Now for the hard stuff

I recently came  across a blog by Leonie Dawson, a totally eccentric, mad Aussie who I instantly thought talked a lot of sense. She said something in her YouTube video HERE that did something to my brain. She said when she first started her business, she spent a lot of time exercising her creative muscles and little time building up her business and marketing muscles. To make her business succeed, she needed  to go to the biz & marketing gym and within 12 months she had a really successful business.

With that in mind, I realise I have spent much of my time creating, which is all very well, but if it can't make us survive as a family, it ain't much bleeding good. So now I see I need to spend quite a bit of time and energy on learning how to market my books properly. I shall embrace the prospect with joy and not the overwhelming desire to stick my head in the oven that would have befitted the old me.

I've started writing myself an achievable daily list of things to do and I've been rereading a marvelous book which I used when I first left University as a poor and destitute graduate called The Artist's Way Click Here . This helped me to focus on the processes I needed to go through to become an illustrator. One of the best bits of advice I read was to stop saying "I'd like to be an Illustrator" and start saying "I AM an Illustrator". (Substitute my career choice with yours.) Hard to do when you have no printed work under your belt, but the shift in sentiment helps you to get that first job.

If you feel you are stuck in a rut and want to change your life or enhance the journey you are already on, here is Leonie's website www.leoniedawson.com. A good place to start.

My list for today reads:

• Book festivals and fayres
• Update blog
• Start on House on Hare Hill pics
• Email retailers who I need to retrieve my books from
• Send images to retailer.

At least I can tick one of those off!!

Cheery-bye for now my lovelies.

Family Trees and Hares

Gosh! Is it really a month since I last posted? How remiss of me. I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year - no snow on the Isle of Wight, just loads of rain and wind. 

Over the holidays I have been tinkering away in my sketch book, thinking up the narrative to my next book, which I have decided will be called The House on Hare Hill. I'm almost ready to start putting the layouts together, so exciting times are ahead. 

To keep me out of mischief while the story sets in my head I have been making some Family Trees. If you would like one, here are the details:

Family Tree for 5-7 people

Ordering Info:

Please email me your orders to julesmarriner@hotmail.co.uk.

Family Trees
Send me up to 8 names and the name or number of your house. There are a variety of animals you can choose from; owls, blackbirds, robins, squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes, bats etc or if you would like something specific, you can email me for a request.

Christening/Weddings/Births Pictures
For a really special gift, send me the full name(s) and relevant dates and I will create something just for them.

Family Tree for 6-8 people

Prices:

9x7in mounted print from £15 inc p&p

10x8in mounted print from £20 inc p&p

For special requests, there will be a small extra charge (depending on how much extra design there is to do, email for more details).

Each tree is individually assembled and printed on Archival Matte paper for the best finish. It will be supplied in a mounting card frame which you can either keep as it is or purchase a frame for it. It will be sent in a card envelope by First Class Signed For, so please supply a delivery address that can sign for the parcel. For international postage, please email me.

You will need to supply me with the names of the people that you wish to appear on the tree and the number or name of your house. You can pay in one of these ways: Bank Transfer, Paypal or cheque. When you make your order, you can tell me how you wish to pay and I can send you details. Once the invoice has been paid I will start your Family Tree or Illustration and email you to let you know the estimated delivery date. I will email you again to let you know when I have sent it so that you know when to expect to sign for it.

The info I will need: the names of the people on your family tree and if they are Mum/Dad Grandparent.

The number or name of your house.

Your paypal user name (if you have one) and your email address.

Any special requests you would like added to your picture.

Family Tree for 4-6 people