Since I’ve started Sarah Jane Studios, and really from the very beginning, I’ve been surrounded by inspiring and tenacious friends who want to start a business from their hobby or passion. It’s been so great to surround myself with such enthusiasm! And from early on, I’ve been asked to speak or be a panelist at events where business, creativity, or design has been a key topic. What a treat this has been! Even though I prepare a lot of information myself, I always come away with questions that I never would have asked myself.

I also love being around the creative energy of people like you who love what they do and either do it just for the love, or to put a little aside in their pocket book too. This generation of DIY, bad economy, Mother’s having to work more than ever, etc. …has really generated a HUGE wave of women who are so darn determined to work from home doing what they love (instead of behind a counter in a cubicle with no windows).  And it’s empowering to be around these people. So I do it a lot. And I make a lot of friends, and it’s wonderful.

But now it’s your turn to ask me some questions that I want to start discussing!

I’m going to be speaking at a few events coming up, and want your feedback. The first up, is Creative Collaborative is having another meeting tomorrow night at 7pm, and we’ll be discussing:

Alma Loveland- Pricing, choosing how to charge your fees

Mike Loveland- Balancing work with family/social demands

Justin Hackworth- Networking with other artists/businesses/bloggers….

Sarah Jane- Using Social Media to grow your business

Susan Petersen- setting up shop online, and getting your art out!

Melanie Burk- Building clients, building a website, online presence

Also, in September I’m going to be a panelist at The Creative Connection!

{I am really excited about this. I’ve never been before, but I hear it’s amazing. Key notes include Decor 8, members of the Oprah team and Blogher. Heather Bailey, Patty Young, Betz White and other fabric friends will be joining the scene, as well as other AMAZING representatives from all over: Magazines, Publishing, Media, Product Licensing, etc. You can learn everything from how to knit to how to pitch to an agent; How to host an event to getting a licensing deal. Classes include cooking, crafting, writing, business learning, and so much more! It’s going to be amazing. There is a link over on my side bar and you can click right over. }

I’m on a panel that will be discussing e-commerce and having an online shop. And, I know, there are A LOT of you that have online shops, or have always wanted to get your art/creativity out there. I know there are a lot of us that are in this, and we all want to learn more!

So…. I want to hear from YOU!

What questions do YOU have about running an online business with your art? What are the biggest concerns you have, or issues that you want more information/support on?

Leave a comment below, and we can discuss them here on the blog, at Creative Collaborative, etc. I don’t have all the answers, but I think this will be a good discussion.

Ask Away!

Wow…thanks for all the love on the puppet theater! It was seriously so fun to make and the kids are still playing. Addie has been making the wolf do ballet moves for a couple days now. Love it.

On a more personal level, I’ve been really interested in making this blog and my shop….what’s the word? MORE. More useful, more resourceful, more colorful, more happy. The past few years have been so awesome as I’ve rather blindly carved out an accidental career for myself. And I really would love your feedback so I can get a better sense of who you are, and what you are liking and wanting to see more of. Would you be willing to take this (very short!) survey? I think there are under 10 questions, and a place for you to leave anonymous feedback with what ever you want to say! I really would love you know your thoughts. For instance, hearing so many of you thrilled about  these PDF Downloads, and how you’d like to do more of these things at home was really telling for me….thank you! So be specific in your feedback….I really read it all!

At the end of the survey, there is a code for a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE coupon to my shop. Yep…purchase just one item, and get a second item of the same price or less for free! I don’t ever think I’ve done that before:) But don’t worry…the nice thing is that you can use the coupon through July (since I plan on adding more stuff for you through the spring!)

Ok, so be my friend, and take a small survey. I know we’re all busy people here, so I’m signing off now instead of making you read a long blog post. Can you believe it? Not even a picture in the post. That’s how serious I am:)

CLICK HERE for the survey.

