Why you should be using flat lay photography

by: Charlene Dunbar

As a maker, one of my biggest challenges is generating fresh content for my clothing brand. A flat lay is when you shoot items from directly above. Usually those items are arranged or styled on a flat surface.1 Flat lay images are an easy way to communicate why your brand is relevant and set it apart.

Here are three reasons to use flat lays in your content:

#1 Flat lays help customers see how your brand fits into their life.

Flat lays give the sense of taking a peek into someone’s personal space. The items placed around the product can spur the imagination about where the person is or what they’re about to do. The viewer naturally puts themselves in the story and thinks, “Oh, I wear mine like this” or “Great idea, I think I’ll try that out”. Either way, flat lays help customers create a mental story around your brand and hopefully see themselves in that story.

Travel inspiration flat lay by Oui Yogurt

#2 Flat lays set your brand apart in the market

Similar to the first point, flat lays are about telling a unique story around your brand. By playing around with styling choices and color, you can communicate your brand as luxury, all-natural, modern/minimalist…whatever makes it distinct. Bloggers frequently use flat lays to share corporate brand stories, but I don’t see as many indie brand taking advantage of them. Distinguish your brand in a crowded market with flat lay content.

African print blazer flat lay by suakoko betty

#3 Flat lays are (relatively) easy to shoot

Finally, flat lays are a no-brainer because they’re easy to create. You don’t need a model, expensive equipment or a perfect backdrop to create one. I’ve shot gorgeous flat lays on my front porch (natural light is best) using items from around my house, a foam board ($4 at the craft store) and my trusty I-phone. You can make one in about 15-30 minutes with a bit of patience and creativity.

Smartwater flat lay by Mattie James

Consider flat lay photography as a memorable way to tell your brand story. Do you already use them? Drop us a note and share your thoughts on flat lays.

1 Fat Mum Slim “So what the heck is a flat lay” – Jan 2016

Behind the Scenes: DIY Photo Backdrop

Hello Makers!

We’re pulling back the curtains behind something that has become near and dear to our heart – our Craft Wall. So, we launched our first craft wall at the second Craft Savvy Market. As makers it was really important to us to include a handmade piece that reflected our love for artistry and provided our attendees an opportunity to capture their time at the market.

Fast forward to our last market. The very first thing we did was search for inspiration pieces. The founders, Charlene, Mina, Jandi and I texted each other possible considerations and cast our vote on our favorite designs. The inspiration piece below from a Pinterest search was the hands down winner. Next we ordered the supplies and mapped out how we would create the wall.

It took at least six hours from start to finish to complete the project. We first spent a lot of time mapping out the look. We then divided the work and completed the wall. We kept in mind that the piece needs to not just look beautiful but also hold up for the entire market. The last thing we needed was to have leaves or our logo signage falling on someone’s head.

We were so proud of the final project. Our Craft Wall was an integral piece of our market that reflected our love for handmade artistry and it gave our attendees an opportunity to capture the market experience.

Hope you will consider adding a handmade craft wall or handmade craft element to your next Maker’s event. If you do and share on social media, please tag us. We would love to see your creation.

by Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

Shut It Down

“No one likes any of this stuff. You shouldn’t try to make anything new” a voice hissed as I packed up the last of my merchandise at the market. As I tugged my suitcase out the door of the event hall, her voice would not relent. “You wasted your time making all of this and no one bought much of it. I mean, look at all these leftovers. You’re not a real maker”. Ok. I had had enough. I spun around to face this nasty person but I found myself standing alone in the parking lot.

Sometimes we speak to ourselves in a way that if we heard one person speak to another person that way, we would give side eyes all day. So why do we allow such cutting, toxic and negative words to be spoken over ourselves? Sometimes such negative self-talk is an indicator of how we truly see ourselves or how we feel deep down inside. We take such care to craft beautiful hand made designs, let’s take care to speak beautiful words over ourselves.

As makers here are three things we can do to walk away from negative self-talk and kick our inner critic to the curb:

Avoid absolute words such as never because it only sets you up for failure. You have the power to create your best life. You are not defined by absolute words like “never” and “always”.
Focus on the positive. Take a minute and write down things that are going great when you feel the critic in your arise. Focus on the good instead of centering on the bad.
Turn it around by speaking life over yourself – Try saying, “I didn’t sell very many goods today but I will sell more goods at my next market” or “The sale of lack of sale of my goods are not a measure of my talent.”

