Art + Technology Synthesis: Feature Friday, Artist In Residence Program, and More!

“Finding and keeping talent is a hot topic across the Puget Sound region. More than 25,000 technology jobs in the state have remained open for at least six months.” - Puget Sound Business Journal, Feb 4, 2016

There is something unique bubbling up in Seattle at the intersection of art and technology. Employers have realized that they need to do more to attract and retain talent, as well as sustain a culture of experimentation in their companies. Innovation does not happen in a silo, the more an individual is exposed to new ideas and industries the greater the opportunity for adaptation. Artists have a unique skill set and are seeking new ways to engage in a city which has undergone a massive transformation in the last 5-10 years.

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As part of efforts to connect the local art and technology communities, I have been working on a series of events and projects. This past Friday, I collaborated with Nick Hughes of FoundersLIVE to host Feature Friday at The RUINS. The startup community converged, and it was exciting to see a new energy fill the magical venue.

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In addition to this event, I have applied for a 4Culture grant for the development of an Art & Technology Innovation Program which would equip artists with the marketing and innovation tools needed to work with tech organizations. In recent years, we have seen National Parks to Facebook, to Autodesk, and Amtrak successfully launch artist in residence programs.

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The Art & Tech Innovation Program would have a twofold purpose. First, the grant would create an Artist Innovation Marketing Tool Kit to empower artists to monetize their work and engage in today’s technology driven world. Second, this grant would fund the development of an Artist In Residence program geared towards bridging the relationship between artist and local technology companies. Who knows what synthesis could happen as these communities connect in a deeper way!

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If you are interested in participating in the Artist In Residence program or would like to learn more, please email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com

Let's do this!

Esther

3 Tips For Using Social Media To Get The Clients You Want

I met up with Julia Amodt of Style and Cheek yesterday at Elm Coffee Roasters, and we had an important discussion that I think a larger audience (like you!) would value. As creatives, artists and entrepreneurs many of us go through times where we want to grow our business but not break the bank. Research has show that companies can expand even in down times if they are smart. It's true we aren't going through a recession, we are in a season of abundance. So how do you stand out? Here are three tips to kick start your growth:

1. Tap into national holidays and trends.
   • When you are mapping out your social media/web content, take advantage of upcoming holidays (Check out track maven and hub spot for extensive lists. The information can be overwhelming so just map out one month at a time, at the beginning of the month), events (restaurant openings, new boutiques, book/movie premiers, etc.), and product launches that align with your brand and include them in your posting schedule (even if you aren't attending the events).
   • Don't forget to tag those brands, and add the locations/places, because you want to be on their radar as well as the radar of their customers.
2. Join affiliate/partner programs.
   • Pinterest now allows you to have affiliate links, which means you can post your product on a board and link directly to your website. So get to work optimizing your boards to showcase your product in the best light.
   • If you are a blogger, check out two programs that my clients have had success with are RewardsStyle and Share A Sale.
   • Do any of your favorite brands have affiliate programs? You would be surprised, I have seen everyone from Danielle LaPorte to Amazon launch them.
3. Post the work that you want.
   • If you are trying to work with specific brands then give them shout outs, if you want to work with a certain type of client then research the brands who have already captured your audience target (what is their aesthetic, what kind of content are they posting, etc).
   • Perhaps you don't have the budget to create that dream photo shoot or hire the perfect graphic designer -- don't let that hold you back. Fake it till you make it! Take advantage of Unsplash, a free stock photography website, and Canva, a site that makes design simple for everyone.

3 Tips For Making Your Social Media Shine

I'm thrilled to introduce Andrea Alder, another brilliant lady that I met via Instagram (I tell you - definitely be on the lookout for your tribe on Instagram). Andrea is a rock star stylist and Seattle is damn lucky to have her. Today, she shares her favorite social media tips. I love her perspective.

Social Media Tip #3: Interact, Aesthetic, Shine!

