upstatecreative

Have It All: Practical Work-Life Balance Advice for the Female Freelancer

October 24, 2017 By upstatecreative

For ACE by Gloria Martinez of Womenled.org.

Integrating work and personal life is tough, but it is especially difficult for women who also happen to be business owners or freelancers. Take heart, however, knowing that achieving a harmonious work-life balance really is possible with a little preparation and a lot of determination.

You must first understand that balance isn’t always 50/50. Before you even take the first steps toward entrepreneurship, sit down and determine what’s truly important to you. Do you need the flexibility to care for children or aging parents? Do you want to be able to travel? Would you rather have a business where you can employ your family? These are just a few questions that you should ask yourself to get a better understanding of what balance truly means to you.

Owning your own business is a rewarding and fulfilling endeavor. There is nothing like being successful through your own leadership, abilities, ideas, and efforts, investment coach Peter Leeds told Inc. However, it is all too easy to allow this particular aspect of your life to take over the rest. The following tips will help:

Be honest with yourself about what works and what doesn’t. Just because you want something to work doesn’t mean it will. If you find that a particular computer program, for instance, isn’t it offering the level of efficiency that you need, don’t be afraid to change. Even if you have a substantial financial investment, it’s probably not worth the time it’s taking to make it fit with your work.
Set time aside for your family and friends. There’s a good chance you became self-employed because you wanted to take control of your life and be more available to your friends and family. While you may not be able to spend as much time with them as you like, take at least one day each week that you can devote specifically to the people you love. This will not only help keep you connected to your support network but will go a long way toward maintaining a healthy attitude about life.
Let the internet work for you. Think of the Internet as an employee that never sleeps. To get the most out of it, create a website that does much of the legwork for you. If you don’t know how to create a website, then you could always look to using a company like Goldero to help you create the perfect website for your company. You need to build a business website that will quickly and efficiently answer your customers’ questions and allow them to find information regarding your products or services without having to pick up the phone. Creating a Website For Trades, for example, could be very simple if there is a basic knowledge of what a website can do for a business. Every business could benefit from this, as it improves visibility as well as providing a professional image.
And, perhaps most importantly, make sure your website is device-friendly since the vast majority of online searches are now done via a mobile device. Keep in mind too that your website should be updated and maintained regularly so it can work for you even while you’re away. If your website is particularly popular and generates a high amount of traffic, it might even be worthwhile investing in a virtual private server from a hosting expert such as hostiserver.com. A powerful server ensures your website loads smoothly and quickly and can keep up with demand. This is why it is really important to use a web hosting company to help you with this sort of thing. If your website is slow to load, then you might lose your audience. There are loads of hosting companies you can use, such as this canadianwebhosting company, you just have to find the right one for you.
Define success according to your own standards. What does it mean to be successful? Many people believe it’s having enough money to buy a large house, boat, and vacation time. Others define success by their ability to have an impact on issues near and dear to their hearts. Don’t try to live up to other people’s standards as success looks different to everyone.
Consider a home-based business. Many municipalities allow for small businesses to be run from the comfort of your own home. You will benefit from having lower overhead and can utilize a portion of your home as a tax deduction each year. There are a number of women entrepreneurs that have found great success working from home. Keep in mind that your business website can make your small business look and feel much larger than it really is.
Get out of town. One of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family is to walk away from the distractions. This is easily achieved by a quick weekend getaway at least a couple times a year. Rent a cabin in the mountains, a lake house, or a condo on the beach, or if money is tight, check out these low-cost ideas from The Simple Dollar. Exactly what you do isn’t the point, it’s about leaving your laptop and workload behind.

Finding the balance between work and home isn’t easy, but it is within reach. Keep these tips in mind to get the best of both worlds.

ACE Behind the Scenes: Yaddo – September 26, 2017

October 5, 2017 By upstatecreative

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][rev_slider Yaddo][cs_text]On September 26, a small group of ACE members had the rare privilege of touring Yaddo, the world-famous artists’ retreat in Saratoga Springs.

Yaddo’s mission is “to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment.” On March 11, 2013, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. Yaddo offers residencies to artists working in choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Yaddo artists have been awarded 71 Pulitzer Prizes, 68 National Book Awards, a Nobel Prize, three Academy Awards, 456 Guggenheim Fellowships, 42 National Book Critics Circle Awards, 29 MacArthur Fellowships, numerous Emmy and Grammy awards, and many other honors.

ACE extends our deepest thanks to our sponsor The Foundry for Art Design + Culture. The Foundry, based in Cohoes and Troy, fosters innovative collaborations between creatives, civic and educational institutions, non-profits and businesses to create viable, livable and imaginative communities.

