January is usually a time for reflection and prediction, setting our goals for the months stretching out before us with optimism and excitement. A fresh start.
However, the start of this year is still slightly steeped in uncertainly. The world around us isn’t like it was a year ago, and we have all been shaken by something very real and now we must recover together.
When we pulled out our notebook and scribbled down our goals for the year, we simple wrote done one thing: Be kind. Be kind to ourselves and be kind to others.
Be kind to ourselves through the form of looking after our minds and our bodies. Be kind to others by giving, forgiving, caring, and supporting.
If 2020 has taught us anything its that we need to be kinder to not only ourselves, but to the people around us. We have all collectively suffered a turbulent year and whilst the future still remains uncertain, we can get through this next chapter together through kindness.
Start with Y creative marketing based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire launched in August 2020 from a passion of creative yet strategic marketing.
Although your doors might be closed, you can ensure you remain open online.
It is vital now more than ever that businesses are able to adapt digitally and operate effectively online – and we can help with that.
Whatever your marketing needs, from social media, copywriting to email marketing we can help you. Read more about our work and who we’ve worked with.
Don’t worry, we work with any budgets (yes really!) as we would like to help small businesses get through another lockdown, we are all in this together.
Get in touch today to see how we can help you. Affordable, creative, experienced.
We continue with our series of ‘creative corner’ blog posts which not only promote the arts within Yorkshire, but to also encourage and continue creativity throughout this challenging time. It is more important than ever to be supporting the arts.
Start with Y creative marketing was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire from a passion to create and has a strategic yet creative approach to marketing and offers support to small business and charities, including copywriting, SEO, photography, strategy and campaign planning. Find out more about what we do.
On two recent visits to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, two months apart, one lockdown in between and about ten degree difference in temperature.
A visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park always feels like a sigh of relief.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, (or affectionately YSP) is situated just a stone’s throw off the M1, yet no hum of cars can be heard. Spanning over 500 acres, the calm sanctuary of woodland shows off works by world-renown sculptor’s such as Barbara Hepworth and is home to the largest display of Henry Moore’s bronzes.
Detail of The Family of Man, by Barbara Hepworth (1970)
The first visit was on a balmy Saturday in September – lockdown restrictions feeling like a forgotten bout of sickness, yet the second visit was a bleak, moody Saturday in November, in the midst of another lockdown. The contrast in visits manifests how the sculptures can mimic the moods of the weather, a kind of pocket of pathetic fallacy.
A visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park always feels like a sigh of relief. Stretching out of the car whilst taking in the first glimpse of sculpture nestled amongst the Yorkshire landscape. Going from the manic motorway to a majestic oasis of calm in just 5 miles adds to the relief of arriving.
All schools should be art schools by Bob and Roberta Smith (2016)
By fusing nature with the architecture of sculpture, YSP allows to be experienced and enjoyed by anyone.
Their mission statement of showing off ‘Art with no walls’ is exactly it. Visitors are able to engage with works by moving around them (no touching of course) and experience an interaction with surrounding nature. The paths around the site allow visitors to freely roam amongst the works and the visitor map (albeit somewhat confusing) and ensure that hidden sculptures can be spotted, often hidden amongst trees, grassy patches as if nature has claimed them back.
Some works such as Moore’s reclining figures are weathered and have become part of the grassy landscape, framed precisely by lake and grass; whereas the gaudy colours of Damian Hirst’s The Virgin Mother punctures the landscape around it, both physically and emotionally – terrorizing and interrupting the tranquillity.
Detail of The family of man by Barbara Hepworth (1970)
Both visits, only months apart, sparked reflection and creativity, and one cannot come away feeling refreshed, not only by the fresh Yorkshire air, but by the bold frankness of such sculptures: their structure and defiance in their environment.
Thank goodness that places like the Yorkshire Sculpture Park exist and more importantly, remain open during times when we need them the most.
Whether it is experienced in balmy late summer sunshine, or in biting cold with relentless drizzle – Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a true sanctuary for everyone, a celebration of British and world-class sculpture, and a truly creative corner of Yorkshire.
Here at Start with Y Creative Marketing, we are passionate about providing support to small businesses during these difficult times, and offering affordable and experienced marketing services. Digital really is the future, and we can help you and your business be heard above the noise. Take a look at some of the work we do and please do get in touch, no job is too big or small.
It feels more pertinent this year than ever to be boycotting Black Friday and supporting our local businesses instead.
Amazon certainly don’t need anymore money, however local business struggling to make it through the toughest year for all of us, do need our support now more than ever.
Black Friday not only generates obscene profits for companies but also produces waste and unnecessary spending.
Did you know that many small businesses and charities actually partake in Black Friday as well – please support these instead.
Boycott Black Friday tomorrow, here is our useful guide of things you can do instead with plenty of links to inspire you. (All links open in a separate tab for your ease) Happy boycotting!
(Please note that this article is not part of any paid promotional partnership by any of the businesses, we are just sharing what we love.)
Avoid Amazon
There, we said it.
In one of the toughest years the UK has seen, not everyone struggled. Amazon doubled its net profit year over year to $5.2 billion* (Source: Verge.com)
Amazon DO NOT NEED more money, other independent businesses really do.
Shop small, shop local
Many small businesses will be offering ‘Black Friday’ deals, please support them instead, even if its just purchasing a small treat for yourself. Here are some of our favourites:
Why not donate money that you would of spent on an unnecessary item just because it was cheap to a charity in need. Or perhaps look to see what unique gifts you could buy loved ones this Christmas such as sponsoring an animal.
