Starting a small business…

Starting a small business…always sounds like a great idea – until you start to realize how much work it is going to take and how long it will take for the business to be booming. I am not sure why I started doing this, but I realized that my passion was to help small businesses and individuals capture their dreams and memories.

So what have I realized so far? It will be a few years before I can rely solely on the profit. So until then, I have to find another job. I also have to start setting aside about 30 percent of all profits for taxes. That was definitely something I didn’t expect. I also had to start keeping all receipts for any purchase for the business. Facebook, Twitter, and a website were all things I was expecting. Needless to say, I think everyone needs to definitely do their research before even following through with this idea, but in all honesty, I am pretty lucky to have family who all have some sort of important business knowledge. I have turned to many family members for advice on what to do, and have even hit up my professors from college for advice.

For now, I am going to go back to working on some designs to relax, but just for you…here is a design I just worked on for some music stuff….

 

 

 

Also, here is another design of a very beautiful quote….

 

 

 

Toodles world! Hope you all have a great one!

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The Ugly Truth…

The ugly truth of being a college graduate, and what that really means.

Before I tell you this truth, I am going to give you a little refresher on my college history. I spent almost every single night of my college career working on homework and designs for class. I went above and beyond the assignments to guarantee I had a great portfolio and understood everything.

While in college everyone tells you that once you graduate you will find a perfect job immediately, and that everything you do is worth it. Well here is the truth. Most of the places I have applied do not accept my internships as experience. When they do it doesn’t give me enough experience to meet their requirements. So what do I do? I am qualified in every aspect to be a junior level graphic designer, except my experience doesn’t add up to their total desired amount.

So what did I do? I still applied for the job, and in my cover letters I clearly stated that I am aware that I do not have the experience they desire technically, but I have that amount of experience in all the extra curricular activities, projects, and internships I have been a part of. So hopefully they accept my application and I get a job soon, but let’s be honest here. I graduated in May, and I haven’t had a job for 4 months.

It is really frustrating to find a job, but this is the decision I have made. I am going to run my own business, and until it gets to a point where I can run it and count on it to make money I will find another job to make ends meet, build experience, and make connections. Once I get my business off the ground I will then be doing what I want to do, and I will be making the money I want to make. I like the idea of being my own boss and one day having others work for me. I will cater my employment to the college students who don’t have the “experience” for other companies, and help them build their portfolio so they can move on to “bigger and better things.” I know that owning a small business isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and nor will it make me rich or famous, but I love the idea of helping other small businesses and school get what they want to help them achieve their goals.

Anyway – that is my bit of information for those who are going to college for anything. Don’t think you are going to walk out and find a job right away, and if you do you better thank whatever you believe in because you are one lucky SOB.

Toodles intereweb – I will chat at you later.

P.S. I am getting my wisdom teeth out this Friday so I may do some blogs just to give the world something to chuckle at. When I get put on pain meds I become very philosophical, and sometimes my brilliant ideas really do sound good later!

My Paintings….

Well,

As promised, I am providing you guys with images from my Senior Art Show – right now I am going to show you only the paintings. I have ceramic pieces that I think I am going to save for the next blog. So for now, I hope you guys enjoy what you see! Let me know what you think!

Toodles Interweb!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost 5 weeks left..

Well,

This is going to be my freak out a bit…(well A LOT)…blog. I am currently getting ready to wrap up my senior year here, and I am dying of exhaustion, stress, and emotions. Seriously….who else but me would put this much work on her plates? That’s right…I said plates (plural)…I am that person at the buffet that decided she needs two plates one for the main meal and another for dessert. Now I am looking at my plates and already getting sick.

