Pinterest Though?
“Tam, why are you recommending this craft mom app?”
- Every music creative who thinks organization is for old ladies
I promise you, my brother gave me the most judgemental side eye when I told him Pinterest could help him! He was under the impression that it was namely for women who do DIY crafts. And I mean, sort of but not really. Pinterest is for anyone that has a vision and wants to create a plan to execute that vision.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
- Proverbs 29:18
“An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.”
- James Whistler
As you see above, between Whistler and scripture, VISION is the common denominator! So basically, no matter what you want to do, you need a clear vision first.
Pinterest is a great way to develop a clear direction and strategy if you are like me and have a hard time with mental organization, or executive functioning. Excawhat, Tam? I know! Jargon jar! But it’s a concept I learned from studying Autism and ADD/ADHD when I was a Special Education Teacher. Executive Functioning is the skill and ability to see a task and then mentally organize the steps to complete that task. Well, a lot of musicians experience symptoms of ADD/ADHD and the main one is the mental organization to COMPLETE tasks and stay focused for long periods of time. Sounds vaguely familiar?
Check out this article from Solange on receiving an ADD diagnosis twice. She thought it wasn’t real because it sounded like every musician she knew!
That being said, Pinterest is a GREAT way to start planning any task that requires a plan and here are FOUR ways I’ve used it as a tool in my music career.
#1 - Fashion & Beauty Mood Boards
This is CLUTCH when working with wardrobe stylists for the first time! This is your way of creating a clear vision of how you want to see yourself! I used this on The Voice to plan Hair & Wardrobe styling in the way that I wanted to be seen! Here are the boards I used to show the Glam & Wardrobe Teams what I wanted:
#2 - Family Activities
Being an Auntie is the best job I’ve had so far! I love it! I try to do educational and self-esteem building activities with my nieces when I’m with them! This was a board of crafts and educational activities that aren’t boring or annoying to do as an adult. The reality of being an aunt is the gift of being able to walk away when you’ve had enough children time! But when you are present, it’s always great to create experiences they can hold in their hearts. Especially if you travel a lot like me and don’t get to always physically be there! My favorite was making lip gloss together this summer! It actually was BOMB! I keep it next to my computer for Zoom calls! It was a part of our last hurrah before I left for The Voice. It also gave us something to check-in about while I was gone because she didn’t fully understand what I was doing until it aired months later. To be honest, Pinterest is my FIRST line of defense when pretty much doing ANYTHING with or for children!
#3 - Artist Marketing
I was able to use pinterest to help me design my mixtape album art as well as my merch display setup for my indie tour. For my album art, I used an artist friend who at the time, had a few mixtapes out and did some graphic design as a side hustle. I had a vision of what I wanted to see without the knowledge of how to execute it but that was enough to give her what she needed to make MY vision happen. I didn’t have a street team or management at the time that I created my tour so I had to both perform and man my merch table. This was possible because I created boards that showed me simple ways to do both things!
#4 - Everyday Life
On social media, I’ve shared that I am working towards a dairy-free and gluten-free life so I have been slowly incorporating new recipes into my diet and Pinterest has been so great in having a centralized place to check in with before grocery shopping. The best part is that the food pins are usually linked to the recipe articles and now Pinterest has video pins so you don’t even have to leave the app to get what you need!
I know Pinterest has a stigma for being a “mom app” but I assure you, the reason moms love it is because it helps keep you organized!!
P.S. Share some apps that help keep you organized?
Peace,
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