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Veda House – FAQ Answers (Pt. 2)

Freelance Journey

Photo by: Veda House

Happy Friday everyone! I couldn’t be more excited for this weekend as it’s supposed to be nice and warm here in Denver. The mister, the pup and I have big plans to go hiking and get some much needed fresh air. For today’s post I wanted to share the second batch of reader questions & my answers. A couple months ago I shared part 1 – Read FAQ Part 1.

Reader Question: As a creative, did you ever face a moment of deciding between a safer, more financially stable path and an option that would give you more creative freedom but also be more risky? (Read How I Got My Start in the Creative Industry)
Answer: Most certainly. I worked at an advertising agency as a Digital Art Director for almost 4 years. During that last year, I debated starting my own company time and time again, but was always paralyzed by fear. Fear of the unknown and fear that I would be making an irreversible decision. It was also convenient and easy to just stay put.

Now that I’m running my own company the allure of a stable salary, health insurance package, and paid time off sounds appealing sometimes. Usually this is when I’m making scary changes to my business or taking a big leap of faith.

The grass is always seems greener right?

More questions and answers after the jump

Unexpected Move & Life Update

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Hello Everyone! Boy oh boy. Life has been crazy lately and I’m seriously missing this space. I’m trying to get myself back on solid ground so I can focus on me, my business, and this creative outlet of mine. Thanks for the patience as I weather the storm.

At the end of January a house came up on the market that was perfect for us. We weren’t planning on moving until the summer, but when the right opportunity comes along…you have to jump. Especially in the crazy housing market here in Denver. Needless to say, I’ve spent the last month boxing up all our belongings, moving and trying to get our lives back to a normal rhythm. We’ve officially been in our new house for a solid week and we JUST got internet installed. Moving is the pits! Onward!

During the month of March I’m going to try and really get back into this space, sharing more. So much is going on behind the scenes that I feel I’m a bit behind. Social media is a funny place. When you’re “IN” it, you feel amazingly energized and connected, but as soon as you step away for some time…it feels impossible to get back “IN”. If feels as if though everyone else is “DOING” and you’re sitting back and just watching silently. Such a weird/paralyzing feeling.

Anyway. I’ll stop babbling before this comes another manifesto about my love/hate relationship with social media. I’ll be back shortly and can’t wait 🙂

Bringing "Au Naturel" into 2015

Studio Hours

Happy 2015 everyone! Sorry for the radio silence over here. The year is starting off at 500mph and I’m just now coming up for air. I wanted to stop by and loosely talk about goals. You may have noticed that I didn’t share any 2015 goals on the blog this year. Every year at this time I get really excited about what the future holds and pretty thankful that the universe has given me a “do over” card. Not that 2014 called for a do over, in fact 2014 was one of my favorite years so far. Even with a really awesome 2014 it’s still nice to have a clean slate to dream big and conjure up more magic. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best yet.

This year, I’m trying to really focus on letting things happen naturally without to many drastic changes or forced transitions. 2014 was the year of MASSIVE change and I’m ready for a little more calm. In the spirit of letting things unfold naturally, I’m also striving to bring more “natural” into my life in the form of whole food eating, adopting a more consistent yoga practice, attaining streamlined wardrobes & home, and incorporating more natural products in my home.

Challenge One: Eating “Whole” Food – I’m currently smack dab in the middle of my first Whole30 challenge, day 16 to be exact. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I’m one of the pickest eaters you’ll ever meet, with vegetables not being my strong point. Times are changing, folks! I’m happy to report that eating a plant-based diet 75% of the time has really been amazing. Although I’m still craving sugar in the evenings, I’ve learned to like so many things in just a short time. You can read more about the Whole30 program here.

Challenge Two: Yoga – I used to practice yoga every Tuesday and Thursday but have recently fallen off the regularity wagon. My goal is to sign up for this online yoga studio to be able to practice yoga in my own home and also practice a wide variety of yoga disciplines. I’ve heard great things about these classes. Any of you tried them out?

Best of 2014 – Reader Favs (and mine)

veda news

Hello Everyone! I hope the holidays are treating you well.

We’re back in Colorado now and have been spending the last few days cozied up in a beautiful home up in Breckenridge. I was lucky enough to have my best friend fly in from Chicago to spend New Years with me, so I’ll be bowing out for a few more days. Until the work week ramps back up, I thought I’d revisit a few posts from last year – some are your favorites, some are mine. Thank you guys for being such an awesome audience and thank you for allowing me to blabber 😉

As we welcome in the new year I wanted to revisit some of my favorite blog posts from 2015. Some are reader favorites a some were my favorites. Enjoy jumping in the little time machine.

A super fun client moodboard that would start off a really amazing year working
with The Citizenry –> Read

Veda House – FAQ Answers (Pt. 1)

Freelance Journey

Thank you to all of you who stopped by and left a little question for me. I’ve compiled all your questions into two FAQ response posts. Many of you seemed to be interested in the freelance side of things, which is all very exciting. I’ll do my best to answer your questions, but don’t hesitate to leave a comment if I’ve missed an aspect you wanted to know.

