February’s AWC luncheon on green PR featured panelists Ted Burton from Enviromedia, Oliver Bernstein from Sierra Club and Matt Smelser from Environmental Defense Fund. Here’s a recap of the top three themes our panelists emphasized for a successful environmentally-focused campaign.

How to Run a Green PR Campaign

1. Be accountable

“’Green’ has become a throwaway term because it’s everywhere,” Burton said. Instead, promote authentic, research-based strategies to change behavior and get results.

In the same vein, Bernstein explained that we must bring the same level of professionalism as we would if we had a corporate client.

“’We’re going to save the planet’ isn’t the best way to raise money. You need to be more specific. Ask who you’re accountable to and what’s at stake.”

2. Tell a story

In Smelser’s case, it was challenging to make an abstract thing like the ocean more relevant and relatable. Rather than going the obvious route of showing dead fish, Smelser focused on the larger issue at hand by telling the fisherman’s story. He highlighted how overfishing destroys a way of life and the positive impact of switching to sustainable fishing.

Bernstein agreed that getting people to connect the dots is really important.

“We try to make these stories, visuals and images relevant,” Bernstein said. “We’re careful not to exploit these stories, but elevate them.”

The best way to do that, Burton said, is to eliminate jargon and help both clients and consumers speak the language. In the end, you let them become the storyteller.

3. Keep it local

For Sierra Club’s anti-coal campaign, Bernstein said they realized climate was a nonstarter. Instead, they focused on the health issues (like young children developing asthma) as a result of neighboring coal plants.

“You’ve gotta keep it local,” Berstein said. Know your audience, take your time and take smaller steps.

Thank you to Ted Burton, Oliver Bernstein and Matt Smelser for sharing their Green PR insights this month and to Urbanspace Realtors for sponsoring!

Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons

Each month AWC Austin highlights one very special member making a difference in the communications industry in Austin, Texas. Just after the New Year, we met Sarah Beckham, communications coordinator at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, at Trianon Coffee. Sarah is smart, lovely and a true joy. Please take a minute to meet Sarah.

AWC Austin: Hi Sarah! Thank you for sitting down with us today. To start, please tell us a little bit about your background.
SB: After college, I began working as a newspaper copy editor in Georgia. I worked the night shift for the first seven years of my career. In 1999, I moved to Austin and became a copy editor in the Life & Arts section of the Austin American-Statesman. I started working during the day and had weekends off for the first time. To say the least, it was life changing!

I did Features copyediting at the Statesman for five years. After that, I changed jobs and became an assigning editor. I’d assign stories and deadlines, and work with writers, photographers, the online staff and graphic designers.

AWC Austin: As the digital era was quickly taking shape, what was it like working for a traditional newspaper?
SB: It makes me feel slightly old to admit we used typewriters in my first college journalism lab classes. When society moved to computers, the small Apple computers were so high-tech, totally “Starship Enterprise.” My senior year, I got my own computer and people were very impressed. I felt so cutting-edge.

Back then there was no Internet, online journalism or social media. The first time I had Internet at my desk was 1997, and it blows my mind to think about the changes in the field from the time I graduated college in 1992 to when I left journalism last year.

The fundamentals of journalism have always been there: good writing, good judgment, and curiosity. Now that the print component is fading, it’s bittersweet. There’s the excitement about the potential technology holds, but it’s really challenging to serve those readers who still desire to get your product in print.

I think people my age were a bridge generation between print natives and digital natives. I’m a total online fanatic now as far as news sources are concerned. I still get magazines in print and read books in print, but I don’t have the need to hold the newspaper in my hands.

AWC Austin: Tell us about your transition from the paper industry, to your current career as a communications coordinator at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
SB: My transition has been a huge change. The desire to move came because I knew if I was ever going to make a career change, the time was now.

I started looking around seeing what was out there and I was drawn to my current position because it was a very publications-oriented job. I knew it would be a natural transition. I didn’t struggle with the decision to leave the Statesman, but it was very hard emotionally because that had been my home and family for 13 years. Luckily, I started working at UT, which has such a beautiful and stimulating setting. There are many smart people and lots of cool stuff is constantly going on around you.

AWC Austin: You oversee two websites and print alumni magazine – those are very different mediums! Can you identify similarities/differences? Do you have a favorite?
SB: I’ve always been such a big magazine reader and fan, so I am really looking forward to working on the alumni magazine (Editor’s note: the magazine is only published twice a year, and Sarah will begin the process for her first publication this year).

