celestestudio

how to get a dream job for creatives

2012-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

1.suit up ....show up ....don't give up
no matter what

2.stop when you see a job site ask if there are opportunities for you to bid

3 20 calls a day 100 calls a week

4 informative emails...show photos of current work

5 blog... show work

6 use facebook.
set up a page
add photos of work
ask questions
find new FB friends in your biz
publish your website
share info about your friends small biz... they might share YOU back
answer questions

7 use twitter
you need followers... the best content twittered to nobody is twittered to nobody
you need followers IN YOUR BUSINESS
following competitors doesn't bring biz... always ask
can this person buy from me
help somebody
RT good content
thank people
notice people
and
TWITTER IS ABOUT THE LINKS... link photos, blogs and interesting articles

8.blog write often. short articles... link it

9 linkenin. yup it's like homework but that's how you find people who are doing something.
call them tell them you saw their website and are impressed with their work ( if you are) and
ask to be considered for their bid list

10 suit up .... show up... don't give up... no matter what
there is opportunity for everyone who hasn't given up

art design ideas

2012-01-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

today was about creating opportunity

ideas...recession

2012-01-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

what makes do you think about the recession.?
what is it?
how were you affected?
student loans
foreclosures
unemployment cash for clunkers stores closing
for lease
debt
housing bubble
maddof
stock market collapse

recharge

2012-01-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

It seems like 2012 is a fresh line in the sand.
other years rolled over one into another
but this one seems
different
something shifted.
My ideas are more outer directed than in the past...
I have new energy.
I feel recharged.
I guess for awhile I was thinking that i was getting
a little older and I wasn't gearing up for new things and new ideas...
but now i am

painting

2012-01-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

For a long time... it's been about work.
work for money
and a nagging feeling that I wish i had time to paint a painting...
but I had a secret.
i didn't know what i wanted to paint.
now I do

postcard

2010-08-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

I prospect for work ALL THE TIME.

i have a 30+ year career as an artist, designer, and finisher. I have always been way busier than I can handle. The econami has changed some of the elements. Many design firms that ALWAYS used me are slow and some out of biz. Some of my contacts are layed off or had to find work in other fields.

I've created a postcard that i use.

1 empty spaces

I put one in EVERY for rent for lease or empty space. regardless of if it is going to be a restaurant, salon, retail or unknown. The cards are often picked up by prospective lessees...perhaps not even of that space.

I know that sooner or later somebody is going to do something and it's my best shot at a chance to bid.

2 restaurants

I give 50 or a 100 postcards to restaurants we have done work in. i ask the manager or owner for their approval and ask the servers or hostesses to hand them out if people compliment any of the work. i don't want a tip dependent server to have to go in the office scramble for my number and lose momentum. people often ask who did this floor.

3business cards

I keep them with me and hand them out instead of business cards as I go through my day.

4 job sites

i ask other tradespeople for THEIR CARD. i say it's been a pleasure to get to know them and I look forward to working with them again...in fact i'd reccomend them to my future clients...at that point they always ask for my card. the best place for a tradesman to have my card is in his truck. fabulous source of leads

5 tradeshows

i am an exibitor at one tradeshow a year. of course I give them out at the hospitalikty design show in las vegas. but I always get their card and follow up.

6 attending tradeshows

as an attendee. i take my postcards because you never know what small company will be opening a showroom and need stained concrete or finishes

7 contact i use them as mail peices to jog old customers memory...we are still here, I sent them to prospective clients and after I've made an intro phone call

chairs

2010-04-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

this is a collection of chairs we painted. I took photos as we worked so the client could see the progress

Groovy spoon

2010-02-20T03:23:00.000-08:00

spoon wall design concept and implementation (the art work) www.celestekorthasestudio.com 323 707 3815

norweigen ski hats

2010-02-20T01:55:00.000-08:00

these are the hats I've knitted this winter and gave for christmas some of my twitter friends have asked about my knitting so i uploaded to blog. enjoy

@celestestudio

Crazy glue

2010-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

@IQXS this is my gordon setter CG... crazy glue

stained concrete floors

2010-02-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

ssstast

twitter for christmas @@@

2009-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

what if...

