More on Acknowledging Others

Again I am on a subject that can go off in many directions. There are ifs, ands, and buts. There’s cause and effect. After all, nothing is truly just black and white. But I believe this is an important subject to discuss as I consider my attitude towards others. (And I can be as guilty as the next guy for not always being nice to others.) I am trying to understand within myself as I strive to be a better person, and I hope by talking about these subjects, it might help all of us be more aware of our actions.

One of my visions of good customer service is an old Texaco (I think) sign with a smiling service attendant waving his hand in greeting. Remember when someone would come fill your gas tank and wash your windows?  I picture helpful store clerks; people who remember their customers’ names and sometimes what they previously bought. And customers would know the clerks’ names and ask about their families.

I occasionally see that still, at Aubuchon, Edmunds, and Agway. Last year I had thanked the tellers at the bank for being friendly. They greet me by name and ask how the home renovations are going. Kate said the corporate office is trying to get them to be less friendly with their customers. How sad is that!

I asked Bob and Jane at breakfast how they have seen change in store clerks’ service since the 1950s and ‘60s. Bob said those good customer service traits were inherent in most people, taught at an early age at home and in schools. 

I remember my first jobs where I was instructed on what to wear to put on a better appearance for customers, and how to greet and interact with them. Back then we’d get in trouble if we didn’t follow protocol. We had to greet customers with a smile and act eager to help them. And in my always wanting to do a good job, I followed those dictates.

This led to more discussion on what kids are being taught today about life after school. What careers are they pursuing and is the goal for higher education herding too many into careers for which the job market is limited or the personality or ability of the students are not right for those goals? Is so much emphasis placed on marketing strategies for big business or high-tech careers, and, those include the professions of doctor, lawyer, teacher, and nurse, that other much-needed, lower-paying jobs are seen as less-than?

What about people in trades like electricians, plumbers, builders, construction workers, etc.? I know some schools have programs like building trades, but is any real emphasis placed on this or are these programs just geared for kids “not smart enough” to go to a real college? Are kids who are smart enough or can afford it who go to universities looked at with more respect than those who go to a trade school or who don’t go on to higher education?

Yet, how could a community run without the trades? Where would we be without store clerks and post office, police, fire, and highway department personnel? What about town clerks and even the tax collector? Does the amount of salary a person earns determine how they should be treated?

That’s an astounding no for most people, and yet, how do we look at people who make lower salaries? Is what we say how we act? After all, we’ve had it drilled into us for years how important it is for higher education and how those with degrees and such are so much better off.

What about those people out there working two or three jobs to make ends meet? And if we are seeing these people as less-than, how does that make them feel? We go into a store and get what we need in a hurry to get out and go on with our life. Do we ever LOOK at the person at the cash register or the one bagging? Do we ever compliment a bank teller on how nice she looks today? Do we personally thank a policeman or fireman for the jobs they do?

I could go on and on and go off on little side tangents, but what I’m trying to do is to bring more awareness to individuals, to PEOPLE, a person; not the company, department, or corporation, not the “team” --- (I hate that term unless it’s a sports team). Yes, team-work is important to make any business a success, but it’s still about the individuals.

We may not be able to change the “corporate” atmospheres, especially when many headquarters aren’t even in this state, let alone area. CEOs seldom know their employees. What we can do, is work on a community level to let those people in our restaurants, stores, offices, town departments, etc. know it’s not their salaries that matter to us; we appreciate them for the service they provide to the community. 

Anyway, I am determined to change how I’m treating people. I want to treat each person as an individual. I want to know them so that the next time I’m in the store or wherever, I’ll remember (probably not their name, ha ha, as I’m at that age where I forget names). I want them to know that I appreciate the help they give me.

I will do my best, but it’s also a two-way street. I know for the most part, that if I’m friendly to others, they will be friendly to me. That’s not a guarantee. There are some people who … well, they are who they are. As I person trying to live an authentic, whole-hearted life, I do care about people and I’m interested in knowing why people are the way they are. I often wish I could sit down with each one to find out why they aren’t happy. But that’s another story for another day.

Pump Up the Enthusiasm

Those words came up in my reading the other day regarding marketing art work and I decided this is what I need to do about my art work. Marketing is difficult for me. I have to decide how I can “pump up the enthusiasm” without being obnoxious.

Most ads these days are obnoxious to me! It’s a catch-22, as I’ve mentioned before. I have product, but I am so against the hard sell. I absolutely hate these commercials where it sounds like they are yelling at you to buy their products, so much so, I will avoid those products unless absolutely necessary; like Bob of Bob’s Furniture, for instance. 

Last night I was watching “$10,000 Pyramid” on TV which has Michael Strahan as host. All his loud enthusiasm in trying to excite the audience is such a turn-off. It sounds so fake and is totally unnecessary. If people like game shows, they will watch. They don’t need all that falseness. 

