Re-Purpose -- Another Word for “Solution”

(I did a painting of my grandmother from World War II, working in a factory. Then
I "re-purposed" it for a juried show on the subject. A real make-over!)

Politicians who flip-flop like to say they “evolved” in their thinking and defend their right to change their minds. Actually, almost everyone embraces different philosophies and ideologies as they go through life trying to figure out who they are and what they believe.

I was once a Democrat, then a Republican, and now lean towards Independent or Libertarian in my preferences. The state of the nation and the world often dictates how we feel rather than devotion to one party or the other.

(a broken stained glass window was given new life.)

Businesses often transform themselves when they see sales slipping backwards and their bottom line turning red. They look at the competition and realize that in order to succeed, a do-over is required. These same problems may signal a merger between a stronger, but similar entity.

(Old colored shutters are used to spruce up this room)

Many companies examine their operations and decide a good house-cleaning is necessary. To cut costs, they may eliminate waste or lay-off non-productive or unneeded employees. They may find new ways to function or to re-purpose unsalable goods and dead inventory.

I’m attempting to do the same. I’m trying to operate smarter and to re-use old canvases that have been taking up space. If there’s anything that breaks down a business, it’s having too much inventory on hand. I’m cleaning up and paring down. If something isn’t popular or profitable, I’m ready to paint over it or pitch it out.

(Old Phone Books make an unusual table or sculpture)

As we age, we may want to do a make-over on ourselves. Sometimes we slip into old habits that aren’t productive. We may be trying to appear cutting edge, but we or our logo and products seem outdated.

Sometimes we need to start from the inside out. What is at fault is not our methods or our product it’s us. We’re failing to do the required marketing. Perhaps we’re plagued by negative thinking that holds us down and discourages success. Health problems may also come into play. Whatever the excuse, it is pulling us back from being successful.

I love to read. It is sometimes difficult to tear myself away from the latest novel or non-fiction book. In addition, I like to learn new techniques. Online classes and local ones are important, but they also cost time and eat up profits. In addition, I spend time online researching ideas for my blogs or for a new painting. My days are full, and marketing and social media take up a good portion of time. According to some experts, marketing should take up to at least 75% of your working day. That leaves very little time for creating and writing.

We all have choices that either keep us on track or distract us. Only you can decide what those things are. Unless you get rid of the distractions it is highly unlikely that you will figure out how to keep your business up and running profitably and productively.