you could twitter for christmas?

are you a little short of $$$ this year and want to do something, make something, be thoughtful and helpful? why not twitter for christmas.

lets say you have a friend who love cooking and recepies , you find a name not yet taken, fill out the info very basicly and make an avatar that looks like cookbooks and a twitter background that looks like food. you then follow cooks who commonly post recepies and good value on gormet products...make a password your friend can change and had it over in a christmas card

Just don't use the persons name

1 photographers follow camera mfgs and other photographers

2 travel follow travel bloggers , cruise ships airlines and peeps they follow

3 artists follow art magazines, art museums other artists, artwalks organizations

4 positive thinking "quotes" follow the best quote ers on twitter so there's a steady positive roll of good stuff

5 etsy people enough said easy to find very nice crowd any arty crafter would love to read and see what people are making.

6 internet marketers. perrhaps you have an employment challenged friend or reletive that does not know where to start in this social media world. if you can't find a job find work. follow the affiliate marketers, let your friend see what's out there

7gardening follow seed companies, other gardeners green sites

8eco friendly ...green windmill sites, green coaches eco everything.

9web design follow these guys. amazing stuff

10sports teams follow people who follow the same sports team

these are just some basic ideas. you're creativity will take you way farther than this. I think you could follow about 200 people who are current active twitterers and you would have a timely lively thoughtful gift

@celestestudio

cash for clunkers

2009-08-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

cash for clunkers

sounds pretty good... let's get the big gas guzzling fat cat cars off the road and get everybody into sensible efficient small cars... and lets help them do it.

except wait wait... um did they turn in the range rovers , and hummers, the suberbans and escalades? toyota land cruisers and lexus, nissan ... no... \no that's not how it went

they turned in 2 million:

1 ford explorer

2 ford f150

3jeep grand cherokee

4 jeep cherokee

5 dodge caravan

for

1ford fiesta

2toyota corolla

3honda civic

4toyota prius

5 toyota camray

so wait...we turn in AMERICAN CARS to sieze the engines and render them undrivable and get the people to buy foreign cars... (oh there was a ford fiesta in the mix,)

did we bale out the AMERICAN car companies for this?

did anyone do the math?

oh we don't teach math in school... we teach self esteem, I keep forgetting. I'm kinda interested in the self esteem of a man who trades in his ford f150 pickup for a ford fiesta this weekend. I wonder his self esteem when he pulls into the jobsite monday morning is a wimp car that can't carry a tool , saw, lumber, bags of soil garden tools... oh wait we are in a recession and he doesn't work and won't be able to pay for the car long and it will be repossessed ... so why am I even worried about the shortage of used cars.

I look at the list of cars that are turned in and I want to cry. these are not the enemy, these are not the gas guzzling offenders. these are the blue collar working man cars and work trucks of america.

I drive a chrysler town and country minivan. it has 267,000 proud miles. I usually have 1 person beside my self and often 3. I carry tools, paint scaffolding, ladders on top, art, equipment, concrete stain, sprayers, sealers, myself and a couple workers. The miles I drive are divided between 2 or 3 people. i do favors for people, i deliver art to shows for my associate when he has an art show, I pick up furniture on the road and recycle it. I get 22 miles to the gallon... and if you figure in the fact that I've kept a ton and a half out of landfill, given several mechanics a little work over the years, i've done more good than harm.

We are in the most severe recession since the great depression, i would dare to guess that some people who were forclosed on, lost jobs and work, also lost cars and could really use something serviceable and useful to buy inexpensively, a beater, starter car, in AA we car them newcomer cars... WE HAVE JUST SIEZED THE ENGINES ON 2 MILLION OF THEM, RENDERING THEM UN DRIVABLE. they poured liquid glass in the engines.

how many parts are wasted because of this?

waste waste waste...shameful!!!

Mechanics are going to see a huge slump in work, do we bale them out next?

I have nothing against any of these cars that people are buying for the right person. . I've been an advocate of efficient cars all along. most of the soccer moms driving along with a big tahoe should be ashamed, a smaller crossover would be a far better choice. these aren't the people who traded in. A ford f150 pickup? even an old beat up one has more value than new fiesta to a contractor or working man.

