Hi friends! I’m back for a little round up post on how September went for Essem Creatives. This peek into behind the scenes at the studio in September is going to be mostly about Christmas.
(florals from Bordeaux Watercolor Floral Set)
August ended with Christmas sales picking up in the shop. While I see the odd sale or two of Christmas items year round, this year it felt like October when it was only August. Strange. I also got questions from buyers about whether I’d be launching new items this year.
My thesis is that we all need happy things to look forward to this year, and that’s why many of us have already started planning & shopping for Christmas.
I had planned to launch my Christmas items in October (a month earlier than my usual November), but I had to advance it to September due to demand. Not gonna lie, it was tough to get into the “Christmas spirit” this early – and when it’s still so warm outside!
I struggled to create anything worth putting up in the first 10 days of September or so. Also, major repairs & renovation work started at my house around then. So it was a chaotic time when my schedule was up in the air, and things were feeling the opposite of “Christmas” / the Holidays. So I took things into my hands, had a good talk with myself and decided that it was time to CREATE Christmas spirit.
If you are a shopowner and are struggling to get into the spirit for Holiday items this early, you can try these out.
First, I put the Christmas Hits Playlist on Spotify in loop. For days. It did WONDERS. Music somehow instantly takes to you to the place where it was written from. Second, I ordered and read an adorable Christmas book – Christmas at Little Beach Street Cottage by Jenny Colgan – which put me in a mood for tinsel, hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, Christmas cake, and all things December. It’s a sweet, light and frothy book perfect for this purpose. Next, I also watched Nutcracker, and watched many many Christmas movie trailers. By the time I was into the book, I was actually already feeling like it’s December! I could finally paint for Christmas and create designs that I’m proud of.
This is the perfect segue to do a round of all the new goodies that hit the shop this month! I came out with 5 new products this month! Holly Jolly vol. 2 is my new Christmas set for this year that I absolutely love. In the Woods has been in the works for weeks now, and finally got to see the light of the day! I think it’ll be just perfect for dreamy, moody, rustic designs. The rest are lovely watercolor textures in different colors and shapes.
It’s been 2 months since I left social media. I don’t see any impact on sales on account of not being active on Instagram. On the other hand, I feel more creatively motivated overall. I think that has to do with a massive cut in intake of visual information and materials. It’s been really helpful!
I have also scheduled a holiday for the week of October 12th. It’s going to be a stay-at-home holiday (obviously), but I’m still looking forward to it. I realised it’s been about 3-4 months since I had my last break (again, at home!!! #2020), and I really need to schedule in these breaks before I have a total meltdown.
Hope you’ve had a good September, and lets have a wonderful October ahead!
(florals from Bordeaux Watercolor Floral Set)