Then there are those commercials where two people are “having a conversation” about a product. Again, it’s like they are yelling at each other about how wonderful that product is. Someone suggested I watch a video of a product yesterday and the two “conversationalists” were so loud and fake-sounding, I couldn’t watch the whole thing. 

This is all psychological marketing strategies. Marketing experts have studied human behavior and know how the brain works. They’ve learned how to get their messaging out to people; how to convince people to buy. And they’ve targeted our children (just think about kids’ Christmas wish lists). 

It’s all about pumping up the consumers, getting them excited about the product, and trying to convince people that this product is a must-have. Stop and think about what the marketers are doing. The loud, excited voices of the “actors” are a tool to make you buy something. That loud excitedness gets people enthusiastic and excited, and it excites those around them. It’s all kind of brainwashing the consumer.

We are all being played by the media and marketing strategies!!!! Think about it. Think about the commercials you are listening to, that your children are listening to. Even when you aren’t consciously listening, even if those words are just background noise, your brain is hearing it! Your brain is taking in – YOU-MUST-BUY-THIS-PRODUCT – which  makes you want to run right out and buy the latest and greatest whether you really need it or not.

This all said, how do I sell my products? I am excited about what I do. When I finish a project, whether it’s a book, a poem, an article, a drawing, or a nicely edited photograph, I am excited inside. Wow, I did it! I accomplished something and I want to show the world. I want everyone to see – and hope my books and pictures will find a new home. 

My heart and soul goes into my work. This is a piece of me, something I’ve slaved over, thought hard about, and I’ve done the best I could. These are not cookie-cutter products. Many, like the drawings, are one-of-a-kind. These aren’t things you (and everyone else) can run to Walmart, or the likes, to buy. The love of what I do goes into everything I make. You can’t buy that in a big box store.

Pumping up the enthusiasm? I’m still thinking how to accomplish that without feeling like I’m being pushy. And, if I’m afraid I’ll be that way, does that mean I will be? 

The Hole in My Life

A good part of my life has felt in limbo for over a year with the home selling, searching for a new home, downsizing, the actual move, settling in, and renovating. My entire art career was put on hold except for the newspaper work and a couple of photo commission projects. I’d been saying that 2016 will be the year for changes and now I am ready to put new fire in my art career. I am ready to get back to “Living the Life of an Artist,” as stated on my blog.

However, 2016 did not start off with the big bang I envisioned. The reno work was still holding me back. Now we are into April and I still need the garage built to give a little extra storage room so I have inside space to move around and create.

I also had to take into consideration where I want to go in my career. I waited for that burst of enlightenment. It didn’t come. What I did realize is that what I have been doing as an artist is what I want to be doing. Yes, there is room to improve and grow and I am willing, but the words are still the same, those words that describe me.

It was time to restate my career intentions. I’ve done a couple new ads and I’m working on updating my website. (I do all the changes to my website template before sending all off to Dr. Bob to install said updates, so be patient awhile longer as I perfect how I want the site to look.)

But something feels missing. Artist, author, editor, photographer; yes, I have multiple realms in which I work, so what is missing? I feel there is a hole, a dark abyss.

I had a great conversation with my building contractor yesterday about the path to enlightenment. Last week I had Facebook chat with a new friend who asked if I knew about Brene Brown. (I looked her up and she has written books and has done lectures on subjects which I am very into – emotions.) I always find it refreshing to have deep conversations with men because it doesn’t happen often. (My ex used to tell me that’s what I have girlfriends for.) 

This morning it hit me. That hole that is in my line of what I do is… spirituality. When I think about everything I do, the Who I AM, it’s always artist, author, editor, photography. I am not one without the others. This is who I am. BUT! I am spiritual and even though I say gratitude prayers every night, spirituality is not something I promote. But that is the hole… or what fills the hole.

Hmmm, very interesting… and I’m not sure where to go with this…

I AM SPIRIT!      I AM A SPIRITUAL BEING!

This IS part of who I am. It IS who I am. I trained and studied for many years various aspects of spirituality and healing. I may not be physically doing massage any more. I don’t have a Tai Chi class at the moment. I’m not leading support groups or meditation classes. But it is still in me. It comes out when I talk to people (whether they or I know it at the moment). I always know it’s there. It’s automatic. It’s what I do; who I am. It’s that certain trust I put in higher power, Great Spirit, Great Creator, God, Buddha, whomever, that when I open my mouth (outside of my own personal whining, ha ha) the words that come forth are not only just from me. There is something greater that works through me. I trust in that greatness.

And every once in a while, I have to be reminded that that greatness works through me. Thank you.

