La Salonniere

Jamie Ridler

Jamie Ridler is a creative living coach. Her website, Jamie Ridler Studios, is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to pursue their creative dream or even just incorporate a little more creativity into their life. Jamie provides one-on-one and group coaching, hosts online communities, offers creative courses, publishes a weekly podcast and writes a wonderful email newsletter. Everything she does seems grounded in kindness. She is truly one of the nicest people I know. Jamie resides in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, Justin, and their cat, Jinx. She has inspired me many times, so it gives me great pleasure to feature her here.

1. Jamie, you’ve written that you were a late bloomer and detoured around your creative path many times—that it took awhile to reach the level of creative success you’ve achieved. When your life circumstances were pulling you away from your creative path, how did you manage to keep your creative spark alive?

In a word: journaling. Journaling has been a constant and a lifeline during the difficult times, particularly when I was finding my way. During one major turning point, I worked passionately through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I wrote morning pages (3 pages of long-hand freeform writing) every day and that’s what started to shift things. I could see in black and white what I was yearning for, what I was upset by again and again. I could see what had to change and the direction I had to go. In my writing, I came face-to-face with my self and with the “me” I wanted to be.  Journaling helped me see, acknowledge and commit to my creative path.

2. Many in the creative blogosphere have gotten to know you from your wonderful online community, Wishcasting Wednesday, and the accompanying Wishcasting Journal. For readers who might not be familiar with Wishcasting, can you explain what the process is? Can anyone participate?

Absolutely, everyone can participate! On Wednesdays, I share a prompt for wishing. It might be, “What do you wish for your body?” or “What do you wish to create?” or “What do you wish to say no to?” You can answer in your journal or answer in your heart. If you have a blog, you can answer in a post, share your link and you’ll find other Wishcasters coming by and supporting you with our shared phrase, “As you wish for yourself, so I wish for you also.” A beautiful, loving community has grown around this weekly ritual. It’s magic.

I also created the Wishcasting journal as an offline way of developing this powerful practice. The journal has 52 prompts that you can answer at your own pace, in your own way. Open the journal at random in the morning and make a wish! Bring it to life by writing it out, drawing it or gluing in pictures of what you’re dreaming of.  By developing a regular practice of checking in with our hearts and expressing our desires, we invite magic and possibility into our lives. After years of Wishcasting, I’ve seen the truth and beauty of that again and again.

3. Each Tuesday you publish your podcast, Creative Living with Jamie, where you interview inspiring people who are following creative paths. How has conducting creative interviews deepened your own creative process?

Amazingly so! I feel so blessed that I have this opportunity to chat with people at different stages and in different disciplines about their creative journey. There are moments when we’re both nodding our heads (and I know the audience is too!) because we recognize the same places, the same fears, the same joys. And there are times when someone shares something and it opens up a whole new way of thinking, a whole new range of possibilities. This happened for me when I interviewed photographer Tracey Clark. She opened me up to whole new ways of playing with my camera. I had in my mind that I needed to understand f-stops and apertures before I could use them. Tracey helped me see that I could experiment. I could take a shot, shift the settings, take a shot and see what happens. That was a revelation!

Being in conversation with great guests and amazing listeners helps me discover what our core concerns are. As creative spirits, where do we get stuck? What strategies help? What do we adore? What questions keep coming up? What inspires us? I find this wildly creatively exciting. It sparks my curiosity, fuels my sense of vision and inspires me to help. It drives what I do at Jamie Ridler Studios, helping me share great content and design classes, products and services that are really rooted in what my community wants and needs.

For example, the number one challenge I heard from everyone was time. That’s why I created my new e-course, Sparkles. It is a series of 31 simple daily creative prompts brought to you by an amazing group of inspiring teachers and designed to spark your creative spirit in 5 minutes (or less!) a day. I keep telling everyone – it changes everything when you Sparkle!

4. I really like the way you use social media. Your Twitter feed and Facebook page are both brimming with positive inspiration, and you seem to genuinely enjoy engaging with your followers. As a self-employed creative professional, how has social media benefited your business?

Thank you so much, Marilyn! I just love social media, especially Twitter. For a solopreneur, it is such a gift to be able to connect with all of these amazing people every single day. It’s like stepping into the coolest lunchroom and having fun and fascinating conversations with inspiring people all over the world. How good is that?!

And yes, it has absolutely benefited my business. I have received invitations to teach workshops, guest post, participate in events, contribute to products and be on podcasts, all from people who’ve come to know me through social media. I have also developed inspiring entrepreneurial friendships. Every month I meet with an amazing group of women innerpreneurs here in Toronto; we all met through social media. I have gained a community, clients and opportunities and had a great time meeting, connecting and sharing with the most amazing people from around the world.  I love it.

5. Let’s talk about The Elder Sister Project at Roots of She. We don’t typically see a lot of conversation about aging at creative sites. What compelled you to tackle such an important topic under a creative umbrella? What sorts of themes do you hope to explore?

This project has been stirring in me for the past couple of years. I’d been thinking a lot about aging myself and didn’t really feel like I had anyone to have a frank, compassionate discussion with. Conversations about aging seem to be limited to self-deprecating jokes. I wanted to feel connected to other women. I wanted to know what they were going through. I wanted to know if I was alone in feeling what I was feeling. With The Elder Sister Project, I quickly found I wasn’t!

The conversation has been amazing, inspiring, thought-provoking and real. No doubt there is a lot of tenderness and privacy around the topic. The rawness of what people shared with me behind the scenes has been deeply moving. I hope that the series has at least started the discussion. I encourage anyone who’s been inspired by it to continue – write an article, write a story, write to the media and say you want more real stories on this, create a photo series (I did one of me from when I was a baby until now). I’ve written about what our worries and questions are, about our relationship to our bodies, how we see ourselves, how we change over time, how we can empower ourselves through shifting our questions. I covered a lot of ground in the series but it’s only a ripple on the surface. There’s so much more that needs to be explored!

