Nerding out...

Musings on the back-end maintenance of a creative life...

Hello! This is a post that I had to write, after spending a couple of days nerding out in my online shop.

Wait, before you move on…! This is a behind-the-scenes, nitty-gritty, how I run my shop, process post, not just a: I’ve got new products post. I’d love for you to read it, because I want to know what you think, and I’m looking for a few volunteers, I will pay in zines (see below for details).

Ok, so on with the post…

I have a love/hate relationship with Wix, (my website provider). It seems to be overly complicated somehow, and it always takes me a while to figure out the best way to do things. You need to have time to work on it, you can’t just make a quick change (I find). But two things converged recently to prompt me to do a little bit of background maintenance on it.

1. I was supposed to be marking yesterday, so suddenly, fiddling about in my shop was hugely appealing!! Ha!

2. I am waiting to begin work on a number of projects - which I can’t tell you about just yet, as is often the way. A couple of them aren’t book-related, which feels really fun. Drawing and illustration related, of course! I actually had to be interviewed by a panel for one of them, eek! And I have new books I am waiting to start on too. I feel like I am at the start line, waiting for someone to blow the start whistle; I keep getting into the start position and steadying my eyes on the horizon and then realising, the start whistle is still a while away yet. So I needed something to focus on.

If you read my New Year Spruce Up posts, you’ll know I like to set myself some goals for the year. One thing that feels like it is evolving as a theme for me this year (so far) is general work maintenance. I have been doing some coaching the last few months, and one of the things I have been focusing on is my need to prioritise time for all the back-end work that needs doing, as creative.

I made up a whole metaphor for it! In my metaphor, I was imagining myself as a ship’s crew (kind of). I realised there are the two things that I tend to prioritise: The Wheelhouse, and being On Deck, and I tend to neglect the Coal-shovelling. Let me explain…

The Wheelhouse

This is where I tend to spend the most time: The wheelhouse, which is the room or platform of a ship from which the ship can be commanded. In my metaphor, that is doing the actual work; I can see the horizon, I know how far away it is, the sun is shining, I can see that I am moving along, making progress. I get to chat with the crew, it is active, participatory.

Side note: I had to look up what that room is called called! Funny, I feel like that’s the new thing everyone says “Oh, that’s not in my wheelhouse, etc.” Anyhoo, I digress

On Deck

I also like to be the captain, strolloing on deck, chatting with the passengers. This is the bit where my book has published, and I can enjoy the moment, I might pull up a deck chair and enjoy the breeze, sip a drink, chat with passengers. The work has already happened, or in my metaphor, I guess the Publishers are steering for a bit, and I get to enjoy the view.

Coal-shovelling

Then there is the engine room. This is the bit I called coal-shovelling in my metaphor. It is high effort, low reward, tiring, difficult to motivate yourself, stuff. You are shovelling metaphorical coal into the furnace to keep the ship moving, but you don’t get any immediate reward from them. They could even be quite platable things, let’s call them the creative maintenance tasks, they’re enjoyable in isolation, but not when you are squeezing them in. Things like like writing stories, location drawing, experimenting, playing. They are fun in their own right, but can become a chore if you are trying to fit in among the other stuff. Then there’s the back-end tasks, invoicing, scheduling, maintaining your website. And of course, everything in between: maybe you could add networking and marketing there? Online presence, newsletters, relationships with publishers, going to events, etc, etc…

---

I find metaphors very powerful - I think there’s something about having a visual connection that allows me to think things through differently. Since I had the coaching session, I’ve been doing quite a lot of coal-shovelling, including developing two story ideas, I’m getting back into a regular sketchbook habit (it’s never far away, but I am trying to keep it even more regular) and, the thing that prompted this post, upgrading my shop.

---

I’ve had my shop for about 4 years now. It grew from me just putting a few paintings that had done well on Instagram up for sale, to the creation of my first zine (my Tenby zine) to what is now a pretty big collection of prints, cards and zines. Wow, that it pretty crazy to reflect on actually.

This is one of my very first prints. It’s available now under “Garden prints”

I remember feeling terrified when I first sold something. I had no idea how to print, package, post… One thing I would say to any of you who are wondering how to start, is to just go for it. I am very much a do first, think later, muddle-through kind of person. It means that everything I do is kind of rough and ready at points, but I think it’s the only way I personally learn. And people are always super kind with any technical hiccups (which, now I think about it, haven’t been too bad), and I think the biggest lesson is that you always think it will be harder than it is. So rather then put it off, I say: go for it!

So, because it has just grown and grown, I began to struggle with ways to organise it all. I had everything grouped into collections, but overall I have over 50 different prints for sale, 9 zines, over 10 card designs, as well as postcards. So up until today I had an individual listing for each thing. And I had mad listings like Buy 5 zines, save 20%, etc. It was all a bit scattergun.

So now I have put all my zines into one listing, and then you can select the quantity and zine you want from a drop-down menu. And I have even connected images to the selection. So if you scroll down and select Garden zine the image changes to that zine! How delightful is that!? My inner nerd was freaking out with how satisfying this is!

The same with my Giclee Prints. So now they are all grouped into listings by category - so I have 5 prints under “Garden Prints”, 4 under River Prints, etc…

---

So, this is where you come in. I have more than likely left a few errors in there. I did my best to change all the copy to the correct text, all the links to go to the right place, etc, but I am sure I have missed a few. So if anyone would be kind enough to spend 10-15 mins exploring, clicking around, reading the text and generally having a nosy around, I would be SO GRATEFUL! And to show my appreciation, to the first people who comment below, volunteering, I will send a free zine of your choice! Once you have commented, you have been selected, and then please send your feedback to ellabeechbooks@gmail.com.

And to celebrate this epic bit of coal shovelling I just did, I am also offering everyone here 20% sitewide until the end of the week (Sunday). Just use the code COAL20 at checkout! And I have added a new offer - free shipping on all orders over £50, yes, even overseas ones!!

Ok, and with that, I better go. A few starting guns have fired, and I actually need to start running (are you following all the metaphors here!?) and I have a few more portfolios to mark too!