blog and discovered this incredible online creative community

- We moved into our new home

- I started a new business venture

I also travelled to three continents and got serendipitously stuck in Paris (yippee!).  It has been a happy year, with a rollercoaster of emotions in places, but mostly filled with adventure, fun, and new friendships.  Here is my year in blog posts, featuring the most 'significant' from each month.

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JANUARY
- I started the year sat on a sand dune in the Sahara Desert with my man

- I didn't even know what a blog was (must have been walking around with my eyes shut, and just think what I was missing!).  127 blog posts later I am still loving it...

FEBRUARY
- I went to California for an art retreat, was inspired to start a blog and discovered a whole new world, to which I felt like I had belonged all along

'Tribal Gathering' posted Tuesday 27 February

MARCH -
I had a 'wow' Mondo Beyondo dreaming moment

Did that just happen?  posted Monday 15 March

APRIL
- I had a wonderful piece of bad luck when the ash cloud from an erupting Icelandic volcano stranded me in Geneva, giving me little choice but to hop on a train to Paris for an impromptu long weekend

'The most wonderful piece of bad luck' posted Friday 16 April

MAY
- My 33rd birthday gave me a great opportunity to look back over the many big changes of the past few years, and look forward to a new chapter in my life

'Looking back, looking forward, looking inward, looking outward' posted Wednesday 5 May

image: Francois d'Elbee (taken in Zambia)

... and posted the first Do What You Love interview, which was followed by a further 15 over the course of the year, with people like writer Danielle LaPorte and artist Claudine Hellmuth.  More to come next year! 

'The Time is Now: Do What You Love interview with Christina Sbarro' posted Sunday 9 May

JUNE
- My man and I spent three dreamy weeks island hopping round Greece

'Barefoot in Greece' posted Saturday 19 June

JULY
- All the wishing worked and we moved into our new home

'We got our dreamy little new home!' posted Thursday 22 July

AUGUST
- I celebrated my six month blogiversary!

'Learning to paint Jesse Reno style + 6 month blogiversary' posted Tuesday 24 August

SEPTEMBER
- I was lucky to be chosen as one of Britain's most exciting young entrepreneurs, and secured a place on a ground breaking business mentoring scheme run by a leading national magazine, pairing me with entrepreneur extraordinaire Kanya King, founder of the Mobo awards

'Exciting creative business news' posted Friday 3 September

Kanya King (image courtesy of Mobo)

 ... I went back to the US for another art retreat - bliss
 

'Reflections on Squam - I dreamed a dream' posted Friday 24 September

 

 
... and I was published on mega-design blog design*sponge
 

'Stop press! Published on design*sponge (eek!)' posted Wednesday 29 September

 
OCTOBER
- I launched the second Great Big Stitched Postcard swap, which attracted 85 women from 13 countries on 5 continents, and forged many new connections across the creative world

'Back by popular demand - the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap 2'

posted Tuesday October 19

NOVEMBER
- I launched my new business venture, running art and creative enterprise retreats in the stunning English countryside

'Finally, announcing my new business venture' posted Monday November 25

DECEMBER
- I met Prince William (what a charmer).  Incidentally I also met David Beckham again that day, mmm...!

'The day I met the future King of England' posted Moday 6 December

... and I indulged in all the delights of Christmas preparations, and have loved every festive minute

'Countdown to Christmas#5: Throwing a Christmas dinner party' posted Friday 17 December

Thank you for sharing this road with me.

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How was your 2010?  Are you looking forward to 2011? 

I can't wait, it is going to be a big year! See you there!

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It's Christmas Eve!

Christmas is nearly upon us, when anticipation and preparation gives way to celebration!  I love Christmas Eve - there is snow on the ground and magic in the air.  I am spending it at my parents' house, with young nephew and niece as the perfect little Christmas helpers.  Today will go something like this...