6. Dance is typically perceived as a young person’s medium and activity. As a dancer who’s also exploring the shifting landscape of aging, can you suggest a few simple ideas that Elder Sisters can incorporate into their daily lives to experience the joy of dance?

Dance is my first love and helping people come to their dance is something I’m called to do. The simplest thing of all is to pick a song, just one song, and dance. Just dance. Don’t worry if it’s just a shuffle. Don’t worry what you look like. Close your eyes. Close the door. Let your body feel the music and move. We are born to move. Look at babies, how they move all the time – wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.  That impulse brings us alive.

If it feels really awkward and you don’t know what to do, choose one part of your body to dance. Put on that song and say, today, I’m just going to move my hips. I’m going to let me hips respond to the music. Or today, I’m just going to dance with my hands. I’m going to lie here in bed with my iPod on and let me hands do the dancing. Or my feet. Or my fingers. Just start. Your body will thank you – and so will your spirit. Dance belongs to everybody. And it belongs to us for a lifetime.

7. I love that sophistication is one of your style touchstones. How does city life in Toronto enable you to unleash your sophisticated side?

I love you, Marilyn! I’m a city girl through and through. I love coffee shops and book stores, galleries and movie theatres, museums and amazing restaurants. Toronto has all of that and more. There are so many events in Toronto you couldn’t possibly do them all! You could go to a book launch one day, dragon-boat racing another, take a hooping class, grab a meal in Little India and finish your week off with a candlelit night of storytelling.

So how does a girl dress for all that? I’m a big lover of simple elegance. I want the same outfit to take me everywhere, (okay, I’ll change for hooping) and I want to be able to move. I love walking through the city and seeing what’s going on, so comfortable, awesome boots are always a win! It often surprises people too that I’m pretty formal. I’m not a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. Not even at home. I’d rather sparkle. I like to dress up. I like special occasions. I like a sense of event and grandeur and I love to create opportunities for that.

8. You’ve shared that one of your recent goals is to be a more adventurous traveler. What destinations are you hoping to visit in 2011 and how will those trips help you to meet that goal?

This whole traveling thing has been absolutely amazing! Early last year when I set the intention, all of a sudden I had so many places to go! I went to the Kripalu Center to assist Jennifer Louden on retreat. I went to Portsmouth, NH for a fantastic workshop with Alicia Forest and visited some awesome blogging friends in the Boston area. I spent an incredible week in San Francisco for my brother’s wedding! I’m still beaming over how it all came to life!

This year I’m planning to go to Portland for Chris Guillebeau’s World Domination Summit (and thank you, Marilyn, for your awesome Portland recommendations!) I’m going to Nova Scotia to visit my sister, Suzie the Foodie. (You can imagine how spoiled I’ll be with good food there!) I’m going to Portsmouth again in the fall and Justin and I are thinking of a weekend jaunt to Chicago! 

Travel has become a part of my life and I love it! The next big challenge for growing my traveling confidence will be going someplace where I can’t rely on English!

9. You’re always so sunny and positive, yet everyone has off days and needs downtime. When you’re feeling depleted, what steps do you take to nourish and recharge yourself?

Absolutely! Shifting gears is a big part of it for me. I’m incredibly driven and can really throw myself in, so when I’m getting depleted I need to “slowly step away from the computer, Ms. Ridler” and go for a walk, hang out with my honey, read a book, go to a movie, take a Nia class, watch some bad TV, crochet. But my ultimate favourite refresh experience is to go to the spa. It gets me outside of the house, so I can’t get tempted to do more work, and connects me to my body, reminding me to love and take care of my life and my self. A half-day getaway - a relaxing facial, a delightful lunch, lounging with a book in a quiet, beautiful environment – is like a mini vacation for me. I always feel like a new woman when I walk out the door.

10. Let’s end the interview with some Wishcasting. Jamie, what do you wish to manifest in your creative life in the next year?

I have so many wishes! I wish to build a loving, talented team at Jamie Ridler Studios so that I can get even more amazing inspiration out there and serve even more creative spirits! I wish to spend more time in my body, dancing, running, finding my way into yoga. I wish to expand my knowledge of video making so I can bring more ideas to life – maybe even a documentary. I wish to invest in beautiful jewellery. I wish to relearn how to drive (I’m scared to say that one out loud because then I’ll have to start doing it!) I wish to spend more time in studio spaces. I wish to fill my practice with creative breakthrough sessions. I wish to launch a new offering called “Studio Time with Jamie” where you come play in the studio with me and we discover your vision and create a plan to get you into action. I wish to shine a light that inspires more and more people to awaken their creative potential. I wish to be a light in the world.

 

Website and Blog:  Jamie Ridler Studios

Sparkles e-course

A Year of Dreams

Workshop in a Box:  Soul Reflections – The Home Edition

Your Creative Spark: Inspiring Interviews with 12 Highly Creative Bloggers

Podcast (every Tuesday):  Creative Living with Jamie

Wishcasting Wednesday (every Wednesday)

Full Moon Dreamboards (Monthly)

Twitter: @starshyne

Facebook:  Jamie Ridler Studios

Shyne Like a Star Virtual Dance Party (Every May 1)

Colleen Wainwright

Colleen Wainwright, aka the communicatrix, is a writer, speaker and marketing consultant with an  extensive background in acting, advertising and design. She helps her clients figure out how to put forth their best selves. Even more impressive, she can help you be your best self. I think of her as one of my gurus—she just doesn’t know it. Colleen is smart, thoughtful, funny and not afraid to dig deep. She writes a kick-ass blog and a terrific monthly newsletter under her communicatrix banner. I’ve read her blog for many years and I'm very excited to feature her here. 

1. In 2010 you took a “self-imposed sabbatical.” What fueled your desire to take some time off?  Were there key areas of your life where you wanted to manifest change, or did you enter the sabbatical without specific goals in mind?

