thestudiosource.com » Creative quickies

Love, marketing and Viking songs

Stacey Cornelius — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:07:55 +0000

Editor’s note: it’s Friday. I’ve been slaving over a writing project and my brain cells are down to triple digits. I’m tired of the sound of my own voice, so this post is (mostly) just for fun.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day for romance. A a day for flower shops, card sellers and chocolatiers.

If you’re single, or just not into the hearts and flowers, you’ll be just as glad when it’s over.

Wait. There’s an antidote.

In 1996 I invented a feast day for me and my female friends who aren’t into the fluff and forced romance of Valentine’s Day. I picked February 13, and I named it Valenschtunken. Pronounce it “valenschtoonken.” Say it with gusto. This is how it goes:

We will eat beans

We will drink beer

We will sing Viking songs.

We don’t actually do the beans, beer, or sing at the top of our lungs around a roaring fire. The feast is virtual. It’s an email message that goes to a small but growing group every February 13. We’ve become an informal, not-so-secret club that revels in turning an idea on its head.

I have nothing against Valentine’s Day; it’s just not my thing. When I invented Valenschtunken, I was recovering from a Very Big Mistake, and was not in the mood to hear about romance. I’ve been happily shacked up for years since then, but I’m still not into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. Valenschtunken is more fun. (I live in fear that my allegedly made-up word is some form of a real word and I’ve offended someone, but so far that hasn’t happened.)

Grab the lemons and make lemonade
When marketers focus on a demographic, there’s an opportunity. When they focus on a huge chunk of the population, there will be people who feel left out in a big way. That creates an opening for gutsy, contrarian, and creative ideas. You don’t have to come out swinging—Valenschtunken isn’t anti-Vday, it’s a fun alternative.

Thumbing your nose at a way of thinking and creating something in protest has sparked some brilliant art and music. The status quo provides endless opportunities for innovation. It gives you leverage. You can stick your tongue out at it, pull out your big box of crayons, and have some fun.

So if you’d rather have a bouquet of spring rolls instead of roses, this one’s for you. Happy Valenschtunken.

Over to you: What do you like to do in the middle of February? What product or service do you love that steps out of the mainstream? What idea would you like to turn on its head?

Become a champion for your art

Stacey Cornelius — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:50:58 +0000

Not too long ago, I was talking to an artist about the way some people react to her prices. She was beyond frustrated. “Don’t they know how long this takes?”

Another artist was of the angry opinion that “People are stupid.”

There are way too many people in the industrialized world who have no idea where their food comes from. They think pizza comes out of a box. Why would they know about what you do? How could they even begin to know?

We live in a society inundated with cheap, mass-produced, imported goods. Discount stores and sale signs are everywhere. We’ve come to expect factory prices, not lasting quality. We’re trained for consumption, not curiosity.

So no, they don’t know how long it takes to make something with your head, your heart, and your hands. They’ve been conditioned not to think about it.

Ironically, that conditioning gives you a perfect opportunity to open up a mind. To start a quiet revolution. To become a champion for your art.

You could call it arts advocacy, but that might make you think of structured activities organized by an institution. So let’s not go there. A champion is more exciting than an advocate, much livelier than a supporter, and way less annoying than a crusader. Plus you can picture yourself wearing a cape, or at least a team sweater, when you run into someone who makes an unfortunate comment and you need to keep your composure.

You shouldn’t try to convert every doubter or nay-sayer you come across. Some of them don’t want to listen. But if someone asks a question, you have the chance to start a real conversation, to introduce them to the mysterious world behind your studio doors.

You know the crowd that understands and appreciates what you do is smaller than you’d like. You want to find ways to expand your audience. Sometimes those opportunities land right at your feet. The people who take the time to ask questions are either on the fence, ready to be coaxed over to your side, or close to it. Give them a thoughtful invitation into your world, and you might get them hooked for life.

Over to you: what’s the strangest—or best—question anyone’s ever asked you about art? What’s the question you most want to ask people outside your artistic circle?

Why creative marketing should be well rehearsed

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:50:23 +0000

Have you ever watched an acting company prepare for a show? It’s a fascinating experience.

First, the actors, director and stage managers sit down for a read-through—just the people and the script—to get a feel for the play. Then rehearsals begin. The director works out the blocking—where he wants the actors to enter and exit, where they should stand and move on the set to convey the right message to the audience.

There are more rehearsals.

The set is built, the lights are hung, the sound guys do their work, the actors adapt to their new environment.

The costumes enter the fray. The actors have to get comfortable in them, particularly if it’s a period piece (I’ve never worn a corset, but I know how they’re constructed. I’ll pass).

There’s at least one full dress rehearsal.

Next it’s preview night, where there’s an audience, but it’s generally for invited guests—a friendly crowd.

It’s only then that the show opens for real.

So when you think about all that preparation, the adjustments, the fine-tuning, should you try to get your website copy, your bio, or your business card right the first time?

Or should you take some time to get a feel for what’s working, tweak and polish it before it hits the stage?

Trying to get it right the first time will drive you crazy. Try getting it first. Then get it right.

For more bits of advice, cool art and design info, and the occasional link to cartoons on YouTube, follow me on Twitter.

