New Website!!!

I am so happy to announce that I've launched my sparkly new website, Trotter Creative. Please go visit me there, learn about the creative projects I'm working on, and get in touch. I will no longer be posting at this site, so please bookmark my new site to keep up with all my happenings. I started this little blogspot blog back when I was heading to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. Lots of good, challenging posts here. And I hope to continue to post more stories like that on my new site. You'll get to learn about my creative process, and I'll even share some fun tips and tricks for good design. Go take a look around - trottercreative.com - and let me know what you think!

Finally.

I finally leaped. I designed and ordered my new business cards. Yes. I sat my ass down and finally did it. The cards will be classic. I didn't want a 'logo' for myself...just a nice, timeless look and feel that will tell my future clients, "Hey, I'm a simple gal with a clean look. Hire me and you'll get something beautiful."

I also ordered some nice, black envelopes and thank you notes to go along with my branding. They'll look smashing. I'm expecting them back from the printer at the end of next week, so I might be a little busy mailing some goodies to some fine folks in the area.

Oh, and of course, they're letter pressed. I'm a tactile junkie, so I had to make my cards and notes feel gooooood. Like. Real gooooooooood.

Photos to come.

Motivators

What motivates you to work? My top three motivators have changed quite a bit since my very first job out of graduate school. At that point, I was making enough for me and Mabel (my Westie dog cohort) to live by, and I was the recipient of free cable leftovers from the previous tenant. (I almost lost it when the cable finally turned to fuzz.) At work I was pretty low, actually...the lowest, on the totem pole, and was an eager young woman with a Master's Degree in advertising. (Hint: when you finish grad school you might not necessarily make a hefty salary.)

I actually remember my first winter living in Tulsa. My little 4-plex apartment was built in the early 1900s, had an old, creaky floor furnace and drafty windows. My bedroom didn't stay warm whatsoever. My mom came to town to take me to dinner, and insisted we stop by Target afterward to 'pick up a few things.' I needed laundry detergent and milk, but as we passed the bedding section, mom stopped and put a giant, king-sized fleece blanket in our basket. She then proceeded to find a space heater. She informed me that her job as a mother was to make sure I wasn't hungry or cold. I cried in the middle of Target. Not my finest moment, but one of my most memorable with momma.

My boss had asked me to send her my top three motivators for working. Top motivator? Money. I wanted to get paid more. I didn't really care much for pats on the back or high fives - those didn't keep me full. I can't recall what my other two were, but I'm sure they were petty and puerile.

Fast forward to Friday. I had a meeting with my current boss and I decided to share my top motivators as a working woman today. I may have grown up a bit with my list. (PS - she didn't ask me to bring my top motivators to her - I simply wanted her to be aware of what lights a fire under me. I recommend you do the same with your boss!)
1. Advancement. Whether it be title, added responsibilities or taking on new projects, I want to advance with this group of health care professionals. I can see myself here for many years, and I hope to gain more understanding each day with what our role is in society, and what patients can expect from us.
2. Recognition. I am now to the point in my career that when I receive a "Job Well Done" email, I become very proud of what I've accomplished. Being recognized for my contributions in this role is very important to me.
3. Creative Allowance. Yes. In a very structured health care world, I still hope to be offered creative flexibility with my marketing efforts. I drove this point home, because now I don't do any graphic design during my day job. I simply market, and I'm happy with that. It's just that I'm missing a little bit of creativity now and again. So. Now my boss knows that any creative opportunities that come up will be eagerly approaced by me.

I'm happy that I shared my motivators at my desk job. I'll spend some time thinking about what motivates me with my design business, because I'm sure those points are night and day different.

Now your turn. Think about what motivates you. What fuels your engine?

Creative Betterment

Sometimes, with creativity, projects are left unfinished, blog posts unposted, books left unwritten.

Two of my favorite creative women and I are starting a group called Creative Betterment. This group will help maintain momentum for creative projects, and help hold each other accountable to finish or polish our projects as best as we can. We will do creative exercises, share articles on productivity/creativity, give “homework” to help grow each other as creative women.

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Here is the email I sent to my cohorts:

Hey Rachel – so I’ve been toying around with the idea of starting a small, women’s creative support group. This group will meet every other week to discuss personal or work-related creative projects. This could be anything from writing a book to building a new website to marketing a new project to designing a new logo. Even sewing projects or interior design ideas! Really, anything goes, as long as it’s creative.

The meetings will be 90 minutes. 20 minutes to catch up and chit-chat, 60 minutes to discuss projects (each person gets an equal amount of time) and 5-10 minutes in the middle of that to take a restroom break/grab a coffee drink. We’ll meet at various coffee shops, cupcake stores, homes, etc. The locations should be fluid to evoke new senses and inspire us.

Sometimes, with creativity, projects are left unfinished, blog posts unposted. This group will help maintain momentum for creative projects, and help hold each other accountable to finish or polish our projects as best as we can. We can do creative exercises, share articles on productivity/creativity, give “homework” to help grow each other as creative women.

So, Kristen Wright and I are going to have our first meeting soon. Would you like to be a part of our creative support group? You always have fantastic ideas, and are always thinking of new creative ventures (hello, Cheesebox!). I know you could contribute a lot to our group. I know you’re busy, but it’s also good to get out for fresh air once in a while. :)

What do you think?



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Our first gathering is this Wednesday at my house. We're having a potluck, and I couldn't be more excited to see how this group grows. Wish us luck, and let us know if you'd like to join our family!

Saddles. Back in them.

Well. It's time for a return. A return from my blogging silence and a return to sharing my creative pursuits. A few things I'm currently working on...

