It has been an eventful year! I’ve gotten married and had a baby. I’ve worked a full-time office job. And left that office job. I have gone back to school to pursue a CPA certification. And now, in the midst of homework, diaper changes, and backstage work, I am reviving my Etsy shop!
New projects include felt accessories, more journal kits, and a planner for artists. Check back soon for more details!
Write Owl Designs is 2 years old!
I spent the first four months of this year as an Oregon licensed tax preparer, specializing in individual and small business taxes. I performed in a musical. I worked in a pottery studio. I was one of five dressers changing 17 actors 160 times per show.
And now I am prepping for the biggest craft fair I have done since I started crafting: the Mississippi Street Fair. I have until mid-July to finalize my booth design, stock the inventory, and nail down my fall lines. It will be a hard month ahead, but I am really looking forward to it!
In the meantime, I am participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, writing the second draft of my novel, Staged. At the end of June, I start classes for CPA certification.
Here’s to summer!
Graphic design is fascinating, but computers irritate me. This year, I would love to manage my online presence more fashionably. All those sketches in the dining room need to go somewhere.
We have now had three meetings for The O. Henry Project.
Meeting #1: The Introduction of The Project (Breanne’s minutes are much more entertaining than my summaries, I am sure, but I will try to include the good parts.)
At our first meeting, those present pledged to write with me this year, writing one short-story a week for an entire calendar year. As a tribute to the man who inspired the ridiculousness, we spent time learning an abbreviated, and most likely butchered, history of William Sydney Porter. We also read “The Gift of the Magi,” which I was shocked to discover no one had heard previously. (How do you manage to make it through high school without it?)
I promised to make a Star Chart to track our progress, which I still have not done, and we planned O. Henry’s 149th birthday party for Week #2. We made up a really fun game where we use titles (made from quotes from the evening) and all write synopses for the story that we would write by that title.
Meeting #2: Call in the Fire Department!
I said the first week that if someone were to bring 149 candles for O. Henry’s birthday, we would light them. As it so happens, someone did bring 149 candles and a cake that was approximately 10 inches across that read “Nobody died! Jeff & Judy.” Then this happened:
Meeting #3: A New Author
Now that we’re falling into the groove of writing every week, we are beginning to explore new authors. Breanne read a few stories by Barry Yourgrau. We are all planning to contribute something to the Esquire Short Short Fiction Contest. But we will discuss that at a later meeting.
I have not yet finished a story yet, but I have started four, and I hope to finish at least two of them today. Sarah has written two, Breanne has written one, and then rest of us have at least written every week.
More to come. Happy writing!
I work as a personal assistant, and this week, I took my first business trip. Two days on the beach, running lines, walking the dog, writing on the sand, drinking lots of coffee, forgetting to take pictures, watching a show… What a nice retreat! And that’s all I’m going to say about that!
I have been working on my first story for The O. Henry Project, which I am very excited about. I have titled it “The Tilde, the Tittle, and the Umlaut.” More to come.
Ah, beach. Ah, vacation. So necessary.
I’ll forgo the updates of my short story attempts since it has only been a day since I started. Today I would like to take a moment to appreciate someone who probably doesn’t get enough appreciation.
A few months back, I filed for unemployment. This is something that I have never before had to do, and let me tell you, it’s been an eye-opener for sure. It has not been easy to get the money that I personally have paid into unemployment insurance for the past ten years. When I was finally accepted to receive my benefit checks (three weeks after I started filing and two weeks of eating nothing but canned beans), I got a check for barely $100. That’s my weekly allowance. After having a job that paid me 30K a year, and 3 years of working in retail since then, and years of working in retail before that, I get barely $500 a month. How the hell does anyone live on that?
I would love to say that the minimal paycheck was the biggest headache and that I refiled my claim each week and continued to get paid, but the problem with this scenario is that no one can live on $500 a month. So I tried to find work. And working for $20 or $50 or $150 a week messed up my claim, and I lost unemployment again and again, despite the fact that I never had an “employer” in all of this.