Photos courtesy TM Williams Photography.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

MAKERS 365 Arrives at Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga

September 11, 2017 By upstatecreative

[rev_slider alias=”makers at spring street”] MAKERS 365, the monumental photography exhibit by Richard Lovrich, is arriving at Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga Springs, its second stop of an 8-county tour. The MAKERS Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, September 16, 5-8pm, with a Panel Discussion on Wednesday, October 11.

The MAKERS 365 exhibit is curated by Tony Iadicicco of Albany Center Gallery,and features photos of a huge array creative people who live, work, or passed through the Capital Region during Lovrich’s yearlong project. MAKERS 365 began as a social media project and became an exhibit that will tour the region. Stay tuned for more MAKERS events!

Freelancers Learn to Improv with Mopco

September 11, 2017 By upstatecreative

[rev_slider alias=”mapco”]On September 6th, ACE Freelancers met up at Mopco Improv Theater, a renovated firehouse at 10 North Jay Street in Schenectady, home to a 60-seat theater, classroom space, and the offices of Koppett, a delightfully innovative consulting group that uses improv techniques with corporate clients including Microsoft, Chanel, and Facebook, among many others, to help with team building, conflict resolution, and more.

Mapco co-director Kat Koppett paired up ACE Freelancers and asked one partner to explain what a microwave oven was to a partner from 500 years ago. Turns out that the communication challenges in the exercise apply quite readily to what Freelancers do when pitching new clients who might not understand a new business model or concept. Armed with new skills and perspectives, the Freelancers were then treated to a hilarious, full-blown Mopco improv skit by Koppett and Mopco co-founder Michael Burns, who had the house roaring. Mapco troupe members Livia Armstrong and Alex Timmis were equally adept and ridiculously quick!

Don’t miss the amazing Mopco Improv Theater, and tell them ACE sent you.

LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts Coming to Catskill!

September 1, 2017 By upstatecreative

[rev_slider alias=”lumberyard”] Lumberyard Contemporary Performing Arts is an exciting new addition to the upstate arts community. Its inaugural upstate season in summer 2018 is fast approaching and construction is underway for a state-of-the-art performance campus adapted from a historic lumberyard in the Village of Catskill, set to open in fall 2018. In the meantime, LUMBERYARD has been eagerly fostering relationships with its local community and neighboring arts organizations to demonstrate its commitment to partnership and revitalization.

LUMBERYARD is the only organization in the United States dedicated to providing technical residencies that culminate in premieres for performing artists finishing cutting-edge work. LUMBERYARD’s soon-to-open Catskill theater is designed with the ability to recreate many of the country’s most prestigious stages to ensure that artists can accurately design for their premiere.

This direct connection between Catskill and the world of contemporary performance is poised to bring lasting benefits to the region. “Our seasons will attract audiences from across the valley and the region— highlighting the critical role that tourism plays in the economic renewal of its immediate and surrounding communities,” said Willis. “The economic impact from LUMBERYARD will be substantial and felt by local arts organizations and Main Street businesses. This will deepen ties to the region for tourists, weekenders and the local community that calls the Hudson Valley home.”

Renovations to the remaining waterfront campus will create vibrant public spaces, studio space, a multi-disciplinary public courtyard as well as community and commercial investment opportunities. This fall, LUMBERYARD also launches a new community arts education program, LUMBERYARD Young Performers, which will provide free weekly afterschool workshops across a dozen performing arts disciplines for children in the Greene County School District ages 9-16. The program is offered in collaboration with the Catskill Community Center and combats significant cuts to school arts funding in 2008 that have left the community with virtually no free arts education opportunities. “This is our commitment to the youth of our community: that the transformative power of the arts will be a lifetime benefit,” said Willis.

In recognition of LUMBERYARD’s impact on the future of both American contemporary art and Hudson Valley’s economic growth, the organization has recently announced a partnership with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), as well as the receipt of a $5 million social impact loan from the Rudolf Steiner Fund (RSF). Governor Cuomo has also pledged significant financial support as early leadership in a multi-year capital fundraising effort. While these partnerships have given the project momentum, we must all support LUMBERYARD to ensure it has the financial resources it needs to succeed. Visit thelumberyard.org/support to learn more.

LUMBERYARD invites the upstate community to its second annual End of Summer Shindig celebration at the LUMBERYARD campus. The event features a preview of Urban Bush Women’s highly anticipated new work, SCAT!, and bluegrass music from Steve Lutke and Appalachian Uprising. Attendees will sample local craft beer from Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company, cocktails, and American Glory BBQ while watching the sun set over LUMBERYARD’s waterfront studio. Tickets can be purchased at thelumberyard.org.