The last time I did Junk Salvatioin (one year ago), I was in a very different place. And my prep for Junk Salvation this year, compared to last year is vastly different.
For one thing, I started three months ago, instead of three weeks before.
For another, it is much more natural to me after over a year of merchandising and painting for retail to plan for these events. So there's less angsty, how-is-this-going-to-go-down stress and more motivating, lets-get-shit-done stress.
Now that I have several shows under my belt, I have a much better sense of what will sell and can shift my time and focus {and money} towards those items.
Last year was all about crazy-insane, paint until you die production and the desperate hope that I'll make enough money to recoup my costs and have a nice little profit.
This year my motivation is quite different. I want to bring quality pieces that showcase my passion for what I do. This is the last {major} show I will be doing before I open up my Studio & Retail Showroom. This show will be almost like a sneak-peek!
More about that soon, I promise!
I'm also doing a double-booth! What?! I know! So stinkin' excited to do this. I know some folks would be overwhelmed by the idea of a double booth, but not me. It makes me feel all official and show-y and badass. I am so grateful to have the time to devote to this and I can't wait for Friday!
How do I prepare for a show?
1. I decide how much furniture I want to bring & that will dictate how many smalls (the more furniture, the less smalls because I want my furniture to be the main thing and I don't want it buried. This is also where I make a budget, figure out my profit goals, decide how much money I'm willing to spend. Shows are expensive. A budget helps ensure my success.
2. I decide what kind of smalls I will bring that will make my furniture look good. It needs to be stuff I love and fits my own style.
3. I decide what, if anything, I will hand make and make sure I give myself enough time.
4. I pick out colors ahead of time and try to stick with an overall color scheme of say 4-5 colors, including neutrals like whites, blacks and grays.
5. I start ordering things I need like fabric, business cards, and so on, ahead of time. At least 2 months.
6. I begin purchasing furniture/taking stock of what I already have. Smalls get purchased too.
7. The War Room/War Hallway gets plastered with paper lists and check lists.
8. I start painting. And I don't stop until the second to last week.
9. I save the last two weeks for all the hand made things I will bring.
10. The last week I put the finishing touches on furniture and then focus on my display/booth, signage, pricing, packing up.
I'll share more tips later this week as I get closer!
Now it's back to work!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Introducing Goldie
I've had this oversized frenchy side table FOREVER and a half. It needed a new dowel in the legs and it was one of those projects I put to the side.
Turns out, she was waiting for just the right time. Junk Salvation is right around the corner, less than a week away. Get show information and purchase tickets here. It's the perfect time for this lady to get her makeover.
I was inspired by this beautiful side table by Primitive & Proper. And this Gold Inspired link party hosted by Anneke from This, That and Life, a local blogger and furniture painter in the PNW (we have a TON of crazy-talented folks in the region, we are so fortunate!) I used some of the products listed there too!
'Nuff talking. Lets get down to showing off Goldie!
I have over 30 (and counting!) pieces of furniture ready to go. I can't wait to show more sneak peeks leading up to the show!
Linking up: Bling it Out Link Party
Turns out, she was waiting for just the right time. Junk Salvation is right around the corner, less than a week away. Get show information and purchase tickets here. It's the perfect time for this lady to get her makeover.
I was inspired by this beautiful side table by Primitive & Proper. And this Gold Inspired link party hosted by Anneke from This, That and Life, a local blogger and furniture painter in the PNW (we have a TON of crazy-talented folks in the region, we are so fortunate!) I used some of the products listed there too!
'Nuff talking. Lets get down to showing off Goldie!
I have over 30 (and counting!) pieces of furniture ready to go. I can't wait to show more sneak peeks leading up to the show!
Linking up: Bling it Out Link Party
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Stories
I've always been a writer and stories fascinate me. The stories we tell one another, the stories that unfold around us. The ones we pick up and read, and though we may put them down they never put us down; they open our souls wide and split us down the middle with hope and longing and despair.