I’m excited to have a little more time and flexibility without daily deadlines of a newspaper. The websites that I oversee are updated 2-3 times per week, which is definitely manageable! McCombs TODAY is focused on news about the McCombs Business School and all the cool things students, faculty and alumni have done. It heavily targets an alumni audience because we want them to still feel close to the school after graduation. Texas Enterprise’s goal is to highlight research from the University that’s applicable to business people. This way, they can use our published information as part of their daily jobs.

I like thinking of new ways to tell stories and in a way that is most relevant to readers. This is something that was true of me at the Statesman. I really believe in being nice to readers, so I make every effort on our end to make things easy and give people something useful and pleasurable to read.

AWC Austin: When did you first join AWC Austin? What is your history with the organization?
SB: A couple of people recommended AWC Austin to me over the years. Patti DeNucci and one of my former bosses, Sandra Kleinsasser, spoke favorably about the organization. As I started seriously thinking about branching out from newspapers, I thought: “Quit putting this off, you need to go and do this.”

My first event was Connect Over Cocktails in August 2012. I have volunteered for the scholarship committee and I’m looking forward to get that underway this month.

AWC Austin: What is your favorite restaurant/live music venue/theater/etc in Austin?
SB: (ponders) My favorite restaurant… that is such a hard question in Austin.

For special occasions: definitely La Condesa (their “El Cubico” is the best cocktail in Austin). The last time that I went there, my husband and I were having brunch to celebrate my new job. He saw Ryan Gosling coming into the restaurant (he was in a movie filming there that day). Natalie Portman also came in, so I’m told. I have this curse where I never spot celebrities.

AWC Austin: Personal motto?
SB: “Progress, not perfection.” I tend to be a big perfectionist. I’m trying to shift my paradigm, understanding that the goal is not to get something perfect, but to get better.

My favorite quote is from a Mary Oliver poem: “I was leaning out, I was listening.”

AWC Austin: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
SB: The advice to network even when you think you don’t need a network. That came to me from a variety of sources over the years until I finally got through my thick head! I try to approach it from the standpoint of “How can I be generous with my time and expertise for others?” I’ve realized the more that you do that, the more you believe in yourself.

The genius behind this advice is that it’s not really finding people who can do something for you, but realizing your own generosity. The more you feel like you’re a person who can give something, the more confidence that brings to your career or job search, and life.

AWC Austin: Any words of wisdom for someone wanting to make a change in their career? New or seasoned communicators starting (or restarting) a career?
SB: Be really gentle with yourself about the change. Be nice to yourself.

Whatever you’re doing, I think that it always helps to introduce some small changes into your life so you’re in practice for the big changes. I feel like change is the new normal for all of us in our careers. It’s probably not possible to set your course at 22 and have that stay your course.

Even the smallest thing you can do to meet someone new, or teach yourself something new, is exhilarating and energizing. It helps you prepare for changes you choose, or changes that happen to you.

AWC Austin: Any parting words you’d like to share with the readers about AWC Austin?
SB: I’d like to say thank you to AWC members. I am an introvert and a shy person. It takes a lot for me to go walk into a happy hour. From the first time started exploring AWC Austin and Connect Over Cocktails, to attending the Get Smart conference in the fall, unfailingly everyone has been so smart and so nice and I’ve made friendships through this organization. So, thank you.

Sarah Beckham’s Resource Rundown:

• Texas Enterprise  (http://www.texasenterprise.utexas.edu)
• Statesman.com
• Austin360.com
• http://www.marketingprofs.com
• http://contentmarketinginstitute.com
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree – http://www.bakadesuyo.com

Going green and sustainable living are both hot hot hot topics in Austin, Texas. Whether its a love for Zilker Park and Car2Go, or composting and shopping at farmers markets, Austin embraces Green living, which includes Green PR.

At our February luncheon, you’ll hear from PR practitioners from Enviromedia, the Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund about this emerging field of practice in communications and how your company can incorporate green into its business.

Many thanks to our February sponsor, Urbanspace Real Estate. Each year, Urbanspace creates the Austin Urban Lifestyle Guide that provides the latest information about living the Austin lifestyle.  This includes up-to-date condo and apartment information, dining, retail, entertainment, and nightlife hot spots plus events, resources, and neighborhood information. Register for your copy here.