Thanks a million…..

xo

sarah jane

{SURVEY IS CLOSED. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!}

Kate over at Centsational Girl (fab interior design blog) just redid her little boy’s bedroom, and I have to say I’m totally impressed. For a few reasons: She did a great job with color, but even more impressive to me: she solved a problem that I think a lot of mom’s like me deal with: how to make action figures/commercially popular icon characters fit into your idea of a nice/simple space for your child.

Let me just say this first: I don’t mind having commercially popular things in our home on occasion. But when it comes to “play” spaces, I am just really big on having spaces that foster creativity and imagination play with many things to do…and not dominated by just the commercial stuff. I’ve come to find that (for my kids at least) having too many “commercially popular” things around gets in the way of that kind of play. I guess what I am saying is, even for me….who has really strong opinions about good old fashioned play….still has to battle the ever stronger force of commercialism.

But the truth of it is…kids love those things. We don’t even have TV (we watch movies…just not television) nor do we have video games. We’re not Amish or anything….I just know how incredibly attractive and addicting those are, and I’ve seen how they can easily win the place over good books, educational play and imagination play. Nothing wrong at all with TV characters and toys….it’s just that it gets harder to keep those things in check the older they get.  So how do  you incorporate what your child ‘likes’ and what you know they will ‘like more?’

Enter Kate from Censational Girl.

She bought one of my prints (Whale Dreams) and I knew she was redecorating her son’s room, and I was so interested to see how she was going to put the room together.

And I’m so impressed! She made a collage of all the fun things her son loves: Star Wars, Legos, Motercycles, Water, Boating all while keeping it classic and eclectic at the same time.  But this is how she did it: She chose everything to come together in blues. So Smart! It actually looks rather classic and nostalgic with the colors all working together.

And I must say the Whale Dreams print works so well. I never would have though that Sarah Jane art could look so good next to Lego Star Wars Figures.

And like I said: We’re big star wars fans here, and lego fans…nothing wrong there. It’s just how much the commercial aspect of it is around that I’ve put a lot of thought to.

Well, I may be walking a fine line here by saying what I would and would not hang up in my kids room…but tell me…have you had the same discussions with your children? Have you ever had to say things like, “No…I will not let you get a Mega Mind Bedspread. Sorry!”

I’d love to know your thoughts: How have you kept that balance between letting your children bring home all the “commercial stuff” while maintaining the kind of environment you envision for your kids? Am I the only one here who is constantly trying to keep the world out just a little bit longer?

But here’s the thing: I have to pick a picture for my publishers to post on the web page…Ya, it’s feeling a bit more official now. I’ll have a picture of me on this web page? Pinch me.

So, I’m posting some options.  I can’t decide, and I’d love some help.

What do you think? Pick a number…any number.

Thanks you guys. This is honestly the first time I’ve taken pictures of myself in years…and I hope I don’t have to any time soon! I much prefer to be on the other side of the camera!

So I’m going to be on T.V. this Monday morning. I know, pretty crazy. I would normally be really shy and nervous, but I get to speak about a topic that I am super passionate about and one that I hope other women and mother’s tuning in will benefit from. I’m going to be on my local news station with 2 other women discussing the realities of starting a business from home, as well as tips to get started. I’ve been wondering what I’m going to say, and I have some ideas…but I’m looking for more.

Starting my business nearly 3 years ago was a really scary thing. But I was so gung-ho and so driven, those fears never really crept in. I was possibly too naive to know what I was getting into, and maybe that was a good thing! But it’s interesting, because when you are a business, you have to start thinking of business-y type things. Things like:  “Will people even buy this stuff?” ” How am I going to market myself?” ” How am I going to pay for it all?” And pretty soon, all those creative ideas start to get mixed in with very non-creative realities that very often yank those creative juices and throw them to the ground. Thoughts like, “You can’t do that! No one has done anything like that before, and it’ll get run over.” Or, “That would be too costly or take too much time.” Or, “Sure you think it’s a good idea, but it has to appeal to lots more people than just you!”