- wrapping up warm to go last minute shopping for new christmas cake decorations (the old santa has last year's icing stuck on his boot, and the collection of little green fir trees we have used since I was a child has dwindled to just two trees - we need a few more tree friends to make a snowy forest)

- cake decorating with the help of some little people

- watching 'Miracle on 34th Street'

- taking my parents' dog for a walk in the frosty park

- posting the neighbours' christmas cards

- gathering round a huge tree for a candlelit children's carol service

- cooking up hot mince pies and mulled wine

- putting out some sherry for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph

- reading 'The Night Before Christmas' to the little ones before they fall asleep 'with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads'

- putting out all the presents under our tree

- trying to get to sleep, which is as hard now as it was when I was five...

Merry Christmas to you all!

Do What You Love interview: Rachael Taylor

Voted ‘Happiest Person in Britain’, this really is a girl doing what she loves. Rachael Taylor’s bright and fun designs caught my eye some time ago, and I bought an original piece of her work for my studio. As a surface pattern designer and illustrator, Rachel has clients all over the world, and next year she will be bringing out her own line of stationery with US-based Teneues publishing.

(image courtesy of Rachael Taylor)

Rachel graduated in 2005 with a BA (Hons) in Textile in Fashion Design. After working in industry for three years, she set up her own design studio in 2008. Now specialising in surface pattern design and illustration, Rachel works as a freelance designer for clients like WH Smith, Target and Graham and Brown, and runs her own design label, Rachael Taylor Designs. Rachel’s international collaborations include a signature collection with Seascape Lamps USA. I talked to Rachel about loosening up, setting up on her own and getting known.

(image courtesy of Rachael Taylor)

1. For those new to ‘surface pattern design’ can you explain what it involves?
Working as a surface designer is great fun and never dull.  Surface pattern covers so many areas and products in the market, so my work is very varied and every day is a new challenge. I've designed for magazine covers, greeting cards, packaging, fashion and homewares, so it keeps me on my toes.
If I'm working for a client on a freelance commission I tend to work from a direct brief but if I'm designing for my own label, I try not to have a plan. I just let my designs and ideas flow naturally. I also create surface designs and illustration that I license out to companies.  They tend to use them exactly as they are but sometimes I re-colour them to tie in with their collections.


2. How would you describe your signature style and how did it come about?
I'd say my signature style is free, quirky & spontaneous.  It normally involves elements of freehand drawing, bright accent colours, textures and layering. Sometimes I combine all of these things together. I think it stems from my student days. I studied Textile and Fashion design at Leeds but our tutors were really keen on mark-making, drawing, painting and working more freely.
My portfolio was more fine art based rather than your typical design portfolio. It took me ages to loosen up my work, then in my final year whilst creating my screen printed collection something just clicked and it all fell into place. That's when I started to really have fun with it and take risks. I'm never afraid to experiment as quite often my mistakes turn out to be my best pieces.

(image courtesy of Rachael Taylor)

3. You have had great success getting your work out across the country and internationally. Can you talk us through the steps of getting one of your designs into a shop as a product?
I think a few factors helped in getting my own label out. I work as a freelance designer for other companies in the UK, USA & Europe so I think that raised my profile and people were aware of my style already. Being featured in books and magazines and on blogs really helped too, as people became more aware of me. When I first started my own line (launched in Sept 2009) I just started very small. I opened a notonthehighstreet store, and planned to just planned to sell online. Then when I started to see there was interest in it. I decided to approach a few local shops and it just went from there really. I rang up the British Craft Trade Fair about exhibiting at their 2011 show and they said someone had pulled out the 2010 show. There was just one week to go before the show so they offered me discounted space. It was a crazy idea and at first I said no, as I thought I couldn't pull it off. But then something clicked and I just thought “I'm going to take the risk and go for it”. It paid off - this really got me out there and now I have number of stockists in the UK.

4. What made you take the leap from working for someone else to setting up your own design studio?I just decided it would be nice to have a few small things that I could call my own and put my name to. Then from I decided to have a signature range that I'd license out with my name on as a brand. It's really nice having the freelance and my own stuff - I feel very lucky that I have the best of both worlds.  It can be crazy, non-stop juggling sometimes, but that's what I love. I wouldn't have it any other way!

