Twitter has an amazing ability to reach an audience far greater than many methods of marketing today, and it has the added bonus of instant connection. Why would any business not want to utilize this free resource?

The trick is how to do this most effectively. First, I think it’s important to decide what you want your twitter feed to say about you and your brand. What do you want to share? What do you have to offer? Are you interacting and connecting with people?

Getting clear on your brand vision is key.

Being an artist, I want to make sure that when someone visits my profile they know right away that art is my passion. I want them to be inspired and motivated, and I want them to know that I’m approachable and interested in building relationships.

So I created the #ThreeTweetRule.  A simple set of guidelines to help me represent my brand consistently.

On twitter, when someone clicks on your name they are taken to an abbreviated sample of your feed where they can view 3 or more of your most recent tweets, depending on the twitter client they are using. Why not take this opportunity to capture their attention? This is your chance to make a great first impression!

In my early tweeting days my goal was really just to connect with other artists making amazing art. I was like a sponge, soaking up all that great visual inspiration. As I navigated my way through the twitter-verse, I began to feel frustrated. I would often click on someone’s profile and find myself in a sea of @name replies, multiple “like my facebook page” links, or the dreaded single link post. Now don’t get me wrong, none of these things are bad (except maybe the single link post) when used in moderation with balance, but when I visit your profile for the first time and I’m deciding weather or not to follow you, what I read in your last three tweets will often be the determining factor in my decision.

The three tweet rule helps ensure that when people visit my profile I’m always putting my best foot forward and staying consistent with my brand image. Giving a balanced, authentic representation of what they’ll get if they choose to follow me. And hopefully inspire them to check out more of what I do.

If I know I’m going to be at my computer for any length of time I will interact and share things I find interesting and compelling at will, but when I decide it’s time to move on to my next task of the day I make sure to apply the rule and leave my twitter feed with three tweets that represent me and my brand’s vision best.

One tweet with a picture, link, or art related post.

One tweet with and inspirational feel or motivational quote.

One conversational tweet or response to another user.

This ensures that when someone clicks on my @name they will get a really good idea of what I’m all about and the content I like to share. This is just one way I’ve found to help create and maintain a consistent brand image using twitter.

What does your first impression on twitter say about you and your brand?

Did you find this post helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Until next time, Happy Tweeting!

The idea that we can accomplish anything if we dream big, and set our goals high, is definitely a motto I can get on board with. Having lofty aspirations is a must if we want to take our life to the next level. Hell, I’d go as far as to say that without this type of thinking, nothing extraordinary or original would have ever been accomplished by any great leaders throughout history! Imagine if the Wright Brothers had allowed their desire to take flight remain a wishful fantasy. Or, what if Alexander Graham Bell had let his dream of communicating electronically rest with failed attempts and criticism? Where would we be today!?

Granted, these are two fairly extreme examples of dreaming big and making it happen. Not everyone wants to reinvent the wheel. But we all want to be more successful, feel more fulfilled, and have more financial freedom. And if you’re anything like me, you have something you’re passionate about. Something you dream of accomplishing in your lifetime. So why not get started now?

Sitting on the bench never got anyone very far. You gotta be in the game to win. Making any dream a reality has to start with action!  So here are 3 easy “can do” ways to jump start your mental motor and get moving in the right direction.

Recognize!

Quite often, opportunity will show up in disguise.  It’s tricky that way. Learn how to recognize these diamonds in the rough and make them work for you! Opportunity by definition, is a set of circumstances that bring new possibilities. Usually accompanied by change or interaction, and sometimes disguised as a negative, opportunity will constantly present itself in our lives. If we’re not paying attention we can easily miss it’s subtle arrival.

For example, a budding musician may be sitting in a cafe enjoying her coffee, glance up, and see a flyer on the wall advertising a band needing a guitarist.  A businessman who dreams of being a chef, may hear that his company will be downsizing. He’ll lose his job. Two days later he discovers that his favorite restaurant is looking to hire a sous chef. Opportunity lives in these moments! This is your dream calling out to you. Answer that call, and put yourself in the game!

Raise your hand!

Failing to recognize an opportunity is just one of the ways we can end up missing out on great things in life. More often than not, we do recognize that opportunity, but fail to act on it, allowing it to slip through our fingers, and end up feeling stagnant, unhappy, and unfulfilled. By failing to act, we are in essence saying “no thanks” to all the amazing possibilities that opportunity could bring. And when we say no to things we are halting our progress, stifling our growth, and actually holding ourselves back from achieving our dreams!!  So when opportunity presents, say “Hell Ya!” Raise your hand high and shout “Me please, YES. I want that!” Embrace change, It’s really good stuff!  Don’t allow fear or doubt to determine your future.  Get that hand in the air!

Raise the Roof!

Now listen up, cuz this is the best part. Ready?

Every time we say yes to a new opportunity, we create MORE opportunities!! 