The hole in my life – isn’t really a hole – it is oneness with all that is. It is the wonder and awe of life. It is something bigger than we can imagine and only once in awhile do I get a glimpse. Wow.

A Name, a Brand, and an Ad

Tomorrow is the deadline for to place an ad in Kearsarge Magazine. I have the wording, but I wanted to do a new picture from the one I’ve used on my business cards that past six years. It’s time for a change. I’m struggling and it’s depressing me.

I’ve considered pictures of my drawings. I’ve been taking new photographs, but I’m missing something. Nothing is quite right and I don’t know exactly what I need to be doing. I can’t seem to wrap my mind around what I need and want.

And, of course, there’s still the fear of what if I choose the wrong one? What if I choose a picture and two weeks down the road I come up with something else? How do I brand my business? Marketing is certainly not my forte. 

I did work on updating my website this week and I’m still in the initial phases. How much do I change? Do I do a total overhaul or just make sure information is up to date. Do I keep the old stories of who I am and how I got to this point in my life? (For people who don’t know me). Do I make it totally new? (To give those who have seen my website and story something new).

I do plan on putting new pictures on the site, but I’m feeling stuck. It doesn’t help that in the changing from PC to Apple, my photos are off somewhere in never-never land and to find them is such an effort… and then they are in a read-only file and I have to move them to some other program and it all just messes with my brain and I get frustrated and give up.

Am I whining? I’m sorry. I just want to do my work without all this hassle.

On a good note, I’ve been invited to give a talk about what I do this week and I’m very excited. It’s hard for me to get up in front of people. I will read some excerpts from my books, a couple of poems, and talk about “Living the Life of an Artist.” 

Where Am I Career-Wise

I keep thinking I need to re-vamp my art career, decide what I want to do. I’ve been putting it off, which I had to do with the move and all the renovations. But I am feeling the need to do something, to again re-write myself and my career. 

Yes, I have been avoiding the subject. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or what direction I wanted to take. I have been on hold for almost a full year now. Something was changing, but I wasn’t sure what, and I’ve been waiting for some kind of inspiration (which I thought would happen the first of the year. It didn’t because of the ongoing work in the house.)

This morning I decided to take the time and start dissecting who and where I am. I know I want to do writing, photography, and drawing. Wait a minute! There are no changes in what I want to do. So what’s the difference? Why am I feeling I need to re-vamp, to make changes? This IS who I am!

Maybe it isn’t a full change, but an update; a re-freshening to give my art career a boost. Kearsarge Magazine contacted me about advertising and I decided to do it. NH Made has been after me, too, and I wasn’t going to do that this year. Today, with a last chance email received, I am choosing to place that ad, too. I want to re-do my website and give it a fresh, new look and I want to be better about posting new pictures to keep the site alive and new.

When asked what I do for work, I say, “Artist and editor” or “Editor and artist.” But who I am and what I do for work is so much more than that. Artist and editor is too general, especially artist because people often immediately relate artist to painting. An artist can be so much more. 

The most exciting, and perhaps hardest, aspect about my career is that it is not just one focus. Writing is at the foremost with working for the InterTown Record at writing columns, doing the community calendar, and being editor (which I still can’t believe – me, an editor?). I also have three books on which I am working (yeah, I know, a bit crazy) and I want to do better at blogging more consistently. 

Photography is also right up there with the writing. The main focus here is fine art prints, although I occasionally do pictures for the newspaper and I pick up commission work here and there. The latter entails photographing an event for someone, taking pictures for brochures and websites, or doing pet portraits. 

My third focus as an artist is charcoal-pastel drawings. This year I am adding the -pastel although I’ve been putting in a little color for awhile. Now I want to do more color. I haven’t worked on drawings in over a year because of the house/studio issue, but it’s often on my mind. Drawing calls to me. I’m ready to get back to it… as soon as I get the studio cleaned out and set back up. (I had it ready once then a renovation project messed it up again as I have to use the space for storage.)

The walls of my new home are full of my drawings and photographs. They make me feel happy, accomplished. It’s time to take it further. My work has improved and I’m ready for the next step.

Keeping Humanity in Business

I love the branch where I do my banking. Every time I walk in there, they speak to me by name, not just the teller at the window, but any of the other bankers in the offices who see me. Even if they are with another customer, they will say, “Hi Sasha” or give a wave. That personal relationship with customers is so welcoming. We don’t get that enough anymore. 

Customers in line often speak with each other and comments are often made to include anyone listening. It makes for a less tense atmosphere and the waiting in line is more enjoyable. The tellers are smiling and are willing to include other customers in their greetings and not just the one standing directly in front of them at the moment. Yes, the actual financial transactions are private and low-voiced, but the overall ambiance has that old-time community everyone-knows-everyone feeling and all are made to feel welcome. 