I didn't even enter the sabbatical with a sabbatical in mind.

Toward the end of '09, I did decide to close shop for the last two weeks of December. Even that much of a break is unusual for me, unless I'm forced into it by ill health or a grouchy significant other. But coming off of 2009, I sensed that if I didn't take a break, something really, really bad was going to happen. I'd narrowly avoided a full-on Crohn's flare earlier in the year, and there were other indicators as well: increased alcohol and caffeine consumption; sudden, inexplicable bursting into tears in the shower. (You may have some passing familiarity with the drill.)

Another contributing factor was my decision that fall to start private lessons in Nei Kung, an internal form of chi gong. No doubt all that chi moving around for the first time in a decade played a role in my decision to quit acting like a complete jackass and give my body a break.

Anyway, at the end of two weeks I was still zonked, so I decided to extend just a wee bit into January. Then end of Q1. Then, oh, how about May-ish? 

Finally, somewhere around mid-July, I conceded what I probably knew all along: I was looking at a full reboot. I stared at the numbers in my long-term savings account for a day, took a deep breath, changed my "Hire Me" page to reflect unavailability through 2011, and that was that. (Oddly enough, a big job for January came in over the transom after this. Modern-age voodoo, as Roz Chast and my ex like to say.)

As for goals, I didn't establish any until mid-February. I ended up choosing ten, per Ginny Ditzler's excellent Best Year Yet goal-planning system, which I'd been using faithfully for four years to map out the coming year. This time around, though, I did a few things differently.

First, I partnered with a friend. He kept me a little more realistic about what I could reasonably do vs. the magical sparkle-pony fantasy agenda I usually dreamed up. Secondly, for the first time in my life I chose mostly "boring" self-care goals rather than hard-ass business goals. To read more books, for example—something I deeply enjoy, but never give myself time for. To practice my Nei Kung daily, get back on my Crohn's diet 100%, see friends twice per week, feng-shui my apartment from top to bottom. I even made "recover from breakup" a goal—with a deadline and action items! I did better on the "me" goals than the business goals. In fact, I've failed, or fallen way short, on my three business-y goals, and accomplished all of the personal ones. Quite a turnaround.

In hindsight, I think taking the sabbatical was my effort to gain clarity. I turn 50 in September, and that's a hard number to be cavalier about. I wanted to head into the back nine with the confidence that I was actually living my life, not sleepwalking through some carryover bullshit notion of what I thought a life was supposed to be when I was 20 or 30 or even 40. I'm not all there, by any means; I don't know that I'll ever have 100% clarity. But I do finally have some real, rooted confidence in my ability to judge what is right for me.

Finally, just to call out the elephant in the room, I realize that this was an insanely great privilege, being able to take this kind of time off. My intention was—and is—to gain clarity around my talents, such as they are, and my interests, so that I could start making a difference in the world. I'm not leaving a flesh-and-blood legacy, but I can (I hope) leave a useful body of work.

2. An overall theme in your writing last year was about downsizing—minimizing possessions and virtual distractions. You even titled one of your recent newsletters, “Adding by Taking Away.”  What have you gained by decluttering your physical and virtual spaces?

Part of what I've gained, of course, is actual physical room. It makes moving around one's apartment much easier, and helps one realize considerable savings on bulk buys of paper products. 

Seriously though, my home is a much, much nicer place to be in now. I've been able to arrange things to suit my creative process, which I've discovered requires surprising amounts of cleared horizontal space for working, and restful, clean space for preparing food and relaxing. 

Psychic room is a little harder to quantify. I feel happier and more myself now, but this could also be a function of exiting a relationship that was no longer serving me.

Another big gain happened via the *process* of decluttering itself. I was amazed at how good it felt, how deeply self-caring, to take the time and energy to physically transform my space from something gross and icky and dirty and crowded and sad-making into something lovely, fresh, lively and clean that supported me. Damn, it feels good! It's made me much more aware and respectful of the necessity for and benefits of thoughtful attention to "soft" things in general.

However, there is yang to all this yin (or vice versa), which is that you start to see some of the things that had been safely hidden from view under the murk: filthy walls and dirty floorboards, for example, or really ugly habits and truths you'd deftly avoided by obfuscating them with crap. (For more on all of this, please see A&E's horrifying-but-compulsively-watchable show, Hoarders.)

It's definitely a journey rather than a destination, especially if you have the packrat gene. (Again, cf. Hoarders. Highly sobering stuff.)

3. As a marketing consultant who loves the power of a good decluttering, do you ever tell your clients to do a bit of un-marketing?  If so, what’s one tip you like to give people to help them streamline their marketing plans?

Oh, my, yes. It may be what started me on the road to decluttering—that and my ex-boyfriend's attic. Seeing someone else's stuff and how it holds them back is much easier than seeing your own.

My #1 super-trick for better marketing is to get really, really clear on your objective, your goal. It's rarely easy, but it's far more effective than futzing with your blog theme or revamping your business cards or retooling your online-to-meatspace networking mix. When you're not clear on what it is you want—which takes time and reflection and sometimes outside help—the rest of it is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

But if you want a "trickier" trick, I'd say to ask yourself where most of your business or your clients come from, and then forgo something else to take better care of this area. For most people, it's referrals. Most folks—myself, included—are really abysmal at cultivating referrals. If you start tending the network of loyal fans you already have, you'll be amazed at what starts to shift.

4. You’re a big reader and seem to be a disciplined one. You set a goal to read 52 books in 2010, with a daily goal of 40 pages a day. What did you find to be the benefits of a reading schedule?  Do you plan to continue that schedule in 2011?

The big secret to my self-discipline is my total natural lack of it. I have the attention span of a highly distractible toddler who accidentally drank his mom's coffee: a kind of permanent, free-floating case of Shiny Object Syndrome, as an old art director so aptly dubbed it. Hence, the immense benefits of routine. You don't have to think about stuff; you just have to do the stuff you're supposed to do! It's really quite freeing.