I'm mixed up again, are we to reduce reuse recycle? or waste? dump and squander our resources

bigger photos of yogurt shop

2009-06-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I've added some yogurt shop photos that are larger the ones i sent out yesterday were from phone. thanks the DarrellMorrison for pointing it out.

yogurthaven a new yogurt concept

2009-06-13T01:03:00.001-07:00

here are just a couple photos from the new yogurt concept we've been working on for a couple weeks. it's just beautiful and the client is thrilled. i have several more amazing concepts up my sleeve...thanks for taking a look

can twitter save Michigan?

2009-05-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

It sounds like a preposterous claim or even question...but i have an odd idea. my heart has broken to see the giant companies in my home state collapse under the weight of the econami. Regardless of what you thinkof the cause, fault, or reasons' one must agree it's a complicated issue and many people are suffering and collapsing under the weight of forclousure, and joblessness in Michigan.

I say for a moment, lay blame aside and consider the solution and not the problem.

Michigan is beautiful.

Michigan is a photographers paradise.

Michigan has more freshwater coastline than any other state.

Michigan has breathtaking farm and country roads that will take you back in time.

Michigan has festivals and county fairs 4-H and ffa kids showing their work

I believe that if the good people from michigan begin to twitter about the virtues of their hometown.

interesting landmarks,

festivals,

hometown restaurants,

little inns,

lakes,

special fishing spots,

boating opportunities,

great sailing spots,

beautiful roads,

country settings,

farm markets,

fruit seasons,

local history,

and special quirky details

and what if michigan residents and former residents homesick for that special view or quirky restaurant started twittering AND sending killer fabulous twitpic s out AND making Michigan a trending topic on twitter

well what if???

I love my home state and the wonderful people. I think there could be a groundswell of enthusiasm.

what if

you could influence someone to travel around Michigan rather than a sterile regimented theme park ... what if you could influence someone to explore and have their own unique experience...in your hometown.

i'm inviting people to my hometown montague michigan home of the world's largest weather vane. it's on Lake Michigan and White lake and it's the most amazing hometown in America

what if...

Michigan residents gave it a try and attract tourists in record numbers. it could create more jobs and maybe some different outcomes in the lives of people.

mostly there is nothing to lose.

If you are from michigan, and are on twitter... i urge you to give it a try.

paintings

2009-05-11T20:47:00.001-07:00

these are some paintings i want to sell. big flashy colorful abstracts. great for a restaurant that needs a flash of color from the street.

250 each or all 5 for $1000.

celestekorthasestudio.com

handpainted chairs for restaurants

2009-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

bracca at the beach

2009-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

bracca got in some deep water and got a little scared but she made it
don't you love that face

bracca went to huntington beach today. her very first time. we were turned on to a dog beach and it was at the south end of bolsa chica beach just north of the huntington pier.

off leash just a perfect day

does guerilla marketing work???

2009-05-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

1clients

I have been working for the past 9 months to reestablish and update my interior designer, architect, developer, and contractor files. I've been reestablishing contact by email, mail and phone. my goal is to get a considered response with regard to the possibliity of us being a useful resource for them

2 for rent

When i'm out on a job or driving around i always have flyers or post cards to leave in a storefront, restaurant , actually any for retail space for rent. i see these as opportunity. these are the places where a new business will go in.

3.jobsite.

when i see work actually going on i take my portfillio books inside as if I have an appointment already and see if i can speak with the job supervisor. sometimes the owner or designer are on site. they are always interested.

4twitter

and linked in. I send out messages that relate to my business and leave my web address often. in twitter always change the message

5blog.

i write this blog. I invent types of restaurants, new concepts, ideas...even what you can do with 400 empty circuit cities.

6 ask for referrals.

if you have good customers go in and leave some card with them, say you've always gotten calls from their customers and wanted to make sure they had some cards so it would be convenient. get the name of the person you gave the cards to. just to thank them.

