Link Love 6/25/2011

Hello Everyone! For my weekend post, I decided to share some links I found useful:

1. Evaluate your marketing strategy with this blog post from Art Biz blog.
2. Some ways to shift your marketing strategy in this blog post.
3. Finally, some informative business links from Crafting MBA in this blog post.

If You're Working 9-5 & Creating After Hours

 
This summer is the first time I am working from 9-5 every day and don't have a lot of time to create new jewelry, post things, or work on my business.  Here are a few tricks I have learned this summer:

Time management is important. During or outside of work, time management is a skill you absolutely have to acquire.  In order to be able to work on anything after your 9-5 job, you have to finish your daily tasks during those eight hours.  Also, once you get out of work, you have a limited amount of time to work on your business.  Make a list of priorities and take it one step at a time.

Get rid of your after-work fatigue.  Find something that gets rid of that tired feeling once you finish an eight hour day.  For me, working out at the gym is the solution.  However, there are a plethora of other options:  yoga, coffee, a quick nap, etc.

Take advantage of weekends.  Weekends are perfect days to get work done.  You have two full days of time to use efficiently, do so! Make sure to relax some of the weekend too, we all need some rest.

Toss stress and worry out the window.  Stress and worry just take up time and reduce productivity, why partake in it?

Do what you can, save the rest for later.  This goes with the previous two points, but we are all human.  Eventually, everything will get done and we must recognize our limits.

Sorry for the Neglect!

Apparently, it's quite easy to stop blogging when life takes over.  As some of you may know, I am a rising senior preparing for law school.  Recently, I've taken the LSAT, moved to another city, and started my internship.  Although hectic, I still apologize and do not see it as an excuse for my absence.

However, the good news is that I have had some time to do some bead related things:

1. I'm currently selling jewelry and supplies on Ebay, Efreeme, and Etsy.  I'll keep everyone posted as I expand the jewelry I am selling through those venues, and if I expand to other venues.
2. I'm still tweeting...follow me! @arlenemarie91 
3. Also, if you are in the Chicago area, I found a small beads store full of unique items. Check out their website:  String on a Strand 

Some Useful Social Media Links

For any artist that sells online, knowing how to advertise via social media such as Twitter and Facebook is important.  Here are some links I found useful:

1. The 11 Defining Social Media And Technlogy Trends In 2011http://j.mp/jPlX8D
2. HOW TO: Start Marketing on Facebookhttp://mashable.com/2011/05/25/facebook-marketing-guide/
3. 50 Social Media Marketing Tips and Tactics http://j.mp/j8Z0lD
4. 5 Productivity Tools for Social Media http://j.mp/mT01KT
5. How to create a Facebook fan page: http://j.mp/kSBd99
6. How to get Twitter followers http://j.mp/j2xXf7
7. 10 Twitter tools http://j.mp/mLkDP3

The 30 Day Challenge: Day 2

So I joined a 30-day writing challenge meant to promote reflection and self-reliance.  Those who participate are supposed to answer a daily writing prompt and post it on their blog or on Twitter with the tag #trust30. 

Here is today's prompt:

If ‘the voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks,’ then it is more genuine to be present today than to recount yesterdays. How would you describe today using only one sentence? Tell today’s sentence to one other person. Repeat each day. (By:  Liz Danzico)

Here's my response:

Today was full of errands, and lots of writing.

Semi-plain but, I did get a lot accomplished today! What's your sentence?

The Challenge

We all have some supplies that we don't want or we have too little to make anything with.  Since it would be hard to sell most of my supplies, my challenge is to combine them in as many ways possible to make new jewelry.  I started with a few of the beads shown at the left and connected them.  I'm hoping to make a bracelet.  What do you think?  I'll show everyone the finished result once it's done!