So for me, it was incredibly easy once I figured out the routine: I'd wake up, I'd make myself a cup of tea, then I'd get back in bed and read my 40pp. It's a little tougher now, because I'm trying to add in a morning walk first thing, and obviously, you can't take a walk first and read first. 

But I'll figure it out. The main thing is that I rediscovered how great it is to read regularly, and to read books, instead of just bloggy stuff. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! This blog, for example, is awesome!) It really kicks your idea-generating machine into high gear, not to mention it being a great way to learn new stuff.

5. I know you love hacks—those little shortcuts that can make our tasks just a little bit easier. Can you share a couple of your favorite new hacks that you’ve incorporated into your life recently?

Twist my arm, why don't you? Okay, here goes:

*Learning ONE keyboard command from my most-used programs.* Lately, I'm all over Command-H (which is "hide" on the Mac—it makes a live program disappear) and, in Evernote, Command-Control-F, which lets you search your entire Evernote archives. (I heart Evernote, big-time.) In addition to speeding things up, there's a sense of accomplishment in acquiring a skill, which I think leads to more self-confidence, which is just better for neurotic, self-loathing anxiety cases like me. So even if neither of these two work for you, learning a few key commands for your favorite programs will be a big win-win. The kaizen way—incremental tweaks to improve performance—is, I find, a far more useful way of approaching change. Maybe that's the true hack here.

*Dragging files into x.* Okay, I just finished talking about not picking up my hands from the keyboard, but dragging a URL from the address bar onto the Evernote icon in the dock and watching it turn into a note is pretty much the most satisfying thing ever. I think you have to upgrade to the paid version to do it; I never tried it before I bought in. But it's awesome. Ditto with dragging pictures or URLs onto the Skitch icon, which, again—sorry—I think you have to pay for. Hey, maybe actually paying for the tools you really love and use—i.e., having the best versions of them—is really the hack, here. Oh, and if you have both paid Evernote and paid Skitch, you can pretty much rule the known universe. (Man, I sound like a total ad for them, but I'm seriously in lurve with my software.)

6. The first time I read that you were attending Toastmasters, I was surprised because you already had years of acting experience under your belt. Then I realized that public speaking and acting are two very different animals. When you step on stage at events, which instinct kicks in first—the acting or the public speaking one?  How do the two skills complement each other?

They're hopelessly fused at this point. The gift of acting—the "inside-out", Method kind, anyway—is learning how to reliably open yourself up to being a channel of truth. Public speaking training is more about outside-in stuff: developing your voice, removing distracting tics and "um"s, etc. There's a bit of crossover in the training around stuff like sovereignty; in both acting and speaking training you learn to hold your ground, to not piss away your power with unnecessary movement. And of course, speakers are also learning how to write and structure material. Actors have to really work hard to learn this, via scene study and analyzing film scripts and literature and such. Most of them are too stupid or narcissistic or lazy to do this, unfortunately, which really limits their abilities to work except as the vessel for someone else's truth, which can really limit their ability to work, period.

In my monthly column for actors, I'm constantly hammering them to develop these "tangential" abilities. I feel they're integral to one's development not only as a true artist but that they're the key to a longtime, successful career as a professional. 

7.  What’s just the right amount of social media use for your taste?

My cop-out answer is "enough to feel connected, not so much that I'm neglecting my real work." Most days, it ends up being several check-ins with Twitter and Facebook, a few postings to delicious/Google Reader, and perhaps a blog comment or two. (I like to get them, so I think it's only fair to leave them.) 

On bad days, I do too much of it, and feel awful at the end, like when you were a kid and ate crap all day at the amusement park. (Or when you were an adult and did it, for that matter.) On really good, productive days, I'll do much less.

I do almost always check in with Facebook in the morning to wish people a happy birthday. Corny, but again, I just love it on my birthday, and it's a pretty easy, friction-free thing to do.

8.  Colleen, you’re a prolific blogger and you’ve talked about writing a book. How do you juggle your writing schedule so that you can keep posting those wonderful essays and poems on your blog and still find time to write a book?

Well, now, really—you don't see a book yet, do you? So I'm not that good of a juggler after all, am I, now?

If you've been doing the math, I've had more time than an entire retirement village this year. I had zero clients! And one less blog to write for! (My year-long marketing blog experiment, virgoguidetomarketing.com, ended in 2009.) And still, no book!

I've tried all kinds of things to keep me on track with the book writing this year: a "morning write" workshop, a writers' group, commitments made to my mastermind group. Then, somewhere in November, I finally gave up and asked my hypnotherapist. He'd helped me get back on my Crohn's diet with ONE session. (It was a holy miracle, I tell you. I could drive past Jack In The Box with impunity.) So we worked for a few weeks on it, and he made me one recording to help me establish good time habits, and another booster recording to help me with chunking my day. Slowly, they're starting to make a difference; I don't always write a ton every day, and I definitely don't write great stuff every day, but I write. It's a start.

Also, an angel from the sky descended to this mortal plain to help me—a regular reader/fan of mine, who is in the business of editing and coaching writers through big projects. She offered her services to me in support and for the first time in my life, I accepted a gift with grace and humility. Again, it's a start.

9. For many of us, our definition of success changes over time. What will success look like for Communicatrix in 2011?

Well, I don't officially have to lock myself into something until mid-February, when my new calendar year starts. If I had to guess from here, though, I'd say success would be more contentment with what I've done rather than so much angst over what I haven't. That plus some quality visits with good friends. Although I wouldn't say "no" to a million-billion dollars in the bank and a friendly, well-behaved terrier/collie mix.

