Making it in a Recession-Crazed World

Admit it. All of the press and hype about this awful recession has started to get to you a little, hasn’t it? Even if you haven’t lost your job, you probably know someone who has, or you are concerned about your own.

The fact is, that yes… people have lost some jobs. They are being forced to get a bit creative and seek out possibly a whole new career path. Is this necessarily a bad thing? I stand that it is not.

I am a freelance artist. You can believe that I’ve been getting a lot of questions and concerns about how I’m doing in these uncertain times. And a couple of months ago, I might have told you that I was concerned. In my little corner of the world, people weren’t spending the usual big bucks on custom portraits for Christmas gifts. Portrait commissions accounted for the majority of my income, so I realized that I had to make some changes in how I do business.

The recession caused me to change my plan of action.

I started learning more, researching some creative ways to further my business. It so happens that I have a very marketable set of skills in the area of graphic design! The wheels started turning, and it went something like this: “People are spending less on ‘unnecessary’ items right now (portraits). But businesses need more help than ever, and many new businesses are starting up as a result of this recession… Maybe, just maybe I need to find ways to connect with these people for awhile.” And so I did.

I became an active Twitterer (If you are unfamiliar with Twitter, it’s a micro-blogging tool that is sweeping the world. Visit Twitter.com for more information). It has the ability to connect people in need of specific services with those people who are offering said services. It’s brilliant, and I had never seen its value before necessity called for a change in my thinking.

In a matter of 2 weeks, my graphic design business quadrupled, enough to where I’m now working with a handful of amazing, loyal clients and I’m now able to turn down work. IN A RECESSION.

This post isn’t about Twitter, or about how blessed I am to be thriving in a down economy. It’s about YOU. It’s about changing your thinking. It’s about refusing to listen to mainstream media with all of its predictions and reports of doom and gloom. It’s about realizing that the answer to your problems is out there – you just need to expand your horizons and think about solutions that are a bit “out of the box.” More millionaires were made during the Great Depression than in any other time in our nation’s history. I am convinced that this is not a coincidence, but a testament to how, when we have to, we can find a way.

I’d love to hear back from you on this. And if I can help, I’d love to.

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KellyONeill.