I know you’ve heard the term “Mission Statement” before. When I worked in the design industry, I was always given a large binder outlining office protocol, etc when starting. The first page of that binder included a tiny paragraph called “Mission Statement”. It was normally a well written description of the higher goal of the firm. If you’ve worked in an office setting you probably had a similar binder 🙂
mis·sion state·ment – noun. a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.
If you are starting your own creative business or own your own, you may not think it’s important to literally write down your mission statement. Ah, I would disagree. This is where you start and where you end. It is where you stay on track. The place you plan from, the place you say yes from and no from. It is your brand and it is important.
There are so many important items that stem from a mission statement, including: your business name, the style of your product, the business ventures that you enter into, the way you market you product, collateral material, presentations, etc.
Here is Googled Mission Statement: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Pretty simple.
I, myself, started with an image, which lead to a name and a style.
The nest is rustic, but amazingly crafted step by step. It is shaped perfectly to hold a family. A bright, blue egg is a surprisingly beautiful contrast. It is special and shocking and contains life. Takes my breath away. A bird is freedom; flight; newness. My favorite color blue. It is alive.
Truth be told, I still have not perfected my mission statement. Here’s what I have so far:
Blue Egg Brown Nest: “To inspire the home owner with ideas, images and techniques using the painting/refinishing process as well as other DIY resources used in the art of creating a beautiful home.
How about you?
Hi Christen,
Well, I don’t have a business,but the hospitals where I worked, as an RN, all had them. Extremely important! I guess my Mission Statement regarding my home is, “To bring up children that love and serve the Lord.” But, I am have so much fun painting, until my husband asks me, “What are you going to do with these after you paint them?” His mission statement is,” Sell what you have before you get any more.” Bummer, that’s the best part!
Hi. I found your blog last night when I was researching how to distress furniture. I must have watched 5 or 6 of your videos and was completely motivated. I went into Stylish Patina in FC today to get my supplies and was talking with some of the people in there about chalk paint. I was recommending your tutorials to some of the people, when the cutie-blonde sales girl (didn’t catch her name) said, “Christen was just in here yesterday!” Too funny. Anyway, just wanted to say hi, I love your tutorials, and I will be checking in on your blog from time to time. Love, Sharon
It’s funny you should bring up mission statements because I spent the whole summer thinking about mine. I don’t have a single statement yet, but I did finally figure out how my blog, barn sale, and art all work in tandem to bring about my greater goals. It has been so helpful to know where to put my emphasis and why. Hopefully I’ll have a more succinct statement soon. Thanks for sharing the building blocks of yours.
Marian
After spending an entire evening watching your tutorials, I researched my closest Annie Sloan retailer and found myself in Stylish Patina in FC. As I was talking with a couple of women in there, I recommended your tutorials to someone, and the blonde, super-cute woman who works there said, “I know her! Christen was just in here yesterday.” Funny coincidence. I am in Springfield and just starting to form my addiction to Annie Sloan painting. Thanks for the instruction and I will be peeking in on your blog from time to time for inspiration.
Sorry for a possible double post. I wasn’t sure if the internet ate my other comment. 🙂
Your description of the image which helped you define your mission statement is borderline brilliant. Actually, screw borderline. It’s brilliantly poetic, which is such a very real side of who you’ve always been—a poet. It’s a joy to see your inner poet manifest itself not only through music or writing over the years, but most recently through your sense of design. Earlier on, I’d never have guessed furniture make-overs or home design, but it’s obvious that’s just one extension of this gift of poetry. From a distance, having not yet been to your new home (but seeing your videos and images), I’ve been inspired to actually *do* something with my tiny apartment in California to make it my own. I throw far too much money a month away renting, and I never seem to have much left with which to “fancify” (my own word) the space. I actually bought some paint and tried it on a $10 side dresser from the thrift shop for Ella’s room this past year, and in my humble opinion, it looks rather decent (AND, I took off the hardware first!). 🙂 You were the inspiration. So, I’d add, if not officially in your mission statement, that you *empower* (not just inspire) both *renters* and home owners alike with affordable ideas for transforming their living spaces. I don’t have to spend $3,000 on a dresser, I can buy one for $50 at the vintage shop down the street, and make it one-of-a-kind, and fabulously shabby-chic. Thanks, Blue Egg Brown Nest! Love you, and SO proud of you for the daily efforts you make. xo
(P.S.- this isn’t for posting, but I love how the first two commenters are Pam and Sharon, but not your Pam and Sharon. Also, the “Ah, I would disagree” was so Kenneth Branagh! :))) I could hear you saying, “Ah” with a pause, and a smack of the lips!