DIY Band Holiday Crafts

Thanks to a tip from Pitchfork (via Artists House), I learned about Oregon’s Glass Caster Union offering up its second year of indie rock themed holiday ornaments, featuring bands like Built to Spill, Bright Eyes, and Iron and Wine.

I found this to be a cool idea that any band can use to treat their fans to a special treat during the holiday season. While you don’t have to use glass like the Glass Casters Union, you can use other materials to create one-of-a-kind holiday ornaments for your fans.

Band Holiday Ornament How-to’s:

* With a digital camera, take holiday photos of your band: the goofier the better 😉

* Cut into holiday shapes (Christmas trees, stars, dreidels, etc)

* Laminate or place photo within full sheet clear Avery labels.

* Cut away extra plastic

* Punch hole at the top, and string ribbon or yarn through the hole for hanging

While you’re taking those holiday band photos, also consider sending band holiday cards, thanks to this tip from Christopher Penn

There are places online – tons – where prints are 8 cents per print for 4×6 prints. I don’t mean the gimmicky holiday cards, just straight photo prints that you can write on the back of.

If you take the photos yourself, you’re making a custom gift with personal involvement AND saving a ton of money over regular holiday cards. Use free photo editing software like Photoshop Express (understanding that there are intellectual property issues with it, like giving up some rights, but for holiday cards, who cares?) and make some cheap yet thoughtful holiday greetings.

I’m going to try my hand at holiday ornaments this year, and I’d love to see pics of any bands out there who make their own holiday ornaments or greeting cards. Send pics to moxiemaven64 [AT] gmail [DOT] com, and I’ll post them on the site!

Happy crafting!

The War Against Despair Is Up To You, New Media ~ Guest Blog by Christopher Penn

Before we get into the nitty gritty of what it takes to be a “Recession Proof Musician”, I believe it’s important to start with your mindset. You can be the most talented singer or guitarist in your town, but if you don’t truly believe that you can be successful during an economic downturn, it doesn’t matter. Today’s guest blog post comes from Christopher Penn, a New Media Leader whose “Awaken Your Superhero” blog has inspired many of us in the blogosphere. Today, I share his call to action post, “The War Against Despair is Up to You”, which you are also welcome to share with your fans and followers (with proper credit & link):

The War Against Despair Is Up To You, New Media
by Christopher Penn

It has become depressingly apparent that no leadership, no guidance, no inspiration will be forthcoming from any of the traditional sources in our society. Our politicians are locked in partisan bickering with each other, fighting like junkyard dogs over scraps. Our financial leaders are in a tailspin. Our heroes are largely fictional now at best.

This creates a void and sets our society adrift. There is, however, a new source of leadership, of wisdom, of inspiration.

How many of you have blogs?

Podcasts?

MySpace & Facebook accounts and groups?

Twitter accounts?

How many of you have at least 10 listeners/followers/fans?

100?

1,000?

If you have reach that exceeds 10 people, then you can step up to lead. If you have reach that exceeds 100 people, then you may be asked to lead. If you have thousands who follow you and call you a leader whether or not you feel like one, then you must, here and now, accept that mantle of leadership. You must don the cape and boots even if you feel as though they were made for someone else.

You have been called.

Here is what your followers need of you. They need not only to be pushed away, but to be pulled towards.

It’s not enough to say what to avoid; you have to provide your followers with something to do. A mission. A calling. A focus that will let them in their passion and intensity drown out the voices of panic around them so that they can generate momentum with you. Pick your cause, pick your battle, and engage your followers.

Direct them towards a mission, towards a goal, towards something that provides tangible benefit so that they can get the ball rolling in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities. Give your followers missions and tasks towards the goal you are united for, and you will help them to realign themselves away from chaos and panic towards growth, progress, and even prosperity. Ask them to give and give double what they do. Lead through example.

Despair thrives in confusion and inaction.
Despair withers under the heat and light of passion.
Despair dies in the face of confident leadership.

You have the following. You have the crowd. Your community and the people who respect you need you now more than ever.

Step up.

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About Christopher Penn:

Christopher Penn is the Chief Technology Officer of Edvisors, Inc, and the Student Loan Network, founder and producer of the multi-award winning Financial Aid Podcast internet radio show, co-founder of the groundbreaking PodCamp New Media Community unConference, and co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee marketing podcast.

Christopher has also been featured in many books, newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and the New York Times, magazines such as BusinessWeek and US News & World Report, television networks such as PBS, CNN, CNBC, and ABC News, and publications for his leadership in new media and financial services.

Visit Christopher’s blog, Awaken Your Superhero