5. What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome in setting it up?

I've found it hard managing the admin side of things - there are just never enough hours in the day. I've had to become quite business-minded so that's been a learning curve too! I find it hard that some days the business things eat away into my creative time.  I've had a fair few time delays with product development too, which has been a bit stressful. More recently I had a designer blatantly copy my work too, so that was an awful situation to deal with.

(image courtesy of Rachael Taylor)

 

6. What do you wish you had known when you were starting out?
I wish there was a guide to prepare you for setbacks you may have, every day I learn something new! I never knew I'd have to become so business savvy that would have scared me off!

7. How much of a role does technology play in your business? (in terms of actually creating your designs, managing your business, promoting yourself etc)

Technology plays a huge part. I create my designs on my mac using a graphic tablet. I still use traditional methods but everything has to be developed on the computer in the end. I use twitter, my blog, my website, facebook to promote my work on the internet. It really does work – I have had a fair few overseas clients find me via twitter!

8. What makes you ‘the happiest person in Britain’?

That was a bit bizarre receiving that title,but wonderful too! I feel very honoured. I'm just a regular girl who rambles on a bit. I think I'm quite an upbeat and positive person. My tweets (on Twitter) come across that way. I'm just so grateful that people have received my work really well, so I think that shows as it makes me really enjoy what I do even more. Little things keep me happy like my family, great friends, my lovely dog, music… I love music! My work is really influenced by it as pieces are created depending what mood I'm in. My work keeps me happy, I'm extremely passionate about what I do.

9. Where will you take your business next?

I'm hoping to continue expanding my own line and develop further homewares products. I also want to continue freelancing as I think it keeps my work fresh and I love working with new products and challenges. I've also started receiving regular bookings in schools and colleges for workshops and talks. I want to continue with that too as I really love doing it.

 You can see Rachel’s lovely designs on her website and blog, or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.


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See here for more interviews with inspiring people doing what they love

(image courtesy of Rachael Taylor)

What would happen if...?

This quirky little slide show won best creative/offbeat presentation in the World's Best Presentation contest 2010 - it is all about a very powerful little question...

The Best Question in the World

View more presentations from Betsy Streeter.

Have you asked yourself this question lately?

Countdown to Christmas #5: Throwing a Christmas dinner party

The house was filled with merry laughter, chinking glasses, and christmas songs from bygone days.

We were dressed up all sparkly and festive*

We dined by candlelight in my studio, transformed into a winter wonderland of silver and white.

We feasted on a roast, sweet mince pies, handmade truffles and pints of steaming mulled wine.

We shared stories and secret santa presents by the open fire.

There's nothing quite as cosy as a Christmas dinner party with friends and festive fun on a cold winter's night.

How are you keeping warm this winter?

*see, I'm working on self-portrait bravery!

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For more Christmassy fun see other 'Countdown to Christmas' posts

Do What You Love interview: Mark McGuinness

Rain falls with twilight –

the city’s fingers drumming

on our umbrella

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Rain haiku by poet and creative coach Mark McGuinness

(Image courtesy of Mark McGuinness)

This Do What You Love interview features Mark McGuinness, a poet, creative coach and trainer and creative entrepreneur. He has been coaching artists and creatives since 1996, when he noticed a high proportion of them turning up in his psychotherapy consulting room. He has also consulted for organisations including the BBC, Channel 4, Arts and Business, the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (UK) and many creative agencies and studios. Since 2006 he has been blogging about creativity and business at Wishful Thinking. In 2008 he launched Lateral Action  with Brian Clark and Tony Clark, developing the site as a resource for creative entrepreneurs - first a blog and later the Lateral Action Entrepreneur Roadmap.  . Mark's latest course is the Creative Pathfinder, a free 25-week guide to success as a creative professional.  I caught up with Mark to find out what gems he could share from his many years of working with creatives (and find out a bit about poetry too).


- Can you remember the first time you referred to yourself as a poet?  What made you do that for the first time?
I can't remember, to be honest. Robert Graves said 'poet' is a courtesy title - there are very few real poets, the ones with the genuine magic in their words. On the other hand, the original meaning of the word 'poet' is simply 'maker', so maybe it's just the equivalent of the modern 'creative'.