Do any of these voice sound familiar? It’s interesting: the banter that goes back and forth in my head now that my art isn’t just a creative hobby any more. It’s my work! And I don’t like to call it that, because I really do love it, and it’s better to think of it as play, or I get stressed about it.  But let’s face it. You love to create! You love getting your hands dirty and just making it is what you do best. And to have a business from that? Heaven. But there is the reality that you are a business…you are ultimately in this to be successful, and you must be concerned about outcome. That is the nature of being self-employed! And if I have learned anything, thinking about outcome always inhibits by ability to create good art. Always. Hands down. But how to purely create without letting the natural worries of being a business creep in, is an art in and of itself.  Allowing yourself to truly express without worry or thought is a lot harder to do when there are people on the other side of the table. But, I also have learned, that it can be incredibly motivating  and can help you open up to that truly creative place.

My answer is Love. Love (the opposite of fear) will wipe away all those business-y concerns that we all have to think about. Love will create your best art. Love will inspire you to create from that genius place. Love will keep you going when times are hard and your aren’t having the successes you need. Love will bring other people to you who will love what you do too.

Love, Love, Love. I hear a song coming:)

But isn’t it true? We must “lose the fear of being wrong” and only then will we be truly successful because our work will be wonderful and beautiful and real.

So, I would love to know your thoughts. I am going to be giving some advice about starting an at-home business and also the realities of life as a stay-at-home-mom business owner. I hope to be taking the spin of how to keep that creative spirit alive when you are juggling all the aspects of starting a business.

What advice do you have about balancing the creative side and the business side of things? Does having a business interfere with your natural instinct to just create and not care what other people think? And if you don’t have a hobby based business, what questions do you have about how to get started or what to be aware of when you do get started?

Thanks you guys! I can’t wait to hear your responses. I have a feeling there is a lot to be said on this topic.

So while I sit and stew over this dilemma that happens every year (do I make the costumes or let the children pick them out at the store), enjoy these cute pictures of Halloween past. Notice: no Sponge Bobs, Bloody Vampires or Hannah Montanas. Kinda wishing I could whip up something as wonderful as that European clown in a cone hat. Kinda darling.

What do you do for Halloween? Hand sewn? Online purchase? Cardboard box and taped toiletpaper rolls? Do share. I’m a bit terrified of procrastinating again!

I have been wanting to start a discussion here for some time, but have been deliberating how to post about it as it seems to be a subject that isn’t talked about much: Protecting your artwork from being copied or closely replicated. Unfortunately, this is happening a lot in the online art world. How close it too close?

So, Question of the day: How do you protect your art?

First, let’s chat about what you can do to protect your art from being out-right stolen. This should be your first concern.

PROTECTING YOUR IMAGES:

1) Watermark your images.

So many people treat the internet as an image gallery for free use. With a WATERMARK over your potentially downloadable image, you are telling people that the image is yours should not be used for personal or commercial use. You will also prevent people from stealing the image and selling it elsewhere.

2) Post your images as small as you can without losing resolution. As long as your art is not vector art, you should never be saving your images to the web in a size that could be reproduced or used by another person/party.

3) Register your image(s) with the U.S. Copyright office (if you are in the U.S of course). Here is the link to get started.It is easier then ever, and less expensive than it used to be. http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html

4)Educate yourself on intellectual property: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

5) Disable Downloads: if you can, disable your images from being downloaded on the internet. On ETSY, there isn’t control over that, thus the vital importance for your image to be watermarked and protected with a copyright notification.

These steps should be taken First. But what about the fuzzy lines that surround borrowing, adapting and copying? Let’s chat.

PROTECTING YOUR ART, IDEAS, COMPOSITIONS AND STYLE:

1) Doesn’t copyright protect my idea and composition? No. Art and craft is so subjective, and ideas really can’t be copyrighted. Here is what the US copyright office has to say:

“Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work.” http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

2) What can I do when I see someone else coming up with creations obviously similar to mine?