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen this to be true, in my own life and in the lives of other’s.  The very act of saying yes creates a whole new trajectory in the course of events. A certain momentum comes into play and propels us forward. One after another, doors begin to open. Allowing us to build the foundation that will take us higher. Thus raising the “roof”, or ceiling that we previously had thought to be the limit of our possible achievement. The only limitations in life, are the ones we impose upon ourselves. Don’t hold yourself back! As long as we’re on the lookout for opportunities, and provided we are willing to step up to the plate, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished!

Take a moment, look back through your life. Can you think of a time when saying yes to an opportunity brought about big changes in your future?

I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

A journey through creative space. Past, Present, and Future. See my blog post here.  See my work here.

I enjoyed the experience so much that when they posted their recent call to artists for the Noise Intercepted project, I jumped at the chance to once again get involved!

Noise Intercepted is a global art project about noise. Participants are encouraged to explore their urban soundscape through a series of 10 experience-activated noise challenges that will be issued between March and June of 2013.

We have 1 week to complete each challenge and post our work to our PROFILE on the site. 

I will be posting the challenges here with links to my finished work on the Labspace Studio site. Follow my progress as I complete each challenge.  BRING THE NOISE!

Challenge #1 The Pulse                                                                                                                             (March 13 2013)

If your city had a defining sound, a defining pulse, a defining heartbeat, what would it sound like? look like? or feel like? …where would you go to find it? You have 1 week to venture outside and find the pulse of your city.

Challenge #2 The Little Things                                                                                                                  (March 24 2013)

This week spend some time paying attention to the little things… the sounds that you tend to ignore and the seemingly insignificant noises that you take for granted. You have 1 week to listen, identify and select one “insignificant” sound and transform it into something “significant.”

Challenge #3 The Empty                                                                                                                             (April 5 2013)

This week spend some time exploring an “empty” space (or place), manufactured or natural. Consider the creative potential of this space… its acoustics, its untold story, its emotional content. You have 1 week to find an “empty” space and change it, transform it, or influence it, through your physical interactions.

Along with the new year comes many exciting opportunities and I’m so pumped to get started!

As some of you may already know, starting this January, I’ve been co-hosting a local radio show called Culture Soup with Randy Johnston.  The half hour program airs on Thursday nights from 8-8:30pm on CKWR 98.5 Canada’s first community radio station!

Our goal is to highlights local artists, musicians, and arts community advocates and help them to promote their work and events in our community. We get up close and personal and start the conversations that hopefully will engage our listeners and help boost our community’s involvement in the arts!

So please tune in and get connected with what’s going on in Kitchener Waterloo’s art scene, and if you are, or know of a local artist, musician, or group that should be featured on our program please reach out to us and let us know so we can help support their efforts in bringing more art to our rich community!

Please drop by our Twitter & Facebook page Culture Soup and “Like” us for more updates and guest profiles!

Happy listening!!

Twenty two artists, five rounds, and one winner!

The night began with 2 qualifying rounds.

Two groups of 11 artists faced off to make it into the final 3 rounds. I was in the second of the 2 face offs.  Guests walked through the crowd watching each artist as they created their piece. We had 30 minutes to finish a painting based on a theme set by THEMUSEUM, and the audience would determine who moved on to the next round based on ballots cast.

In case you were wondering, finishing a painting in 30 minutes is quite the challenge!

After each round the paintings were collected and hung on the silent auction wall, where guests eagerly made bids in hopes of taking home an original work.

It was tough competition,  but thanks to the overwhelming support of friends, family, and fans I was one of the top 3 artists in the final round!

THEMUSEUM really knows how to throw an art party that’s for sure.  A live dj rocked the house all night while Little Mushroom Catering set out a small feast, and the bartenders were pretty busy too.

All in all it was a fantastic evening of Art, Community, and Creativity!

Good thing I was paying attention and making the most of it!

Here’s a look back on a few of my favorite silly, crazy, amazing moments of 2012.

1, During my Artist in Residence at Kwartzlab, I created this world map made entirely from computer parts! It measures 5ft high by 8ft wide. Big shout out to Carbon Computing for sponsoring this project and hosting the iHeARTapple exhibition at their downtown location! The iMap now resides permanently at the Communitech Hub networking space in the Tannery.

2, I got my “gangnam” on with the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery and participated in their flashmob Gangnam Style video at the gallery… Oh what silly fun!

3, I had the great honor of creating the front window installation at THEMUSEUM for the Yoko Ono exhibition Add Color. Her message is so simple yet so powerful, I hope you got the chance to visit! After the exhibition, we donated all 28 inspirational pillows to Anselma House Women’s Crisis Services.

4, I hosted an edgy Art Party with the lovely Hillary Abel as a kick off to the the spring/summer event season. We showed work from 7 local artists, ate great food, and danced the night away!

5, Last but not least, I made a video invite for the Central Art Walk in October. In which I included some bloopers and got to laugh at myself a little. After all, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it! Right?!? Blog post

Here’s hoping your 2012 was filled with as much fun and adventure as possible! Cheers to the new year, can’t wait to see what’s in store!!