I've been doing this aggressively persistantly and consistantly for 6 months and the phone has started to ring.

national park week

2009-04-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

we painted these mural of national parks for racer's edge indoor karting track in santa clarita california. This is a 100,000sf building redone. this shows many of the parks melting into each other shown from the track....scroll down 10 picturesa section of 6 national parks from the race track
redwood sequoia and kings canyon
bryce canyon melts into monument valley, arches national park into park lake, lake into east river and new york
grand canyon, yosemite and lake powell from the race track at racer's edge in santa clarita california.
lake powell area section of the mural
el capitan and half dome about 22' high and 30' long

this is a secret rapa nui man stuck in a grand canyon muralmatthew hermstad and I on the scissor lift in front of the grand canyon mural
celeste in front of the grand canyon mural

sunday with bracca

2009-04-26T23:50:00.000-07:00

this is up in the san gabriel mountains up above la. we went for a nice walk on a great day

5 pictures scroll down

5 great new yogurt themes

2009-04-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

i think pinkberry is fantastic. Innovative creative, beautifully planned, has stunning graphics, lighting and colors. Their product is delicious and everybody likes it.

Pinkberry is wonderful

enough already.

to the other yogurt stores struggling to be chains. Find your own idea, your own colors and style and stop copying the pinkberry swedish light.

here are my five suggestions for your design and branded style

1 not pinkberry

2 not pinkberry

3 not pink berry

4 not pinkberry

5 not pinkberry

we have tons of ideas and finishes for yogurt stores.

I have several color palettes selected that will set you apart from all the other yogurt stores that are copying you know who. I have never seen anything like it.

i have one concept right now i want to do but i need the right client who is interested in a modern tech concept. it even has a hook to brand it. You just have to have a delicious product.

I can help you with finishes and surfaces that create the concept. We can interface with your kitchen planner.

twitter for restaurants

2009-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

I don't have a restaurant or work in one...other than to work with fine restaurants as a decorative(faux)finisher, stained concrete and venetian plaster artisan and yes we do some quirky site specific art...but I actually do work in restaurants and since i've been on twitter i've encouraged some of my clients to give it a go.

why?

here goes.

set up a twitter account and put the name on a blackboard, ask customers to follow.

1. tweet sport games that are on the everblasting flat screens.

2 have an american idol night tweet your favorites

3.specials kind of a no brainer. but it can increase traffic by listing local fresh ingrediants in a special salad, sandwich no no carb day...

4tweet changes in your restaurant or bar, remodel, new color,

5.tweetups. you can make your space available to alumni groups, after sports tweet ups, organized groups or misc groups, singles, and twitter about what you are doing.

If you have a dinner rush between 5-8..and quiet until when you close at 10 or 11 why not open up as a tweep up and use twitter to illuminate your big idea.

The photos taken at the top are from spitz. the traffic from an informal downtown la gathering was all social media.

earthday special. ideas for restaurants to reduce reuse and recycle

2009-04-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

what are some cost cutting ideas for new restaurants opening that are also eco friendly.

1. used chairs.

used chairs. seriously. chairs can be handpainted to look completely different.

see our site

celestekorthasestudio.com

click on hand painted chairs.

mostly we paint new chairs from gar products but now and then we come across used chairs. it's always astonished me that people are so quick to throw out chairs

even 50% new chairs...

2.paint a bar. rather than buy a new bar or counter. if it's wood it can be primed and painted.

3.cover a wall in used doors. cabinet shops throw out doors that they remove when refacing

4 create a collection of like minded items from thrift stores or yard sales... like jigsaw puzzles, sewing patterns, globes,picture frames all painted ONE color with nothing in them, a series of travel book covers, maps, vintage post cards, or candleholders all painted brilliant metallic colors...I could go on

5.for an internet cafe a solid wall of web, computer and phone trash. cables, phone chargers, old obsolete phones, non operational computers as a solid piece of art. called a conversation piece

we have many many more ideas. we don't want to internet market, sell lists, hound strangers, we want to work and not the econami get in the way.

5 new restaurant concepts

2009-04-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

i 've got 5 new restaurant concepts completely designed utilizing our skills. if something sounds interesting give us a call and we will explain more to you. no obligation... just we hope to be considered for your restaurant creative work. stained concrete, faux finishing, decorative wall finishes, handpainted furniture or site specific art.