It is no wonder then that even in this crazy-beautiful world of furniture painting, it is the stories that captivate and move me.
The stories behind a piece, where they have come from, who made them, the homes they graced. And the stories of the lives they are moving toward. While they are with me, they stop and pause a bit, as if to take a breath before they tell me their tale, their hopes, their regrets, and their dreams for themselves. They're a bit like us, these pieces of furniture with their scuffs, and missing hardware, and age-earned patina.
I love that they visit me for a bit, trusting me with their secrets and mysteries, as I help shape and mold their tomorrows with my paint and brush and new hardware. And when I have long gone from this earth, I hope that these little pieces of beauty will continue their journey, loved and re-loved by those that come after us.
I close my eyes sometimes as I paint and imagine these pieces in their {past and present} homes as if they had many lives and many lifetimes: A grand plantation home alongside a river, a mountain cabin where the sky bleeds smoke, a chic apartment in Paris gilded within an inch of its life, a country estate in the rolling hills of Kentucky wrapped in a blanket of soft green, a ranch in Montanna where the wide sky is an impossible shade of blue. I think perhaps, it is myself who longs for a past I didn't have.
Sometimes I think that there was a Crystal in a former life who lived in the South and drank lemonade and sweet tea under a heint blue covered porch. And beside her was a friend, regaling her with tales from the past. And their laughter filled the vale.
And there was another Crystal who traveled the world, collecting little curiosities and beauties. And she wrote postcards to loved ones with witty sentiments. No one had seen her for years but there she was out alone in the world.
Then there is that little girl who sits on a small grassy knoll between two trees, their branches swaying and the seagrases whispering, as the ocean waves lap beneath her, their rhythm lulling her to sleep.
I pick up my paintbrush and gather my paints, armed with these stories and with every stroke I flush out the plot, the character, the scenery... and dream.
It is no wonder then that even in this crazy-beautiful world of furniture painting, it is the stories that captivate and move me.
The stories behind a piece, where they have come from, who made them, the homes they graced. And the stories of the lives they are moving toward. While they are with me, they stop and pause a bit, as if to take a breath before they tell me their tale, their hopes, their regrets, and their dreams for themselves. They're a bit like us, these pieces of furniture with their scuffs, and missing hardware, and age-earned patina.
I love that they visit me for a bit, trusting me with their secrets and mysteries, as I help shape and mold their tomorrows with my paint and brush and new hardware. And when I have long gone from this earth, I hope that these little pieces of beauty will continue their journey, loved and re-loved by those that come after us.
I close my eyes sometimes as I paint and imagine these pieces in their {past and present} homes as if they had many lives and many lifetimes: A grand plantation home alongside a river, a mountain cabin where the sky bleeds smoke, a chic apartment in Paris gilded within an inch of its life, a country estate in the rolling hills of Kentucky wrapped in a blanket of soft green, a ranch in Montanna where the wide sky is an impossible shade of blue. I think perhaps, it is myself who longs for a past I didn't have.
Sometimes I think that there was a Crystal in a former life who lived in the South and drank lemonade and sweet tea under a heint blue covered porch. And beside her was a friend, regaling her with tales from the past. And their laughter filled the vale.
And there was another Crystal who traveled the world, collecting little curiosities and beauties. And she wrote postcards to loved ones with witty sentiments. No one had seen her for years but there she was out alone in the world.
Then there is that little girl who sits on a small grassy knoll between two trees, their branches swaying and the seagrases whispering, as the ocean waves lap beneath her, their rhythm lulling her to sleep.
I pick up my paintbrush and gather my paints, armed with these stories and with every stroke I flush out the plot, the character, the scenery... and dream.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Mean Girls Paint Furniture Too
Here is a real-life scenario that I'm going ahead and sharing because it brings up a lot for me and I think it illustrates very common, and polarizing responses that we furniture painters hold towards one another.