I thanked the teller for that type of welcome and smiles. She said corporate headquarters is trying to put a stop to the open friendliness. She said they are trying to stand up to the orders. They believe in being customer friendly and it makes the day less tedious.

I find that so sad and have seen that happen more and more as the years go by in various businesses, especially big corporate-type businesses. It seems that good business training goes against personal ethics. People are taught that be a successful business, one must be hard, ruthless, uncaring to the people. The overall feeling that comes down the line is the only thing that matters to the business owners is the bottom-line profits.

They don’t really care about the customers and care even less for those who actually work for them. Oh, they have all the pretty words, commercials to catch people’s eyes, et. al., but that’s all show. The good-sounding words are just words used to placate customers and make them think that the corporation really cares for their customers.

But what is reality? Products are made much cheaper and when was the last time you got any good customer satisfaction if you had a problem? Or what did you have to go through to get that satisfaction? How many phone calls do you have to make? How many phone message recordings to you have to go through? And it’s a miracle when you can get through to a real person – and one who can actually help you.

I digress. I just totally believe that big business now-a-days has gotten out of hand. People no longer matter. They get our business, have our business, but they don’t need to care about us or their employees. They sit in their ivory castles and play with numbers. They buy out other businesses, lay people off, and put more work onto people already in their employ…

We are human beings. We are social creatures. It’s important to have interactions and to speak with others. It’s important to be welcoming and smiling and compassionate with one another. We have feelings! And we should be proud of how we feel. And the corporate, unfeeling world should not take that away from us! 

So, with how I am viewing business now-a-days, to walk into a place and be greeted by name is refreshing. To hear other customers chatting with each other (and it doesn’t have to be conversations, but just that they are willing to speak) is wonderful. To have the employees (bank tellers, clerks, baggers, sales people, etc.) act as if they are really glad to see you makes a big difference. That bit of joy can spread.

Let’s spread more joy! Let’s not allow the corporate model of business behavior take away our humanness. We are people! We deserve to be treated with respect. This is more excuses to buy local; support local. 

Where is Big Business Taking Us?

Last night I finished reading “We Are Market Basket” by Daniel Korschun and Grant Welker. The whole Market Basket issue was a huge boon and said a lot about the power of people when they are willing to stick together and stick up for each other. It was wonderful to see people band together to support a belief that provides for so many people.

Of course, when all was said and done, all of the Demoulas’ are still billionaires, some even more so. But the people showed they can make a difference. 

I’ve been struggling for some time trying to put words and my thoughts together about the subject of big business and corporate America. So, I am going to go on a rant here, but this is a huge subject and I can only touch the surface. What I am writing here is just a basic overall view. Nothing is black and white. There are always pros, cons, and topics that are not exact. There are exceptions.

I relate corporate America to the feudal lords of old. The owners, CEOs and top shareholders are the wealthy royalty sitting in their castles while serfs and peasants (regular workers) do the work that makes the money for kings and queens and their families. The royals keep their “subjects” far down the ladder with little choice of jobs. It means nothing for the top echelon to buy or sell portions of their holdings, lay people off, change job structures, and put even more demands on the workers that are left. (After all, if a disgruntled employee quits, there are a dozen more looking for a job.)

(Yes, I know everyone has choices, but when people are considered “unskilled” labor, their options of a good job are narrow. Many feel stuck in jobs because there is too little choice. They end up living day to day in fear of losing their jobs. Some end up having to work two or three jobs to make ends meet.)

What I see is that as long as it’s in the name of “business,” good ethics do not matter. Or rather, good business ethics is not good people ethics. It’s all about making money for the top few and they don’t care who they grind into the ground to get their riches; and for them, there is no such thing as too much money.

Then they do a charity event and get all kinds of kudos for doing something good while in the meantime, their workers at the bottom of the ladder are meaningless to them. Workers are not charity. Workers do not need the recognition. After all, if the company gave back to their workers, where would the huge public accolade come in? 

(Yes, charity is needed… there are so many organizations, so many needing help. But what about charity beginning at home, taking care of your own? Oh, wait, they do take care of their own family making sure they are all wealthy. But how many employers actually look out for the welfare of those who work for them?

I look at all those shows on TV where big corporations give away all kinds of appliances, cars, and such. How can these corporations afford that? How can these contestant shows give away $10,000 to $50,000 a week? Someone, somewhere pays for that! It certainly isn’t coming out of the CEOs’ and shareholders’ pockets.

Who is paying is the consumer! If these businesses are able to give away millions (and still remain millionaires), then what is that saying for what they are charging for their products? The imbalance is widening. 

I don’t know what the answer is – but there is an issue here and it’s just the tip of the iceberg.