1 chinese restaurant. we have an amazing modern concept for a chinese restaurant that really showcases your fine dishes. stained concrete, venetian plaster walls and the piece de resistance art idea that will surely bring customers back.

2 thai restaurant. the idea comes from the chaing mai night markets a beautiful hip modern restaurant with street cooking artifacts used as a sculpture ...and think orchids.

3 lofty urban restaurant. warm modern quirky ;like an artists loft, a great gathering place workable for many moderate price food concepts, stained floors, art, the best thing is we could put it in a stripmall in kalamazoo or kankakee.

4 sandwich restaurant. amazing sandwiches, delicious healthy healthy healthy, not rolls or hard bread. custom made with delicious ingredients. the restaurant has a retro hippie feel cleaned up. to go and catering options. would make a good little spot near an industrial workplace concept.

5 yogurt concept. we have a concept for a yogurt shop. modern hip, with a high tech twist...

tech twist??? oopps (trademark) all details a call away. it's an amazing idea and not a clone of you know who.

none of these are franchaises. we have worked out details of new concepts that are missing in the market place. we know design marketing and branding. from an artist perspective. this is not a chain. they arte designs ready to go... we just want to work.

celestekorthasestudio.com

323 707 3815

strip mall opportunities

2009-04-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

While so much real estate is available it's an amazing time to rethink some pretty awful designs. Without demolition, a new idea can rise from the ashes with hardscape , landscape, and some unusual building materials

Bulldozing, demolation, and rebuilding just can't be the answer during these times.

It just puts more crap in landfills and ignores the best thinking of architects and designers. Real estate developers and property owners may want to consider some of the following ideas.

1. reduce reuse recycle. a small 10-12 unit strip mall from the late 60's or 70's can be made to appear 21st century modern with metal refacing. a look at different disposed materials make the choices unlimited. Large metal sheets from salvage cars left in their original colors and resealed would fit the bill. All concrete walkways stained

2painted and refaced. a small strip mall would have each unit painted a different color with two contrast trims. Each unit has it's own color but the whole center stands out. rust charturce, plum, orange brick, willow green all work together. gives the whole unit a sense of place.

3lofty look.

take out drop ceilings in a unit that is old and paint all the ceilings a solid brown. canvas color walls and stained concrete floors. The drop ceilings removed gives the height and loft feeling.

Unless the property is in a very cold area and it's unwise to have heat rise this is a great move.

These are just a couple ideas to update a mall and make a property stand out and be n more rentable. On Melrose in los angeles, one of the most desirable retaiul streets in the world, a five block stretch between fairfax and gardner has 29 places for lease. some stand out.

celeste

celestekorthasestudio.com

big ideas for big boxes

2009-04-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

I can't help but notice the empty circuit city stores. I was out prospecting for work; my normal type of business is a less than 3000c storefront. I'm especially good at helping a client with a space from hell; turning it into a restaurant retail space or a salon.

I keep seeing these huge circuit city stores... all over the big-box landscape. I really don't think there is any chain that could come in and refit all these stores and put them back in service as something else. some maybe but not chain wide.

I came up with this list as possible uses for the spaces.....

1. work space and small light industrial. divided into 1200 to 2000sf spaces independantely lockable. one loading dock for all spaces. indoor door and exterior door for each.

2nd floor added. offices upstairs and an interior open space in the center shared.

a place for people to make money rather than spend it.

2 school why build a new school at huge prevailing wage when a circuit city can be a school?

two story interior open space.

3 auxilerary building for a school. an offsite music, art, theater, center for a high school.

4 a mega church

5.sports complex....comprised of several businesses, bowling alley , video game arcade, classes for martial arts ,dance, after school learning centers, gym, family center, but designed that all the businesses are independantely owned. health conscious restaurants, snacks in the center.

6. design center. divided into 8 stores, or showrooms. 4 up 4 down. wallcoverings ,carpet, lighting, imports , upholstery, outdoor furniture, and 4 spaces for small design firms. parking can use utilized at different times. designers are busy earlier and furniture stores later.

7 university auxillery space. a university nearby could use the space in lieu of building another5 building.