So what is on my plates you may ask? Well, because a close friend of mine told me to write a list I am going to do it here. This list is in order of priority:

• Typography Textbook (Senior Research Project) yes…I am writing a textbook my senior semester of college. No I don’t know what the hell I was thinking…I am just a little cray cray.
• 18 Karat Branding (Production III Project) I am branding a fashion company that I have created that will be hypothetically based around 50s style fashion.
• Exegesis Paper (Intro to the New Testament) Yea..I don’t even want to talk about this.
• Senior Graphic Design Show
• Art Thesis Paper (Nothing to worry about here – just time consuming)
• Art History Presentation (Again – nothing to worry about except the fact that I don’t like giving presentations…oh well I guess)
• Other minor homework projects that are just there to be a pain in my butt

So…that is where I am at this lovely moment. I am thinking this weekend will be the weekend that I kick it into high gear and get a majority of these things taken care of. If I don’t do it now, I don’t think I will be able to get it done ever.

On a side note – I am going to be working on some more art work to de-stress. I will get photos of my art up here soon I just have to get the photos uploaded!

Toodles interweb – I hope you all are having a wonderful Friday!

Casey 😀

My Senior Art Show & More!

Hello my wonderful interweb world!

I swear I have not forgotten about any of you! I recently have been putting 110% of my focus in my upcoming art show. The opening is tomorrow afternoon, and I already have sold a couple paintings!

My work is a mixture of paintings and ceramics. I am also very excited to say that I have glitter in some of my work! I love it, and so does everyone else. I have about 13 paintings up I believe and probably around 13 ceramic pieces too.

I was really worried I wouldn’t have enough work for my show, but through the help of my campus bookstore I was able to purchase enough supplies to pull through!

On other side notes – I just did my part of the final proof of The Briar Cliff Review which means it will be going to the press very soon! Which means I will post photos of it after I get my two copies!

Also! I applied for two more big girl jobs in the graphic design world today! I am really hoping to get one of the jobs very soon so I can figure out what I am going to be doing when I graduate and have to move out of the dorms!

Well, Interweb world wish me luck and look for some professional photos of my art show to come soon!

Love Always,

Casey Rae

Man has it been busy!

Hey!

Sorry it has been so long since the last time I update anything, but I have been like a chicken with my head cut off since the semester started. I just have a few things I wanted to share!

-The Briar Cliff Review is going through its first proof process, and I must say – we all did a great job of putting together this 25th edition!

-My website has been fixed – http://old.briarcliff.edu/students/frenchc/ – that is the link you need to use to get to it now. My school currently went through a changing of websites, and we had to figure out where our student websites went….so instead of making a fancy link to my website from here I figured I should give you the url just in case you want to check it out again later.

-I have designed two t-shirts (soon to be revealed after printing) which I was really excited about because I had never done t-shirts before.

-I am working on all of my paintings for my senior art show.

-I am working on all my designs for my senior design show.

All in all, the best thing I can say is I am spending a lot of my time in the MAC lab or in the studio. Also, I am on LinkedIn now, but of course that will be a whole other blog because I will discuss the conference I went to last week (Social Media). It was so much fun!

Toodles for now Interweb (I promise I wont be gone long this time)

Casey Rae

Ceramics

This is kinda like my thing…actually it isn’t kinda. I will toot my own horn here and state that I am an excellent ceramic artist. Here is some of my favorite pieces! 😀

The table setting that is featured below was all made by hand not using the potters wheel. Also, in the bottom of all the bowls and cups is glass to form a level bottom. The interesting thing with these pieces is how the glass interacted with the glazes in the kiln.

Another note – all of the glazes used on the pottery were made myself, they were not bought, but found through recipe books supplied to me by my advisors.

Coil Pot. Casey French, 2009. Stoneware.

Whiskey Barrel. Casey French, 2009. Stoneware.

Blue Vase. Casey French, 2009. Stoneware.

Table Setting. Casey French, 2009. Stoneware.

Awarded Best of Show.

Water Pitcher (Part of Table Setting.) Casey French, 2009. Stoneware

Plates (Part of Table Setting.)  Casey French, 2009. Stoneware.

Cups (Part of Table Setting.) Casey French, 2009. Stoneware and glass.

Bowls (Part of Table Setting.) Casey French, 2009. Stoneware and glass.