The Canby Wedding Chapel reached out to me to help them transition into an art center. I was so happy to take on the business development challenge given the various factors that were at play under the surface of this situation. Transitioning gracefully seems to be what life is about - responding, staying relevant, growing with the internal and external circumstances. I really appreciated working with these clients for their thoughtfulness towards transitions. It's amazing to me how long people suffer in situations without asking for help. I was happy these women did not fall into this category.
The wedding chapel and adjacent building are beautiful places in a small Oregon town, just perfect for a get away, art residency program and summer events that support the artisans in the area. This situation is all about merging passion with uniqueness to draw new people while capturing the existing customers with an interesting twist. One thing that I love about building creative capacity in new spaces is that I get to remind people that they need their community and they need to see the uniqueness that each community offers. Sometimes people miss it, which is why fresh eyes are important. This is human ecology meets economics and in this case we have a community of flower growers, farmers and a halfway town for work commuters between Portland and Salem. The other amazing factor is how our community has changed with the use of the internet. The options for my client both practicality and creatively increased once my fresh eyes that could connect the dots and further reach out to the online communities that would bring in revenue and creatives to revitalize the space.
Remember that the map is not the territory and transition takes time and courage but it's easier to move forward if someone shows you what will help you make it there and mentally prepares you to not miss the opportunities. Working with this project helped me see how important it is to hitch your wagon to the right team, working with others increases the chance of success. Additionally, when transitioning it is critical to allow things to build on each other or plan in succession for the dream to arrive, rather than forcing it into being.
The wedding chapel and adjacent building are beautiful places in a small Oregon town, just perfect for a get away, art residency program and summer events that support the artisans in the area. This situation is all about merging passion with uniqueness to draw new people while capturing the existing customers with an interesting twist. One thing that I love about building creative capacity in new spaces is that I get to remind people that they need their community and they need to see the uniqueness that each community offers. Sometimes people miss it, which is why fresh eyes are important. This is human ecology meets economics and in this case we have a community of flower growers, farmers and a halfway town for work commuters between Portland and Salem. The other amazing factor is how our community has changed with the use of the internet. The options for my client both practicality and creatively increased once my fresh eyes that could connect the dots and further reach out to the online communities that would bring in revenue and creatives to revitalize the space.
Remember that the map is not the territory and transition takes time and courage but it's easier to move forward if someone shows you what will help you make it there and mentally prepares you to not miss the opportunities. Working with this project helped me see how important it is to hitch your wagon to the right team, working with others increases the chance of success. Additionally, when transitioning it is critical to allow things to build on each other or plan in succession for the dream to arrive, rather than forcing it into being.