Author: Portfolio Creative

Visit our official Facebook page and become a fan to stay connected with everything Portfolio. You’ll be able to read our blog, view photos, have a discussion, find out what’s new and share your comments. See you there!

The Fuse Factory is an art and technology initiative focused on cultivating artistic production, research, and experimentation with digital media and electronic tools. Their purpose is to function as an incubator for innovation, interaction, collaboration, critical thought, diversity, and artistic exploration.

They’ve just posted their schedule of workshops for the new year, in a new location at Junctionview Studios. Check out what’s coming up in January below, February and beyond is on their website.

Intro to Open Source: What’s it all about, Alfie?
Date: Saturday, January 24
Cost: $15

Intro to computer programming basics for artists and designers
Date: Saturday, January 31
Cost: $15

I just read an article in Woman’s Day, entitled Bounce Back From Anything. The article mentions a woman who started her own social networking/support group after she lost her job, SWAN, which stands for Smart Women Are Networking. The group meets once a month to give each other encouragement and remind each other of their strengths. This is a great idea, how can you do something similar for yourself? It’s easy to get into a rut, with one negative thought leading to another and another. By getting together with other people who are in your same situation you can see that you are not alone, and it’s a boost to your ego to be reminded of your strengths by other people.  You can create a group of your own in your area, or find one on-line.

In her blog, Career Karma, Sharon DeLay mentions that another way to network for free is to attend free webinars, seminars, or teleconferences.  Don’t forget about the people hosting them, they can be a wealth of information too.  These can double as something to add to your resume as well.  To read more visit: www.permanent-ink.com

If you’re not already using LinkedIn, check it out. It’s free to your average user, and can help you connect with a tremendous variety of people that can keep you moving forward in your career or job search. Find people who work where you want to work, connections at a company that is posting a job you’re interested in, or just a mentor in your field.

Portfolio Creative Staffing is registered as a Greenspot business, a City of Columbus environmental initiative. When we joined there were less than 200 businesses registered, now there are over 900! Part of the deal is that we will work toward goals and improvements in several key areas for our business, then file an annual progress report to show how we’re doing. We just completed our report and a few highlights are below…

Key accomplishments for 2008:

Sharing information about Greenspot with neighboring businesses and employees; buying as many recycled office supplies as possible; increased electronic communication to reduce paper usage; recycling paper, cds and other office materials; using drought-resistant plants in our landscaping; converting to more energy-efficient light bulbs; turning programmable thermostats down or up by a few degrees.

Goals for next year and beyond:

Create and display an environmental policy; post requirements for becoming a Greenspot business; audit and track waste and utility expenditures to see what effect the changes are making; get as close as we can to being a paperless office; encourage more green travel and commuting, especially finding options in our not-so-commuter-friendly city.

Our challenge to you:

The biggest surprise (for me) about running our business in a more environmentally friendly way is that most of the changes we make also save the company money. Or at least it’s a wash. The impression seems to be that it’s too expensive to be environmental. Yes, some renewable energy and green products are very expensive, but there are many options that are not. It’s all about making choices, and we think doing something is better than nothing. We challenge you to make one recognizable change this year, and become a Greenspot member if you aren’t already.

This topic has come up a few times in recent conversations and on blogs, maybe it’s recessionary soul-searching or practical belt-tightening. It comes back to why you work–not why you do what you do, but why you work at all. To buy stuff. And how much stuff do you really need? If you could have less but work less, would you do it? If you could work really hard for a few years and save enough to not work for a while, would you? The Millenials are getting knocked for putting life before work, but that’s only from the employer’s perspective. Of course their employer wants to be first priority 24×7, but I say the youngsters are on to something. I work to live, not the other way around.

Did you realize how many local communities have art themed weekend events?! Here are a few to check out:

Short North Gallery Hop– 1st Saturday of every month

Grandview Hop– Last Saturday of every month (April-November)

The Bexley Art Walk– Monthly on designated Fridays

Gallery Walk Gahanna– Designated Saturdays

Chillicothe’s Gallery Stroll-2nd Saturday of the month

Westerville Fourth Fridays-4th Friday of the month (April-October)

Click the following links for upcoming dates:

Clintonville Art Crawl, Newark’s Art Walk, and Late Night Logan.

I just finished reading a classic business book entitled FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results. It’s a fictional book, but describes the philosophy of the people at the World famous Pike Place Fish Market. This fish market is not an ordinary fish market thanks to the fish mongers that work there.  They changed their attitude about their work and have in effect made their wet, cold, smelly, and slippery market into a place of entertainment and joy for customers.  Now if these guys can do that, so can you!

Whether you are in a job that you don’t necessarily enjoy, but it is one that you need, or you do not have a job and need some direction, the “fish guys” have words of wisdom for you.

The Fish philosophy is about enjoyment on the job, how to get the most out of your job, and how to bring energy to the workplace.  How do you achieve this?

1. Choose your attitude – this may be an overused phrase, but it’s true, give it a shot one day and see how things go.  Wake up and say, “Today I will be _________” fill in the blank (successful, helpful, hopeful).
2. Be engaged and live in the present.
3. Make “Their” day.  To make someone’s day will make you feel good and help you realize the impact each and every one of us can have on another person.  We are all so very connected if you take the time to notice.

“There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself,” (FISH!, S. Lundin, H. Paul, & J. Christensen)

And someday, you may have a choice about the work itself if you stick to this philosophy.  If you are one of the lucky ones who isn’t stuck on a job, take the time to think about what you would love to do and in what job you could be engaged, in the present, and able to make someone’s day everyday.

A new book about the history of the Clintonville (home to Portfolio!) and Beechwold neighborhoods of Columbus will be released today, January 12th. The 128-page book belongs to the “Images of America” series from Arcadia Publishing and was written by longtime local Clintonville resident, Shirley Hyatt.

The book’s official website details the evolution of these neighborhoods from farmland to crossroads to thriving residential communities. For anyone interested in picking up a copy, you can also find it on Amazon for $14.95 plus shipping.

Additionally, you can meet the author this Saturday, January 17th at Colonial Candy Shop (3519 N. High St). Shirley Hyatt will be available from 1:00-2:30 to chat about the book and answer questions.

An article about resumes was brought to my attention today, written by Janice Worthington, executive director of Worthington Career Services.  Janice was blunt and to the point, here’s what stood out for me:

“If you merely tell me what you do,  you only qualify yourself.”  She goes on to explain that you need to describe your “tales of glory” including your challenges, efforts, and results.  These will distinguish you from the rest of the herd.

Another piece of advice: don’t exaggerate. Janice writes, “the cover up is always worse than the initial problem.”  Once your fib is discovered the hiring manager or interviewer is likely to want to “sever all ties.”

Great interview with Daniel Pink, one of my favorite authors. Did you know he’s from Columbus, Ohio? Oh, it’s true!

His newest book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, suggests that creative, artistic, empathetic right-brain thinkers are wired for 21st-century success. He’s been quoted as saying the MFA is the new MBA. In the same way that automated processes and machines replaced laborers, now logical technical left-brain tasks can (and are) outsourced overseas or done by computers. But creative thinking and ideas can’t be outsourced. Therefore, his theory goes, having the skills and ability to tap into our right-brain side will be a huge benefit in the new creative economy. Great news for all of us designers, artists, writers, storytellers, and otherwise right-brain thinkers!