Urbanspace recently launched Urbanspace Interiors, an e-commerce website. This means   all of the fabulous items available in the showroom, plus thousands more, are available online in a virtual showroom.

Connect with Urbanspace Real Estate on Facebook, LinkedIn and keep up-to-date by reading their blog.

If you have a love for all things Green we hope to see you on February 20th at the UT Club. Register today!

This month’s AWC Austin luncheon with Ronne Rock focused on building a brand through storytelling. Ronne kicked off the lunch by sharing her personal story and background, and then reminded us that – much like a business or brand – we are each a story that’s still being written.

Ronne explained that a brand isn’t just a logo, a tagline, a target market, or even the product or serviced offered. Rather, a brand is about the greatest successes and worst blunders. It should reinforce a promise or pledge. Most importantly, it’s living and active.

If the connection point isn’t there for the customer, a brand won’t last. Tangibles can always be trumped; another company can develop something bigger, better, cheaper, etc. But customer testimony or impact can’t be beat because it’s what builds a bridge between the business and its customers.

Emotional connection can drive your brand story. Ronne’s example: shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre, she noticed the faith-based website she monitors received three times the amount of traffic. The deeper story? Those visitors were looking for hope, for a connection, for that intangible. It’s then up to you as a brand to embrace them and let them into your story.

Blockbuster is another great example. Blockbuster executives had spreadsheets chock full of metrics and goals, but ultimately their customer base drove the brand experience. They’re how “Make it a Blockbuster Night” came around. It became about renting a movie, grabbing snacks, and making it a date night, a girls’ night, or a family night.

Here are Ronne’s five ways to weave the intangible into your brand strategy:

1. Language
2. Imagery
3. Merchandising
4. Marketing
5. Service (and customer service)

A brand is only as good as the people who buy into it and the base of employees who also act as ambassadors. It should be accessible in a relevant way – think of it as extending an invite and having customers join you in the brand experience.

Ultimately, a brand is the impact of these intangibles on people’s lives. The brand story isn’t governed by budgets or spreadsheets, but can be worked into a marketing plan. What would happen if the intangibles became more important than the price point or goals in building your brand?

Thank you to Ronne Rock for sharing her brand knowledge with us in such an engaging way!

Each month AWC Austin highlights one very special member making a difference in the communications industry in Austin, Texas. On a cool November evening, we met Joshunda Sanders, writer and journalist for more than fifteen years, at Cenote (rumored to be one of the sets where Ryan Gosling was recently filming!) Joshunda is a brilliant communicator, and a fantastic example of how success can be achieved in the face of adversity. Please take a minute to meet Joshunda.

AWC Austin: Hi Joshunda. So, we’re dying to know: how did a Bronx native wind up living in Austin, Texas?
JS: It’s kind of a long story. I went to boarding school in upstate New York and then Vassar, where I studied journalism. After graduation, I accepted a fellowship with Hearst Newspapers, which was a golden opportunity to learn the business before joining the industry.

I moved every six months for two years. My first rotation was in Houston, Texas, where I learned how to drive for the first time at age 22. I definitely got lost a lot and even wound up in a couple of minor accidents. This was a growth period for me: becoming an adult, adjusting to a full time job with the Houston Chronicle, and on top of it all, learning all this stuff that Texans did! After a short stint at the Beaumont Enterprise, my time in Texas came to an end.

I left for Seattle, Washington where I began my third rotation the day before September 11, 2001. As you can imagine, I primarily wrote about the war on terror, with a focus on the military bases in the area.

My last rotation was in San Francisco and I was hired on full time from 2002-2005. However, a desire to be closer to the East coast, and a familiarity of with Austin, drew me back to Texas. Newspaper advertising structures were starting to fail because of the Internet, and subscriptions were going down. I decided I wanted to fulfill a lifelong ambition to become a librarian. I’d always loved libraries, and I was ready to try something different. I attended library school at the University of Texas School of Information (ranked #1 when I applied). The program was highly competitive, placing emphasis on digital information, online archiving, the ins and outs of metadata, search terms, and more.

Soon after, it just so happened that Before I left California, I applied for a job at the Austin American-Statesman had a job opening. I  and I began working there in July 2005 in a number of different capacities until 2011.

AWC Austin: As the digital era was quickly taking shape, what was it like working for a traditional newspaper on the west coast?
JS: Working in the Bay Area, I was in the midst of the technology/digital boom, where companies like Craigslist were based and taking off. I could see how the web was influencing my generation, but many people I worked with in newspapers were significantly older. Several were and still are adaptable, but the newspaper follows an old business model: print first in a web-first world.

