do what you love Page 45 of 81

Just gotta laugh – what I learnt from bad customer service

Written by

Just gotta laugh - what I learnt from bad customer service DWYL BLOG TUNEINCHILLOUT 650X250PX LR

Warning:  short uncharacteristic rant coming up (there is a point I promise).

5 months ago we bought a brand new oven. It was really expensive, and our tenants broke it. When we got back from Japan we called the company and they sent round an engineer to check it out. Apparently it needed two new parts. That was nearly three months ago. We have been waiting for the replacement parts ever since. I have called the company at least 15 times but every time I get fobbed off with ‘the part is still on order’ etc etc. This went on all through Christmas (yes it meant that we didn’t get to have Christmas dinner at home).

Last week I called and they said the parts had at last been dispatched to the engineer who would call me within 48 hours. That was five days ago. When I called today they said the parts had at last been dispatched to the engineer who would call me within 48 hours. So the woman I spoke to last week told me a blatant lie. No wonder the engineer never called.

Our oven is still broken, but that’s not the point.

The point is that by call number 15 (a total of about 4 hours on the phone listening to a holding message telling me how they pride themselves on product quality and customer service) I was understandably quite frustrated. I had been really polite every time, but by now I just wanted to scream in frustration (and have someone turn up on my doorstep with a shiny new oven).

And then, something brilliant happened. My man came in to my office, took me by the hand and led me to the middle of the room. He made me jump up and down, shake my arms around, and shout really loud. And he did it too. We looked like a pair of crazy people. And you can imagine that by the end of that we collapsed in laughter. And I felt a whole lot better about it. It’s bad enough having a broken oven. I don’t need a stress headache too.

As they say, you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control the way you let it affect you.

Lesson learnt.

Last chance to enter for the Print & Pattern design scholarship (worth $1000!)

Written by

pRINT & pattern

**PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED. FIND OUT MORE HERE.**

Entries for the second Print & Pattern Scholarship for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design close at midnight GMT on Tuesday 8 January. This is your last opportunity to be in with a chance to win this prize worth $1000!

The winner of the scholarship will be given a full place on all three modules of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, beginning on April 29 2013. The winner will also be featured in a future edition of MOYO. This prize is worth around $1000 and could be the catalyst for you to make headway in the exciting world of surface pattern design. See Issue 2 of MOYO Magazine for more details.

Simi Gauba, one of last year’s winners, is featured in the latest edition of MOYO here. Read her interview and find out what a difference the course has made to her design career.

To enter for this valuable opportunity please follow the submission guidelines detailed in Issue 2 of MOYO and complete your application by Tuesday 8 January 2013. The winner (chosen by Marie Perkins of Print & Pattern) will be announced in the third issue of MOYO, out in February 2013.

Someone has to win it – why not YOU? Good luck!

The small print

The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. By submitting your work you agree to be featured online by Rachael Taylor Designs, Do What You Love, Print & Pattern, MOYO or any other third party chosen by Rachael Taylor and/or Beth Nicholls exclusively in relation to this opportunity. By submitting you give your permission to have your email address added to the mailing lists of Do What You Love and The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. There is no fee payable to enter. You will retain all rights relating to your images. See Issue 2 of MOYO Magazine for more details.

We would like to thank Marie Perkins of Print & Pattern for her continued support and championing of emerging designers.

***

Last chance to enter for the Print & Pattern design scholarship (worth $1000!) ABSPD LOGO 550X250PX LR

And if you are already on your way with designing but want to learn how to Create Your Professional Identity or Monetise Your Designs then join us for one of our courses:

Module 2 ‘Create your professional identity’. Find out more and register here.

Module 3 ‘Monetise your designs’. Find out more and register here.

 

Last chance to enter for the Print & Pattern design scholarship (worth $1000!) header

PS In case you missed it… something very exciting is coming soon. See here for a sneak peek!

Shhh… a sneak peek into what is coming… (Hint: It involves the very awesome Lilla Rogers!)

Written by

Make Art That Sells - banner

Doing what you love means different things to different people. For some it is about the way they make their living. For others it is a way of life. Whatever you take it to mean, there is no denying that if you can monetise your passion, you get to do what you love for a big chunk of every day, week, month and year. And that has got to be a good thing.

So many of you in the Do What You Love community are artists, and time and again we are asked for advice from those of you who want to make a living from your work. So we decided to do something about it.

There are many courses and sources of advice out there on how to market and sell the art you have made – and many of them are helpful. But we have decided to come at it from a radically different perspective, and start much earlier in the process.  Rather than advising how to sell the art you have made, our brand new course will give you industry insight on how to make art that is commercially viable in the first place – i.e. how to make art that sells.

