24 May 2010

Updates! I've Got Updates!

Photo courtesy of L. Marie, Flickr Creative Commons.


Here's what's going on around Abby Kerr Ink studios:
You know I have three?

Studios, that is.

One is my basement studio. One is my dining room table studio. The other is my bed studio.

All three are great for different reasons.

The first has a secret candy drawer, the comfiest office chair {Sam's Club, baby}, and near total privacy, except for two cats that wander through sometimes.

The second has great lighting, big, airy windows with floaty drapes, and a terrific table-under-chandelier set-up.

The third is the softest and the most filled with birdsong. If I lie back on my bed, I have the sensation of being in a bowery, as both windows are fringed by leafy trees. Sometimes birds even come and perch on my sills. Okay, one time two of them did. And it was pretty cool.

Here's a recap of what I've been doing since closing THE BLISSFUL back in February:

  • Deprogramming from Totally On-All-The-Time Abby. {Any experience as intense as being frontwoman of a customer service-oriented business at least six days a week for four years has got to find her way back to herself once it ends. I promise you. And the trip? It's been delightful.}
  • Nourishing my body and spirit in new ways. Flirting with vegetarianism and organics. Thinking of ditching diet soda. Getting more interested in yoga and long, meditative walks and what they can do for me. Not actually doing more yoga or taking more long, meditative walks, but my heart's in the right place.
  • Writing like nuts. Writing for a handful of cool clients and lots for myself and for my new site, which will launch soon over at AbbyKerrInk.com. Also consulting/coaching.
  • Luxuriating in Pandora radio. Last three songs that have played since I've been writing this post: "God Made the Automobile" by Iron & Wine, "He Said, She Said" by Joe Purdy, "Rain King {Live}" by Counting Crows. Sooth-y sunny day quietude.
  • Putting myself through a self-designed grad school program-by-blog. {You can do this, too. Just find a blog that really resonates with you, one who shares lots of good links, and start following. You'll be amazed what you find.} Digging in deep. Slurping content as if through a spork. Discovering new mentors and making friends. Learning to dig Twitter. Really loving Facebook. Sharing as much good stuff as I can with people who are interested in the same stuff I am. And heavens! You are out there.
  • Freeing myself.
  • Reframing my relationship with money. That's been a big one.
  • Getting clear about what I'm good at. Not what I can do well, or can do with the appearance of success. What I'm good at. What I'm good at that I want to do.
  • Thinking a lot about my right people. Who you are, what you want. What I can do for you. What we can do together.
My new site is not going to be for everyone. For instance, there'll be probably no talk of design or decorating or gift-buying or home furnishings. That's the biz I came out of, but that's not where I am right now. So those of you who enjoyed this blog for the inspirational photos of French-y wonders, I have to let you know that my new site is not geared toward what THE BLISSFUL was about. It'll have its own inspirational wonders, but of a different sort.

If you're a creative person who feels passionately driven to figure out how you can do the thing you want to do, your way, sometime in your life and hopefully as soon as possible, then you're probably going to dig what I'm cooking up.

I'll be blogging about indie entrepreneurship, the creative life, connecting with your right people, naturally niche-y marketing, and lots more. Lots and lots of free content to help you out. And a 10 part e-course {also free} on Creating a Truly Irresistible Niche. One of my favorite topics under the sun, so I designed a course about it to share how fun and powerful nichifying can be. All coming soon.

So, here's an announcement: the site will be launching very, very soon. So soon I'm scared to say when. So I'm doing this much more casually than I usually do when I launch something.

I hope you'll be there. Keep watching this blog.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear from you. If you feel like you might be my right person--and that'd mean I'd be yours! {goody!}--what exactly are you hoping to see, learn, or be inspired by over at the new site?

*

9 comments:

Herbgirl said...

Boy...I am all ears, or eyes, for your soon-to-be-released site. I am very passionate about my interests and would love to have the necessary insight on how to actually make a living doing those things.
Hugs N Herbal Blessings, Mandy

The Flying Bee said...

Hi Abby!

I can't wait until the launch. I am looking forward to soaking up all the info I can on starting my very own niche-y business. The e-course sounds interesting! I am also wanting to find out if a brick and mortar is the way to go or if I should stick to an online business, and if I do stick with online...then is it even possible to have a niche-y type business online?

~Adrienne

Kerri said...

yay for you- looking forward to whatever you'll be sharing. thanks!

Abby Kerr Ink said...

Mandy @ Herbgirl -- Hi! Excited to hear you're on a similar journey as I am. We can map this road together. Just in the past couple months, I feel as if I've stumbled into a whole new world of possibility for letting my dream and my natural talents support me while working from home. If it weren't for the amazing resources I've found all over the place, I may not have the faith that it could be so! If you haven't checked out the Facebook page for Abby Kerr Ink, it may be of interest to you. I link to great content that teaches and inspires me. Glad to know you're here!

Adrienne @ The Flying Bee -- Hey, you! The decision to go brick-and-mortar, online, or both is a big one. *Definitely* something we'll be discussing over at Abby Kerr Ink. For my last biz {THE BLISSFUL}, I started out only B&M, then added an online store but never put in as much time, energy, and staff support as it would've required to *really* make it bloom wildly. Similarly, I know lots of people making a good living through doing biz all online {not necessarily retail}. Lots of options and possibilities to explore. And to answer your question quickly: YES! It most definitely IS possible to have a niche-y online biz. Abby Kerr Ink will be one.

Kerri -- Glad to know you're here and I look forward to connecting with you! Thanks for stopping by and saying hello. :)

The Flying Bee said...

Thanks Abby!

Good to know...I think I just fear that having an online biz in a sea of sooo many would be tough, you know...to really stand out. So glad that you are here to shed some light on all of that! :)

Best,
Adrienne

Abby Kerr Ink said...

Hey, Adrienne --

I definitely know what you mean. The web IS a big blue ocean and yes, it can be hard to stand out IF you don't know what your goals are.

The first key is figuring out who your right people are -- who are your dream buyers, your ideal customers, the people who your juice is custom-blended for. :) Figure out where your right people hang out online and what they respond to. Everything you design -- from your site design to your copy to your marketing pieces to your products -- should aim to appeal to them. {This has to come from an authentic place inside you, too, or else you'll just be faking and you'll be uncomfortable. Hint: your right people are quite possibly a lot like you!} Once you know who you're trying to connect with, you automatically filter out ALL the millions of other people out there surfing the web. You don't even have to worry about them. And you know what? That still leaves you with a LOT of people to connect with and ultimately help you create the entrepreneurial life you want.

Lots more on this to come over on AbbyKerrInk.com!

--Abby

The Flying Bee said...

thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I needed to hear that!

Paris Envy said...

Hi Abby,
I "spoke" with you a few months back because I'd discovered quite by accident that we both had "French-inspired" shops -- tho they were a thousand miles apart!! And now to check in with you and hear what you're up to -- it's too funny and strange -- I was a creative writing major myself and still am a writer (just haven't written much lately! Running a shop thing...) anyway I'm excited to see your new site and perhaps work together on refining my niche! We really have so much in common it's ridiculous! (My e-mail is lalavy@yahoo.com if you want to reach me outside this comment forum.)

Laurie

Abby Kerr Ink said...

Hey, Laurie --

Thanks for stopping on by! Very cool that we have the creative writing connection in common. :)

Yes, I've definitely made some big decisions since we last spoke. Would love to help you further nichify when you're ready. It's one of my favorite things to do.

Hope you enjoy the weekend and I look forward to connecting with you again!

--Abby