Scenario:
A furniture painter has posted online photos of her latest creations. Two folks who are also in the field are together and see the same photo, both have a very different response that they share with one another.
Response from person #1:
Now THAT is cute! Awesome. She does great work.
Response from person #2:
Um. That is NOT cute. I don't think she's really that good of a painter. {The comments spiral downhill from here into further/increased negativity. Really, there's no point in re-hashing them.}
Now I get some stuff is very taste-specific, that's fine. Maybe you don't personally dig that color. I get it. I have colors that I shy away from on sight. And some furniture lines that I personally am not drawn to.
But here's the thing... it is one thing to say "not digging on the color" and quite another to pick apart and discredit a fellow furniture-painter's skills/artistry. It's a bit Mean Girls, isn't it?
Why am I bothering to share my own thoughts after witnessing this exchange?
One of my values is transparency and the other is honesty- and it feels dishonest to pretend that this field is completely filled with folks who are wonderfully supportive of one another and share a mutual respect and appreciation for one another's work. I would say by and large, that is sometimes true. But lately I've been witnessing such catty remarks with such alarming frequency and ferocity that I feel compelled to share my own thoughts about that.
I also think this is an important topic that we bring to the light. As women in this field it is easy to fall prey to pettiness and tearing one another down. And we need to shine a big fat light on this ugly-behind-closed-doors truth. Some of y'all are mean sometimes. And not to-your-face mean, but snide, smug, snarky-mean in private. Except that private exchange you thought no one saw, was seen. And this community is teeny-tiny. And your "confidante" is actually a bit more of a gossip than you think.
Point is? That nice girl mask you're cultivating isn't fooling folks.
I'm also sharing my thoughts, not from a place of self-righteousness, or a motherly "can't we all get along" ... but from a place of anger and sadness, and yes betrayal. I expect more and I require more. I love what I do, and I love seeing people love doing what they do... and nothing makes my heart hurt more than people trying to squash that or minimize that.
There is some stuff worth calling folks out on. Someone is being unethical and shady? Darn right, call them out on it. Someone is being racist/homophobic/etc.- you betchya it's okay to speak up and speak out against it. But you don't like their painting abilities/color choices/what-how-ever?... ::blinks:: That's what you're upset about? Really? I mean, really?
Just stop it.
C'mon people. Life is -way- too short for that kind of stuff. And my tolerance for that kind of BS is pretty much nil.
So what to do instead?
I kind of want to take a pledge- and I invite you to join me. I wish there was a sticker. A nice, oval sticker for you fellow pledge-takers. It'd be aqua, no doubt. "Nice Girls Paint Furniture Too" And we'd wear it on our blogs, and on our shirts as a reminder to be nice to one another.
1. I vow to only use my words to uplift and praise other furniture painters.
2. I vow not to gossip about others in the field.
3. I vow to refer folks to other painters and support their business.
4. I vow to remember that the Abundance Mentality approach to business means that there is enough business to go around for us all.
5. I vow to love what I do and when I don't, I'm going to stop or find a new way to love it again.
6. I vow to strive to build a healthy community that fosters positive interactions.
7. I vow to hold those accountable who are promoting negative bonding.
**************** Update 5/30/13*****************
Thank you for the comments and emails and FB messages! The support is honestly a little overwhelming and definitely humbling. Y'all are the best.
My friend Lisel from The Little Road Said Go made these two fabulous buttons for me. Feel free to grab them and put them on your blog. How cute are they?
Scenario:
A furniture painter has posted online photos of her latest creations. Two folks who are also in the field are together and see the same photo, both have a very different response that they share with one another.
Response from person #1:
Now THAT is cute! Awesome. She does great work.
Response from person #2:
Um. That is NOT cute. I don't think she's really that good of a painter. {The comments spiral downhill from here into further/increased negativity. Really, there's no point in re-hashing them.}
Now I get some stuff is very taste-specific, that's fine. Maybe you don't personally dig that color. I get it. I have colors that I shy away from on sight. And some furniture lines that I personally am not drawn to.
