Blog Party & moving beyond ‘Done is better than perfect’.

I love my new website, so help me celebrate with a workshop giveaway!

Usually I have to do everything in regards to graphics of my websites.  For someone not trained in this and not really having more than a rudimentary understanding of code, it has always been a big effort. I like to overhaul my site every few years and in between I give everything a really good spruce up.  It usually takes me a few weeks, a lot of frustration, but eventually I get to a point where I like everything enough to say “Done”!

Well during the last spring clean, I must have clicked all the wrong buttons because I messed my site up good and proper.  I looked at it, gnashed my teeth, shed a tear or two and thought “I need help!”.  So I really started to look for that special someone.  Call in the experts.  I wanted to move beyond ‘Done is better than perfect’.

Jo Klima from The Darling Tree is a wonderful designer and runs an online workshop called ‘My Darling Blog’.  I did that workshop to help me with my last big refresh a few years ago (and I totally recommend it!).  I know she has a pretty full dance card, but I contacted her regardless.  And what do you know, she lives just up the coast from me!  She popped down to Byron Bay and we chatted about my site.

One of the first things she asked me was “How far do you want to go?”.
“uuuuuum… all the way I guess.  What do you have in mind?”.
And sitting at my kitchen table, all long legs and honesty, Jo said ” your logo and store name needs to be changed and the ladybirds have to go.”
You know that feeling where you feel like there was meant to be a step and their wasn’t and you feel like you are stepping off into space? That is how I felt.
Planets collided in my brain.
“….but…but… I love my logo… I …wait.. I love ladybirds… uuummm… eeeerrr….  let me think… I need a cup of tea”.  Because in my mind I could instantly see she was right.

I had grown away from my old logo.  And the ‘Institute of Cute’ store name  was perfect for my bricks and mortar gallery in Byron Bay, but doesn’t reflect where I am now.  And ladybirds… well I haven’t photographed a ladybird since I was in Monet’s Garden and that was three years ago.

Wow.

I already knew Jo’s design work was pretty darn amazing.  So I let go of control  and let her help me.   Sometimes it was HARD.  My skin would prickle. I had a few sleepless nights.  But, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

As soon as she showed me her logo ideas, I was enchanted.  I could have gone with any of them. And the rest just flowed from there. I had plenty of input of course, but I was completely AMAZED at how much I got out of her way.

All I had to do was remind myself this that I was safe.  I picked Jo because I love her work.  I gave this process plenty of time.  It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth every one of them.  The most amazing part was how much I learned from her designs.  Having an expert design standard has put my mind at ease when I need to create a graphic.  I have parameters and don’t need to re-invent the wheel everytime!

Eventually, all the design work was created, Lisa from New Sprout coded the whole thing.  Now I have a website that looks AWESOME and is so much easier to manage from behind the scenes.  SO much EASE-ier. Oh man.  It’s such a happy and beautiful place for me to visit. I hope you feel that way too.

So now it’s over to you and the celebration part!

Tell me what you think of the new site, and let me know which one of my online workshops you would most like to do and why. If you have done all my workshops, I’ll think of another prize for you… something awesome!
So leave your comment and let me know!
xoxox

Jane/Danger

Designed by The Darling Tree.

Developed by Sprout New Media.