The Desert In The City

If you like me have found yourself hungry for something more, dissatisfied with the seeming shallows of social media and empty networking events, this series is for you. I believe that each of us has the power to cultivate a depth which unfortunately has become a rarity in today's culture. We have lustily engorged ourselves on curated experiences, moving from one high to the next. Where has the era of treasuring and caring for every detail of life gone, just reminisce upon the stories of exquisitely perfumed clothing and hope chests compiled over generations? When was the last time you held a piece of fragrant sun-ripened fruit to your nose? When was the last time someone pulled out a knife to cut you a slice of a perfect peach? We must re-train ourselves to sit in a moment and to savor it as if that moment held within in it a costly wine, aged for years in a hidden dark cellar until it reached perfection.

As the summer days begin to wind down, let us capture the sunshine of bright memories, so that in the cold and rainy days to come we may unbottle those memories and have our homes made cozy by their warmth. To live such a life does not happen by mere accident, it is cultivated with intentionality. Today, I launch The Desert In The City series as much to water seeds of change in my own life as in yours.

"We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given a life, and it is up to us to make it good or bad." - Paulo Coehlo

TOP 5 RESOURCES FOR GROWING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

You can be hustling away, but if you are not sharing what you are creating then it’s virtually impossible to grow your audience. As freelancer, entrepreneur, an individual in the gig/project based economy, I know that I have to put work out there in order to get more work. So I wanted to share with you a couple of the sites/tools which I have found helpful for doing this. CALENDAR

Social media can be a bit overwhelming, but if you make a plan then it is much easier to stay consistent, which is a major KEY to growing your online presence.

Content Calendar:  It's important that your content be relevant and shareable. Reviewing a content calendar before mapping out your social media strategy helps you make sure your content will be in the right place, at the right time which will increase the odds of exposure.

Passion Planner: I have found having a physical calendar really allows me to map out my content. Also, if you are someone who works with affiliates, they have a buy three get one program.

IMAGES

A big challenge that artists and small businesses face is getting fresh content for use in their social media, website and marketing materials. Here are two sources for FREE content, start taking advantage of them today to grow your online presence.

The New York Public Library – Public Domain Images: Did you know that more than 180,000 of the items in the New York Public Library Digital Collections are in the public domain? These images are free for you to share and reuse.

Unsplash: Free Stock Photos: A great source for free stock photos. You can either explore the site, or choose to sign up to have 10 hi-res photos delivered to your inbox every 10 days.

IMAGE EDITING AND LAYOUT

Once you have images, now what do you do?

WordSwag: If you are not a designer but like sharing tips, quotes, etc. This is an app you should download asap. It’s a great solution until you can afford to work with a designer. Once again just remember your brand aesthetic and try to be consistent with the styles you choose.

Photoshop Express: Allows you to make easy touch ups to photos you have taken.

Layout: It’s important to spice up the number of photos you are posting. The layout app allows you to lay out multiple photos in a simple way.

CONTENT CURATION

One way to stand apart from your competitors is to position yourself as a thought leader, this can be done by writing blogs and articles. In addition to writing, you can also be a source that others turn to for trends and fresh content.

Scoop.it: Create and grow your online presence in minutes by publishing curated content.

ENGAGEMENT AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS

If we have ever set down to discuss your social media, you will know there are a couple of items that I continually FOCUS on: aesthetic, consistency, experimentation and measurement. The following tools allow you to schedule your posts and experiment, then provides you with the data to see what did and didn’t work.

Hootsuite: This tool allows you to save time and be strategic with your social media. The free plan lets you: monitor and engage in every conversation, schedule messages and measure social media growth.

Crowdfire: Helps you to keep track of how your social media updates affect your follower/unfollower stats.

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Note: If you are reading this post about social media, then I want to make sure you have also heard about the Instagram's recent feature update, Instagram Stories. This is Instagram's response to Snapchat and could turn out to be a very competitive move.

The Artist Uprising Putting Seattle On The Map

“There’s no protectiveness or competitiveness. We’re all really open with our resources, vendors, press contacts. There’s real camaraderie. The attitude is, ‘let’s get us all on the map.’ We’re all in this together.” - Devin Montgomery 

So much has happened in the last month, that I almost don’t know where to begin! I had the privilege of meeting with Eric Anderson, Chef at Brunswick and Hunt, which was the first of many times that it came to my attention that some Seattle publications are really not giving the type of love they should be to the talented creatives in our region. If you know me, then you know this just won’t do. I am determined to contribute to what I believe is a new artist uprising that is putting Seattle on the map. Just as I believe every industry is open for disruption, I also believe the narrow idea that Seattle is rain, coffee, grunge and technology, is no longer enough to characterize this region. It’s time for businesses to pay attention to what is brewing in their own backyard, and to stop outsourcing what creatives and entrepreneurs in Seattle can do brilliantly.

“The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers - creative and holistic right brain thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn’t.” - Daniel Pink

When I first met Aaron Hicks, clothing designer for YaJoe, he gave me the greatest compliment ever “If I ever design a womenswear line you would me my muse”, little did he know that a couple months later I would ask him to collaborate with me to create my dream of a modern artist smock. I love fashion but for quite some time I have contemplated Gertrude Stein’s quote “You can either buy clothes or pictures”. Your clothing and jewelry are a part of your armor for stepping into the world feeling empowered, as though you could seriously kick ass! I mean have you seen Shannon Koszyk's Audaces Fortuna Invat (Fortune Favors The Bold) ring?! Every day I want to be able to costume myself in a way that feels like I am imbued with a magical superpower. This past week I had the privilege of collaborating with Aaron to develop the first uncommon artist smock. I am BUBBLING OVER WITH EXCITEMENT to be wearing the uncommon artist smock in today’s photo shoot which I have produced in collaboration with some brilliant local creatives for The Ruins. Please follow @uncommoncartography and @the_ruins for a sneak peek.