But here's the thing... it is one thing to say "not digging on the color" and quite another to pick apart and discredit a fellow furniture-painter's skills/artistry. It's a bit Mean Girls, isn't it?
Why am I bothering to share my own thoughts after witnessing this exchange?
One of my values is transparency and the other is honesty- and it feels dishonest to pretend that this field is completely filled with folks who are wonderfully supportive of one another and share a mutual respect and appreciation for one another's work. I would say by and large, that is sometimes true. But lately I've been witnessing such catty remarks with such alarming frequency and ferocity that I feel compelled to share my own thoughts about that.
I also think this is an important topic that we bring to the light. As women in this field it is easy to fall prey to pettiness and tearing one another down. And we need to shine a big fat light on this ugly-behind-closed-doors truth. Some of y'all are mean sometimes. And not to-your-face mean, but snide, smug, snarky-mean in private. Except that private exchange you thought no one saw, was seen. And this community is teeny-tiny. And your "confidante" is actually a bit more of a gossip than you think.
Point is? That nice girl mask you're cultivating isn't fooling folks.
I'm also sharing my thoughts, not from a place of self-righteousness, or a motherly "can't we all get along" ... but from a place of anger and sadness, and yes betrayal. I expect more and I require more. I love what I do, and I love seeing people love doing what they do... and nothing makes my heart hurt more than people trying to squash that or minimize that.
There is some stuff worth calling folks out on. Someone is being unethical and shady? Darn right, call them out on it. Someone is being racist/homophobic/etc.- you betchya it's okay to speak up and speak out against it. But you don't like their painting abilities/color choices/what-how-ever?... ::blinks:: That's what you're upset about? Really? I mean, really?
Just stop it.
C'mon people. Life is -way- too short for that kind of stuff. And my tolerance for that kind of BS is pretty much nil.
So what to do instead?
- Get grounded in yourself and your craft. Play. Experiment. Practice. Get better. Your only competition is you. Be better than your best.
- Be confident. Insecure folks are the ones who discredit others.
- Love what you do. If you don't love it, you'll begrudge the passion others have for it.
- Fill your life with other positive things.
- Feed your soul the good stuff so that there's no room for the icky.
- Check yourself. Your motives. Your intentions.
- Check who you're hanging out with- are they giving you anxiety, spending much of your and their time trash-talking, are they always in a state of histrionics dramatics, and chaos? Ya need new {nicer} people.
- Spread the love. Actively align yourself with fellow kindness-spreaders. Kindness begets kindness.
- Take a break, unwind, recharge. You might be burned out.
- Put your head down and paint. Don't look up. Just keep painting.
- Stop yucking other people's yum (in your head even, thoughts count too)
I kind of want to take a pledge- and I invite you to join me. I wish there was a sticker. A nice, oval sticker for you fellow pledge-takers. It'd be aqua, no doubt. "Nice Girls Paint Furniture Too" And we'd wear it on our blogs, and on our shirts as a reminder to be nice to one another.
1. I vow to only use my words to uplift and praise other furniture painters.
2. I vow not to gossip about others in the field.
3. I vow to refer folks to other painters and support their business.
4. I vow to remember that the Abundance Mentality approach to business means that there is enough business to go around for us all.
5. I vow to love what I do and when I don't, I'm going to stop or find a new way to love it again.
6. I vow to strive to build a healthy community that fosters positive interactions.
7. I vow to hold those accountable who are promoting negative bonding.
**************** Update 5/30/13*****************
Thank you for the comments and emails and FB messages! The support is honestly a little overwhelming and definitely humbling. Y'all are the best.
My friend Lisel from The Little Road Said Go made these two fabulous buttons for me. Feel free to grab them and put them on your blog. How cute are they?
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Summer Goals
This summer is going to be a big summer for my business and my famiy, but a lot of it is behind the scenes. The theme is pretty much all about regrouping.
