The brilliant and generous Danielle LaPorte and her publisher are giving away 400 copies (or more!!!) of THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS to great causes. Women’s shelters. Work re-entry programs. Youth empowerment groups. Prisons. Healing centers. Mental health organizations. Mentorship projects. We’ll consider all life-improving, non-commercial projects that step forward.

The deadline is today so if you work with a group (or know someone who does) that could benefit from this inspiration infusion, check out Danielle’s site for all the details and enter here.

I love working with and supporting emerging entrepreneurs and get frequent questions about what services I use for everything from my newsletter to my podcast. When lots of the same questions come in, I know it’s time to share with everyone! This is the start of a series where I will share the complete set of the services I use in hopes that these resources will support your development as an aspiring entrepreneur.

Current Email Marketing Service: iContact

(re-evaluating – recommendations welcome)

When I first started my business, I sent everything from my own inbox. It worked just fine until I started needing to send the same thing to lots of people, like a whole group that was participating in the book club, for example. These services allow you to send email newsletters, create a sign-up box (like the one over there – up and right) and also set up autoresponder series, which is how I run the Sparkles e-course.

My priorities in choosing an email service provider are: beauty, ease of use, respectful policies, strong deliverability and competitive pricing.

I used to love iContact. They were just the right size for me – not the big guy, not the little guy. They have beautiful templates, the interface is very easy to use and they have live support chat if you need it. But over the past year or so there have been several signs it’s time for a change. The price has gone up substantially and I’ve had to deal with support way too frequently. I’m looking for a change.

The Biggies: Aweber & Constant Contact

Two biggies on the scene are Constant Contact and aWeber. They have lots of functionality, including integration with some shopping cart services and many, many business owners rely on them. I have tried both and found them too big, not beautiful and I just don’t feel at home in their world. Remember, you’ll likely be spending lots of time in there as you create beautiful content for your subscribers, so you really want it to be a fit.

The Alternatives: MadMimi & MailChimp

Many of my friends rave about MadMimi, especially their customer service. Colleagues who have switched over to them have found it painless. What holds me back  is they don’t have a single template with a sidebar – and I love me some sidebars! I have written to them about it, so who knows!

Another service I’m considering is MailChimp. Originally I just didn’t relate to the MailChimp brand. It was too far on the other side of the spectrum – too simple, too cute. But recently, I had a fresh look and discovered it offers way more functionality than I expected and seemed to have flexible templates (beauty possibilities, yay!) I’ll likely sign up for a free account and play around a bit (and find out if they have sidebars) I’ll tell you how that goes.

In addition to my priorities above, I’m now also looking for ease in transferring over. My lovely list has grown and grown and I don’t want a single beautiful subscriber to get lost or have their content interrupted along the way. Plus, I don’t want to pull all my hair out.

FYI: Price & Permission

• Pricing: The price for a service like this scales with your number of subscribers. Several services (like iContact and MailChimp) are free until your list grows to a specified size. So why not get started right away? Don’t wait until you’re ready to launch that e-course or open that Etsy shop. Start sharing your ideas and heart with subscribers now.
• Permission. I can’t emphasize this enough; you must have permission to add someone to your list. I know several lovely creatives have added me to their list and have done so, I’m very sure, with great love and an intention to share their beautiful work with me. But it’s so important for you to know that this is illegal – plus it’s considered very bad manners. I’m mentioning it to you because I don’t want you to get in trouble or to make a misstep and perhaps offend someone simply by not yet knowing how its done. When you start out, it’s very simple to just send your friends, colleagues and loved ones an email saying, “Hey, everyone! I’m starting a newsletter and I’m so excited. I’d love to be able to send it to you and keep you up-to-date with my creative adventures! If you’d like that to, just come on over and sign-up here. You’d totally make my day!”

I hope that gives you lots to think about and enough to get you started. When it’s new it can all seem confusing and overwhelming but eventually your newsletter will feel like sending a love letter to your community. That’s what I always aim for!

Find me on Pinterest here.

