Category Archives: Management

Explore a Future with Positive Growth

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“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ~ Napoleon Hill

Today, on All Things Fulfilling, we are going to turn our attention back to the very reason some readers return to this website time and time again.

The publishing industry is increasingly changing and we use this space to keep our readers up to date about new developments in independent publishing. Now at a time where independent publishing represents more than 50% of all publishing revenue, every day someone new decides to tell their story through the written word. No longer do you have to have an agent or a letter of acceptance from a publishing house in order to move forward with publishing a book. Anyone can be an independent publisher and sell their books, films or music through e-commerce and learn to promote it through e-marketing. For best results, however, some education is needed to learn how to become visible and effectively reach potential book buyers through the internet. 

 The Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA )is a great resource, and especially for beginning independent publishers. There are valuable downloadable webinars available that will provide you with a basic introduction to the industry and help you along the way. The webinars are affordable and will help you explore and navigate your way through the independent publishing process. To start you along the journey, take an 18 minute tour of “On the Fast Track: The Independent Publishing Industry.”  http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. 

Before you jump in with your publishing project, my advice would be to learn what you can through downloadable webinars, join an independent book publishers association in your State of residence and attend independent publishing conferences.

Here in Colorado, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association is at the forefront of developing a fulfilling relationship with libraries for e-book selling. Learn about this partnership, through this article http://bit.ly/dNEX6N.  

Check back with us tomorrow, and we will bring you more independent thoughts, words and views about an industry that is fulfilling the needs of many people who want to be visible through their written words.

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Painting Life

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“If a poem is each time new, then it is necessarily an act of discovery, a chance taken, a chance that may lead to fulfillment or disaster.” ~ A.R. Ammons

I had a fabulous weekend! I had a chance to visit with artist Quang Ho at the opening of his exhibit at the Steamboat Art Museum on Friday evening. On Saturday, I was among an intimate audience of 40 or 50 people who sat mesmerized as Quang painted a portrait of another artist, Richard Galusha of Wildhorse Gallery http://bit.ly/rSVLei. 

Quang spent a generous 2 ½ hours creating and teaching about the intricacies of a good painting composition. During that time, I gained a new understanding about the art of life, from a painter’s point of view, by a few key and valuable statements he made. 

Paintings are stories of ‘”shadow and light”, Quang related. “One is the plot and the other the subplot. How much attention an artist gives to the spaces in between determines how rich the painting is.” The artist also went on to explain that there are variations of value in the light. 

‘Painting is problem solving, and if you make a decision is it always correct.” He also advised fellow artists. 

Last night I began to ponder on the artist’s statements and how we can relate it to our own lives. Our life structure is birth to death, and then there landmarks in between. During the spaces in between, we can focus our energy either negatively or positively. Depending on the choices we make and values we have, life can be rich and fulfilling or not. 

There is truth to be learned in Quang’s statement about making decisions, too. “How can we even tell if a decision in life is right or wrong if we don’t make one at all?” I ask myself. 

Quang Ho has some extraordinary insight and inspiration to share with artists not only about painting but also about the human condition. His life as an artist and his experiences as a human being have paved the way for a lot more to tell! To learn more about this artist, please visit my blog posting of November 29 entitled Historic Setting Filled with Jewels. http://bit.ly/v8zctP. 

Quang is well worth following. He has promised he has a whole lot more to share with his fans! And from my interview with him, so will I! Stay tuned in upcoming weeks to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. 

Thank you for your generosity, Quang Ho. I enjoyed meeting you, in person, so much.

These independent thoughts, words and views are brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bringing Behind the Scenes Looks

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“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” ~ Gail Devers 

What do you get when you put together art, religion, crisis, history and architecture together? The basis for a great televised mini-series, of Ken Follett’s novel Pillars of the Earth, adapted for film. 

Tonight and tomorrow (12/2 and 12/3/11) , on the Channel known for bringing outstanding behind the scenes Specials about films to viewers everywhere, a look at the making of the Pillars of the Earth  mini-series will be featured! Don’t miss out. 

For broadcast times and channels, please visit the website of Reelz Channel. Here you go, I will hook you up! http://bit.ly/rYU4km. 

Congratulations go out to the crew that brings these Weekly Specials to broadcast on a regular basis! I am proud to say, our favorite filmmaker is part of the team, as lead editor. Way to go Marc! A Shout Out to you and the others dedicated at  Reelz to bringing outstanding productions to the viewers. For more information on the visual effects and film editing work of Marc R Leonard, please visit http://bit.ly/tWdLnk.

Have a great weekend everyone! I will be back on Monday with more independent words, thoughts and views on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com.

Art Appearing on Boughs

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‘The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.’  ~Robert M. Pirsig 

It is surely nearing Christmas time! When the Kiwanis Club of Steamboat begins selling their annual ornament at places around town, the holidays are drawing close. Beginning this weekend, the ornament will be available for buying. 