In the 24/7 media landscape, how do we do that? How do we create value for readers and also reward those who have been in the business for 30+ years? How do we reward them and pay them well if they’re just writing one story a month? How do we deliver quality, hyper local content when our newspaper is essentially old news before it reaches peoples doorsteps? I didn’t have an answer for that.

At the time, COX Cox Enterprises were working on it from an executive level. It became one of the most web-savvy newspapers I worked for. This revelation ultimately led to my next step.

AWC Austin: Tell us about your transition from the paper industry, to your current career as a freelance writer.
JS: I work really hard to cultivate happiness and avoid being jealous and greedy. I found I really envied my newspaper colleagues who had taken buyouts. I knew people who were doing what they really loved full time and I thought, “I want to be like that when I grow up.” But, I realized I was already grown! I was afraid and scared, but after working three jobs, I finally saved enough money to create my own business.

I decided I wanted to leverage many of the skills I’d learned. I was a lecturer at UT at the School of Journalism for four semesters. I began doing outsourced writing and media critiques for organizations such as like the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

I’ve always been a huge social media fan. I learned about Twitter in 2008 during library school and the VA Virginia Tech shootings. So, I taught myself to be someone who is familiar with how to brand people as social media savvy-writers and freelancers.

The goal of my business really is for me to have a platform where I can help other writers figure out how do you do “this stuff.” I guide people, like me, who are transitioning from newspapers and traditional journalism, or those who are just afraid to write/blog/tweet as a writer, and how to balance saying too much versus too little.

It’s a clearinghouse for content of all kinds: feminism, social justice and content creation. I don’t have an advertising infrastructure for my website at the moment, so it’s more followers through social media (Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest), so my business is community-oriented. People find me through word of mouth or LinkedIn. I’m now launching a book in January 2013 called Single and Happy.

AWC Austin: Describe a day in the life of Joshunda Sanders:
JS: I typically have at least one cup of coffee before I get online. My days usually include meditation and running with my dog (on days when I’m being responsible). Beyond that, it varies! I might have an interview scheduled during the day for a freelance assignment; I might be reading a book for a book review. I spend an hour or two writing, but the majority of my day is dedicated to my the business and promotion of writing. I operate out of my home office but most of the writing gets done at my 10-year-old IKEA kitchen table.

I regularly update Buffer, the tool that I use to update my social media platforms. I might get on Pinterest/Instagram if I need a break from words, and I am always checking email. When I get oversaturated with information, I simply step away from the computer. Occasionally, I edit by hand.

AWC Austin: Would you say that women are a key theme in your published pieces? Are there any additional key themes?
JS: BITCH Bitch magazine, a publication focused on feminist responses to popular culture, is a place publication I’ve been writing for a long time. Texas is a conservative state, so it makes sense, but there’s a general angst about the word “feminist” here that I find curious.

I was raised by a single mother. Most of my champions and mentors have been women. I’ve had some key mentors who are men and I love them, and I’m sort of boy crazy in general (laughs), but generally I get so much strength and feedback and support from women that end up being very woman identified in my work. I tend to write about people of color. I grew up poor so I like to write about class and race. I sort of analyze gender issues and relationships in popular culture.

My mom had mental health issues: She was bipolar, manic-depressive, and had borderline personality disorder, all of both which were untreated. Some of the symptoms included euphoria, excessive spending, living in fantasy world, and paying bills inconsistently. My mom never took medication. She lived life on her own terms and did what she wanted to do. It led to some pretty traumatic abuse.

I went to a dozen different schools when I was little in NYC. We were nomads: sometimes we lived in shelters, other times hotels, and moved around a ton. It was really rough, but after finding school and books, I realized I wanted to write from a young age. At age 12, I decided I wanted to be a writer (I kept a journal and wrote every day). For me I had a safe space in my notebook. It meant that I could be a nerd in the library and hang out after school, read Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club and Judy Blume novels.

School was a place of salvation for me. Teachers and administrators told me I could go really far if I didn’t give up. After my 6th grade teacher gave me an application, I got into De La Salle Academy, an academy school for gifted students on the Upper West Side. I received financial assistance through a program called A Better Chance for minority students from a disadvantaged background. Going to Emma Willard was a total shock. It was a beautiful, serene, stable place, and there were a lot of students from International schools and a long list of famous alumni: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Jane Fonda, for example. It was a completely different world than I was accustomed to.