Website:  http://www.communicatrix.com/

Newsletter:  http://www.communicatrix.com/newsletter-archives

Marketing column for actors:  http://www.communicatrix.com/lacasting-articles

YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/communicatrix

Colleen Wainwright is a writer-speaker-layabout who started calling herself “the communicatrix” when she hit three hyphens. She spent 10 years writing ads and another 10 acting in them for cash money. These days she spends most of her time teaching other creative souls how to talk about what they do in a way that wins them attention, work and satisfaction and the rest of it horsing around on the Internet.

Shelagh Duffett

Artist and photographer Shelagh Duffett is brimming with creativity. She paints delightful folk art,  shoots gorgeous photographs and even creates her own recipes. Shelagh resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is mother to an almost 21 year-old daughter and guardian of a plump grey tabby named Monty. I’m so very pleased to feature her here and hope you enjoy our conversation about some of her creative endeavors.  

1.  Shelagh, when did you decide you wanted to make your living as an artist?

When I was little, my dad got the idea of using white shelving paper (which came in long rolls) for me to draw on and as a result, the most amazing murals were duly created by tiny me, landscapes which morphed into seascapes, into fairy lands into random scribblings into outer space...all manner of things. I still have one of those rolls and it amazes me when I look at it! Very inspiring. Tells me that I was always creative.

My first "real" job was as a film editor for television news and that evolved into camerawork and producing, directing, etc. for various networks and private companies. So I guess images have always been a huge component of my working life. The painting came purely by accident.

In 1999 we had an old Huckleberry Hound lunch box that I did not want. I'd heard that they were quite collectible so decided I would sell it. Our local flea market was not an option and I had heard about eBay and wanted to give it a whirl. At that time, there was only "eBay," no eBay.CA or UK or whatever, it was in its infancy. Well...the lunch box sold for $125. Hooray! I immediately scoured the house for teacups and interesting bits I could sell. In the meantime, I had been given a box of acrylic paints for my birthday and for fun had painted a quirky folky fish. One day, I was looking at it and thought, "Hmmm, eBay has an art section..." I listed it, and it sold to a person in California! I was delighted and then felt guilty that maybe the buyer thought I was a "real" Nova Scotia folk artist. I immediately painted another to assuage my guilt and that sold to someone in Toronto, the next painting went to Vancouver and the rest is history! I've been doing it ever since. It enabled me to stay home with my daughter as she grew up.

2.  Has your creative path taken any surprising turns that you didn’t anticipate when you began your artistic journey?

My art has definitely improved since I started. The old answer is true, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice." I think the surprising thing to me is that I am still doing it. My art is all over the world now and I have to admit that gives me a thrill.

3.  Your folk art paintings are colorful, vibrant and fun. Do you have a painting schedule you like to keep, or do you wait for the muse to strike?

I used to paint almost every day whether I wanted to or not. It was my "job" and I had to paint to earn money. The more I painted, the easier the ideas came and the process of sitting at my art table became part of my daily routine. Now that I sell prints of my work, the pressure has eased a bit and I am not painting as much as I used to. I'm also busier with blogging and market selling and doing work for other venues. I hope to get back at it in a more regular way this month.

4.  Have photography and painting always coexisted in your creative life or did you come to photography later?

Photography came first. My dad had a camera and used to develop his own pictures when he was younger. I was fascinated by the process. I bought my first camera when in my late teens and have been taking pictures ever since. I actually prefer photography over painting. I think it is the immediacy and simplicity that appeals. You compose with your eye and then just click the shutter. Painting is much harder, more time and skill involved. A bigger investment of yourself.

5.  How does photography complement your painting and/or vice versa?

I think that they are both about composition, colour and light. The way the eye travels around the image. The feeling I want to evoke. They are similar. I like graphic simple images with lovely light. 

6.  You’ve sold some of your photographs via stock photography sites. Can you share an example of how one of your photos was adapted that particularly delighted you?

Gosh, I have only come across a few examples and quite by accident. In microstock photography, once your image is sold the purchaser can do what they want within the guidelines of the license. One usage that pleased me was randomly coming across one of my pictures of junk food on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution site ("Facts and Figures" at the bottom). It was there as an example of what not to eat but exciting nonetheless. That picture was also used in a biology textbook in Hong Kong.  An image of the Eiffel Tower was used in the Philadelphia International Flower Show's poster. One of my most popular photographs of a pair of red shoes has been used by an Italian advertising agency in their logo. That one was seen by someone else and reported to me. Really, it is rare to come across one's own microstock images in use.

7.  You write a wonderful blog, Alice in Paris Loves Art and Tea, which came in 2nd in the People’s Choice award in the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards. As a successful artist, why is blogging important to you?

Thanks, Marilyn! Blogging is important to me because it is another creative outlet. It also helps me to spread the word about my art (marketing) and things that are important to me (championing). For example, in 2009 I read the book Three Cups of Tea and was very moved by the work done by Greg Mortensen. I decided to take action and with the help of my blog readers we raised over $1000 for his foundation. I also love the friendships I have made and the ideas I discover through blogging. I find it quite inspirational at times.

8.  The recipes you post on your blog look positively scrumptious, yet seem easy enough that even a non-cook like me could make them. You’ve even authored a cookbook, Nova Scotia Potluck. What local dish do you recommend that visitors try?

Gee, that's a tough one. I suppose fish chowder or fresh fish and chips would be what I'd recommend to any visitor coming to Nova Scotia. Depending on the season, maybe blueberry pie or lobster. We've got some great restaurants here and fabulous cooks so one would never have to worry about not eating well.

 9.  You’ve lived in Halifax most of your life and seem to have a genuine love affair with the city, as evidenced by your beautiful photographs of it. How do you maintain a fresh eye behind the camera when you’re shooting your hometown?

Really, Halifax is an easy city to take pictures of. It is beautiful. I have my camera with me most of the time and I never know when a picture will hit me on the head and say take me! Depends on light and place. One of those weird things, images jump out at me unexpectedly.