I would love to here your reaction to this, but here is mine. Contact the artist if necessary telling them you are noticing some copying going on. If they still persist, contact them again if you feel you need to. But for me, this is where I stop. You are an ARTIST! You are not a huge million dollar company protecting your branded and patented products. You are just one person with a ba-jillion creative ideas constantly going through your brain. To waste your creative energy by going after a copycat is a waste of that creative energy.

Why?

You are the original creative idea, and have power to always rise above the competition. Competition is good and will most always be there. You can spend your time getting angry, or you can spend your time staying ahead of the game by keeping your art fresh, lively and cutting edge. Most likely if someone is copying you, it isn’t going to be as good as yours nor will it have the LIFE of the BREATH of your creative-from-your-own-gut creation. So leave them alone, and focus on how you can make your creations new and fresh and always ahead of the market.

This leads me to another point:

Keep your own sources fresh and honest. Never let yourself copy another artist’s style unless of course you are using that as a way to learn new techniques and educate yourself. Copying is a good thing for learning how to verse your hand in various art forms and styles. But your work should then take what you learn to a new level, always allowing your own voice to come through. When you choose to copy art as your primary resource, it will be FLAT and will lack the LIFE that really great images require. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap! The moment you are trying to make your creations look like someone else’s, your art will most likely be easy to copy itself. Remember, there was only ONE Rembrandt. He had MANY students, and to this day, experts can’t tell which was a true Rembrandt and which is a student’s hand on a select few paintings. But regardless, there was only one Rembrandt. Do people remember the copycat? No. They never will. Be fresh and mark your own path. Don’t let yourself be a follower.

I love this quote below. It hangs in my studio always reminding me to stick to my own instincts and not be tempted to ride on the coat tails of others:

“You must give birth to your images. They are the future waiting to be born.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

So, there you have it!

My experience is very limited however, and I would love to hear your take on this topic.

What have you done in these situations? What have you done to protect your artwork?

Do tell.

In the mean time, happy art making!

For more GREAT articles on this subject, read here, here , here and here

OK. I realize my posts as of late are a bit on the family side of things. Life is mostly family around these parts. But amidst the unpacking and moving and getting over winter colds…oh and makin’ a baby, there has been a bit o’ art. And because we are family here too…I am taking opinions. Kinda like, “High-heels or flats with the dress?” Although, it’s not shoes we’re trying on. Maybe both don’t work, but one has to be better than the other.

Thoughts?

EDIT:

(Added later)

Best of both worlds?

do share.

{pic}

Ok. So here is the beef. Never heard of the CPSIA? Panicking over the new regulations? Read on.

I join my voice today with over 260 bloggers today to inform and bring hope about this really upsetting new law in place which ultimately affects the entire nation.

WHAT IS THE CPSIA?

Do you remember last year’s scare over wooden and painted toys from China? I remember debating whether or not to give Ian the set of wooden airplanes I bought him from Pier One. We were all scared.

In response to the overwhelming recall of toys and products containing lead (over 8 million items) the government decided to step in and stop the issue of lead getting to our children. Good, right? Keep children safe!

When congress passed the CPSIA (the Consumer Product Safety Inspection Act) in August 2008, they were intending to protect companies from selling harmful products. All products intended for children under 12 years old must go through thorough and stringent testing. The CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in children’s products, mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12 to permanently label each item with a date and batch number.

For all the official legal documents and info read here.

How does this affect us?

With good intentions to protect children, the new regulations are so broad and far reaching they are doing more harm than good. Third party testing is so outrageously expensive and extensive, a KEY issue looked into when passing this law, it is threatening to put tens of thousands of companies out of business. For example:

So, you make/sell products for children:

• Each particle of your product (clothing, books, toys, educational materials, baby products, etc.) must be tested by a third party. You sell a baby sweater? Each zipper, button, thread, fabric make and particle must be SEPARATELY tested. Even if lead has never been detected in that product. Even if the manufacturer of that product claims the contents are safe. If you make the baby sweater, you must get it tested.