Our club’s major fundraising campaign is selling ornaments. From the proceeds we buy gifts for needy children at Christmas time, provide funding to send children to science camp, provide “Where to Worship” brochures for people visiting the area. We can be proud of our other random acts of service in our home town, too. 

This year, a talented and nationally known artist, Jean Perry helped us in fulfilling our interest in decorating the ornaments a little differently this year. Jean gave permission to Kiwanis to use an image of her painting “Fish Creek Falls” to embellish the bauble. 

It is a fair trade! Many visitors to the area purchase the ornaments in commemoration of their trip to Steamboat. They will take them as gifts to family and friends in other States, too. The ornaments will hang on boughs of Christmas trees far beyond Steamboat Springs,Colorado and people will become acquainted with the artist’s work. Good deal! 

Kiwanis of Steamboat is grateful to painter Jean Perry for her generosity in sharing her art, so that as a Club, we can “serve children of the world.” For more information on the artist, please visit www.JeanPerryStudio.com.

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Historic Setting Filled with Jewels

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 “Art is something that has real value. It deepens each person’s respect for life.”         ~Dana Levin 

On the corner of 9th Street andLincoln Avenue, sits an historic building that has always been filled with riches. The building bequeathed to the city of Steamboat Springs,Colorado in 2006, now houses the Steamboat Art Museum. It is a gift from the estate of a long time artist and rancher, Helen Rehder.  The building no longer contains currency of the First National Bank. To fulfill the donor’s request, the building is now filled with wealth of another kind – top quality art exhibits. The community of Steamboat is so very fortunate to have this substantial acquisition. The museum attracts top-notch artists who wish to share their craft with area artists and tourists, alike. As each new exhibit is brought to town, emerging artists can learn from the master’s work through observation, painting workshops and demonstrations. 

On December 2nd, the historic setting of the Steamboat Art Museum will be installed with gemstone paintings of another of the country’s top master painters, Quang Ho. This artist, of Vietnamese heritage, immigrated to the United States in 1975. He became a U.S. Citizen and began wowing this country with his art five years later at the age of 16. Two years later, he earned a National Scholarship award at the Colorado Institute of Art, the same year his mother was tragically killed. He then began the responsibility of rebuilding his life and raising four younger brothers and a sister, too. 

Despite adversity and challenges, Quang Ho has become a well-respected top national artist who is accomplished at figurative painting, landscapes and still life. He has invested his time and energy in learning how to paint in oils and watercolor. He teaches emerging artists at the Denver Students Artist League and also through his publications of art books and DVDs on how to paint. 

Quang Ho’s paintings will be shown for a four month period, beginning December 2. An opening reception for members of the Museum will be held from 4pm to 5 pm. The general public is invited to attend during the Friday Art Walk hours from 5 to 8 pm on December 2nd. Quang Ho will be giving a painting demonstration the following day (December 3rd). Purchase tickets early! The demonstration is guaranteed to sell out. There are also tickets available to have dinner with the artist. For more details, please visit www.steamboatartmuseum.org. 

This exhibit is not to be missed, and it will hang until the closing on April 14th. Both locals and tourists will find a fulfilling range of compositions that this extraordinarily talented artist has allowed the Steamboat Art  Museum to bring to this town.

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Fulfilling Thoughts of Thanksgiving

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“Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Unknown 

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful for all readers who have visited this blog site All Things Fulfilling. I appreciate your encouraging comments and your interest in the independent thoughts, words and views that are posted on this site. This digital publishing format provides a way of learning about others in the world who also have faith in the growing  independent publishing industry and see  value and worth in providing a way for each voice to be heard.

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Community Driven Publishing

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“Freedom is man’s capacity to take a hand in his own development. It is our capacity to mold ourselves.” ~ Rollo May 

Have you picked up a copy of Poets & Writers Magazine lately? Biding time before our weekly Steamboat Writers Group, I picked up the current issue at the Bud Werner Memorial Library and began to explore the articles.  The November/December issue 2011 is a fulfilling read devoted to changes that have taken place and are continuing to take place in the publishing community. Literary Magazines and small presses are leading the way in building a new model in publishing. 

Attitudes of bigger = better is no longer proving to be true in the publishing world. Going with smaller presses often yields advantages. Big presses are not necessarily more stable. Signing on with one of the publishing powerhouses does not mean an end to economic woes nor marketing responsibilities. According to the article in Poets and Writers Magazine, author’s reputations do not suffer when going with small independent presses. These points of views, long endorsed by literary agents, have not proven to be correct.

If you haven’t read this article, I’d suggest that you do. Thought provoking testimony comes from people who have experienced both sides of the publishing world – employment by large, corporate publishing houses and involvement with the small presses. For more information on this article, please visit www.pw.org.

Living in the community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where many experienced and published authors reside, I have noticed a shift here, too. Interesting and inspiring changes are happening throughout publishing communities everywhere. Learn more about the fast track approach to publishing. Independently discover and explore the art of the new publishing universe,  in quick time!  http://bit.ly/oIkV2g.