10. Recently you’ve sold your artwork at Halifax Seaport Market. What have you enjoyed about the farmers market experience?

The Halifax Seaport Market is a wonderful ecologically constructed building right on the harbour and it is filled with light. I have only just started selling there and so far I am enjoying it. I think the location makes a difference; I don't think I could be selling if I was in a dark enclosed space. One thing have to say about the experience is that it is quite different to be talking to customers face to face rather then via an internet connection. Much nicer really. I have enjoyed the people buying and those just chatting and the vendors as well. Working from home is a bit isolating. The internet helps with that but nothing can compare to real humans.

11. I always love to see your beautiful travel photography. Is there one destination you’d like to visit in 2011? What do you envision photographing once you’re there? 

Marilyn, I have no plans for this year, yet...but I would LOVE to walk the Camino de Compostela de Santiago...have wanted to do it for YEARS. Something about a long meandering walk meeting people from all areas of life and different countries, seeing Spain and living simply for a few weeks really appeals to me. Having just said that, New York appeals too.  :)

Thank you to Shelagh for such a delightful interview!

Congratulations to Mari, our random commenter winner, who will receive a free registration in Shelagh's photography e-course, Sensational Snap Society. Thank you to all of the commenters! And thank you, Shelagh!

Blog:  Alice in Paris Loves Art and Tea

Photography e-course:  Sensational Snap Society

Paintings:  Alice in Paris at Etsy

Photography:  Broomhill Pictures at Etsy

Facebook:  Shelagh Duffett

Twitter:  @AliceinParis

Eric Shiveley

Years ago a blogging friend told me about parcels of raw land that were for sale in a huge alpine valley in Southern Colorado. We were so taken with the beauty of the place that we bought five acres. Then one day I read a blog post she’d written about a friend of hers who was already living there. He’d made a documentary about his life there. I watched the trailer for the film…and was blown away. Meet Eric Shiveley.

1. Eric, can you set the scene for us and describe the San Luis Valley where you live and work?

The San Luis Valley is a flat, scrub-brush desert that straddles the Colorado/New Mexico border.  It's walled on the east by the Sangre De Cristo mountains, the west by the San Juans, and the south by mesas and tarantulas. It's a huge valley, but because it's so flat it looks small until you have to cross it. It's also one of the coldest areas in the lower 48 (the temperature averages 40.8 degrees over a year, and the January 2007 average temperature was 12 degrees). Although it's the sunniest part of Colorado, spring is long, icy cold, and very, very windy.

But from June until October it's the prettiest place you've ever seen. The skies, thunderstorms and sunsets are beyond description.  And you wonder why no one lives or visits here.  That's the other thing, no one lives here.  Pueblo is two hours away, and a trip there is like going to New York City.

Alamosa is the biggest town (8,000 people?), right in the center of the valley.  I live a few miles east of town in the open desert.  You can see Great Sand Dunes National Park from my kitchen window.

2. Your documentary, Everyone But You, tells the story of your move to the San Luis Valley to build a recording studio on land you had purchased there. The part that amazed me was that you taught yourself filmmaking while making the film. How long did it take you to make it?

It was a year of filming, then another year of filming and editing. It's a good thing it took so long because after two years I knew much better how to cut everything that wasn't needed.

3. Was the final film the one you set out to make or did the story change over time?

What I planned to make is still there, but the best parts came up on their own. The "planned" (for lack of a better word) and unplanned storylines end up woven together, and I don't think the two could work without each other.  If the movie works, that's why.  You see this guy with a plan. He follows through, and then gets drop-kicked into the oblivion by the powers that be.

4. Everyone But You was screened at some film festivals and was well-received. What was the festival experience like for you? Are there plans to show it at future festivals?

The experience was a bit strange but with a few moments where, you know, it's like your dream comes true and it's real.

Since I was a complete nobody it's almost a miracle the movie got the recognition it did.  At the time I thought it deserved more, but it's a two-hour movie made on a low-res camera, again by a complete nobody. So it had everything working against it.  You expect it to be hard when you have no agent or connections, but to live it and have selection committee members tell you how they had to fight to get you in because you're not a big name is something that stays with you.

Eventually you get tired of selling and it's time to get back to work on something else.  So I stopped pushing the movie.

5. You’re a very talented singer-songwriter and musician. (All of the songs in the film are original.) I’m a big fan of your music. Has your songwriting changed since you moved to the SLV, and if so, how?

Thanks and thanks for listening. Weird, but before I lived here in the valley I wrote songs about living in a trailer in the desert, then I ended up here in my trailer in the desert. I don't know if my writing has changed, but you're always trying to do something you haven't, or that doesn't come naturally. And playing with other people helps because you hear new things.  It's like this: A) One of my friends loves Neko Case and I liked the songs she sent me, B) I've always wanted to write something like the Gipsy Kings, and C) A friend from the coffee shop told me about turning south at Deming, New Mexico to get inexpensive dental care in Mexico. So I tried to write a Gipsy Kings/Neko Case song and named it "Greetings From Deming." It's on my new album.

I don't think your writing changes as much based on where you live as what you hear (and like) from friends, satellite radio in the coffee shop, or wherever. 

You get sick of playing the same grooves so naturally you keep trying ones you haven't.

6. Your most recent CD is Eden’s Light. When you set out to make a CD, do you have an overarching theme in mind for the entire CD, or do you wait until you’ve written quite a few songs and then start selecting songs to record?

Yes, all. I don't know how other people do it, but I usually have this big, vague, dark story in my head. It's not something I force, and the songs aren't literal chapters or anything, but it's all loosely but deeply related.  When you have most of the songs sketched out, you say, "Oh, this is way too depressing, I'll write a happy song for the beginning of the album." And that song ends up the darkest thing you've ever written. And so it goes.  But you do know when you're done.  And the only fun (and relatively easy) part is the packaging. The story and hard work are done, and for some reason it's fun, even though it's just as detailed as the writing and recording. It's like getting dressed up in your fancy, studded western suit for a gig.