• Testing can be anywhere from $100-$500 per test, so add that up, and you have a sweater not even worthy of being sold in Nieman Marcus

• For a rather humorous (but healthy dose of reality) of the costs imposed on small business, see over 1,000 ETSY items that have been priced to meet the demands after Feb. 10th here.

(my favorite is the handmade felted play lunch set costing $10,080. To buy, click here.)

What does all that mean?

• To the small business owner: Small business owners, home run businesses and crafters will need to have their products comply with these new regulations (regardless of how many products you sell) or serious fines (up to $100,000) can take effect.

• To the student and avid reader: The national Library association is concerned because children’s books currently fall under the umbrella of the CPSIA. Read the American Library Association’s letter to congress here. School materials and educational materials will go up in cost due to the stringent testing.

• To the Thrift store shopper: Currently their is no formal statement exempting thrifted items from being tested. There is some info that suggests thrifted items are exempt, but it is still not clear

• To the consumer: Fewer options will be available. Handmade, European imported, boutiqued, unique children’s products will no longer need to compete against the mass produced Matel and Fisher price products because they will no longer be legal. Read the Handmade Toy Alliance’s statement here.
  

• To the economy in general: With families losing incomes due to these regulations, consumers paying higher prices for children’s products and businesses having to borrow more money to stay afloat, February 10th has been labeled as “National Bankruptsy day”

Statement from the Handmade Toy Alliance: If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered.

What can we do about it?

The law is already in place. The CPSC is a rather small organization and is struggling to create the infrastructure to comply with such a massive change in commerce. Because of that, formal statements with specifications of any products that may or may not be exempt have not been made. At this point, companies are still forced to comply. According to this forum, Congress has denied a second hearing, and has not shown any signs of changing the law.

However, YOUR voice NEEDS to be heard in the mean time. This issue has already made it to the front page of Change.org (Obama’s site on change) but still, nothing has happened yet to suggest change. If something doesn’t happen soon, HUGE changes for the worse have already been set into play.

A plan for action:

• Don’t panic. Yes, deadlines are looming, but keep up hope! A lot of negativism has spread in the handmade/small business community, but too much passion will only impede our voice from being heard. Keep working towards change.
• Contact the Committee on Energy and Commerce. See the On-line Action kit with addresses here.
• Contact your local Representatives
• Contact your Senator.
  
• Contact the President
• Contact the CPSC (in charge of implementing the law)
• Keep up on official updates from the CPSC here
• Participate in CPSC Public commenting: Until January 30th, 2009 the CPSC is taking public comments on Section 102 ofthe CPSIA. Email them here: Sec102ComponentPartsTesting@cpsc.gov
• SIgn these petitions: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reform-cpsia-hr4040.html

  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/RepealCPSIA/

• USE THE ACTION KIT made by ETSY administration with SAMPLE letters to be used for all the above contacts.

Helpful links and references:

1. The Handmade Toy Alliance http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
The most comprehensive source for information and action is the website of the
Handmade Toy Alliance.
- Sign up for their newsletter:
- Join their Google Group
2. Reform CPSIA
http://reformcpsia.org/
An Organization of Retailers & Consumers Focused on Reforming the CPSIA

3. ETSY ACTION KIT

http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/01/CPSIA-Etsy-Resources.pdf

A comprehensive list of info, sample letters to use, action plans, links and official statements

2. Fashion Incubator
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/blog/
Kathleen Fasanella has been doing a wonderful job of explaining the CPSIA in
straightforward and clear ways. Highly recommended.

3. CPSIA Central
http://cpsia-central.ning.com/

4. Buy Handmade

http://blog.buyhandmade.org/

The handmade consortium is keeping this blog up to date with CPSIA news and
press.