After putting up quite a fight, I finally caved and joined Pinterest – and I’m so glad I did! It’s been a delight to discover so much beauty and inspiration and also to learn the culture of a fresh social media platform. I’m still a beginner but so many people have asked me how I’m finding it that I thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far. If you do decide to join, you can find me here.

What is Pinterest?

It’s a social site where you can gather and share online images. Instead of reading someone’s Facebook updates or tweets, you see what they are “pinning.”  You also create your own collections of images called “Boards” where you can pull together everything from quotes to cute animal pics to home improvement inspirations to hairstyle ideas.

Why did I resist Pinterest?

It was clear to me it could be a total time suck. Perusing beautiful, inspiring, interesting, intriguing images could be a days-long pursuit as far as I’m concerned! And I wasn’t sure there was any value in it other than “Ooh, pretty!” (Though I do see lots of value in that!)

Why did I join Pinterest?

“Ooh, pretty”! Lol, that was a big part of it. There is so much gorgeous visual stimulation it’s hard to resist. Plus my sister Suzie was enjoying it so much it was hard not to join in! One afternoon I had a couple of hours so I thought I’d give it a try. Quickly, I was hooked.

What hooked me on Pinterest?

It was much more than just the beauty; it was all the possibilities. For example, at first I really struggled with creating categories for the pins I was choosing but that became a fascinating learning experience. What was I interested in? What threads tied together my pins? What did that reveal about me? It reminded me of how over the years assessing my to-dos has helped me get really clear on my priorities, each one becoming a part of my now regular cornerstones of home, work, self, relationships, creativity and spirit. I look forward to the same process of self-discovery as I look at what I pin.

I can also discover others in a brand new way. When you look at someone’s boards, you engage with them in an entirely different mode. Through their visuals you pick up on their taste, their colour story, their loves, their humour and most especially their dreams. It’s so beautiful and absolutely compelling.

As an artist, I’ve also found that Pinterest is expanding my visual imagination. It’s filling up my mind & soul with shapes and symbols and textures and paintings and ideas and photography and on and on and on. There is just so much inspiration in terms of subject matter, colour schemes and media!

Is Pinterest a Time Suck?

This was what I was most worried about, no doubt, but I’ve found it to be manageable. Falling in love with and repinning an image is a very quick process. Of course, you could be enjoying that all day but one thing that helps me be more moderate is knowing that people who are following me are seeing all of those pins. I don’t want to flood them with oodles of stuff so I choose a few things here and there throughout the day that delight me and hopefully everyone else who sees what I’ve pinned.

Five Ways to Use Pinterest

• Learn Your Style/Discover Your Aesthetic

What a simple and free way to experiment, to gather, to discover what your loves are. Create a board called “My Style” and fill it with images that strike your fancy. Then take a moment and notice – what are the colours? the shapes? the moods? What can you glean about your style from what you pin?

• For Dreamboards

Dreamboards are one of the ways I’ve come to know my own taste so well. Why not make them on Pinterest? Imagine creating a board for the Full Wolf Moon and the Full Pink Moon. One of the advantages of Pinterest too is that you can use images from anywhere online. Imagine how much you have to choose from! Imagine the range and diversity! Particularly if you have difficulty finding magazines that reflect your unique style, this can be a great option.

• Create Mood Boards or Inspiration Boards

Getting married? Buying a home? Designing a website? Doing a renovation? Create a board to gather inspirations. Imagine sending your florist one link to the bouquets you are in love with. Plus, if you’re working with others on as project, multiple people can pin to the same board. You could use Pinterest as a home base for sharing your take and making sure that you and other project contributors are on the same page.

• Visual Bookmarking

I was amazed to discover just how many people use Pinterest to collect recipes, crafts projects and DIY ideas. As far as I can tell, Pins maintain their original url so clicking on them takes you to the source. So instead of listing all of your links or references in words, you could just go to your board, have an immediate visual hit and click through. Sounds good to me!