- Do you see life differently as a poet?
Wow that's a big question. I think that what we call poetry is something inherent in life, which we can all see, if we look carefully, or sometimes it catches us off-guard and we can't help seeing it. Poets make a habit of looking out for it, and trying to capture it in words, but every true artist is after the same thing. And having spent a little time with Buddhist monks, I think they are on the lookout for the same thing, they're just not so worried about capturing it!


- You are also a coach for people in the creative industries. Why is coaching important for artists?
Coaching allows me to work one-to-one with creatives, so I can take account of their individual - often idiosyncratic - talent. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creativity - what works for one person won't work for another, and sometimes the hardest part is recognising where your own inspiration is leading you. I often hear from clients that one of the biggest benefits they get from coaching is simply validation of who they are and how they do things, as they sometimes go through life feeling like a square peg in a round hole.


- How did Lateral Action come about and what kind of impact has it had?
It came about through discussions between Brian Clark, Tony Clark and me. Towards the end of 2007 I released an ebook titled Time Management for Creative People - little did I know Brian and Tony were thinking about launching a site about creativity and productivity, so when I sent it to them, they said it was 'bang on target' and the conversation went from there.
In terms of the impact... well I'm maybe not the one to judge, but we've had a terrific response, both to the blog, the Entrepreneur Roadmap, and now the Creative Pathfinder. Every week I hear from people who tell me it has helped them in their creative work, their career, or their business, so it feels like I'm making some difference, but there's always plenty more to do...


- What question are you asked most often by your consulting clients, and how do you respond?
I can't really narrow it down to one question. Maybe four:
1. How can I find a way to do my real creative work, in the midst of interruptions (from the outside) and distractions (from the inside)?
2. How can I get others to notice my work (and buy it)?
3. How can I deal with person X, who's in my working life and not at all easy to work with?
4. How can I motivate myself to keep going, in spite of rejections, criticisms, disappointments and the rest of it?


I generally respond by doing a lot of listening and asking questions - first to clarify the situation, and then to unlock their own ideas about how they could approach the situation differently. Sometimes I'll also 'put in' some ideas and advice around specialist topics, e.g. productivity systems, stress management techniques, internet marketing strategies. Either way, the idea is to get clients to be able to learn new approaches for themselves, that they can put into practice in future.


- What is the best thing about working with creatives?Partly it's inspiring to be around interesting, creative people doing amazing work. And partly because I'm a creative myself, so I feel an affinity with them. It's a tribal thing. :-)


- When you get stuck in your own creative endeavours nowadays, do you deal with yourself as you would a client, or do you turn to others for support?
Sometimes I can get myself unstuck, having seen most of the usual pitfalls in myself and others over the years. I don't necessarily deal with myself as I would a client, but hopefully there's an occasional flicker of self-awareness that comes into play! And sometimes I work with a coach, or a teacher who knows a lot more than me about what I'm trying to do. Mimi Khalvati at the Poetry School is a particular source of inspiration.


- What is the next big dream for your business?
I'm really excited about several new products I have in the pipeline that will be released over the next year or so. Plus I'd like to travel more, so I'm working to move as much of my business online as possible. E.g. I'm doing more and more e-learning and coaching via Skype, as well as live workshops and face-to-face sessions.


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You can find Mark on his Wishful Thinking blog, on his poetry blog, or for bite-sized inspiration you can follow him on Twitter




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See here for more interviews with inspiring people doing what they love


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Are you an artist wanting to make more money from your talent?  Are you a budding creative entrepreneur?  Have you heard about the Do What You Love art and creative enterprise retreat, to be held in a stunning countryside venue in England next May?  Sign up for the newsletter (on the right) to be the first to hear when registration opens!

To tweet or not to tweet

So tell me, is it worth it? 

Is Twitter all it is cracked up to be? 

As I decide whether or not to open myself up to yet another social media channel,

I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Are you on Twitter? 

Why? 

What do you like about it? 

Any advice for a newbie?