7. In the film you document some of the jobs you took recording music for other bands and artists. Do you still take recording/engineering jobs? Has your studio produced client work for you in that area or do you use it primarily to record your own music?

These days I just do a song or video here and there for friends, for dirt cheap or free. If I record someone I want it to be great, and when I try to sleep I think, "Aw man, that should be a church organ at the beginning instead of strings." So for me it's not worth what a band without a budget can afford.

8. As a DIY musician, what challenges do you face when marketing and promoting your music?

Good question.  I won Best Composer at a top-tier film festival.  When I got home I gave a copy of the soundtrack to our local public radio station, figuring they'd at least listen.  During the next pledge drive I went in to make a donation and they told me to take something from their free bin.  There was my soundtrack, never been played.  If you're unknown you're up against every law of nature.  Your hometown doesn't give a shit until you're famous somewhere else, and the world at large mostly only wants what they already know.  Everyone does it. If you like Wilco but their new album bores you on first listen, you'll give it several more chances. If you've never heard of the band, you probably won't. Because of that, my goal has always been to wait until I have something great and polished before throwing it out there.

People don't realize how much they like polish. Presentation is probably 88% of this life.

9. The San Luis Valley is a very sparsely populated area and you live miles from the nearest town. What’s a typical day in the SLV like for you?

We all wake up at four, adjust the buffalo hides on the mules to make sure they don't freeze, and then hitch a buggy ride to the tradin' post to barter some egg-pone for chicken-pone and a twopence of shoelaces.  Then we scamper home over hill and dale to count the chickens and make sure the dial-up wasn't interrupted in the middle of that goat porn we've been downloading forever.

Anyhoo, Alamosa is pretty much like living anywhere but without the traffic. We have a four-year college and a 24-hour Walmart.

10. I love how your dogs make unexpected appearances in your projects. Can you tell us a little about them?

I love my doggies. I never thought I'd have Chihuahuas, then I met Macy (she's in my movie) and her Chihuahuas. Soon after you get a Chihuahua, everyone else's dog seems three times larger.  And you can't believe you used to think Chihuahuas are useless. Chihuahuas have it harder than you can imagine.  Children think they're toys and yank them around like dolls. Then they snap at the kid and get beaten by the kid or a parent.  Look at any Chihuahua rescue site and see how badly they're abused. The poor dogs are defenseless. Anyway I love Senor and Toro, and I wish people were nicer to Chihuahuas.

11. What’s one thing you’d like to see happen in your creative life in the coming year?

If I can make one absolute knockout video for a song on "Eden's Light" that would be cool. Maybe I could let the album go and start the next one.  I'd like to make one more album and be done. 

Thanks to Eric for a great interview!

In 2000, when independent bands were just beginning to release CDs, Eric Shiveley recorded his first album in the basement of his Denver home, with no previous experience writing, recording or singing.  The album, 'Everything Is Good' received overwhelming praise from a Denver/Boulder scene that was just beginning to get recognition that would soon explode. The Boulder Daily Camera wrote, "Several tracks could be Shiveley's ticket to the big time." But when Eric saw a legion of bands record one album and spend a year touring with very little gain, he decided to work on his writing and recording and put off promotion. Four more albums and a two-hour documentary later, Eric finally released "Eden's Light" (which he considers his first "real" album) in 2010.  But that's only the beginning of the story.

Website: http://ericshiveleymusic.net/

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/eshiveley

A note from Eric:  Several people have been unduly kind and supportive of me and my music. They're on the Music & Friends page of my site.  Please visit them.  And thank you Marilyn.

Mari Pfeiffer

Mari Pfeiffer is a true Renaissance woman--journalist, copywriter, baker, screenwriter, mother, wife.  She astounds me with how many hats she wears because she manages to do it all with smarts, humor and touches of beauty. Mari resides in Los Angeles and is a self-employed business owner. In this interview, she shares some great videoblogging tips, talks about the struggles of balancing a freelance career with mommyhood, explains how her reporting skills help her baking career and much more. I’m honored to call her my dear friend. I hope you’ll enjoy this interview as much as I did.

1.  Mari, you and your husband, Wolf, are both freelance professionals who work from home. You have a 1-year-old daughter, Mimi. How do you balance parenting a toddler with a freelance work life?

It’s hard. Really hard! Before Mimi was born, I had a nice mix of assignments both as reporter and copywriter. Whenever I was free, I attended networking meetings and used social media to make new contacts. But once I became a mother, everything changed. With a baby, you can’t set a schedule.  That baby sets it for you! I joke with friends that I’ve gone from the relative freedom of freelancing to having a new boss: my kid. I have reduced my work drastically; I’ve taken myself off of lists of active freelance reporters, and I have reduced the number of businesses for whom I write content such as web text and marketing collateral. My main responsibility is my daughter, so I have to get my work done around her needs. Generally I work a minimum of 10 hours a week, and no more than 25.

2.  You have a new business, Wolf and Redhood Media, where you teach small businesses, nonprofits and creative professionals how to create compelling video content. I think it’s a great idea for a business because more and more of us are adding video to our blogs and websites. How did you come up with the idea for this business?

Over the past year a lot of friends and clients asked me whether they should put videos on their sites because marketing experts were telling them to. Those experts said that video would drive traffic to their sites, convert visitors into customers and boost their businesses. All of this made sense, but I realized that no one was telling these people how to make good videos.

I figured that with our television and film experience, we were in a unique position to educate small businesses and creative professionals – generally people with small budgets and little knowledge - how to make interesting videos for their websites, starting with what they have. We want to help them tell interesting stories about themselves and their businesses.

3.  How have the skills from your career as a broadcast journalist translated over to your video production start-up?

There are many I’m bringing but the two big ones are:  understanding who my target market is and building strong relationships.

