How to Get More Clients, Embrace the "And" + More

Nov 21, 2019

A newsletter about writing, art and living more creatively

I got to attend the Pretty Thing Tour during its L.A stop a couple of weekends ago and wanted to share some of the lessons I learned. Pretty Thing is a creative studio and collective for women, by women. Founded by Myah Hollis and Sarah Hawkins, the collective recently had its NY tour stop; this one took place at The Riveter, a co-working space in Marina Del Rey.

The collective — and the event — focuses on supporting creative women, no matter what industry they work in. We heard from people in film/TV, event production, photography/creative direction, coaching, writing and more.

Here are some of the major lessons I took home from the event in case they're helpful to you, too:

There's power and potential in including your challenges into the creative process and your output.
- Adrienne White talked about how the television show she just sold with her writing partner was inspired by their real-life experiences as women in the TV industry. I liked this idea of incorporating challenges into the creative process/your final product instead of feeling like they are stopping you from creating. "Use those challenges to inform and uplift the creative process."
Show up consistently for your craft, whether or not you share it.
- D'ana Joi dropped some serious wisdom during the conference and this one resonated with me. The internet and social media makes you feel pressured to always have something to show ("publish or perish" is a term I heard recently). But that doesn't mean that if you don't have anything to show, you shouldn't do the work or that the work isn't worth it. Your craft is yours at the end of the day and hopefully it's something you love doing on its own.

florals by Poppy Lavender Florals

Create seasons of focus to avoid burnout.
- Joi also shared her concept around "seasons of focus," similarly to quarterly goals. You can start by asking questions like: "What is the thing, if I had more of it in my life, that would enhance my life?" You choose one of these things and do it for 90 days to explore whether it's "just a a curiosity or a passion." Maybe you want to try hand lettering but you realize it was more a curiosity (you wanted to know if you could do it, you wanted to know the process), rather than a new passion. Or vice versa!
Three tips for getting more clients: referrals, social media, pitching.
- Weekend Creative talked about ways to get new clients as a creative agency (or a creative person!) Their top three tips were to work with referrals from other clients, social media content showcasing your best work, and cold pitching to companies/brands. "This is where you get really good at stalking." Look up the company on LinkedIn and see who might control the budget, or whatever department is most relevant to what you offer. Use Instagram to find possible clients and save them all in one folder to stay organized.

Embrace the "and."
- Joi talks a lot about the multi-passionate creative and why you should be proud of that term if you see yourself as one. Part of that includes embracing the "and" when you're introducing yourself. You're an artist, musician, and content creator. Don't be afraid to list all your areas of passion. Sometimes we want to keep things short and we under-sell ourselves in the process. That's because: "You want to keep that person comfortable but it's not your job."

Networking doesn't have to be overly stuffy — and sharing your gifts with others helps offset that scarcity mentality.
- Just a general lesson from the conference. It was cool to see a conference set in a casual way, with lots of cursing on stage and a lot of honesty from the organizers about the work that went into it. Everyone was open to chatting about what they do, without any edge of competition. It's always heartening to be in environments like this. (Also a communal cheese board to munch on throughout the conference never hurts).

Hope those tips were helpful to you. Which one do you relate to most? I'd love to hear from you.

xoxo

Your favorite small but feisty writer
Eva

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