What will you do to shut down your inner critic?

Image Credit – Jack Canfield

5 REASONS WHY TEAMWORK IS IMPORTANT

This well-known phrase “Teamwork makes the dream work” is so true. If you have a team with a great level of trust, strong and respectful relationships between members, you will truly understand how teamwork makes the dream-work.

A team focused environment promotes an atmosphere that fosters friendship and loyalty. The close-knit relationship motivates teammates to work together, be supportive and cooperate with each other. We are all individuals with diverse talents, weaknesses, strengths, communication skills, and habits. However, that’s what makes our teamwork very unique.

As individuals; we all have our limitations. Each person is good at something and not so good at others. However, when you’re a part of a team, it becomes easier to recognize your full potential. And you learn your weakness. You grow better, because you have others who can point out areas you need work on. Teammates hold each other accountable. Here are some reasons why teamwork is important.

5 REASONS TEAMWORK IS IMPORTANT

1. GREAT IDEAS ARE BIRTHED

When you come together as a team, you feed off each other’s knowledge and skills. As a result you are able to generate new and fresh ideas that you may not have considered in isolation.

2. YOU GROW AS AN INDIVIDUAL

You learn new things about yourself, discover skills you never knew existed and you learn from your team members.

3. YOU ARE LIKELY TO TAKE MORE RISKS

Working with others allows you to make mistakes. When you work alone, you hesitate to put yourself at risk. What if your idea falls flat? When you work on a team, you know you have the support of the entire group to fall back on which means you can also take a risk and win big as a team.

4. WORK LOADS CAN BE SHARED

You can work in your area of strength while seizing opportunities to learn from your team members. Sharing your work load also allows you to work on your weaknesses.

5. YOU DEVELOP BETTER COMMUNICATION

Each member brings a different perspective and as a result, you are able to adapt to the way your team members communicate. Working on a team forces us to express our thoughts and feelings, because our input is important to the team.

7 Reasons to give your Instagram business page a second look

By: Charlene Dunbar

You probably already have an IG business page and are a pro at posting product images, interacting with customers and scoping out competitors. Here are 7 reasons to take a second look at your IG business page and invest time and energy to get it to the next level of driving sales for your small business.

# 1 – Your customers are already hanging out on IG…and they’re ready to make a purchase.

According to AdEspresso, 1 out of 3 of Instagram’s 1 billion users have purchased an item they first saw on IG. Users also spend an average of 53 minutes/day on the platform. When it comes to marketing, it’s wise to go where the people are.

#2 – Easy to build community and establish trust with your customers

People buy from people they know, like and trust. I can count at least 5 bloggers I’ve bought stuff from not because I needed it, but because they were my friends in my head. Engaging with your audience on IG can draw your tribe in, lead to referrals and help customers to trust you.

#3 – Able to attract customers who are seeking a solution to a problem

When users search for a topic or product they’re interested in, hashtags help your content to end up in their feed even if they don’t follow you. That makes it easy to build followers organically, who can eventually become paying customers.

#4 – Get clues about what customers want

IG has been helpful as a feedback channel for my clothing brand. I’ve gauged interest on new styles and selected color offerings based on IG story poll responses and engagement level to posts. Are you using your IG feed to gather insights on customer preferences and interests?

#5 – Make it easy for customers to contact you

Customers have often DM’d me on IG and then immediately made a purchase after I answered their question. Top of page contact info on IG removes the pain of having to dig through an online store for info, which makes it easier for customers to make a purchase decision.

#6 – Make a great first impression on customers and collaborators

Major brand collaboration opportunities have come to me through my Instagram feed. Beside that, then we’re evaluating vendors to accept for our in-person markets, the first place we look is their IG feed. That feed gives a snapshot of the brand and what we see (or don’t see) there can be a deciding factor in moving to the next step.

#7 – IG is a powerful storytelling tool

If marketing is all about telling stories that your audience identifies with, then IG is a storyteller’s playground. Are you leveraging your feed, stories, IG Live and IGTV to show your audience what your brand stands for and how it fits into their life?