I have some major revamping to do and it's stuff that I am excited about, but also super time consuming. Things like working on a logo, developing new business cards, taking care of lots of odds an ends, re-doing my house (again, but this time to completion I hope). I'll try to blog about the process for each.
My custom painting schedule is so full it's not even funny. {If you want to get on the schedule this summer, send me a message and I can try to squeeze in a few more, but wait times are now 3-4 weeks, instead of my usual 1-2}
I need that studio like, last month, but some things are worth waiting for. It's looking more and more like fall is going to be when I'm in my new space. ::deep breath:: I'm a leaper so this is good skill-building for me to take a step back and slow it down.
I'm still doing shows- namely Junk Salvation in June and the odd flea & craft fair here and there.
So as I'm moving closer to summer and wrapping up the school year for my daughter, I thought I'd go ahead and write out my goals for myself.
House Goals:
1. Finish my kitchen cabinets
2. Finish my living/dining room makeover
3. Work on my girls' bedrooms
4. Clear out the garage and basement because it is getting redonkulous
Family Goals:
1. Go camping once a month this summer
2. Beach combing/bonfires/the works
3. Pick berries all summer long and make far too much jam
4. Ditto for tomatoes and tomato sauce - this is a family tradition of ours.
Business Goals:
1. New logo/business card
2. New website overhaul
3. Blog more often
4. Studio. 'Nuf said .
I have some major revamping to do and it's stuff that I am excited about, but also super time consuming. Things like working on a logo, developing new business cards, taking care of lots of odds an ends, re-doing my house (again, but this time to completion I hope). I'll try to blog about the process for each.
My custom painting schedule is so full it's not even funny. {If you want to get on the schedule this summer, send me a message and I can try to squeeze in a few more, but wait times are now 3-4 weeks, instead of my usual 1-2}
I need that studio like, last month, but some things are worth waiting for. It's looking more and more like fall is going to be when I'm in my new space. ::deep breath:: I'm a leaper so this is good skill-building for me to take a step back and slow it down.
I'm still doing shows- namely Junk Salvation in June and the odd flea & craft fair here and there.
So as I'm moving closer to summer and wrapping up the school year for my daughter, I thought I'd go ahead and write out my goals for myself.
House Goals:
1. Finish my kitchen cabinets
2. Finish my living/dining room makeover
3. Work on my girls' bedrooms
4. Clear out the garage and basement because it is getting redonkulous
Family Goals:
1. Go camping once a month this summer
2. Beach combing/bonfires/the works
3. Pick berries all summer long and make far too much jam
4. Ditto for tomatoes and tomato sauce - this is a family tradition of ours.
Business Goals:
1. New logo/business card
2. New website overhaul
3. Blog more often
4. Studio. 'Nuf said .
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Have Brush, Will Travel
Euphemeral Designs is leaving Poppy & Co. in a week to focus on expanding my custom business and grow other areas.
Leaving has has been in the works for a few weeks now but I haven't blogged much about the process. Mainly because I can't fully answer the "what's next" question except to say it is going to be really different.
So much depends on where I'm going next and where I land will greatly affect my business model (how much custom versus how much retail, etc.) So it's a period of hurry up and wait, a place of limbo, a time of brainstorming and evaluating. It's also a time of building and harnessing momentum so that when I am ready, I have the energy and stamina to build and grow my business.
But one of the things I am excited about is growing the following four areas of my business.
1. Custom work
2. Wedding & event rentals
3. Shows
4. Travel
I'll save 1-3 for another time, another post.
#4 is what I am working on developing this week. The premises is fairly simple: Have Brush, Will Travel. In other words, I will be able to go to different cities for a long weekend, or for a week and with multiple custom jobs lined up, work in places such as Denver, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Washington D.C. and beyond. I will even go out of the country. This is super exciting and I can't wait to launch this.