The power of commitment

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:55:01 +0000

The following quote is a Stickie on my desktop:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans—the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”

W.H. Murray
Scottish Himalayan Expedition

There are people who would have you believe that positive thinking will make all your dreams come true. There are enough self-help books pushing that message to sink a container ship.

The theory is great, but translating theory into practice rarely shows you where the potholes are. And just thinking it doesn’t make things happen. You have to choose. You have to act. You have to work at it.

What gets you through is the commitment. Not hanging on out of pride, but the knowledge that not everything will go according to plan, that there will be setbacks and mistakes, and that is precisely the way things are supposed to unfold. You stumble, you learn, you move forward. Or sideways. Or say, “Damn, this isn’t what I want to do at all,” and have the courage to admit it and dig into what really makes your engine run.

Providence, however you choose to define it, moves when we decide.

Burning questions about motivation

Stacey Cornelius — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:03:45 +0000

Are you one of those people who procrastinates? Do you wait until a deadline is way too close before kicking into high gear? How many people do you know who do the same thing?

Do you approach business that way, too?

There’s nothing like that adrenaline rush you get when your back’s against the wall, when it’s do-or-die time. That sense of urgency pushes you forward.

What if there’s no urgency? What happens to your creative practice?

If you’re making a transition from a job to a business, or from one business to another, or if you’re moonlighting, you have a cushion. Your grocery bill is taken care of.

What would you do if that income suddenly disappeared?

If you make your living with your creative practice, are you playing with fire by putting things off? Are you missing opportunities because you’re comfortable with the way things are?

Forget about deadlines for a minute. What motivates you? What really gets you into the studio? What’s keeping you out?

What to do when you’re nervous

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:14:26 +0000

Chemically speaking, fear and excitement are the same emotion. Go with excitement.

What’s your favourite damn-the-torpedoes proverb?

The Myth of Everybody – Halloween wrap up

Stacey Cornelius — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:33:26 +0000

I have a peculiar affliction—I am particularly susceptible to ear worms. When I was mulling over the idea that there is no everybody, at least as far as marketing is concerned, the word “everybody” put a song in my head.

Since I am an unrepentant geek, I went to YouTube to see if I could find the song. I hit paydirt – footage from 1974. And since Halloween is nearly upon us, with costumes and all things weird and wonderful, I thought I’d share.

I hope the spirits of All Hallows Eve rev up your creativity.

(If you have trouble with the embedded video, here’s a direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiSzFp4arg&feature=related)

Do you have a “favourite” ear worm you’d like to inflict- er, share?

Beware the business guru

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:48:35 +0000

How do you shape your marketing efforts and sales techniques? Do you adopt a popular standard? Mimic someone you know and admire? Make it up as you go? Or do you follow popular marketing and business experts, scrambling to keep up with everything they say you should do?

Obviously, ignoring the experts altogether isn’t a smart business strategy. There are intelligent people out there who are genuinely interested in buying trends, demographics and customer psychology. You can benefit greatly from their work.

On the other hand, chasing their advice like a tweenage groupie panting over the Jonas Brothers isn’t much of a plan, either.

You have to know why you’re following someone’s advice. You have to think carefully about whether or not it applies to you. When you ask a question, you need to make sure the right person answers it.

I once attended a workshop given by someone who was touted as an expert in my field. I paid the fee, took a day out of my studio schedule, and got exactly the wrong information. The expert operated at a completely different level, and (as I only discovered months later) didn’t understand my business at all. Eventually I got the right information by way of a customer. I found someone with the right information—the solution came in a five word sentence.

That, I suppose, would be irony.

There’s nothing wrong with following business gurus, or for that matter, gurus of any kind. You run into problems when you follow blindly.

Lessons learned in art school

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:40:16 +0000

It’s Thanksgiving day here in Canada. What am I grateful for? That I put myself heavily into student loans to go to art school. It was the best decision I ever made.

I had some remarkable instructors when I attended NSCAD University (once upon a time simply referred to as “the Art College”). I vividly remember three things that were said to me during my time at NSCAD; the first two were offhand comments, the third was carefully worded and meant to stick. None of them were said in a business context, but as so often happens, simple, sincere words are more valuable than you realize. These words have served me well as an artist and designer. They’re important marketing lessons, too.

Play, but play well. Keep your goals in mind, but let your imagination run.

Don’t get precious with it. Allow yourself to make mistakes as you explore possibilities.

You’re responsible for what you put into the world. This isn’t about political correctness; it’s about not being a jerk.

And here’s a bonus lesson I figured out later: have respect for yourself, respect for your collaborators, and respect for your work. That applies not only to your creative process, but also how you promote it.

Acting, vacuum cleaners and a good story

Stacey Cornelius — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:12:01 +0000

I can’t remember where I heard this, but someone once said, “If you notice the acting, it’s not good acting.”

Think about some of the best actors in the business—Robert De Niro, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep. You don’t notice the acting. They disappear into their roles. They wrap you up in their characters and engage you, even if the rest of the movie is a shambles. They tell a compelling story.

James Dyson spent five years and created 5,127 prototypes before he perfected his first bagless vacuum cleaner. Five thousand prototypes. When you hear that, you don’t think about marketing. Dyson is a real, living person, he’s passionate about what he does, and it makes for a mighty good story.

What kind of story can you tell?