• Using Pinterest for Business and/or Blog Traffic

There have been lots of recent success stories about bloggers whose traffic increased exponentially due to Pinterest. If you have the right kind of business, this is an absolute natural.  If you make gorgeous jewellery or magical paintings or sell deliciously textured knitwear on Etsy, pin your work! You just may find your beautiful creation finding a home on tons of boards and lots of people clicking through to discover who made that wonderful piece! But be aware that getting too promo-y can be a real turn-off here. Let the pictures speak for themselves. That’s the language that people on Pinterest understand.

Instead of sitting down to work, alone at my desk, I’ve been discovering the beauty of coworking. This week I prepped for the podcast sitting at my dear friend Tanya Geisler’s table. And no, that’s not Tanya in the picture, hehe, but it is one of her delightful cats. What a treat to get to hang out with new kitties as well as a good friend!

So, what is coworking? It’s sitting down and doing your own work in a shared environment. Tanya and I get together at 9:00 and work together until noon. First we give ourselves some friend time. We chat and connect and have a coffee and then it’s down to work! We’re using the Pomodoro technique, taking 25 minutes dedicated work time and then a 5 minute break. At home I might take a break by unloading the dishwasher or getting the mail or making another cup of tea. With Tanya, we can share how our work is going, ask each other questions, support each other if the going’s getting tough and then bang, we’re back at it again.

When Tanya suggested trying coworking, I wasn’t sure it was going to work for me. See, I love hanging out with her so I thought I’d just want to chat, chat, chat. And, of course, I do, but we’re both really devoted and respectful of one another’s work and our own, so it really works out. It also helps to keep a little notebook nearby and write down anything that crosses my mind that I want to share. I know I’ll be able to get to it soon. I mean, break is only ever at most 25 minutes away.

A big part of the learning was that we had to take a risk in order to find out if it would work. The only way to know was to try it and to be willing to honestly and respectfully share with one another what we needed and to trust that it would be okay if we discovered coworking didn’t work. We were enthusiastic about giving it a go but remained unattached to the outcome. It was important that we weren’t going to take it personally if it didn’t work out for one of us. I’m delighted to say that it does. I think some amazing content is going to get created at Tanya’s table!

Working together I’ve been highly productive. I’ve actually been amazed by how much writing I’ve been able to get done and can honestly say I’ve kept my bum in the seat longer than I would have at home, especially when things got challenging.

If you think this strategy might work for you, I encourage you to find a friend or two and give it a go.

In the spirit of generosity, we’re sharing our knowledge this holiday. I’ve asked people to share something they know, something that they wish someone had told them along the way, something that would have given them a hand up. I hope that somewhere in here there is just the nugget you’re looking for, that special something that will get you out of the quicksand or spark that creative fire.

How-Tos that Helped Me This Year

There are some people in the blogosphere who consistently give a hands-up. Here are some wise how-to posts that offer great advice on some difficult growing edges.

• How to Stay Connected When Your Number of Connections Grow by Pamela Slim (I emailed Pam this question after the World Domination Summit and she wrote this post in response. So many good tips!)
• How to Ask for Stuff by Danielle LaPorte
• How to Let Go by Jennifer Louden
• Why Meditate? by Susan Piver
• Connecting with Intimidating, Influential People Who Can Promote You by Mark Silver of Heart of Business
• Raising Your Prices without Breaking Your Heart by Mark Silver of Heart of Business

Our Hands-Up How-Tos

Thank you to everyone who shared a post for this Hands-Up How-To Event. Here are the links.

