The Importance of Being Earnest…

The Importance of being Earnest…

I recently received an email, in which a Client expressed his appreciation this way:

” I know in the big picture, our job on Corbett is tiny compared to all that you handle. However, you really made us feel important and that is genuinely appreciated.”

My (emailed) response included this comment, ” …by the way- you/Corbett ARE important to me!!!”

This exchange gave me pause for thought…

Why would a Client think that his/their project, in this case, color consultation for the exterior of a 3 unit condo building where he is the HOA president, was not important, or as important then other projects that I, or for that matter, my colleagues might have?

We have all heard the adage “The customer is always right.” as well as “Every client is important.”  But, what does that really mean?

For me it means that if I take on a Client, I make a commitment to them and to their particular project  within the scope of the work we are doing together.  So much of our work as artists, decorative painters, craftspeople, designers, architects and color consultants (to name a few) is collaborative.   We work WITH  the Client to realize their vision, and our vision of their vision.  If we don’t have their contribution, commitment, buy-in, or what-have-you, that process can become difficult, stymied, or downright impossible.  We may even get our head, or someone else’s, handed to us!

In other words, yes, every Client and their project should be important to us. It just so happens that the particular Client I have quoted here,  falls into the category of “dream” Client.  Along with his partner, he has been responsive, communicative, cooperative, intelligent, and generous with time and fee.  Add to this reasonable, fun and funny, and I think you get the picture.  This is a great Client, with a fun and engaging project, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and his partner.

I don’t value this Client and his project less because the Job in question is not as lucrative financially as some others.  Lucrative does not only refer to  the dollar amount received for a particular Job.  To me,  it means what I am getting out of the Job, vis-a-vis what I am putting into it. Is there positive return on all fronts: artistic gratification, compensation,  appreciation, and client interactions?  In essence,

and

must be upheld on both sides for a fruitful relationship that delivers results and satisfaction, perhaps even exceeding expectations.

I recently heard a marvelous audio interview with Wine Country painter Ann Rea, founder of Artists Who Thrive,  by Carlos Castellanos of Drawn by Success.  During the interview Ann brilliantly describes how she feels that she gets paid twice by those who purchase her paintings, prints, and other artwork. In money, yes, of course, but also in the appreciation of her work by her buyers and collectors, and the relationships she forms with them.

I think many of us know what she means.  We need to have our work connect with others and the larger world outside ourselves to have it really mean something, outside ourselves. So that our work, (and ourselves) do not remain in shadow, or behind bars.

So yes, every Client is important, and especially those with whom we can have a great rapport, grow, and create something that is more than the sum of its parts. When we find ourselves in the path of these dream Clients, all we can be is grateful…

to grow ourselves by working closely with them, realizing their vision, and our own.

Lucrative?  More like priceless!

What priceless Client experiences  have made YOU grow lately?

If you feel so inspired, share them with us here.  We love to hear from you.  Remember, we are all growing though this thing called Life, together.

 

 

 

Slowing it Down to Move it Forward

Slowing it Down to Move it Forward

It may feel counter-intuitive, but more and more often,  I find that the best way to move “it” (aka: life, work, even relationships) forward, is to slow down, perhaps even STOP, take a breath, look inwards, or outwards, rally my forces, or let it all go, for just a few moments.

Like the old story of the tortoise and the hare, sometimes,“slow and steady” really does do it.

Sometimes when we slow down, we a find that we actually reach our goal more quickly, exceeding expectations, and enjoying a richer, more luxuriant experience.

In business for ourselves as artists, we may worry, as we work on a project and  near  its completion, that we are not meeting our bottom line…that time is “getting away” from us, that we under bid, over worked, or otherwise miscalculated our efforts and agreed-upon compensation.

That is exactly the moment to  STOP, take a breath, recalibrate, recalculate. Of course we need to make a living, to  be aware of  our bottom line, and consider our contract. But, at the same time, if we allow that to get in the way of our soul’s delight in what we love to do, then the whole enterprise can fall into question.

Instead, we can learn the creative, artistic, and business  lessons that each job, each experience, and each project offers,  and especially in those last few hours, minutes, and moments of completion, take joy in what we do, while exerting our best efforts.

Because, sometimes we need to see the parts,

in order to appreciate the whole.

Sometimes we need to slow down, even STOP,

to get the shot, the concept,  the bigger picture, the Moment: something wondrous, wonderful, and unexpected.

Sometimes we need to STOP and observe, from our own vantage point, what is around us, and feel what is inside of us.

In order to make ourselves whole again, we may need to STOP  for a moment, to realize where we have come from, how far we have traveled, and where we are going.

In doing so, we may find that we have come

full circle.

If you have the Time, please STOP! and share some of your experiences slowing it down, to move it forward.

And thanks for visiting…we are all in this thing called Life, together.