Having an intentional presence on Instagram is a smart way to let customers discover your brand and make repeat purchases from you. How would you rate your IG business page? Are you getting the maximum effect from it, or could it be improved to grow your business? Are you tired of guessing what you need to do next to strengthen your page? Sign up now for our “Up My ‘Gram Game” IG effectiveness audit. We understand the challenge and importance of taking your IG page to the next level and want to help with that.

Three Mistakes I’ve Made As an Entrepreneur

“When you know better, you do better. That said, it really is a shame to know better but don’t do better.”

― Germany Kent

We’ve all made some mistakes as because we are humans. The key though is to learn from our mistakes and chart a better path when we get the opportunity again.

Here are 3 common mistakes I’ve made as an entrepreneur:

1.Assuming that I had to fight for every customer’s business. I realized early on that not I would not be able to please everyone as a customer. Don’t get me wrong, I say go above and beyond for customers, but some customers will be unsatisfied regardless of if you go the extra mile or not. I learned that sometimes a sale may not be worth the peace of mind and mental drain. When we encounter those people, it is okay to preserve our peace and let them go.

2. Not investing in my business. I think when we start out, we want to save as much money as possible. But in order to grow, we may need to invest in a masterclass, new tools, or some other opportunities that may cost us. As long as we know that the investment will benefit our business, we should be open to sowing seeds into it.

3.Taking various aspects of business personal. When it comes to customers or to rejections, we tend to internalize and see it as a rejection of us as individuals. I’m learning to remind myself that while my work is an extension of my passion, and essentially a part of me, customers see a product. They typically make decisions about the product and not necessarily the person selling the products. A no is a no to my product because maybe it’s not exactly what they need at this time, its not what they choose to spend on at this time, or a variety of other reasons. My talents are still valid and worthy even if a customer chooses not to purchase from me.

What mistakes have you made in your journey?

By Jandi H.

How To Invite Your Tribe to Support You

Many of us are afraid or embarrassed to ask our friends, family and loved ones to support us. But truth be told, our loved ones are often times our biggest supporters and even if they cannot personally attend, they will do what they can to support us. This might include invite their own circle, making a purchase, etc.

As an entrepreneur, one of my biggest fears I’ve had to move past is not being afraid to invite those who love me. People can’t support us when they don’t know what we are doing. And they can’t even support us with one last minute text that we send the week of the event.

Here are three things you can do to reach out to your friends, family, coworkers and loved ones during your upcoming entrepreneurial endeavors:

Be sure to support those that you love and would be glad to support you. No, we can’t be everywhere, but we can’t expect people to do what we are not willing to do. So, go out and support your circle. They will remember how you went out of your way for them and likely return the favor.
Send personalized invitations to your circle. I know what you are thinking – who has time to do that? It can be as simple as a phone call or a text that specifically addresses the individual. While group communications (text, emails, etc) are easier to do, they are impersonal. Your invitation will get more traction when it is personalized.
Respect the calendar. I love to plan and sometimes I have dates on my calendar months in advance. In order to give your tribe a chance to support you, we need to respect that they too have calendars. So this means we need to step up our game and give ample advance notice and follow up with a reminder or two.

Remember, the worst that can happen when you ask for support is that you get a “No”. The best that can happen is that your tribe shows up and showers you with love. Who doesn’t want that?

Do you have any unique tips for soliciting support from your friends and family?

Three Black Illustrators who are inspiring us right now

Curated by: Charlene Dunbar

These three artists are making their mark on the design world and beyond, all while telling beautiful new stories about Black women. I’m especially impressed by how they’ve honed their craft and created distinctive styles. Read on to learn more about how they got started and the inspiration behind their work.

#1 – Monica Ahanonu (@monicaahanonu)

“After graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2013, Monica started her career at DreamWorks Animation. Monica decided to take a leap and become a full-time freelance artist in April 2017, after a few years at DreamWorks Animation.” 1

Source: www.twitter.com/MonicaAhanonu

“I taught myself how to use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, and would animate gymnastics routines because I was unable to do them at the time. By the time I entered high school, I continued to edit photos and create graphics on my computer in my spare time.” – Monica Ahanonu 2

Artwork by Monica Ahanonu via www.3Girlstheatre.com

#2 – Aurelia Durand (@4ur3lia)