And then there was Rick. Rick is the very kind individual at the state employment office who helped me get “self-employment” status when everyone in every other office said my “number” (which no one seemed to understand well enough to explain) was too low by two points. (This “number” the computer calculates from some formula, and no human being in the office has the power to change it or see how it is being calculated.) Every three weeks or so, I get a letter from the unemployment office that I have done something horribly awry, and thankfully I am transferred to Rick. And he fixes my problems. Not only that, but he explains to me why I got the letter and how I can avoid a stopped payment in the future. Thanks, Rick. You seriously deserve a raise.
This unemployment thing is like playing a game where no one gives you the rules in the beginning; they shout out “You broke a rule” in the middle of the game, and you take a penalty for something you didn’t know was wrong.
William Sydney Porter, aka O. Henry, is one of my father’s favorite short story authors. For about two years of his life, O. Henry wrote one short story a week. I could do that. I highly doubt that my stories will be as good, especially in these first attempts, but my philosophy is that there is no better way to become a writer that to write.
Here’s the plan: Starting today, September 1, 2011, I will be writing one short story a week for an entire year, ending September 1, 2012. I am calling this The O. Henry Project. (As it turns out, O. Henry’s birthday is on September 11, so this is a very appropriate time to begin.) Once a week we will have a dinner/meeting for all my cohorts who will join me in the madness. We will read short stories, discuss our own projects, and maybe even come up with some crazy challenges.
Every Friday (or possibly Saturday) I will be posting updates for The Project.
HAPPY WRITING!
In other news, a friend of mine, Lev AC Rosen, is soon to be a published novelist! His new book, All Men of Genius, made the Best Books of the Month list for Amazon.com. Congrats, Lev! I’m looking forward to reading your book!
I am hardly an expert on the subject, but I have done a few craft fairs now, and some of my friends have been asking my advice about playing the circuit themselves. The best I can do is offer links that I have found helpful and pointers I have learned from my own mistakes.
1. Go for the networking, stay for the sales. Don’t get me wrong; just because you’re starting out, doesn’t mean you can’t expect to have sales, but craft fairs, especially in this economy, can be as valuable for networking as they can be for turning an immediate profit. I have gotten many calls after the fair about custom orders and bulk orders from people I have talked to at my booth.
2. Display is important. Go to other craft fairs. How are other booths set up? If you sell jewelry, which jewelry displays catch your eye?
3. Planning is everything. Display is important, yes, but how do you manage a great display when you only have an hour to set-up the tent, the table, the product… I like to have a trial run of my display in my living room the night before. Take a picture so you remember what works.
4. Price appropriately. If you price too high, people won’t buy. If you price too low, people think your work is cheap. Research similar products and price what yours are worth. Make sure you cover your costs and pay yourself for your time.
5. Have fun! Be friendly. If you have a booth buddy, take a break and walk around and introduce yourself to other vendors. Make sure you bring food and water if it is an all day event. Invite your friends. If you’re having a good time, other people will too!
More great tips on the Etsy blog, the Folksy Blog, and a great article about surviving your first craft fair (outside) on Handmadeology.
Wednesday night was the Mixer-Match, sponsored by I Heart Art: PDX. That was the craziest, fastest, most worth-it networking event I have ever been a part of.
Here’s how it breaks down: Upstairs local retailers sit by their numbers. Downstairs vendors await their turn to play the circuit speed-dating style. Everyone has 2 minutes to introduce themselves, give the pitch, and make professional connections. I got great feedback about my line, and especially about my kits. I feel encouraged to make more of the stamped journals (I had been on the fence about it) and maybe even stationary and pottery in similar colors and styles. I am excited to be developing this brand new “product line.”
More to come.
Long time coming: The gnome’s backdrop. Watch for the gnome around Portland! You could get your picture taken with him! (If you spot this backdrop, I painted it!) What a fun project this has been!
Write Owl Designs 