• Hands-Up How To Approach a Gallery about Representing Your Work from Sooz of The Beat Art Gallery
• Hands-Up How To Get the Support You Need When Going through a Break-Up by Danette of Radical Creative Sanctuary
• Hands-Up How To Travel Alone at the Holidays Advice for Singles from Cindi of Letting the Words Escape
• Hands-Up How To Deal with Formatting Frustrations from Shannon of Planet Shannon
• Hands-Up How To Organize Magazine Clippings from Heather of To Live Inspired
• Hands-Up How To Make Your Web Page Easy to Read On Screen by Tanja of Crystal Clear Copywriting
• Hands-Up How to Blog Every Day by Susan of Inner Creative Voice
• Hands-Up How to Have a Pain-Free Period by Amy of Amy and Kim
• Hands-Up How To Make Your Hot Peppers Hotter by Megan of Lus Tàghta
• Hands-Up How To Photo Apps by Kate of Studio K8 and Me
• Hands-Up How To Start Your Creative Journey and Blogging by Becs from Catching Sundust
• Hands-Up How To Make A Card or Is It a Book? by Lisa, The Mountain Mermaid
• Hands-Up How To Approach Reading & Dyslexia by Ms Miscellany
• Hands-Up How To Send a Gift of Love and Light – How to Send Energy by Jasmeine of Wiccan Moonsong
• Hands-Up How To Self Heal by Jenn of JennHicks.ca
• Hands-Up How To Connect to Gratitude by Ginny from Special Moments in Time
• Hands-Up How To Guide Your Child to the Safe, Responsible and Engaging Connection that Social Media Makes Possible by Sally G of In My World: Keeping It Real with Spiritual Flair
• Hands-Up How To Quit Smoking & Make Successful Lifestyle Changes by Kim of Amy & Kim
• Hands-Up How To Make an Empowerment Pendant by Tia of The Inspired Life
• Hands-Up How To Get Started Writing about Your Life by Chris of Firefly Creative Writing
• Hands-Up How To Start a Podcast by Jamie of Jamie Ridler Studios

Have a Hands-Up How-To You’d Like to Share?

If you’re just discovering this project and would like to contribute a Hands-Up How-To post, feel free to add your link below. Remember to make it a how-to about something you really know would have made a difference if someone had shared with you. And please be sure to use a direct link to the appropriate post.

The more the merrier!

Since starting Creative Living with Jamie, I often hear from aspiring podcasters who wonder where to begin. I so get this! When the idea sprung into my heart, I hadn’t a clue what to do! As a part of the Hands-Up How-To Project, I’m sharing what I’ve learned with the sincere hope it will give you a hand up in making your podcasting dreams come true!

A Little Note: There are probably a gazillion ways to create a podcast, so don’t feel you have to do it just like I did. Take what’s helpful and use it as a springboard. Make a start and little by little you will figure it out.

Podcasting Equipment

I honestly don’t use anything special. I work on HP laptop, using a computer headset. I also use my telephone for recording interviews.

Recording Your Podcast If It’s Just You

If you’re not going to have guests, you can record good quality sound just using a mic and your computer. The program I use for this is Audacity and it’s free.

Recording Your Podcast with Guests

Skype & Call Graph: Many people use Skype to connect with their guests and record using Call Graph. Both are free. The reason I choose not to use Skype for recording is that not all of my guests are familiar with it, plus I find the quality inconsistent. Often it’s great but then suddenly you can get echoes or static or drop a call. When I’m talking to a guest who’s been gracious enough to share his or her time, I don’t want to drop the call. Still, many people use this with great success and I do still use it when I’m interviewing multiple guests.

Blog Talk Radio: Another quick and easy way to get started would be to use Blog Talk Radio. I haven’t used it but have been a guest on a number of shows. It seems relatively easy to use, quite professional in its setup, allows you to be live and I believe also submits your show to iTunes. Plus, it’s free. Myself, I chose not to use it because (at least at the time) you had to host your show live at a designated time and that just didn’t work with my schedule. I’m much more comfortable recording at a time that works for me and my guests and then sharing it with you all on Tuesdays.

Audio Acrobat: The service I use to record interviews is Audio Acrobat. There is a monthly fee for this service but you can record your interviews over the phone, host your audios on their site and they provide a player and the html for you to put it up on your site – easy peasy. Also, you can set up your podcast so that it submits it directly to iTunes, which is wonderfully convenient. You have to go through a process with iTunes first, but once it’s set up, it’s simple. They also have great additional features like guest lines – that’s how people sent me wonderful Happy Pod-a-versary messages!

To use Audio Acrobat for interviews, you need to have three-way calling on your phone (one line for you, one for your guest, and one for Audio Acrobat). You could also use a free conference line, though I found the quality of the calls to be very unreliable that way. (PS If you do decide to go in this direction, I am an affiliate and it would be great if you could sign up through me.).

