STEPHANIE ORMA :: travel, arts, & design writer

I recently emailed a few prospective freelance graphic design employers with a link to an article of mine on “The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Twitter.” I thought this would be a great way to remind them I was available for freelance work, show them my creativity was not just limited to the visual arena, and at the same time provide them with some relevant, interesting information. I figured even if they didn’t have any work for me at this time, they’d at least appreciate a useful article and think positively of me for future creative projects.

I thought this was all a brilliant idea until I received the rather harsh reply from one prospective employer. She thought my reaching out to her (one or two emails per month) was “too much, too often, from someone I don’t know well enough to be interested.” Ouch! I was completely taken aback by the response. This is someone whom I had met with in person, had established a good rapport with (or at least thought I had), and seemed to truly respect my design work. I was completely humiliated and confused.

Absolutely convinced every other person on my “prospective freelance employer” email list must feel the exact same way, I dejectedly took a break and checked Twitter. No sooner did a new Tweet pop up with a brand spanking new Twitter follower. But this was not just any follower. This was the creative director himself from one of my top dream job places to work. And he was following me! He had received my email as well, and commented, “Nice article, Stephanie. Great information for a newbie Tweetard like myself.” It was the biggest compliment I could have received. In a matter of five minutes, I went from feeling like I’d been run over by a semi-trailer truck to bursting into a joyous rendition of the “Sound of Music.”

But back to reality, I was left to a state of complete and utter confusion. What is a decent, acceptable number of emails to send per month, per year, etc. where you stay fresh in employers’ minds but not so much that you really start to bug them? How often should freelance graphic designers remind prospective employers they are available for freelance work? What are the rules here?

I think the rules are, you make your own rules. Sure you shouldn’t hound employers incessantly with constant emails. But you use your best judgment and you never ever let one person’s negativity stop you from going after what you want.

(originally appeared in SF Examiner  4/09/09)

Despite the economic slow down, the creative, innovative thinking of today’s entrepreneurs is still going full steam ahead. In every industry from technology to music to books to crafts, today’s entrepreneurs are coming out with the most inspired new products, new ventures, and pursuing their dreams. Rather than focusing on stock market investments, these creative entrepreneurs are investing in themselves.

Above: Clever "Salad Dressing" greeting card from my own innovative start-up, She's SO Creative. Photo Courtesy, Stephanie Orma / She's SO Creative

Ankesh Kumar, an entrepreneur from Palo Alto, CA has come up with the next big idea in social media. He’s the creative genius behind the start-up,Grouptivity, a Web 2.0 sharing network that enables web publishers to keep track of what content their users are sharing via email, as well as all the social media sites. Hearst, Chronicle and other big players in the web publishing industry have already signed on to use Grouptivity’s exciting new application.

Marin Magazine, a thriving start-up in its own right, came up with the original idea to produce the cookbook, Organic Marin, a celebration of Marin County farmers, artisans, and cooks.

Teresa Joy of Reidsville, NC, just this past month launched Doxie Crafts, one of the first ecommerce sites providing unique American hand-made dachshund only crafts from artisans all across the country.

And after being the first in her doctorate psychology program to complete her dissertation, new mom Karly Kaplan was innovative enough to see how her thorough understanding of the dissertation mental process could be of real service to others. Thus, she launched the San Francisco-based start-up, My Dissertation Coach.

So how have these folks been able to forge ahead despite the “sky is falling” mentality that we’re constantly bombarded with on daily basis?

According to one entrepreneur, Alymar Eugenio, who launched the Napa, CA start-up recording studio, Backstage Recording and the band Eye Eighty, “as an artist, recording engineer, business owner…what drives me is my love for music and the whole creative process, being involved with other musicians and having a final product to share with the world. There is no other feeling like it…”

The media presents us with a world full of doom and gloom on a daily basis and we can choose to either get sucked into it or we can put our attention on our dreams and forge ahead. And that’s exactly what the American Entrepreneurs of today are doing. They’re not letting the economy stop them. With nothing but their brilliant, creative ideas and the drive and determination to see them come to fruition, they’re moving forward and in the process, moving our world forward too. Frankly, I can’t think of anything more inspiring or exciting.

(originally appeared in SF Examiner  3/30/09)

Closet Creatives” – they’re hiding everywhere: the endocrinologist who makes exquisite crafts when she’s not diagnosing patients; the banker who plays foot-stomping, spirit-lifting trombone music when he’s not handling mergers and acquisitions; the pharmacist who writes lyrically, beautiful poetry when she’s not dispensing pills.

There’s a tremendous amount of hidden talent behind the professional folks we encounter every single day of our lives. While I was working at a marketing firm, it was nearly a year before the account manager sitting in the cubicle right next to mine disclosed that she was a photographer and painter. But she was more than just a hobbyist. She had a professional website oozing with a plethora of gorgeous, gallery-quality art.

So why on Earth would these immensely talented folks keep their creative endeavors on the down-low?

Non-profit grant writer and Closet Creative cartoonist,Scott Metzger, helped shed some light on the subject, “Up until a few months ago, no one at my work knew about my side gig. I had this concern that if they found out, they might not think I was serious about my job or something. Turns out one of our Board members lives in Mill Valley and shops at Two Neat. She mailed me one of my own greeting cards and wrote ‘I’m on to you!’ But she loves the cards, so it’s cool.”

Well, I’m encouraging all Closest Creatives to come out of the closet today! Your work inspires us and brightens our lives, and god knows we could all use a good dose of that in our world today. To get started, here’s a few folks who I think are extraordinary:

Emily Singer
Day job: Political speechwriter
Closet Creative job: Film writer, director, editor
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0801925/

Sonali Shah
Day job: Marketing account manager
Closet Creative job: Painter, photographer, creative writer
http://www.studiosonali.com

Scott Metzger
Day job: Grant writer for non-profit
Closet Creative job: Cartoonist
http://www.metzgercartoons.com

Audrey Welch
Day job: Corporate art director
Closet Creative job: Painter, artist
http://www.audreywelch.com/

Are you a Closet Creative too? Want to be added to our list? Fill out the comment box below with your name, day job, Closet Creative job, and a link to your creative pursuits. Thanks for sharing and enriching our lives!

(originally appeared in SF Examiner  3/18/09)