Most art galleries and museums have fantastic online shops with a host of unusual gifts. The funds raised from these sales will go towards directly supporting their heritage and allowing them to remain open in the future for us all to enjoy. The arts need your support now more than ever. Here are some of our favourites:
All have easy to use apps to make shopping from your sofa even easier!
Support instead of spend
If you are not in a position to spend, then why not support other businesses and organisations you love by showing them some extra love. Share their content, leave them a review and spread the word.
Use Instagram to follow and support local businesses. Be sure to follow us on Instagram as we will be sharing lots of tools.
Save those pennies
Why not give your bank a break for the day and enjoy life’s free little pleasures like: stroll to your local park, ring an old friend or take a long bath. Marvel in that feeling that you’ve saved some money for a rainy day.
Boycott Black Friday Gift Guide
We have brought together our top 6 gift ideas to help you support independent, small businesses and boycott Black Friday this year.
Links for Gift Guide items:
Christmas Eve Box – LykkeBok, via Etsy from £25.00 – Shop here
Here at Start with Y creative marketing HQ, creativity runs through our veins and is at the core of what we do – however it isn’t always the case, sometimes we can get stuck and need to remind ourselves of how to keep going, keep creating.
Start with Y creative marketing was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire from a passion to create and has a strategic yet creative approach to marketing and offers support to small business and charities, including copywriting, SEO, photography, strategy and campaign planning. Find out more about what we do.
Staying creative doesn’t have to be a challenge or hard work, and it certainly isn’t something that should be forced. Here are our tips on how to stay creative in life:
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, do what feels right – Creativity should never be forced, it just happens and sometimes the first hurdle is your mind, overthinking of being self-critical. Stop and just do. Creativity is often about the process and not the finished product.
Mediate and learn to relax – my switching off your mind, through yoga or learning to mediate, you will find your mind will be more open to creativity.
Write down your thoughts and ideas in a notebook – Carry this notebook with you everywhere, you never know when creativity will strike you.
Have a chat with like-minded people – This sounds simple, but if you chat through your ideas and thoughts aloud with someone, it can often lead to ne creative concepts.
Experiment – don’t be scared to experiment with new ideas (also remember number 1)
Mix it up and change your routine – perhaps go for a lunchtime stroll, or try a new coffee place, this will naturally encourage new ideas to form.
Get out there – explore new places, a change of scenes can do wonders to your creativity.
Do not give up!
Follow us on Instagram for snippets of inspiration and ideas.
A nod to the original features of the mill, including these industrial scales.
We have started a new series of blog posts called ‘creative corner’ to not only promote the arts within Yorkshire, but to also encourage and continue creativity throughout this challenging time.
Start with Y creative marketing was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire from a passion to create and has a strategic yet creative approach to marketing and offers support to small business and charities, including copywriting, SEO, photography, strategy and campaign planning. Find out more about what we do.
“Sometimes we all need a boost into creativity as it can never be forced.
Everyone can create something.“
We recently discovered Salts Mill in Saltaire, which has now become one of our favourite creative corners of Yorkshire.
Built by Sir Titus Salt in 1853, the textile mill and surrounding town of Saltaire became an epicentre of industry in Yorkshire. Only closing its doors in 1986, when a local billionaire bought the mill and started the long process of restoring the mill, brining it back into this century as an art gallery, bookshop and creative hub.
David Hockney’s work on display in one of the galleries.
The subtle nods to the former mill are still present throughout if you know to look out for them. Pipes, large heavy-duty scales, brickwork, and fire buckets are a reminder that you are walking around industrial history. Sitting on the Leeds to Liverpool canal, you cannot help but think back to when the mill was filled with workers, using the canal for its sole purpose – moving goods around the country and reflect on how removed we now are from the current textile industry.
After spending over 6 hours in the vast mill, (one of the largest in the UK) 2 cups of frothy coffee, hazelnut and chocolate cake consumed and a large lunch devoured, we came out inspired.
Start with Y creative marketing is lucky to have its roots in Yorkshire, never being far away from a creative hotspot. In this creative corner of Yorkshire series, we will bring you more creative treasures from the shining Yorkshire crown.
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Learning has always been an important aspect of my life, from an eager child trying my hand at the next new hobby: from snorkelling to guitar playing, through to being a dedicated master’s student. I was fortunate to of been brought up by parents who were big advocates of learning and have supported me throughout.
The expression “You learn something new every day” should become a motto, an aspiration to try and seek out a snippet of new knowledge every day.
During the past 5 months of working from home, like so many of us who have been trying to find a new routine and some motivation – I have dedicated some of this time to develop new skills through online learning.
The CIM launched a Digital Channels Course at the start of lockdown which has been crucial for me to brush up on my digital marketing skills and formed the building blocks to launching Start with Y creative marketing and would recommend this cohesive course to anyone in the field.
I also recommend HubSpot Academy and although based in the US, is very relevant to trends in the UK and their wide range of online videos are broken up into manageable chunks, making them easy to fit around your workload.
Girls in Marketing has grown significantly in the past year and are a great resource and offer affordable online courses and webinars starting from just £15.
Future Learn is also a must for creatives and offer a series of short or more extensive online courses from the top UK universities – most of which are free!
My journey of learning won’t ever stop. Next month I look forward to some Trustee training provided by Hempson’s in Harrogate to help support the work I do for Open Country as their marketing trustee.
Self-development and learning are vital to living a wholesome life – not just to fulfil career prospects. Learning has been proven to enhance mental wellbeing and what better way to invest in yourself than opening your mind to knowledge, which can never be taken away from you.
They say knowledge is power, but I say learning is essential.
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