Editing Your Podcast

Again, the software we use for editing the podcast is Audacity. It’s free and I’ve found it pretty easy to use. By just selecting and cutting you can remove coughs, big pauses or anything else that you feel doesn’t enhance the show. You can change the levels, combine files and add music. On our show we put together five different pieces: the musical intro, my introductory thoughts, the interview, the extro and closing music.

One of the smartest things I did for Creative Living with Jamie was hiring an editor. My sister Shannon takes care of all the editing for my show. It is such a delight to send her the pieces and know that she’s going to shine it up and get it ready to go. This has made all the difference for me. Thank you, Shannon! You can find out more about hiring Shannon here.

Now, keep in mind that some people don’t edit. They freestyle their podcast and then share it. It can be faster and simpler that way and a lot of people like the “realness” of it. Personally, I like something concise and polished and I think my guests feel more comfortable knowing that if they blank or bawk, there’s nothing to panic about. We can fix it.

Music & Sound Effects for Your Podcast

A great way to start off your podcast is with some music, something that sets the tone for what is to come. Though a lot of people use popular music, this isn’t actually legal. When starting a dream project, I encourage you to keep the energy clean and invest in the music you’re going to use. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have to cost a lot. I’ve found my tunes at Audio Jungle. On my show, I only use music to start up and wrap up but I love how Shannon and Suzie also use sound effects in Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural to signal recurring topics like “News” or “New Shows.”

Make a Start

Sure, there’s a lot to learn when it comes to podcasting but the learning begins with making a start. Make a simple start by just recording some thoughts you want to share. See how it feels. Try a couple of different tools or services. See which ones feel easy and helpful to you and go with those. There isn’t one right way. There is only the way that you’ll actually take. Look for that one and go! We can’t wait to hear your voice

Sometimes we get stuck on our creative journey. We get stuck with emotional stuff, with art wound stuff, with finding the courage it takes to become the creative being we’re meant to be. Plus we get stuck on practical stuff, like we want to start a podcast or write a book proposal or make a banner or start a blog – and we haven’t a clue where to begin. This is such a painful place to be!

And then sometimes, once we finally manage to figure it out, the knowledge was so hard to come by that we’re protective of it, like, “Hey, I had to work really hard to figure this out, so if you want it, you can do the same.” I totally get that feeling. When you’ve fought your way through the tangled jungles, hacking your path with a machete with no map, no help and no surety, you’ve really earned that knowledge. It seems so unfair when someone moseys down the cleared path, all like, “Hey, check this out. That wasn’t so hard!”

But here’s another perspective. What if back then, when you were sinking in the quicksand, when you were scared, when you were unsure, when you had no idea where to go, what if someone had given you a hand up? What if someone had said, “Hey, I know someone who can help with that” or “Sure, I’ve got 15 minutes this morning. Give me a call and I’ll tell you what I know.” Imagine what that would have been like! At times in our life, we all want to meet that person, that person who will give us a helpful hand up.

What I’m inviting you to do this season is to BE that person.

Share what you know. Trust me, you know something, something that someone out there is aching to know. Maybe it’s how to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Maybe it’s how to balance your cheque book, especially when your income isn’t predictable. Maybe it’s how to make origami stars. Maybe it’s how to start an Etsy shop or a blog or a business. Maybe it’s how to make postcards. Maybe it’s how to write a cover letter or a jingle or a great About Me page. Maybe it’s how to get a Christmas tree out of the house without covering your living room floor with needles!

Share your knowledge. Give someone a hand up. Be the change you want to see in the world and the world will be a brighter place. We’ll all get a little farther and we’ll get there together.

And if you want to share online…

If you have a blog, I invite you to write a “Hands-Up How-To” post. Share something that you know, something that would have made all the difference if someone had shared it with you. Send me a link and I’ll share all the links here, at Jamie Ridler Studios, on Christmas day!

• Write a Hands-Up How-To Post
• Email me a link by December 21st

What a great gift you could give to this creative community – sharing where to get great business cards or how to start a mastermind group or an art journal. I hope you’ll join in.