Mentor Made

When working with other creatives or vendors, things don't always go as expected. So what can you do? Follow up communication. Try reaching out in multiple ways if you aren't getting timely responses. Cut some slack. We all experience a bit of unpredictability from time to time. Weigh your options. How might you think about responding to get a resolution? Take some time before reacting. Make a decision. Move forward and try not to second guess yourself. Make the best decision with the information you have. Revisit in the future. This is optional, but if you choose to revisit make sure there is time for the situation to improve. Set boundaries and thresholds. Know when to walk away. Start small and pay attention during the process. Sometimes things will be resolved, sometimes they won't. But don't let a bad experience ruin your character or principles.

This week's episode is all about leveraging your work in new and novel ways to reach a different or larger audience. Branch out and use a different medium to open your creativity, but if you lack the time or the skills consider collaborating with another creative that can complement your work and give you a new perspective. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. I personally really enjoy all the other creatives I collaborate with and look for reasons to work with them again again.

So you failed, now what? Determine why you failed Carry what you learn forward to your next project, idea, etc. When is it time to change course? Remember, you failed – but you aren't a failure. TNP Feature Bump: That's the Name of the Podcast. Last week I was interviewed by the TNP crew in their first episode of their second season. They are a great grew and I highly encourage you to checkout their podcast. All three hosts are talented artists and illustrators. Hosts: hypemankyle, soulbrush, and superday_brand

Understanding how we individually learn is a huge factor in our self-confidence and drive to keep learning. If you don't understand what methods are most effective in learning new information, hopefully this episode helps. Once you understand how you learn most efficiently, you can pause to reflect on how those around you learn most efficiently. By understanding that other people may learn more efficiently from other methods and techniques than ones you find familiar - you can more effectively connect and transfer information to others. After you get comfortable with different types of learning styles you can adapt your communication to others so that information you are sharing resonates more strongly with them for a longer amount of time. You can also more confidently ask others if they can accommodate their information in a manner that is easier for you to learn because you understand what format and style that is. Lastly, once you understand how you learn most effectively you can and will want to keep learning new things. During this episode we go into some detail about the following learning styles: Visual Kinaesthetic Aural Social Solitary Verbal Logical Sensory

Don't fall into the trap of the Hustle and Grind culture. It will leave you feeling burnt out and frustrated. In this always-on, instantly available culture Grit has become Undervalued Under-appreciated Undermined Sometimes having things instantly doesn't allow us to grow and appreciate the process. Develop your Grit mental muscles. It will help you overcome challenges and bring needed perspective to yourself and others. Enjoy the Create Itch content? Consider becoming a supporter.

Have you experienced creative burnout? I'm guessing you have or at least known someone who has. I truly want to help other creatives avoid this as much as possible. But at the minimum, I want to help you recover from creative burnout as quickly as possible if you are currently in a creative slump. As counter intuitive as it sounds, you need to take a break. You need to take an intentional, scheduled break (longer than 15 minutes). Put time on your calendar once a week. Pick one day a week, it can change from week to week so don't over think this. Then block off a chunk of time, ideally 2 to 4 hours to really give your brain a break. Now these are some things to try doing your scheduled break: Pick one of your hobbies Rest, Nap, Sleep Watch a movie, play video games, read a book Hangout with some friends, play board games, chat Get perspective, talk with other creatives on how they keep burnout at bay Go fresh air, go for a walk, ride a bike, hike a trail Try something new, a different route home, new store or restaurant All these activities give your brain room to think in the background without adding to your stress or anxiety. You may be surprised that giving yourself a break can lead to great creative breakthrough. Just try to be present enjoying the activity away from your creative work.

It is important to take on personal projects for growth and exploration. However, you need to avoid: spec work (don't work for free) vanity work - things that are trendy but not practical lacking a focus on the outcome Be specific and purposeful with your personal projects. Start the project with a purpose. It could be as simple as trying a new style, technique, client industry, client demographic, etc. Go deep and immerse yourself in the details. Leverage your personal project. Think about how you will showcase your new knowledge. Perhaps you'll write a blog post, post the process, update your website, pitch potential clients, pitch a specific client, etc. You'll be amazed at how much momentum a purposeful personal project can have when you leverage the time you invested in yourself.

Mentorship isn't talked about enough in creative fields. Let's change that. Are you looking for a mentor? Let your network know you are looking for a mentor Be specific about the type of mentorship you are requesting Be specific with the time commitment you are requesting Be specific about the outcome you hope to achieve Stay open-minded and teachable Are you a mentor? Let your network know you are open to mentoring others Limit your mentoring to a few key areas to make it meaningful and potent Always be willing to do some mentoring for free Consider how adding mentoring to your current offering could lead to new income and products

The problem of using Artificial Intelligence and maintaining Ethical standards. I'm in an Ethical Pickle. Problems with using AI: passing off the work as if you created it not giving attribution to the AI program used not knowing if the material the AI uses has copyright protection infringing on the copyrights and intellectual property of others not being able to protect the outputs from the AI with true copyright protection What would give AI some great potential? allowing me to scope the inputs to only my work for research being given the choice to opt in or opt out of having my work consumed by an AI program make all AI generated content (illustration, written, music, etc.) a visual watermark and a digital watermark that is unremovable

Make 2023 the year you really get confident with your pricing and take time to consider new ways to make money. How are you currently charging? Hourly - hourly can be great when the work is ambiguous and ongoing Project - project pricing gives you the freedom to have known pricing for specific types of work, you can make packages and bundles of multiple services Service - service pricing makes it clear you are charging different rates or blocks for different types of creative services and possibly a flexible and better way to relationship build with clients How should you increase pricing? You can set a date, like the beginning of the new year where the increase will impact all clients. Be sure to give existing clients ample notice so they do not feel surprised with the increases You can set a date and keep existing customers at the previous rate indefinitely while all new clients receive the new increased pricing You can set a date and give existing clients a specific number of months at the previous pricing before it increases to the new pricing for all other clients. Again, be sure to make the date of the increase clear while reminding them they can still leverage to the previous pricing for a while longer. When are you getting paid? End of Project - This is frustrating and usually feels like the client is putting off paying as long as possible. This can be dangerous when the work is ongoing and the end isn't clear. Milestones - When there is a natural meeting or deliverable you exchange when the client, having a paywall for receiving the item is a good way to ensure you get paid for the work you've done so far. Paid in Advance - When the client is willing to pay 100% of the costs up front consider having a discount or some small extras baked into your relationship. Getting paid in advance is key for being about to execute on projects without the financial stress and uncertainty. Even getting paid 50% up front can be helpful. Tier Pricing for Different Client Types When you want to fill gaps between large project work, consider targeting smaller businesses and charge a rate that will keep you paid but entice them to working with you. By filling small gaps with smaller projects you can gain an entire new set of clients to work into your larger and more complex work. This also gives you variety and could be something really great to consider. Inconvenient Pricing By raising your rates, you may worry you'll lose clients. Perhaps you will, but typically those will be the irritating clients that want 24/7 access to you and expect unrealistic timelines while being unwilling to pay. Raise your prices and keep your sanity.  Offer Add-ons Consider items you can add to your existing projects or services. Maybe you include a few additional hours to help troubleshoot or make small adjustments (these additional hours should be included in your project or service pricing but do not have to be called out separately). Something else could be offering a discount on a future project. Keep an open mind and be willing to try something to see if it is effective in repeat client work, word of mouth advertising or referrals.