Interact with your feed: We live in a world of social media, but that doesn't mean we don't interact with each other besides liking a picture here and there. If someone came up to me on the street and commented on my outfit I would thank them- the same goes for my social media. I think it's very important to participate in your comment thread, respond personally to my followers and engage in conversation. This creates a more genuine interaction and a larger social network.

Create an aesthetic: Branding yourself is like creating a virtual personality. Most successful Instagram accounts have a very distinctive aesthetic to their feed, whether is the same type of image being posted ( e.g. nature images, outfit posts, beauty tips) or the same filter used on all images to create a correlation between one image to the other. If you have a favorite filter, use it!! This will help your followers know when an image might belong to you.

Make it shine: You don't need to spend money on a fancy camera anymore to have beautiful images on your feed. While I keep a little Leica on hand for BTS shots of my work, I mostly use my iPhone for sharing my day to day life and inspiration. They key is good light, by this I mean natural light. Have a new necklace you want to show off? Find a white surface and go by your window. I find morning light to be the prettiest and softest so I like to take most of my flatlays in the morning, I also like to hold a foam core board on the opposite side of my object so the light from the window bounces off from the foam core and into the "dark" side of my object and this way I can create a nicely lit balanced image. If all this sounds like too much, try my favorite editing app "Snapseed" I love using the exposure brush to brighten areas of my image that might be too dark.

A N D R E A  A L D E R

D e s i g n e r | C r e a t i v e | S t y l i s t 

Consistency Is King In Social Media

Today, I'm excited to introduce Lauren Caron of Union Adorn to give her top social media tip. Lauren and I met via Instagram (the power of social media). Lauren recently moved to Seattle from New York, when we finally got to meet in person, it felt like we definitely were kindred creative spirits. Lauren's background is in Visual Presentation Design, Interior Design and Business Management. She has worked with some pretty amazing clients including: Bergdorf Goodman, Hasbrouck House Hotel, Homepolish Inc and Tiffany & Co. She is absolutely amazing and I am looking forward to collaborating with her more soon.

Social Media Tip #2: BE CONSISTENT

The best way to ensure you’re going to have a strong Instagram feed is to be Consistent. Think about when you scan other accounts, especially the ones that you consider to be good, there is a consistent formula and system that they’re using which makes their feed be consistently good and on brand. You can look at their feed and know immediately if you want to follow a person/brand or not. Most of the time I don’t even go past the initial feed to individual photos make the decision about if I am going to follow that person or not. 

Creating that consistency is the first step and it’s not going to happen overnight. You need to experiment with different filters, or types of images or perhaps kinds of compositions (that are all reflective of your brand), or even a consistent tone of voice, and see how your followers respond to them. After a while trends will start to reveal themselves and you’ll gain an understanding of what your audience wants to see and hear from you. That’s when you start to edit your content to post more within that formula. Sometimes I purposely break the formula and yes, I gain less likes but also, it is a personal account and I want to be authentic so I say “what the heck, I want to post this so I will.” Usually I receive less likes and sometimes I even lose followers. 

For example, in my personal feed (@laurenlcaron) my audience is most drawn to 4 major images: 1. pictures of my own interiors or interiors that I have created. 2. and 3. are a close and nearly a tie, but my audience loves to see images of building facades in the neighborhoods I’m living, or interiors of restaurants and shops that I’m shopping in. And 4. My dogs tend to get a lot of likes, as long as they’re sprinkled into the feed, not over used. Once in a while I’ll add an image with inspirational text that is relative to me, my followers and the spirit of being a creative entrepreneur. Some of those images have received the most likes of all while others don’t get much. So I only truly post them when the words have a significant meaning to me. For my feed though, I tend to post them in the same font on the same white background.

This completely makes sense as to why my audience prefers these kinds of images, because I am an interior designer and my feed is my personal brand. What audiences want to see, ties directly back to the foundation of the brand - me and my work. 