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Holiday e-Book Buying Guide

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“Only one shopping day left ’til tomorrow.” ~Author Unknown

I am always in awe of people who begin their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Shopping from the computer, through e-commerce has become routine. Catalogs in print, arriving through the mail, have been reduced. Many of the big catalog companies now have catalogs on the web. That is a positive move toward sustainability –  a very good thing. It will save a lot of trees! 

There has been a dramatic uptick over past ten years in digital and electronic gadgets that appear on Christmas lists. Everything from laptops, to i-phones, i-pods to digital cameras and more are the most wanted gifts on any adult and children’s wish lists. 

In 2011, e-books are selling at a rapid rate. As sales of electronic reader devices increases (such as the Kindle, the Nook, i-Pads and Sony readers), there becomes a proportionate increase in electronic books sales, too. Some e-book authors are selling 9,000 or 10,000 books per month. 

Let’s face it –  e-books, are on the fast track of independent publishing. http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. They have provided, to the reader, the most convenient and affordable way of purchasing new books. 

To view a catalog of authors who make their titles available through independent publishing, follow this link. http://bit.ly/qs0jUN .  Authors in this holiday  guide are among  leaders in the independent publishing industry. There are others available and they can be found by searching the internet for “top selling e-books or independently published books.”

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Influences and Inspiration

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“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” ~Winston Churchill

Chula Beauregard http://bit.ly/tTHd8f , muralist and plein air painter, was featured artist of the month at the Wild Horse Gallery  on last Friday’s Art Walk. As I visited with Chula, I quickly became aware of how well-known about town she is. It became evident, from those who began to file in the gallery doors to congratulate her and see her exhibit, that her development as an artist has been admired, by many. 

Chula was a student of artist Richard Galusha. When I asked Shirley Stocks, co-owner of the Wild Horse Gallery, what traits she and Richard saw in Chula that made them want to represent her work, they cited “her potential to be a successful artist and she understands that Art is a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and hard work.” Chula’s dedication to her craft has led her to positions of teaching at the middle school, high school and college level, too. 

Her interest in the Arts began as a child. By the fifth grade Chula began to feel a stirring interest in painting. She would work beside her artist mother, Gigi, who shares her creative spirit.  She related that “when her family took a boat trip to the Bahamas, her interest in plein air painting really began in earnest.” 

On the exterior wall of Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare, Chula’s most recent mural is installed. The mural measuring 10 ft X 16 ft, was painted indoors over a three week period. It is hung in three panels. Millions of recreational tourist dollars are brought to our town year round. The mural is a visual reminder of the value the biking industry plays in contributing to the local economy. Steamboat hopes to become designated as Bike Town USA. 

Although indoor work is required on many of Chula’s largest art installations, she loves painting on location “en plein air” – outside of the studio. Her ability to translate on canvas what she sees is a reflection of her abilities as an artist. The color palettes of her plein air sketches are true to nature.  Her plein air oil paintings capture landscapes in Steamboat and throughout Routt County. 

Finding time to paint has  become more challenging for Chula, as she is now a young mother with two little toddlers. However, she paints almost daily, finding fulfillment in shorter periods of time.  To have her work hang in a top quality gallery among an impressive list of nationally known artists at her relatively young age is what many emerging artists strive for. To view Chula’s plein air paintings on line, please visit the Wild Horse Gallery at http://www.wildhorsegallery.com/.

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Talkin’ Turkey about Book Selling Events

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“Self respect – that cornerstone of all virtue.” ~ John Herschel (1792-1871) 

Are you an independent publisher who is ready to hit the book selling scene by doing book appearances and book signings at local libraries, bookstores and other venues? 

 Traveling from venue to venue can be expensive and time consuming, but it is still a necessary part of selling books. Not every independent publisher has it in their budgets to travel from coast to coast on book tours, so they concentrate their efforts locally and regionally.  A very effective way to increase your visibility, as an author beyond the local or regional level, is to put a solid e-marketing plan into place. There are companies that specialize in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers, who can help you with that. 

Let’s talk turkey for just one moment .When you do schedule personal appearances at bookstores and in other venues, make sure your time and money is well spent. Arrive at the venue with all the information you need about the details of the event stuffed inside of you, well in advance. 

There are questions to ask before you arrive at the site. Ask about size of the meet and greet area and it’s location within the store. Find out what the book store’s “take” of the bookselling proceeds will be. So you can fulfill your part of the agreement, ask whether to bring signage, a cash box or credit card machine and about other promotional materials that might be helpful. If you are well organized and prepared, you will be viewed as a bookselling professional when you arrive at the scene. It will reduce the stresses on the day of the event.

To learn more about planning a successful do-it-yourself book tour, please visit this site  http://bit.ly/RUJsq /. It is filled with good tips.

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