Kismet Creative

I’ve mostly used this platform for sharing side projects, design & art that catches my eye, but I *do* also have some super graphic design clients that engage me in a wide variety of interesting projects! Today I’ll highlight Lee Walker and his soon-to-be-released memoir, “Imagination House: An Entrepreneurial Life”. ⁣
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Initially I lent an “assist” on the book cover design but that lead to being asked to create his website ( eleewalker.com ). Lee has been a joy to work with & I highly recommend his book. In fact, come out to this Saturday 5/11 at 6p for his ‘speak & sign’! ⁣
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About the book…⁣
“When twenty-one-year-old Michael Dell asked E. Lee Walker to be the president of his fledgling computer company, PC’s Limited, Walker, in his mid-forties, immediately thought about all the people who had helped him through life—as an undergraduate at Texas A&M (class of ’63), a graduate student at Harvard, and a once-young entrepreneur himself. ⁣
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As he and Dell created the foundation of what would become one of the most successful companies in the world, Walker was guided by the lessons of his past business ventures, by his belief in the power of imagination, and by his relationships with people who had provided encouragement when he most needed it. When he left Dell Computer Corporation to teach, Walker discovered that the stories he took with him—of his aspirations, of his failures and triumphs, and of his friends and mentors—were the key to engaging and inspiring his students.⁣
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Here, Walker records those stories in a memoir that spans five decades and reveals a man whose curiosity, resourcefulness, and luck led him out of South Texas and into corporate boardrooms, university lecture halls, and community activism.”

A pattern for day 20! For day 21, I finished & shared my content strategy with a knowledgeable friend for feedback, & for day 22 I discovered TWO ✌🏻viable coworking space options. 🎉 Austin is littered with coworking spaces, but I’m priced out of 99% of them. These two options are in my budget AND 👏🏻 AND 👏🏻 AND 👏🏻 in my neighborhood. I’m so silly excited… but I can’t join just yet. I’ll shout about it when I do!⁣
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A repost from .Handmade ...so nice I’m posting twice 😉⁣
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For any maker or artist who has contemplated (or is) ‘monetizing’ their work, I highly recommend this article (🔗 in bio), “The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies Into Hustles”, from . It resonated in SO many ways & had me introspective about why I want to turn this joy of creating w/ glass into something being sold. ⁣
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I’ve discovered in this process that the *most* joy I’ve experienced has been 1) the making of the jewelry, & 2) the branding & ex*****on of the brand (the graphic designer in me). ⁣
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So, I built it. And that was FUN! But no one—ok very few—are coming. Because, duh: Marketing! Promotion! **Actually telling people about it!** These things feel less comfortable.⁣
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Concurrently, I haven’t had the same time/ energy/ space the past few months to put toward this little baby business, leaving me scanning through a long list of “shoulds” on any given day/ evening/ weekend. Then I hear “but it’s not scalable” from my husband, who I know is my biggest cheerleader in life, but he’s also in the business of building businesses. (And he’s probably correct.)⁣
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The conclusion I’ve come to is this: I will do this how I do this. 💁🏻‍♀️ If it means a loooong run-up to any sort of awareness or sales momentum, that’s fine. If it means months between completing new items & getting them photographed & up on the website, that’s also fine. If it means 1000% not caring if it’s ‘scalable’ or not, then great! We’re on our way, baby! 💃⁣
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Of course my glass work could solely about creating for fun-not-profit. But I *also* get joy from the prospect of my work being a gift for someone’s sister/ mother/ friend/ bridesmaids. Or a piece that makes someone feel unique & adorned. And I believe what I have to offer is good & people will want it. ⁣
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My work is art. My art is wearable. My art is *useful* in its facilitation of self-expression. And -this is 🔑- its role is not to pay the bills. I’m chasing that “chill hustle”, that well-adjusted ambition, that joyful journey of putting something I believe in out into the world in exchange for a little 💵 appreciation.

A repost from .Handmade ...so nice I’m posting twice 😉⁣
—::—::—::—::—::—::—⁣
For any maker or artist who has contemplated (or is) ‘monetizing’ their work, I highly recommend this article (🔗 in bio), “The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies Into Hustles”, from . It resonated in SO many ways & had me introspective about why I want to turn this joy of creating w/ glass into something being sold. ⁣
⁣
I’ve discovered in this process that the *most* joy I’ve experienced has been 1) the making of the jewelry, & 2) the branding & ex*****on of the brand (the graphic designer in me). ⁣
⁣
So, I built it. And that was FUN! But no one—ok very few—are coming. Because, duh: Marketing! Promotion! **Actually telling people about it!** These things feel less comfortable.⁣
⁣
Concurrently, I haven’t had the same time/ energy/ space the past few months to put toward this little baby business, leaving me scanning through a long list of “shoulds” on any given day/ evening/ weekend. And then I hear “but it’s not scalable” from my husband, who I know is my biggest cheerleader in life, but he’s also in the business of building businesses. (And he’s probably correct.)⁣
⁣
The conclusion I’ve come to is this: I will do this how I do this. 💁🏻‍♀️ If it means a loooong run-up to any sort of awareness or sales momentum, that’s fine. If it means months between completing new items & getting them photographed & up on the website, that’s also fine. If it means 1000% not caring if it’s ‘scalable’ or not, then great! We’re on our way, baby! 💃⁣
⁣
Because at the end of the day, my glass work could absolutely be solely about creating for fun-not-profit. But I *also* get joy from the prospect of my work being a gift for someone’s sister/ mother/ friend/ bridesmaids. Or a piece that makes someone feel unique and adorned. Or gives folks a new sophisticated way to show school spirit. And I believe what I have to offer is good & people will want it. ⁣
⁣
My work is art. My art is wearable. My art is *useful* in its facilitation of self-expression. And -this is 🔑- its role is not to pay the bills. I’m chasing that “chill hustle”, that well-adjusted ambition, that joyful journey of putting s