This is not about selling out – it’s about staying true to yourself whilst making informed choices about what you create. And it is going to change everything for you.

This is your chance to learn how to make art that sells, directly from someone who has sold art for products worth over $100 million! 

For the past year we have been working with Lilla Rogers – one of the world’s top illustration agents – to create ‘Make Art That Sells’. For the first time ever Lilla will be sharing three decades’ worth of knowledge and experience through this pioneering two part online course, which will teach you how to make art that sells in the most lucrative markets in the world. You do not want to miss this!

Course registration formally launches on February 26, but places are limited so jump on the waiting list if you want to be the first to hear when registration is open (and to bag an exclusive discount)!

The course will begin in June (specific details to be released on Feb 26).  Be sure to register your interest and tell all your artist friends!

PS You can hear an inspiring interview with Lilla (by Monica Lee of Smart Creative Women) here and here. Please note the dates Lilla mentions in this interview are no longer accurate – as stated above registration opens on Feb 26 and the course will begin in June.

Alive. Brave.

Written by

Beth - scarf

Nothing like a long walk in the countryside on New Year’s Day to clear the mind and open it up for what lies ahead

My man and I choose a pair of words to guide us each year.

Last year it was ‘growth’ and ‘adventure’ (and we certainly took them to heart!)

This year our words are ALIVE and BRAVE.

We have promised each other we will ACT BRAVELY and LIVE FULLY every step of the way this year.

We already know there are changes ahead – big leaps for Do What You Love, possibly a house move, definitely a marriage, and who knows what else.

We know there will be times at the edge of each of these experiences when we will be elated, afraid, on a high, uncertain. But in spite of – or because of – all of these we are going to make 2013 a year of going for it, and building on everything we have done so far to make stuff happen.

Exciting! Scary! Let it begin!

***

What is your word for 2013?

Hello 2013!

Written by

DWYL declaration

(The Do What You Love declaration and a sneak peek at our new branding, all to unveiled very shortly with a brand new website!)

***

I have a very good feeling about this year.

Apart from the fact that I am getting married(!!) there is so much to look forward to. And there is something in the air that makes it feel like a year full of possibility.

I know there are some big changes coming, but I am excited about them all.

How about you? What are you hoping for in the year ahead?

Whatever it is, I hope you spend 2013 doing what you love!

***

PS Do What You Love is getting a major overhaul for the new year – stay tuned for a brand new website later this month, with heaps of fresh resources to help you make 2013 the year you finally start doing what you love, for life!

Farewell 2012

Written by

A cup of celebratory gold-leaf tea

A cup of celebratory gold-leaf tea for you

2012 was always going to be a big year. It had a circle round it in the ten year calendar of my mind ever since London won the right to host the Olympics back in 2005. And for many years I was involved in that monumental build up… but then I changed track, and ended up here, with a very different 2012 from that which I had imagined. It has been a sparkling, eye opening, special year, so I thought I would write it a letter.

Dear 2012,

You were extraordinary.

You made me slow down, speak up, laugh every day.

You made me move half way round the world, and back again.

You taught me how to make beautiful paper with my own two hands.

You showed me sunrises and sunsets, mountains, sand dunes, ocean, sky.

You introduced me to some amazing new people, and saw me get engaged to my true love.

You were full of adventures, you made me learn and grow, you pushed the boundaries of what I thought I could do.

You surprised me, uplifted me, delighted me.

And you have brought me here to the cusp of 2013, where I have no idea what is going to happen next year, except that I am going to get married, go on a honeymoon, start a new chapter and choose love.

I am grateful for so many of the things, people, experiences, opportunities you presented – please have a word with 2013 so they keep on coming!

Thank you 2012. For everything. I will miss you

Beth

***

Wherever you are in the world, whatever year lies behind you, and whatever year lies ahead of you, I wish you a moment of stillness to be thankful, and to choose to make 2013 the year that YOU do what you love.

Introducing the Wall Of Wisdom

Written by

Wall of wisdom

The other day I painted every inch of a wall in our house black. Not just any black – blackboard black! And now I can doodle and scribble to my heart’s content. It is such fun!

And in the process I decided to write an inspirational quote on there and thought it looked cool. And so the Wall of Wisdom was born. Every Monday I am going to share an inspiring quote from my Wall of Wisdom – sometimes musings of mine, and sometimes those of others. I am going to start with the quotes you told us are your favourites (in the comments of this post).

And if this day – December 21 2012, is not the end of the world as some predict, then what a perfect day to begin the rest of your life. There is no better time to ask “What are you waiting for?”

Please feel free to share the Black Wall of Wisdom images on your blog/Facebook/Twitter and inspire someone today and every Friday!