Reader Question: I’d love to know how you go about gaining clients you’d like to work with (other than via word of mouth).
Answer: Gaining a solid client base is one of the trickiest parts of freelance and the honest truth is that it just takes time…lots of time (you probably didn’t want to hear that). It’s also a lot of word of mouth…I know…sorry. When you finish one project and share it, you’ll most likely gain others very similar to it. Word of caution – share wisely. Say no to projects that don’t grow your brand in the ways you want and say yes to those that are spot on…even if they don’t pay as much. Be picky and super selective. When first starting out, I did a lot of collaborations with like-minded creatives that allowed me to grow a mini portfolio filled with my passions and design aesthetics. I actually still do this from time to time. Another thing you can do is seek out the brands/people you want to work with and pull a few work samples specifically for them. When they see you’ve gone over and beyond just to show them your capabilities, you’ll most likely development a great connection and maybe even gain a paying client. Keep going.

Happy Holidays & Thank You!!

Studio Hours

Black & white throw from The Citizenry

It’s Christmas Day!! I hope you’re all cozied up next to a fire, surrounded by loved ones.

I’ve been back in my home town of Fort Wayne (Indiana) since last Friday night. Since arriving, we’ve been running around town visiting every relative who lives near by. We’re going to need a vacation from our vacation!

It has been so nice to be home for these past few days and look forward to a few more. I’m going to sign off for a few days, but wanted to thank all of you for stopping by on a regular basis to chat about design and freelancing. I just absolutely love the conversations we have here in this space. Cheers to many more in the new year!

A few posts from last year at this time

1. A few great links for beginner knitters – here
2. Unplugging for the holidays – here

3. A lesson about being of service – here
4. A festive holiday tables cape – here

Black & white throw from The Citizenry

Ask Me Anything

Freelance Journey

Hi There lovely readers. As time goes by, I’ve been wanting to compile all your questions into one post and share a few answers. I’ve started a good list of questions that have already come through my inbox and will be answering them soon. Some of the more business related questions might make their way into a full blog post so I can ramble a little bit more.. If there is anything you’ve ever wanted to ask me or inquire about, leave a comment for me. I don’t typically touch on a lot of personal aspects of my life, but everything is fair game as long as you play nice 😉

A few questions that have already come in….How did you get your start? Did you go to school for design? What camera do you use and how do you edit your photos? What design services do you offer? How do you go about setting your daily schedule? How do you set a minimum hour working agreement with your retainer clients? How do you make freelancing work from a money/income standpoint?

Look forward to hearing your questions and providing some answers.

What do you want to know?

Dear Colorado: You're mean… (but I still love you)

veda news

Alright, Colorado. We need to have a chat. I have a love/hate relationship with you right now and I just needed to put that out there. This summer, you welcomed my husband and I with open arms and gave us the most beautiful first summer in your lovely state. The dry heat, mountain views and super sunny days were a welcomed change from our mostly muggy St. Louis summers. Upon moving in, the first space we “renovated” was our outdoor patio space and I peppered that space with a gazillion succulent plants, cacti, and potted palm plants. You could say I went a little overboard, but hey…Colorado…you inspired me. I basically created a jungle. Nothing fancy 😉

Flash forward to about 2 weeks ago. I woke up and the outdoor thermostat sat at 3 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of -14 degrees. What!? Just 2 days before that, my husband and I were walking around the park and people were laying outside with their shirts off in 70 degree weather. With their shirts offfff! So you can see, Colorado, you’ve side swiped me. You’ve side swiped all of us, you fool. You also side swiped all my outdoor pretty plants previously mentioned. My precious jungle beauties. Every last one of them….dead. Completely and 100% D-E-A-D. Next time, dear friend….how about a warning? XOXO, Cassie

You could say I’m still adjusting to this new season, but I’m beyond thankful to be living in a state with so much beauty. Sending lots of love back home to St. Louis right now as it’s community struggles and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US who celebrate.

Feedly Collection Sharing & A Pinterest Re-Vamp

Freelance Journey

It seems like sharing what’s currently inspiring you is an ongoing hot topic in the blog and freelance world. Most of us probably start our mornings with a few solid minutes of finger scrolling through our favorite sites before we jump into the tasks of the day. For me, I start my mornings with a cup of french press coffee, my iPad (sometimes my laptop if I’m feeling ambitious) and my two favorite sidekicks – Pinterest & Feedly blog RSS.

Veda News: Settling into the Mountains

veda news

I thought I’d stop by with a little life update for those who have been following along. It’s been 3 full months living here in Denver, Colorado and I will have to say the city is finally wearing on me. When we first moved here I was really missing the comforts of familiar things and all the lovely activities St. Louis has to offer in the summer. I felt “off” for quite a while.

Thankfully, Denver is alive. It’s got a active spirit and when I say active, I am referring to just getting out and about in this city. I think a lot of people hear “Denver” and automatically thing of outdoor sports, snow, and mountains (at least that’s what I thought). Yes, all of those things exist, but I’m finding out that being active also means a really amazing food scene, lots of one-of-a-kind shop/handmade goods, and lots of organized events like festivals/art fairs/farmers markets. These are all the things I loved about St. Louis. So far the only thing I have found to dislike about Denver is how crazy inflated the housing market is. This might mean that buying our first home will take a few more years 🙁

If you’ve visited Denver/Boulder/Vale/Breckenridge…I’d love to hear your recommendations. We are on a mission to explore as much as possible! Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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