Friday, December 20, 2013

Negative Nellies - Don't Be a Victim

You've encountered them at work. You've heard them on public transit nattering away to some poor trapped soul. You might even be one (hopefully not). But they can kill your enjoyment of life in general and your sewing hobby in particular, and that would truly be a huge shame.

So as we head into 2014, you are probably thinking of things you would like to do and others that you would like to avoid.

On the "to do" list I recommend taking in a sewing show with the intent of fully exploring all there is to see and do. Don't go with a friend whose interests are different from yours or who will drag you down. Better to agree to meet up at the end of the day for dinner and go on your own merry way the rest of the time.

If there's a Negative Nellie in your sewing group, limit the amount of time you spend listening to her complaints. Give her two to five minutes and change the subject. Otherwise you will find yourself sucked into her world of darkness and go home feeling down, rather than energized. That's not what you signed up for, is it?

What will you do differently in 2014 so that you can get more enjoyment out of your sewing?

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Support for Small Business

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge

Persistence in today's economy is tough. Sometimes it is overwhelming when the bills pile up and the sales are down. And one wonders how to continue to bring the passion for their art to work every day. I think President Calvin nailed it.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Don't Copy Wrong ...Respect Copyright!

Copyright is a complicated and misunderstood topic. Most of us want to stay on the right side of the law but many of us are not sure where the line is drawn.
  
The National Needlearts Association (TNNA) is an industry group that has created a brochure about copyright to educate members and the public.
  
Although the association is based in the U.S. and refers to U.S. laws, it is helpful for all North Americans.
  
The brochure is written in plain English and begins by explaining the difference between patents, trademarks and copyright. Sharing patterns, copying patterns from magazines and giving them out, emailing downloaded patterns to others or posting them on the Internet, all are copyright infringements.
  
Since I am acquainted with so many wonderful and talented garment and pattern designers, I know how hard they work. And none of them are making a killing at it. They deserve to be paid for their work, just like the rest of us. And their work is what makes fashion sewing so enjoyable for so many consumers.
  
While independent designers may not have the resources to pursue violators, the U.S. authorities do. So be warned. This is taken directly from the TNNA brochure: "Although copyright is covered under civil law, violations involving more than 10 copies and valued over $2500 are considered a felony in the U.S."

 

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ten Great Ways to Crush Creativity

Following on my earlier post about the importance of creativity, this article by Paul Sloane nails it.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/ten-great-ways-to-crush-creativity.html

Here's a good one:

"9. Promote people like you from within

Promoting from within is a good sign. It helps retain people and they can see a reward for loyalty and hard work. It means we don’t get polluted with heretical ideas from outside. Also if the CEO promotes people like him then he can achieve consistency and succession. It is best to find managers who agree with the CEO and praise him for his acumen and foresight."

I mean, who wouldn't?

but the best of all is:

"1. Criticize

When you hear a new idea criticize it. Show how smart you are by pointing out some of the weaknesses and flaws which will hold it back. The more experienced you are, the easier it is to find fault with other people’s ideas. Decca Records turned down the Beatles, IBM rejected the photocopying idea which launched Xerox, DEC turned down the spreadsheet and various major publishers turned down the first Harry Potter novel. The same thing is happening in most organizations today. New ideas tend to be partly-formed so it is easy to reject them as ‘bad’. They diverge from the narrow focus that we have for the business so we discard them. Furthermore, every time somebody comes to you with an idea which you criticize, it discourages the person from wasting your time with more suggestions. It sends a message that new ideas are not welcome and that anyone who volunteers them is risking criticism or ridicule. This is a sure fire way to crush the creative spirit in your staff."

Seen it a million times.

Don't be a creativity crusher, no matter how important or how right you think you are.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Creativity is a Life Skill
 
Creativity is a double-edged sword. I have been a creative soul my entire life. Marching to the beat of a different drummer got me into trouble at school and in the workplace. Teachers interpreted my inquisitiveness as rebellion and bosses thought my desire to explore alternatives as insubordination.
 
In life we get so many mixed messages about the importance of creativity. In the corporate world, bosses and consultants told us to "think outside the box" and "challenge the status quo". They also claimed to have an "open door policy". Well good luck with that. Anyone who dared take them at their word was quickly admonished, told to "follow the chain of command" and at worst, fired. Tell me what I want to hear, was more like it.
 
I didn't know at the time that my creativity was getting in the way. It wasn't until a very enlightened boss (rare, I know) sent me on a marketing executive course at Queens University that I finally understood why.
 
Before the course, we were required to take the Herrmann Brain Dominance Test. It is an instrument used to measure your preferred thinking style. There are four modes of thinking style: Analytical; Sequential; Interpersonal and Imaginative.
 
While I scored high in the first three, the fourth, imaginative thinking, was literally off the chart. At the start of the class we were asked to gather with the others who scored in our dominant class of thinking style. No surprise that the imaginative thinking group was the smallest.
 
Creativity is difficult in a world that is based on following schedules, obeying rules and staying within social norms. Thankfully creativity can still co-exist with routine and be nurtured, and appropriately applied.
 
I find sewing, fashion sewing in particular, to be a fulfilling creative pursuit. Even if I am following a pattern, I am choosing the fabric, the buttons, the embellishments. The analytical and sequential thinking is required to put it together. But the creativity is envisioning the finished product and adding the personal touches.
 
Creative pursuits have sustained me and nurtured my soul. It has allowed me to finally be doing exactly what I want to do. And I feel a wonderful connection to all the other creative people I meet because of sewing. Creativity is not a hobby. It's a life skill.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

What I Know About Work Now That I'm In My 60s


This is an excellent article written by Ann Brenoff of The Huffington Post. And it contains excellent career advice. For those women, or men, in their later working years, you will likely relate to it. I could easily write my own story, with examples, under each of her titles.

This one is a truth that I found difficult to accept when I was in the corporate world, but you can, if you put your mind and multiple talents to work,

"4. Sometimes, you just have to navigate around the assholes. Not every boss will be someone you admire. Not every boss will be nice, understanding, supportive of you and your career. Not every boss will be as smart as you, let alone someone you can learn from. None of it matters. All that matters is that you know how to navigate around them. It's a skill you should have picked up in kindergarten when Billy wouldn't share his crayons and then told the teacher it was your fault. What did you do then? You swallowed hard and then went home and told Mom about the injustice that befell you, right? So swallow hard and go out for drinks with your co-workers. Crappy bosses either self-destruct or get promoted but eventually you will be rid of them. They are a blip, just a blip, in your life. Don't empower them to be anything more."

I had many bosses over the course of several careers. Some of them were good. Most of them weren't. Many of them were downright awful. One was a true star, who was pushed out by someone who wasn't. And just when I thought I couldn't possibly be assigned to a boss who was less competent, I'd find myself proven wrong, again. I resented the extra effort it took to navigate around them, because it wasted so much precious time, and the end result was often compromised. But navigate I did. It's a life skill.

If you are in your twenties or thirties, take what you can from this great article, because as Ann says, "what you do for a living is just of part of who you are."

And by the way, having sewing as a hobby will help keep you sane.