If you are interested in me coming to your city, contact me for more details! I have a four job minimum requirement in order for me to make it financially viable to travel. But how amazing is it going to be to be able to bring Euphemeral Designs to other parts of the country?! So great!
Leaving has has been in the works for a few weeks now but I haven't blogged much about the process. Mainly because I can't fully answer the "what's next" question except to say it is going to be really different.
So much depends on where I'm going next and where I land will greatly affect my business model (how much custom versus how much retail, etc.) So it's a period of hurry up and wait, a place of limbo, a time of brainstorming and evaluating. It's also a time of building and harnessing momentum so that when I am ready, I have the energy and stamina to build and grow my business.
But one of the things I am excited about is growing the following four areas of my business.
1. Custom work
2. Wedding & event rentals
3. Shows
4. Travel
I'll save 1-3 for another time, another post.
#4 is what I am working on developing this week. The premises is fairly simple: Have Brush, Will Travel. In other words, I will be able to go to different cities for a long weekend, or for a week and with multiple custom jobs lined up, work in places such as Denver, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Washington D.C. and beyond. I will even go out of the country. This is super exciting and I can't wait to launch this.
If you are interested in me coming to your city, contact me for more details! I have a four job minimum requirement in order for me to make it financially viable to travel. But how amazing is it going to be to be able to bring Euphemeral Designs to other parts of the country?! So great!
Euphemeral Designs is a Deaf Owned Business
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a Deaf-owned business and how that manifests in my business planning.
I think a lot of people (hearing) sometimes are... taken aback shall we say, by Deaf business owners.The audacity of it. And when I still get {daily} questions if I can drive, how I can be a parent, the idea of a deaf business owner blows people away. While they are, thankfully, not the majority they number quite high.
I think additionally, folks who are nonplussed by me being Deaf, still find themselves surprised that being Deaf makes a big difference in how I run my business.
I do things differently for sure. And intentionally so. Thank goodness too, because it makes my business all the better for it.
Some of it is simple. For example, I will never have a traditional phone line (a videophone perhaps) and I will always be accessible through email, and social media will be at the forefront of my marketing strategies.
Some of it is subtle: I arrange the spaces I work in according to light, shadows, sight lines. Having no to little visual obstructions is very important to me and something I do naturally, without thought, when I am arranging furniture. And when something impedes that, it grates at me and makes me irritated. Like whoa, cranky.
Some of it is a reflection of my Deaf community values: I am a huge believer in community, networking, sharing information, transparency, and working towards the greater good for the community as a whole.
Some of it is geared towards my personal comfort. I like a quiet environment. You won't find me playing/blasting music (very often anyways). The excess noise bothers me and makes it harder for me to concentrate when I'm working.
Some of it is about communication needs. I always maintain eye contact. I move closer to people to understand them. I tell people how to best communicate with me, ideally, in American Sign Language. I also value written information/emails/signage. I frequently repeat things back to people to make sure I understand what is going on, and I ask probing questions to understand how people are feeling/doing.
Some of it is about being visually observant: I often find myself watching people's body language and how they move, where their eyes go, what they touch. I learn a lot from shoppers that way, especially in a retail environment. I am extremely sensitive to where they linger, what they are drawn towards, and what makes them smile and pause. Shopper confusion is also one of those things that is always on my radar. So are those grimaces when they're looking at price tags (I know, they're just not my customer and that's okay).
Some of it is about clarity: I am very direct. While I am kind and nice the majority of the time, when called for, I do not mince words. I say exactly what I mean with the full emotional impact of what I mean. In other words, I have very little time, patience, tolerance for BS talk. You will always know where you stand and I will always be direct.
Some of it about being drawn to the visual arts: As in, I work with a very visual medium - painting furniture, staging, arranging, merchandising, crafting; creating these things with my eyes and my hands. Deaf folks are supremely visual. There is a very long, rich legacy of Deaf artists creating works of art and beauty throughout history. And being rooted and connected in this is an important part of my journey as a Deaf person. And drawing attention to other artists, especially local Deaf artists, is something that is very near and dear to me.