8 catering center divided into 2 floors. elevators large enough for carts and loading equipment and leased out to different catering firms probably 20 firms. this would be an ideal use of the burbank california circut city. different caterers could rent a corp kitchen and prepare kraft service for movies and film. general catering. interior shared seating for people who come in. when catering firms prepare more specials could be sold and consumed in the center.

also in this center would be a kitchen store.

9 restaurant suppy house. again divided. this time in 6. 3 up 3 down, restaurant furnishings, equipment supplies, janitorial supplies, all different owners. even room for some interior restaurant designers in the complex. 1/3 of downstairs is a produce supplier for restaurants

10 immediate use. furniture that's being dumped into dumpsters because homes are going into foreclosure can be displayed and sold. a huge thrift store. this might be a temporary use. but riverside california might want to comsider this use for their circuit city.

these are the musings of an artist and designer ...I look at the difficulities of these times and am desperately trying to see hope, solution and the positive.

I would be willing to work on any store remodel with stained concrete, paint finishes ideas handpainted furniture...you get the drift.

celestekorthasestudio.com

i would love to dialoge with anyone who has ideas about what i'm talking about.

i think this is a very green solution.

I know the amount of red tape to do any of this would be so overwhelming it would almost be impossible. but nothing happens with out and idea. the reason to inspect a building is to make is safe not to protect the inspectors job.

lets talk

celeste

celestekorthasestudio.com

323 707 3815

looking for work 3

2009-04-12T21:45:00.001-07:00

I almost lost it.

i just thought this work, prospecting recreating a client list business was not going to work but i am have some success and breakthroughs when i least except it.

I've had a speciality painting and finishing business for many years. i've had long running design clients whjose work I've always done and have been busier than i could handle.

econami

many of our designers have slowed down and even have had jobs cancel or delay.

so late last summer I began reassembling a client list.

It's been almost impossible to even get a meeting with a design firm. although most of them are painfully slow. the premium on their time is more because the company's income is less.

I start by sending a hello intro email, then phone with a hello and ask if they would be willing to check out our website and if they had any interest save it to favorites for future use, i'm then calling back to see if I may have a brief appointment to present my portfollio.

Tomorrow we hav e a luncheon at a major la architectural firm, i met a contractor downtown LA who is doing garment district tenant improvements, i met a developer who is considering us for a sales office interior, we are quoting an exterior faux aged finish on an italina restaurant and yesterday i successfully pitched a yogurt store interior....to a guy i met while walking in his store.

it's the same thing. i can phone email, send make post cards... but showing up is 80%

celestekorthasestudio.com

wow new e news stained concrete

2009-04-10T18:43:00.001-07:00

celestekorthasestudio.com

323 707 3815 cell text

It?s the time of year for exterior stained concrete.

Below are a few examples of our stained concrete work in both residential and commercial applications. The inimitable techniques from the artisans of celeste korthase studio are certainly worth considering.
For homes, pools, patio dining rooms?stained concrete really contributes to creating an extra room with a whole different vibe.

fred waldemer korthase and 2600 trees

2009-04-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

today my dad would have been 92.

He made 86 years on this earth, michigan

Happy birthday dad. what a world .

My dad grew up in a farmhouse with no indoor plumbing or electricity. He wound up with a cell phone. he lived during the most amazing advanced in human history.

He fought in wwII. and was so proud of his service.

He raised 4 amazing kids. we are all "kinda different" as they would say in the midwest. blazingly secure in our lives.

My dad was a 4-H leader and pioneer. he raised 4 4-H kids and helped so many more at at his funeral there were no more seats.

He ran the roller rink in the basement of the catholic church. and taught an army of kids to skate and work...by offering every boy who wanted to work a job as a skateboy.

He was an electrician...he loved to work more than anything.

He planted 2600 trees in the last rtwo years of hbis life.

everywhere.

He needed to get the trees in. people are discovering them all the time.

He planted fruit trees that were suppose to take at least 15 years to bear fruit when he was 80.

and got the fruit anyway. I guess he either was optimistic or giving.

