Jaci Dawn

This is not really an exercise for writing as much as it also a little “brag” on my accomplishments in my other 30-day commitment (non-writing).

What’s that, you ask? I committed to getting my art website up and functional, my mini paintings into galleries (on line), my Facebook page spritzed up, and opening an Etsy store – all in time for the Christmas shopping season. If that sounds easy, you don’t know me. I’m basically very lazy.

I get up as late as possible to drive the three miles to work. I work 8 hours plus a 30-minute lunch, so that time is on someone else’s dime, and I can’t work on my projects there. Then I come home, and all I want to do is vegetate. I don’t want to look at a computer screen and think. But I committed.

My progress has been slow, but I also have not pulled out my SMART Goals to see how I am doing. I got all of the current mini paintings scanned (so much easier and professional than photography! Loving the medium!), and I uploaded them into albums on my Two Crow feather Woman Art Facebook business page (https://www.facebook.com/twocrowfeatherwoman/). I updated most of my pages on my art website (the galleries). (I have some more work to do on that.*)

Tonight, I “opened” my Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoCrowFeatherWoman). That’s not as easy as it sounds, either, because I had to write about myself (which seems to come naturally here, but not when I’m trying to actually “sell” myself). I still have some things to tweak, but I GOT IT OPEN.

I watched several tutorials on how to set up a business Instagram page, and will be doing that in the next couple of weeks (I’ll announce it here and on Facebook).

My website (TwoCrowFeatherWoman.com) is being held up. I updated all of the galleries except for one – a soccer team. I realized that I was short two players (!) and I need to get those two critters painted before I can update that gallery to a professional level. Well, one more: I finished one tonight. I also need to find the best WordPress Apps for sending/receiving emails and for setting up PayPal for potential clients. I know there must be a way to set it up to receive secure credit card payments as well, but I haven’t found anything on that (yet). Needless to say, I’m reading, watching how-to videos, and making use of the Interwebs search engines. It’s a little overwhelming.

Overwhelming because now I know there are other art sites that I could also set up a shop on, and I’ve been comparing those (Redbubble vs. Zazzle, for instance). But that’s kind of running down a rabbit trail and digressing from my outlined goals. Also, where is the best place to get giclée prints made so I can sell little cards and prints of my paintings long after I’ve sold the original? (I have a local spot to check out, then I’ll consider online – but most online stores sell the wrong size cards for what I want…). (And, yes, I think giclée is better than cold press for what I want to do.)

I’ve also had a couple of commissions come in, and I’ve had to stop to paint those and mail them. (Happy Dance)

But I’m so close to my set goals, and I’m learning how to doggedly pursue my goals.

Last, may I present my most recent soccer player, Sandy Zwartble. She is, of course, a Zwartble sheep of Friesland, Netherlands.

3×3″ acrylic on canvas – appears much larger than actual size)