I became very active in school and extracurricular activities. My commitment to writing helped attract offers for scholarships. After graduation, I attended Vassar. My mom was in the Bronx during this time. She didn’t really want me to go, but the alternative wasn’t a safe place for me. At some point I had to tell her, ‘I have to live my life. I want to take care of you and want you to be well, but you won’t cooperate, so I have to go make my life.’ It was a difficult decision, but she respected it.

My mom passed away in January of 2012. She had cervical cancer and she was one of the reasons that I left my full time job (Joshunda took leave in Oct ’11 to take care of her mother in Philadelphia). Mortality really makes you rethink your path and what really matters to you in life.

AWC Austin: We’d love a sneak preview about your first book: Single & Happy. What can readers expect when they pick up a copy of your book? When/where will it be available?
JS: It’s my first book and I’m self-publishing it. When I turned 25, I realized a lot of my friends were getting married and having kids. It was right after the big 2000 census in 2010 came out that I started seeing these stories about successful black women being the largest percentage of unmarried adult married. The single black woman meme: they’re unmarried because they’re too independent, make too much money and intimidate men (whatever that means). Now we’re starting to see that a lot of women fall under this category. I started getting invited to weddings and baby showers with no plus one. People questioned it and wondered why I was still single. I didn’t have an answer. I was pretty happy being single, and I didn’t feel like I needed to get married or be in a relationship. More than that I knew there was a group of people out there, more people than I knew about, who are fine being single. Yes, they want to have companions and be in relationships, but they also have to develop the relationship they have with themselves before finding what they really want. It’s about learning how to cope with the expectation that women are supposed to be in a relationship.

AWC Austin: What is your favorite live music venue/theater/etc in Austin?
JS: I’m a huge movie fan so I spend 80% of my waking life (when I’m not working) at the movie theater. I love Violet Crown Cinema and Alamo Drafthouse. East Sixth Street has a lot of great venues like Gypsy Lounge, I like the vibe in there. I’m also a closet foodie, so I love the East Side King’s trailer at Liberty Bar.

AWC Austin: Personal motto?
JS: “Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose.” – Friday Night Lights

AWC Austin: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
JS: Be gentle with yourself.

AWC Austin: Any words of wisdom for someone wanting to make a change in their career? new or seasoned communicators starting (or restarting) a career?
JS: Stillness and retreat and pausing in our culture are kind of foreign and outdated, but I think it’s really important to make space for reflection when you make a change in your life. My meditation is the one area of my life where I’m not allowed to go hard or go home. I’m just with whatever is happening in my body and in my brain or in my heart.

I think especially when you’re talking about change (which is very scary), it’s really important to connect with yourself about what your intention is/what your goals are, not judge them, and acknowledge that this is where you are and think about why you want to make that change and strategize how to get to that next place.

AWC Austin: Any parting words you’d like to share with the readers about AWC Austin?
JS: I’ve had a lot of really amazing women in my life. My mom was one of them in spite of her illnesses. But, a lot of the stuff she couldn’t teach me I learned from really strong, independent women, some of whom I’ve never met. That’s why I’m really passionate about connecting with women and have a special sense of pride being part of organizations like AWC Austin.

Joshunda Sanders Resource Rundown:

• Warner Coaching
• She Writes
• Jane Friedman
• Mira’s List
• Forbes

Surveys show that more than 75 percent of consumers own a mobile device enabled to receive email. They also delete the emails that don’t look good on their mobile devices.

With the widespread adoption of smart phones and tablets, proper email rendering on mobile devices has become crucial to the success of email marketing efforts, said Ed Sanders of BlueHornet email marketing, an AWC Austin sponsor who spoke at the Dec. 14 luncheon.

What marketers need is a way to create one email that can be read easily on both desktop
and mobile devices, he said. Currently, most marketers create a separate email for mobile
users and deliver it based on subscriber preferences or provide a link in their email to open a mobile-friendly version in the device’s web browser. But by taking advantage of new coding techniques, Sanders said BlueHornet can help you deliver both desktop and mobile-friendly versions automatically, changing the way you design emails to be read on different devices.