But some of it is political too. And yes I mean both the rah-rah Deaf Power political, but also the subtle mechanisms of community interconnectedness, the collaboration, the community building. And this part of it is going to be more visible and more prominent as I take Euphemeral Designs to its next level.
The world needs to see more Deaf {women} owned businesses in collaboration with other Deaf folks, other Deaf businesses, and Deaf community members. And I don't mean "Deaf folks are just like hearing folks" kind of assimilation, but that we're amazing, awesome, different, and really damn good at what we do in ways that our hearing peers can't. I'm excited about what this means for me and Euphemeral Designs.
I think a lot of people (hearing) sometimes are... taken aback shall we say, by Deaf business owners.The audacity of it. And when I still get {daily} questions if I can drive, how I can be a parent, the idea of a deaf business owner blows people away. While they are, thankfully, not the majority they number quite high.
I think additionally, folks who are nonplussed by me being Deaf, still find themselves surprised that being Deaf makes a big difference in how I run my business.
I do things differently for sure. And intentionally so. Thank goodness too, because it makes my business all the better for it.
Some of it is simple. For example, I will never have a traditional phone line (a videophone perhaps) and I will always be accessible through email, and social media will be at the forefront of my marketing strategies.
Some of it is subtle: I arrange the spaces I work in according to light, shadows, sight lines. Having no to little visual obstructions is very important to me and something I do naturally, without thought, when I am arranging furniture. And when something impedes that, it grates at me and makes me irritated. Like whoa, cranky.
Some of it is a reflection of my Deaf community values: I am a huge believer in community, networking, sharing information, transparency, and working towards the greater good for the community as a whole.
Some of it is geared towards my personal comfort. I like a quiet environment. You won't find me playing/blasting music (very often anyways). The excess noise bothers me and makes it harder for me to concentrate when I'm working.
Some of it is about communication needs. I always maintain eye contact. I move closer to people to understand them. I tell people how to best communicate with me, ideally, in American Sign Language. I also value written information/emails/signage. I frequently repeat things back to people to make sure I understand what is going on, and I ask probing questions to understand how people are feeling/doing.
Some of it is about being visually observant: I often find myself watching people's body language and how they move, where their eyes go, what they touch. I learn a lot from shoppers that way, especially in a retail environment. I am extremely sensitive to where they linger, what they are drawn towards, and what makes them smile and pause. Shopper confusion is also one of those things that is always on my radar. So are those grimaces when they're looking at price tags (I know, they're just not my customer and that's okay).
Some of it is about clarity: I am very direct. While I am kind and nice the majority of the time, when called for, I do not mince words. I say exactly what I mean with the full emotional impact of what I mean. In other words, I have very little time, patience, tolerance for BS talk. You will always know where you stand and I will always be direct.
Some of it about being drawn to the visual arts: As in, I work with a very visual medium - painting furniture, staging, arranging, merchandising, crafting; creating these things with my eyes and my hands. Deaf folks are supremely visual. There is a very long, rich legacy of Deaf artists creating works of art and beauty throughout history. And being rooted and connected in this is an important part of my journey as a Deaf person. And drawing attention to other artists, especially local Deaf artists, is something that is very near and dear to me.
But some of it is political too. And yes I mean both the rah-rah Deaf Power political, but also the subtle mechanisms of community interconnectedness, the collaboration, the community building. And this part of it is going to be more visible and more prominent as I take Euphemeral Designs to its next level.
The world needs to see more Deaf {women} owned businesses in collaboration with other Deaf folks, other Deaf businesses, and Deaf community members. And I don't mean "Deaf folks are just like hearing folks" kind of assimilation, but that we're amazing, awesome, different, and really damn good at what we do in ways that our hearing peers can't. I'm excited about what this means for me and Euphemeral Designs.
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