I'm going to borrow some of dad's optisism today to keep going forward during this econami. where it seems impossible at every turn, i just have to get those 2600 trees in...

or phone calls or drop off a flyer because I love to work too.

more than anything.

happy birthday dad.

and don't fall down laughing at all the green stuff you hear about. you were green when...

well you get it.

celeste korthase

daughter of fred korthase

cookies

2009-04-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

oh boy! today we are going to berbere to the recession pot luck.

It should be fun.

Berbere is a huge warehouse of world furniture...imports from 17+ countries.

designers and architects use it as an amazing in stock warehouse for furniture and accessories.

Today they are having a big open house and recession pot luck every one is bringing a dish.

we made cookies

oatmeal cookies with pineapple, coconut and macademia nuts

oatmeal cookies with cranberries,pomegranete ,cherries,and berries

oatmeal cookies with simi and white swirl chips...

a plate piled high

I went with something oldfashioned with a unique twist.

It seems that everyone is bringing world food every ethnic possibility.

we are looking forward to a good time fun and some meet and greet

and not alergic to new business possibilities.

If you are a designer on the westside of LA...it's an open house stop by and enjoy

2009-04-02T01:03:00.001-07:00

showing up is 80%

2009-04-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

man...I decided to suit up and show up today. I had an appointment with a salon owner for some work but the appointment was cancelled. i was already dressed and ready to do something so i went out prospecting.

it's easier to hide behind the old, and i mean old, mac, sending out emails and some snail mail but nothing works like showing up.

"showing up is 80%" woody allen

so out we go, my husband and i. he had an appointment with an apartment owner to see his stained concrete, we got there and the guy couldn't be less interested in my husbands beautiful work. the guy only wanted price, Jeremy gave him and quote and we went on our way but no appointments in mind.

I saw a new building yesterday with a empty sales office in the fashion district. a lightbulb went off in my head that they would like the sales office to sell the rental untils by being beautiful. i found out from a security guard where the corp office was and just showed up, I had my portfollio books with me and told the guy i was making him the deal of a lifetime.

He sat down with me listened and he considering my proposal.

so that's something

and then we handed out somewhere around 75 flyers in for rent store fronts on melrose, beverly blvd, san vicente and la brea.

I've been doing this work for 30 years and i'm reduced to walking the streets hat in hand almost begging for work. and we are REALLY good. last year this time i had 5 restaurants at once.

I have emailed, i have called, I have sent out post cards showing our work but I have to believe that showing up at a building that is for rent will ultamatey get a tenant and perhaps if they know about us they will consider us.

I also believe that if there is any work to be had being out there will give me a better chance than the artist sitting home smoking dope.

I'm not accepting this econami, I refuse to participate in the recession.

I will get work

celestekorthasestudio.com

looking for work

2009-03-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

This week was rough. i started looking more in ernest for additional work for myself and small crew. I am an artist and decorative finish artisan. (I paint walls), we stain concrete and do venetian plaster.

I'm going through a through look at every type of customer who could use us and do my best to make contact and see if i can get a meeting. everything is a long shot. I keep pushing forward somehow. we could get work from interior designers, architects, landscape designers or contractors. sometimes we get contacted directly by a restaurant that uses us.

for contact I've used a combination of email, phone, and mail. I'm promoting my web site on twitter and facebook. I put an ad in a restaurant newspaper and have called every past client and am looking for new ones.I printed up flyers and walked melrose and put one in every door on melrose ave in la. There usually are no places for rent on Melrose and in a 5 block area there were 29 places for rent. I sent 38 letter to funeral homes with selected finishes they could use.

my result was one meeting, 2 phone calls 2 emails and over 100 hits on my website. nothing from the funeral homes.

I wrote this to remember what it's like now,and to share with anyone struggling to find work to keep going, keep trying.

I actually have no results, I've been at this work finding in an extreme phase for 6 months. i believe in myself and my work and i won't give up.

my website is celestekorthasestudio.com

market today

2009-03-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

the market fell again today big time. the more money that is lost out of our retirement accounts, home values, lost jobs....the more the government is taxing.

I work all day then come home and work 4 or 5 more hours to get work by emaqiling potential clients.

By taxing people who make more than 250,000 a year significantly higher , the government is telling us to stay in our place and not try to reach for a better living.