BlueHornet’s delivery process uses responsive design, which is already being used in many
websites. Email marketers, however, are just beginning to take advantage of this technique, Sanders said, and it is changing the way they design emails for improved rendering across different devices. The process can be applied using the client’s current Email Service Provider (ESP) tool set.

BlueHornet (BH), a leading enterprise level Email Service Provider, won the ClickZ Best Of Email Marketing Award for two consecutive years, in both 2011 and 2012. The company received the award for superior support, deliverability, technology, creative services, and strategy.

To learn more about BlueHornet, contact Ed Sanders at sanders@bluehornet.com,
(214) 498-5353 or (866) 586-3755, visit www.bluehornet.com, and follow BlueHornet at
@bluehornetemail on Twitter.

By Andrea Exter

ATX Man magazine, AWC Austin, Austin AMA and plenty of others disagree. While he may not be a superhero in a cape, his super talents in the worlds of journalism, politics and broadcast make him iconic — and he’s a lot of fun to boot! AWC Austin and Austin AMA are excited to welcome Evan Smith as our luncheon guest speaker on Dec. 12 to share tales from his journey leading the Texas Tribune, a trailblazing non-profit news organization, to where it is today and the important merits of non-profit journalism. Facing another challenging legislative session, he’ll also share both the impact the Tribune has had on the Texas journalistic and political scene and what we can expect from the 2013 session.

If you want, get the scoop on Evan before the luncheon by reading this article from ATX Man and join us on Dec. 12 with your burning questions. Register today and we hope to see you there as we close out 2012 with this stellar panelist!

Each month the Ronald McDonald House of Austin generous donates space for both AWC Austin and Freelance Austin to host our meetings and events. Without them, we wouldn’t be a thriving community of women that we are today.

To show our thanks, we’re teaming up to participate in their annual Lights of Love 5K on December 7th. As a team we hope to raise $500 and we need your help!

If you’re interested in walking or running, you can sign up to join our team- we only need 5 more people to reach our goal of 20 participants! The weather has been gorgeous this month so grab your coat, your kiddos and your 4 legged friends too and consider joining us for a stroll on Friday, December 7th at the Ronald McDonald House.

At this month’s AWC luncheon, Ann Ciccolella shared several of her favorite methods for recharging creativity based on Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. If you’re tapping into your creative reserves, here are some tips to help refill the well.

1. Writing on rising
Shortly after waking, take 20 minutes to put pen to paper. It will help clear your mind, get to the root of your feelings and potentially uncover hidden connections to jumpstart your creativity. This exercise is ideally done on paper, but can be done on a computer or tablet. It’s about quantity and not quality – there’s no censoring or pressure for perfection here.

2. The artist’s date
You know that thing you’ve said you’ve always wanted to do? Now’s the perfect time to do it – by yourself. Pick an activity for the inner kid inside of you, something that will last for about two hours. Members shared several great me-time suggestions during the workshop, including:

• Attending a concert at Jessen Auditorium
• Taking the dog to the park
• Walking along South Congress
• Belting it out at an Alamo Drafthouse sing-a-long
• Hitting the green at Peter Pan Mini Golf
• Touring the city by bike
• Seeing a play
• Having a fantasy shopping trip – load up on dream items, then leave the cart/items behind (or suddenly receive an “urgent business call” and have to leave)
• Checking out Toy Joy
• Busting out some coloring books
• Playing in the sandbox

3. Ten things that bring you joy
Take a moment to jot down 10 things that bring you joy. Focus on the five senses: what are your favorite tastes, aromas, sensations, etc.? Then pick your favorite that can occur routinely, and fill in the following sentence: “[thing that brings you joy] will make me feel _________________.” This exercise points out simple things you can do for inspiration and a pick-me-up.

A big thank-you to Ann for sharing these creative nuggets with AWC. Members, do you know of a great spot for an artist’s date? Or another tip for bringing creativity to life? Please share in the comments section.

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s hard to find the energy sometimes to keep your creative juices flowing through the end of the year. Join AWC Austin for our November 14th lunch, a mini workshop to help you ignite that creative spark and keep it going!

Register today to learn from Ann Ciccolella, artistic director of Austin Shakespeare, as she walks you through ways to energize your inner – perhaps misplaced – inventive, visionary and resourceful self. Sponsored by The Intentional Networker TM (Patti DeNucci & Co. LLC) this is a great opportunity to meet other communicators in Austin and learn a thing or two about your creativity over lunch.

Secure your spot and join is this Wednesday- hope to see you there!