From a visual standpoint, when canvassing my feed, I consistently utilize the same 2 filters from VSCO. I prefer a tone that is clean, clear and crisp, with true blacks, true whites and deep greens. You’ll notice my images are never too warm or toned to pink, hazy, too moody or too overexposed. Also, I tend to shoot directly onto my buildings and rooms, creating straight up and down lines, without any strong perspective lines or angles. 

Apps that I utilize to keep my feed consistent are: 

• VSCO - because I always prefer those filters over the IG ones
• Snug - to preview how a new image will fit within my feed. 
• ColorStory - Once in a while I’ll use this to edit the photos, but I haven’t found a favorite set of filters on this app yet, although they do the same thing that VSCO does. 
• Phonto - to create my text images.

Consistency doesn’t mean that you have to have the same exact images or necessary that every image has to look the same but they should fit into some sort of broad formula that we stick to. Also, this is just relative to IG, for my other platforms I create based on the needs of that space, as well as what my audience wants to see within that platform. In the end, I just try to ask of whatever I put out there, “is this consistent with my brand?”

Lauren Caron

Union Adorn | United in Beauty

www.unionadorn.com

4 Books I Am Reading

Social Media Tip #1: Create content that is relevant but also infused with your DNA.  I recently polled my social media audience and they requested that I share more about "my process" "work/life balance" "how I find clients" and "tools I use". So this is the first post in a series where I will focus on my process with social media, as well as include tips from some of my favorite people on social media. First, can I just say that this is a process of experimentation, pivoting and evolving? So don't feel like you have to be perfect immediately, or even a month later. I personally have found it to be a tricky tension of creating content which resonates with my audience, but also developing those things which I get joy out of creating. Isn't that always the struggle between art and commerce?

This week I am in luck because it's #readabookday and if you know me at all, you know that I am quite obsessed with reading and learning in general. I know that what I find interesting may not always be appealing to you guys, but I do try to lead the way in the fact that I am always looking to different industries, religions, etc. for that which is beneficial to the common good. I believe gold/treasure/truth is hidden in unexpected places, and many people miss out because they don't explore the random alleys and follow their curiosity down rabbit trails. Also, it seems that "open minded" has become a shield for only being open to what is comfortable to us. I like to be challenged and to wrestle with ideas that I don't understand because when I do I have seen it leads to personal growth. It is quite easy to turn away from those things which are uncomfortable but I would encourage us to have courage and turn into the questions.

What I am reading has a profound effect on how I feel. So I try to be careful of taking in the right balance. Feed your curiosity, feed your happiness. Here is what is currently in my bag (well at least 1-2 of them, otherwise it gets heavy):

• Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown: On my trip to San Diego over the weekend I walked into a North Park bookstore in search of The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson (because someone had recommended it to me) but I ended up walking out with this book. As I say to anyone I suggest a book to, don't feel obligated because a book needs to meet you at the right time. This book aligns with my feeling like it's time to make some changes for a new chapter in my own life to begin.
• Make Your Mark: The Creative's Guide To Building A Business: My friend Matt (A Cook Named Matt) gave me this book to read several months ago and I am just getting around to it. Definitely ask your friends and fellow entrepreneurs what they are reading, because I always get great tips!
• Tears To Triumph by Marianne Williamson: I feel that it's incredibly important to process the things/relationships which happen in our lives because our past can have a profound effect on our businesses and our future if not processed properly. Lately, Marianne Williamson has been seriously speaking to my heart. Remember to take care of the whole you.
• Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist: Fall is always a season of contemplation and turning inward. I begin to prepare now for the next year. This book has become a part of my morning ritual (now that I finished BIG MAGIC). I am slowing down and evaluating the components of my life - are they are deep or shallow. I want to be connected but much of life tries to distract us and keep us from making those deeper heart connections.

What are you reading these days? I always love hearing about new/old books, my list seems to be forever growing :)

Resources

• If you are planning out your social media content calendar, then I would encourage you to take a look at Track Maven's post on national holidays. It's a great resource and will save you time trying to compile a list of your own.  It's where I got the prompt for today's post :)