5. National Bankruptcy Day
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

6. Smart Mama Blog
http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

RECENT ARTICLES ON THE CPSIA:

1. Forbes:
Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
Part I:
Part II:

2. Bloomberg:
Mattel, Wal-Mart Test Toys as Small Firms Struggle

3. Business Week:
Misinformation and the CPSIA

3. CNN:
New Law could wipe out handcrafted toy makers

Right now, American voices need to be heard. PLEASE write you reps, make calls, blog, contact your local media! I cringe to think that the handmade Christmas items I bought this year (that my children are currently playing with as I write this post) will no longer be available for purchase in the very near future.

So there is the BEEF! Apologies for this VERY long post! But being part of the handmade and small business community, I am passionate about getting these regulations altered to allow business to thrive as usual! Raise your voice and make a change!

OK. It has been too long since I started a dialogue about the nuts and bolts of having a creative business. Sometimes I don’t really feel like I have much to share, since I learn so much everyday myself. So really, today I want to share some great blogs/write-ups on the topic of PRESS KITS AND PRESS RELEASES.

I am currently working on getting a press kit out, so this has been on my mind lately.

So here is the PR 101

What is a PRESS RELEASE? A written release of news worthy information sent to journalists or media personnel to encourage a story or a write up about the product or event. The release features the who.what.where.why and how of your company in a compelling way and should have some kind of urgency to it. (“my company teaches kids how to make their own dolls” vs. “Teach your child to make their own christmas gifts!”)

**An elevator pitch will help you here!

What is a PRESS KIT? A packaged set of merchandise for members of the media for promotional use. Things to include in your Press Kit:

• Background info on your and your company
• Fact Sheet listing specific features, statistics, or benefits
• Biography of you and other key executives in your company
• Past Press Coverage
• Photos of your products and people involved (high res photos)
• A press release (mentioned above) detailing the current news the media kit is sent in reference to
• Media contact information
• A CD or DVD if it is appropriate for your company
• relevant advertising material, such as: postcard, flyer,etc.

WHY ARE THESE IMPORTANT?

• enables press coverage in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers
• reaches diverse readerships
• possible to get you into really big features

Jaime Lentzner wrote on her blog today about the very topic: PR. She has some great tips about getting your products out there in magazines and other media. It is too good to sum up. read it here:

Bell and Boo mentioned yesterday about how she is busy getting press kits out and mentions to make sure you always follow up, and make phone calls to ensure your products are getting seen.

Startup Princess is chalk full of great marketing resources for Press Releases.

• Here is a fantastic article with inclusions you need to consider in a Press Kit.

At the last Startup Princess Retreat, I learned some new ways to get your Press Release out on the web. Here are THREE big ones:

PR WEB: get your Press Release out to the WWW. Here is more about how it works. It costs a bit, but allows for Maximum distribution to major newspapers, magazine, online distributers, etc. Have yet to try it, but I have heard nothing but rave reviews.

RAMBO:(stands for Reach a Mom Blogger) allows you to pick a category and see if companies have posted an interest in featuring a product and/or service similar to yours. Great way to send samples to magazines and blogs that will feature and your product! Feature of Twittermoms.com

BLOGS/TWITTER/FACEBOOK: Social media outlets there are so many blogs that feature new products daily. Find blogs whose readers would be a good match for your product and offer to send a free sample or offer a discount to the readers. One of the best ways to get your name out there to people who buy online. TIP: blogs run by real people with real interests. Don’t oversell yourself. Twitter and Facebook are a great way to mention updates in your shop that can potentially reach more people than your normal readership. Find the medium that works best for you. I am big on reducing excess computer time. Blogging is my thing, but I am dabbling in others and have been able to make contacts with people I wouldn’t normally get to!

Well folks, there is more. Oh so much more. When I get my press kits done, I am happy to share how they look. Details are everything…and so I am taking my time. But in the meantime…if any of you have anything to add to the discussion, please do! There is so much out there on PR for business, but not a lot on PR for CREATIVE business. Any other tips? Make a comment! Have questions? Leave a comment!

Happy press making!