When we decided to start this small consulting business, we really had to draw up a list of needs that our target audience has and find ways to speak to them and provide them with the information they’re looking for.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad (I confess I’ve never read his books but I do occasionally read his guest columns in business magazines) once said that strong businesses are always built on strong relationships, not big transactions. He’s absolutely right. When I was a full-time journalist it was impossible to get interesting and/or exclusive interviews without building important relationships first. I feel the same way about Wolf and Redhood Media. I know it will take time, but I’m confident it will be worth it.

4.   You’re a screenwriter and a graduate of American Film Institute. How can someone who doesn’t know anything about screenwriting begin to come up with good storytelling skills for videoblogging?

I’ll tell you a little secret: I don’t think you need any formal training in screenwriting to drum up ideas for a video blog. It’s very much like most forms of storytelling in that you need a good story idea that has a beginning, middle and end. What’s most important is that you have a clear purpose for what you’re doing, and that you’re passionate about it. Once you’ve got that down, you’ll need an interesting angle from which to tell it. This is not an easy task.

One of the best ways to get started is to look at other people’s videos. If you like a certain blogger’s style, then consider how they came up with the idea, and how they executed it. Then take notes on the following: how the video starts. How it ends. What makes it a good video? Is it that person’s passion for what they do? Are they telling you something that’s fascinating? Helpful? What keeps you coming back for more? How could you do that? And how could you do that in your own unique way?

Just remember that the population of videobloggers is mushrooming. It’s getting harder and harder to get noticed. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, and don’t be afraid to insert interesting, personal tidbits about yourself that will make you memorable.

5.   One of the things I like about your view of the rapidly-changing freelance life is that you’re not as quick as some to toss aside traditional marketing mediums. How are you marketing and advertising Wolf and Redhood Media? Are you using both traditional and newer methods?

At the moment, we’re doing most of our marketing through online channels such as our blog, Twitter, YouTube and an upcoming webinar. We do have a Facebook page but we have our weekly (and sometimes daily!) qualms about good ol’ Facey-Facey, so we haven’t updated that page since putting it up.

We’re in the process of putting together our physical marketing collateral and will be pushing harder on that end in the new year. And yes, there will be some really cool T-shirts with our funky logo.

6.   Switching gears, you’re also a fabulous baker and the creator of Mischief Mari Cookies. (Mari's chocolate cookies are featured this holiday season at the New York Times. The Times tested eight holiday cookie recipes and Mari's was the unanimous favorite.) Have your journalism and baking careers turned out to be complementary in any surprising ways? If so, how?

I’m so glad you asked this because the answer is yes! At first I was just happy to have found a hobby outside of writing that was so much fun. But as I became more skilled at baking and decorating, I realized that I was drawing on skills and beliefs I had as a journalist. In order to be a good baker, you really have to understand your ingredients and how they interact. It’s an art form that has a lot of science in it. And presentation, for me at least, is very important. It has to be original. A cookie is still a cookie. But it has to be different. That’s what makes people look, and hopefully take a bite.

The same goes for reporting; you have to know your subject ahead of an interview so you can tell a good story and present it the way you want or need to. A lot of people think that reporting is just putting together the facts in a logical, understandable way. But I really disagree with that. Every reporter has his/her unique style which adds to the story overall. I mean, can you imagine if someone other than Walter Cronkite had reported on television, the news that President Kennedy had died? History would have looked and felt a bit different.

And finally, the best part of both interests have yielded the same great thing: friends. Good friends. I don’t take this for granted.

7.   Your husband is Norwegian and I know that you’ve been to Norway many times. Are there any Norwegian customs that you’ve incorporated into your life in Los Angeles?

Um…no, not really. Oh wait. Norwegians are fanatic about breakfast. Before Wolf, I used to have no more than a cup of coffee every morning. Now I start my day with a decent breakfast.

We do make a gingerbread house every Christmas, which is how I started my cookie decorating mania. And we smash it at the end of the holidays, which is what Wolf and his siblings did when they were growing up. I’ve seen our nieces and nephews in Norway carry out this tradition. It’s not a pretty sight. All those kids fighting over gingerbread scraps. The Vikings live on through them. Ha! 

8.   For those of us new to videoblogging, what would you suggest as a good first video to create for our blogs or sites?

The easiest way to start is to introduce yourself. You don’t have to sit in front of the camera the entire time and talk. But do tell everyone who you are and a few interesting things about yourself, and why you’re adding video to your blog. Tell them what to expect. Use interesting imagery. And try to find an interesting, entertaining way to do this.

Getting started is probably the hardest but just write about yourself. Here’s an example: “Hi, my name’s Mari Pfeiffer. I’m a freelance journalist. I’ve been published in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal and Yoga Journal. I love interviewing people and finding out what makes them tick. That’s why I became a reporter.”

Very basic. I’d put photos of the publications I’ve written for, video of me, and narrate the whole thing. Edit and upload to YouTube. Boom. Done. 

But what if I wanted to give people a more interesting, even humorous insight into how I became a reporter? With shots of me growing up, my late father, stories I published in high school and college, I might write something like this: “Mischief mari. Chief Dirty Feet. Mari Mustard Sandwich Pfeiffer. Muddy. When I was a kid, my father made a long list of nicknames for me. But Mischief Mari was the one that really stuck. Because I was always putting my nose in places it didn’t belong. Naturally, I became a reporter.”

There are endless ways of doing the videoblogging thing. It’s mostly a matter of finding a fun, smart and unique way to engage with your audience. You might stumble a few times. But you’ll get there. Keep trying. Most of all, have fun!

 

Thank you to Mari for a great interview and for sharing such great videoblogging tips!

 

Mari is a freelance writer and web video consultant based in Southern California. She's also known to bake and decorate a few cookies every now and then. That's Nunuk, her Malamute, in the background. He can be shy. 

Twitter:  @mischief_mari, @WandRMedia

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/marip