“The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline and effort and being able to truly care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in a myriad of petty little unsexy ways every day.”  - David Foster Wallace

A final note, many of you may have noticed the series of uncommon collaborations I have been producing. The collaborations are an outflow of my desire to take artists and industries to the next level. These artists have been sharing their talents to help each other fill in their gaps and reach the brands they most desire to work with (because none of us can do it all). The collaborators have been developing some serious social capital and momentum. It has taken a couple of months, but we have begun to see new doors opening and paid projects being locked in as a result of our collaborations. If you would be interested in being featured in a future collaboration, please email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com.  

Let's Do This!

Esther

Ps: As part of our brand refresh for The Ruins in Seattle, I am coordinating a series of events (popups, artist showcases, industry events). If you are interested in participating in a pop-up, showcase, etc. or you know an entrepreneur or creative trying to get to the next level in their career, please email me at esther@theruins.net.

No. 03: Uncommon Collaboration - Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesday 2

“When people chase what they love, they will inevitably seek out and immerse themselves in knowledge flows, drinking deeply from new creative wells even as they contribute their own experiences and insights along the way.” ― John Seely Brown, The Power of Pull

Our fish taco collaboration was decided upon because we had some fish leftover from another client shoot. Unfortunately, by the time we got around to using the fish the freezer had attacked it. Let me just take a second here to highlight how wonderful it is to collaborate with people who are not easily frustrated or stumped when facing challenges. The team immediately engaged a new plan and was able to find some fresh fish at a nearby market.

Taco Tuesday 3

In addition to being well networked, active on social media, and flexible, our collaborations seek to include individuals from different fields of expertise. This diversity is encouraged in Steven Johnson's book "Where Good Ideas Comes From":

"The entrepreneurs who built bridges outside of their islands were able to borrow or co-opt new ideas from these external environments and put them to use in a new context." - Steven Johnson, Where Great Ideas Come From

Taco Tuesday 4

By bringing together people from different industries we are able to not only challenge and encourage each other, we are also able to share edge ideas from our unique fields which others might be able to adapt to their own businesses. Our collaborators exchange information around marketing, technology, photography, video, and so much more! This free exchange of information is fostered by the fact we each have the mindset that we are hustling to put Seattle on the creative map. So the next time you meet someone from a different industry, see them through the lens of connections, there is treasure hidden in the person who stands before you. Also, I would encourage you to not be reluctant sharing ideas and information. Don't be fearful of competition, because the way I see it, the more you give the more you grow.

"But that secrecy, as we have seen, comes with great cost. Protecting ideas from copycats and competitors also protects them from other ideas that might improve them, might transform them from hints and hunches to true innovations. " - Steven Johnson, Where Great Ideas Come From

CollaboratorsMatt Broussard: @acooknamedmatt (Taco Creator!)Josiah Michael: @josiahmichael (Taco Tuesday Photographer)Kaleb Norman James: @kalebnormanjames (Tablescape Design)Esther Maria Swaty: @uncommoncartography (Collaboration Producer)Sarah Flotard: @sflotard (Guest/Food photographer)Megan Little: @meganmlittle (Guest/Fashion blogger)C. Wells Style: @cwellsstyle (Guest /Fashion blogger)Lauren Caron: @laurenlcaron (Guest/Interior designer)

BrandsVoss: @vossworld (used in Lemongrass Tempura Cod Taco Recipe)World Market: @worldmarket (table setting) Original New York Seltzer: @originalnewyorkseltzer (on the table)

If you need content for your website, social media, or an upcoming product launch please feel free to email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com and I can make sure to connect you with cost efficient resources that will capture your product story and showcase it in a compelling way.

No. 02 - Uncommon Collaboration: Wine & Pizza

“Great thinking partners aren’t echo chambers - they bring well-stocked minds, new perspective, and challenge.” - Margaret Heffernan When looking to work with a brand, we do thorough research to uncover a problem that we can solve. If the brand does not have a problem that we can solve, then we move on to other richer prospects. As an artist or entrepreneur, your time is valuable, so it is incredibly important to measure your return on investment. Identify the brands that you want to work with, then experiment with different approaches.

kaleb and pizza

The Wine and Pizza shoot was the first time an Uncommon Collaboration featured a brand. Josiah Michael approached Precept Wine’s PR and Social Media Coordinator, to see if Precept had a label they needed photography for. We were in luck; they were looking to get new images for their Canoe Ridge wine, from a winery in Walla Walla.

pizza

When putting together a collaboration I consider who is a part of the Seattle Uprising, you know that rising tide of creatives that are putting in the work to stand apart from the rest of the crowd? We have learned for these collaborations that it is helpful if collaborators are well networked and active on social media, this provides the greatest exposure for the brands and fellow collaborators. Also, when selecting our collaborators we really consider the energy that they will bring, because we want an amazing experience for everyone who is participating.

party on the roof

The pizza and wine collaboration went even better than we could have imagined! Not only did all of the collaborators receive great photography and exposure, but this kicked off a great partnership between us and Precept Wine. Make sure to check out the final product on Canoe Ridge's Instagram account :)

Collaborators

• Matt Broussard (Cook at Palace Kitchen)
• Danny Owens (Photographer/Videographer - focused on video for Matt)
• Josiah Michael (Photographer - focused on capturing images for Precept Wine)
• Kaleb Norman James (Tablescape design)
• Julia Amodt (Lifestyle blogger/model for the wine shots)

Brand

Precept Wine - Canoe Ridge

If you need content for your website, social media, or an upcoming product launch please feel free to email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com and I can make sure to connect you with cost efficient resources that will capture your product story and showcase it in a compelling way.