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Starting a Creative Support Group for OKC women. We'll gather once a month (for now) to share our creative projects, provide encouragement for each other and offer advice/other points of view.

Designing a logo for a local dental practice. Real talk: I despise going to the dentist, so this project is helping me dig deeper into how dentists can make patients feel GOOD and happy. I'll be eager to share my progress in the logo design and finalization.

Organizing my home office, which has finally been redone. (Trumpets and angels singing right now!) Jeff and I spent about a week ripping up carpet, painting walls, laying floor (OK, I didn't lay the flooring, but whatever) and introducing a sweet, vintage mint green metal desk to the room. It's a really inspiring spot in our home now, and I can't wait to add photos and art to the walls to complete the look. I'll share some progress shots with you.

Removing myself from Facebook. Yes. I've been eager to leave the social network for a while now, and by deleting the app from my iPhone and iPad, I can finally see that it's not hard to live without it. I'll have the occasional friend say, "Did you see my photo from ______ that I put on Facebook??!" Um, no. I haven't been on that site for at least two months now, and I like it. I still tweet and Instagram, but I learn from those sites. I learn about (unbiased) news, I learn about beautiful moments captured by a camera and I learn how brevity is most times best. "So, if you think Facebook is too public and folks share way too much, why the hell are you blogging again??" Because I'm focusing more each day on my design career, and I believe sharing some of my heart could score me a client or two. Or some new graphic design friends around the webs. Plus, I like sharpening my creative axe, and dreaming of new posts could possibly lead to some inspiration.

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I'll be moving this blog from Blogger to Wordpress with the help of my bestie, Kristen. I hope to connect this blog back to my design website, trottercreative.com, to show any potential clients what I'm about. So, it's good to be back, and I hope to inspire with creative projects, happy thoughts and adventures in my world.

Our Save the Date

Hi friends! It's been a while. Months, really. I've decided to blog about our wedding, engagement, invitations, etc. before moving on to what's currently going on in our Trotter family world, which is a lot! So, without further anticipation, let's get a move on with our fun Save the Date.

Jeff and I had discussed sending out paper STDs (I know, but it's getting annoying to type 'save the date'...STD it is) and we determined it'd be more affordable, more personal and more fun to make a video! Cue my bestie's husband, Jake Wright. He's a smart video guy with tons of knowledge and creativity.

I cut up tons of confetti (see the remains here?) and grabbed our fan and went nuts. Millie and Mabel (our awesome pups) were out of control - they were eating confetti and flailing around our old rent house like they had eaten 2lbs of crack. It was hilarious.

 Jeff and I wanted to share the vibe that "Hey guys, this wedding is going to be a massive party!" by the video alone. Of course, our regular wedding invitations would convey this as well, but this video would be the first thing our friends and family would see to announce our big day.  Now, enjoy this little jewel. I'm so proud with how it turned out - Jake did a stellar job and we're stoked we were able to play with confetti for a day. (PS - I wish confetti was thrown around me after a great day...it makes me so happy!)


Emily & Jeff - Save the Date from Jacob Wright on Vimeo.

So, there you have it. The first piece to our fun little wedding puzzle. Hooray!

Thoughtfulness.

Thoughtfulness for others, generosity, modesty, and self-respect are the qualities which make a real gentleman or lady. -Thomas H. Huxley

As the wedding quickly approaches (41 days!), I find it quite appropriate to write about thoughtfulness. Not just thoughtfulness for Jeff and I focusing on our upcoming nuptials, vows and commitment, but thoughtfulness on behalf of other people in our lives. Jeff and I are fortunate to have amazing, kind friends and family surrounding us leading to the most important event of our existence. People who selflessly give up part of their Saturday or Sunday, who write kind words in cards, who throw us wedding showers, who spend hours making something beautiful for our home, who offer advice to a long and happy marriage. It's hard to put into words how much it means to me when someone will give up their evening or afternoon to watch me rip into wrapping paper. (I've been on the other side watching the bride...it's ok...I know it's boring!) When I look back at the showers our friends and "families"* threw us, I get teary-eyed and completely enamored with how thoughtful these folks are. These families are who will lift us up when we have our struggles. They will remind us of the vows we took on our wedding day. They will also remind us how incredibly perfect we are for each other. They will watch us raise our own family. They will be our community, our sounding board, our hope. It's overwhelming the impact they will have on our marriage, and it's something Jeff and I can't live without.

*We have many families outside our biologicals. The OSU tailgate family, the Muskogee Golf family, the Eufaula Lake family, the best friend family, etc. These people have had influence on us beyond what we can even appreciate. We love our families with our whole hearts.

I'll be honest. When Jeff and I began the wedding planning last summer, we were almost completely set on having a teeny, tiny ceremony in my parent's backyard. We wanted a very intimate ceremony, and let's face it, I'm an emotional wreck, so I thought it best to limit the witnesses. Bridesmaids, groomsmen and immediate family only. This was the deal. We had it worked out. And then something happened. We began to make our list - "Well, we can't forget them, oh, or the so-and-so's...they have to be there!" and so on and so on. We started to realize all the impact our friends and family-friends had on us growing up. I'm not saying we just invited our whole dang hometowns, no...we invited the people we knew would support us and our vows. We invited those who have watched us grow into the adults we are, who have grown up with us and who will cheer us on with happy hearts. These families of ours mean more to me now than I've ever realized. It's funny how one little wedding can completely turn your heart into mush and overwhelming love. We are definitely feeling the warmth and we couldn't be happier!

This day will be the absolute pinnacle of my life, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness of all who have given me a hug, written me marriage advice, helped with wedding crafts, watched me try on dresses, listened to me talk about my dress, come to a shower, offered a kind word and offered to help. It shows your heart and that is something I will always, always remember you for.