“Aurélia Durand is an Ivorian-French graphic artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her upbringing in Réunion Island shaped her interests in representing the power and beauty of multi-culturalism. Her recent works are characterised by Afro-pop culture, in which men and women proudly display Afro hair and braids with colourful African prints and edgy fashion accessories.” 3

“When I was 19, I started my first year of art and design classes in Paris. It was from that moment I knew I would be an artist. I like to work on creative projects and to use my imagination to create innovative visuals—it gives me a reason to live. I can’t spend a day without thinking about new creative ideas.” – Aurelia Durand 4

Artwork by Aurelia Durand via www.Giphy.com/stickers

#3 – Erin Robinson (@brooklyndolly)

“Creative visionary Erin Robinson is a Fashion Designer by trade but also a trained fine artist from Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art. Her daydreamy, magical imagination is inspired by travel, color, texture, the feminine shape and the many shades and coifs of Brooklyn. She works in a variety of mediums that include watercolor, ink, markers, charcoal, stencil, collage as well as digital artistry.” 5

Source: Erin Robinson via www.dime-ink.com

“I’ve been drawing since I can remember. My parents are both very creative and made sure I had the tools to nurture my animated mind. I went into corporate America as a fashion design VP for children. I found myself stifled after a period of time and felt like I wasn’t really expressing who I truly was inside…what my true artistic capabilities were. I felt like I had climbed the corporate ladder as far as I could go, and after a sabbatical, a lot of thinking and stepping out of fear, and encouragement from a handful of friends, I decided to really share my art world. I was very nervous and had to let go of the perceptions of what others would think of it all. ” – Erin Robinson 6

Source Credit:

1 – www.mahanonu.com/about

2 – www.21ninety.com

3 – www.omenkaonline.com, by Oyin Olaniyan

4 – www.omenkaonline.com

5 – www.etsy.com/shop/brooklyndolly

6 – www.create.adode.com

Three Hobbies in 2020

“Find three hobbies you love – one to make you money, one to keep you in shape and one to be creative.

When I first read this quote on Pinterest, it really resonated with me. As makers we go hard for our passion. Chances are our craft is something we could do all day. But how nice would it be just to create something for the love of creating. If you already have other creative pursuits, maybe you can look to adding one more to your wheelhouse.

Here are five websites for some new hobbies to stretch your creative muscles and gain fresh mojo as a maker.

Candle Making

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/basic-candle-making-instructions-516753

Soap Making

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-cold-process/

Hand Knitting

https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Chunky-Hand-Knitted-Blanket-in-One-Hour/

Hand Lettering

https://littlecoffeefox.com/hand-lettering-guide-for-beginners/

Making Body Scrubs

https://www.treehugger.com/organic-beauty/8-homemade-salt-and-sugar-body-scrubs.html

Now I’m off to find hobbies to keep me in shape.

by Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

Lessons Learned from Craft Savvy Market 4 – Part 2

We held our fourth Craft Savvy Market on November 16, 2019 and this market proved that we cannot remain stagnant at any point on our journey as entrepreneurs. No matter the challenges, we must push through and persevere in order to grow. Below, we wrap up and share part 2 of our lessons learned. Check us out in Instagram and Facebook @craftsavvymarket to see more pictures and videos from the event.

Growth is messy!! This market was especially uncomfortable because we took on a couple of new initiatives before our current model was “perfect”. As mentioned in Part 1, we added a new interview segment with one of our favorite bloggers/entrepreneurs, Trina Small. We had alternative segment ideas and a lot of debate on the best path to take, but ultimately settled on the interview format based on our overall goal for the market. Then we sent an offer out and Trina said yes! It sounds very straightforward after the fact, but I remember being afraid that it wouldn’t work, that she may say no or that having an interview in the middle of a bustling market would be a bust. In the end, the interview segment added value for our audience and drew new attendees to the market. I was reminded that clarity and results often come from doing, not in endless debate and planning.

Next, our decision to sell two new physical products at the fourth market didn’t go as planned. After brainstorming a design and making a few mock-ups of one product, we found that that version was just…meh. Instead of forcing it, we decided to hold off until we got the design right and took one new offering to the market, our gorgeous new affirmation magnets. I’m proud that we stepped out of our comfort zone in this market. If you wait for perfect conditions or a zero chance of failure, you’ll never stretch and grow to the next level. My learning was to push through the messiness and risk of failure and grow anyway.

by: Charlene Dunbar