An Updated Look for Crazy Bananas!

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A few years ago this site went through a major redesign for the millionth time. It was the first time I had hired an outside designer to create a logo and design materials for me to use throughout the site and it felt like such a luxury to do so! I loved the clean look of the site and the splash of color and fun the logo brought to my brand. However, it’s been about three years since that redesign, and while I have updated the look of the website, the logo and my other branding was starting to look a little stale. So earlier this year I hired the amazing Sarah of Floc5 to freshen things up! I love what she did, taking a logo I absolutely loved and updating it without losing the original intent. Crazy Bananas Creative Studio is quite frankly an accidental endeavor…a product of a creative mind trapped inside the head of a non-artist. When I began this site 11 years ago, it was a way for me to let out all of the musings in my head through writing and then photography, but it certainly wasn’t a serious business. It was fun, silly, sometimes completely inappropriate and mostly novice. I really wanted to keep that spirit as I move forward, because when I take myself too seriously, I almost always lose my way.

Sarah did a wonderful job of creating a logo, which captures the original, wide-eyed optimism of an artist discovering her canvas, as well as incorporating a more slick element that helps elevate Crazy Bananas Creative Studio to the level where my business now operates. The past, the present and the future…all in one paint drop!

Crazy_Bananas_Logo

I will be working with Floc5 on some upcoming projects both for the site and for other clients, and I can’t wait to share more of her work with you all. It’s pretty fantastic!

Kansas City Rainbow Skyline

Elsewhere : Kansas City Moms Blog

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KCMB Intro

I’m so excited to announce I have joined the Kansas City Moms Blog team as a contributing writer! The Kansas City Moms Blog is a collaborative blog written by KC moms, for KC moms and striving to bring online mothers together offline in meaningful and lasting community. I’ve been following this site for a few years, and I’m so honored to be working with all these incredible mothers, writers, creatives and all around rockstars. If you want to learn more, or connect with other moms in the Kansas City area, head over to the Kansas City Moms Blog Facebook page!

Blogging for Creatives Recap : Kansas City Blogger Workshop

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Last week I was thrilled (terrified, elated, etc.) to teach a workshop on blogging for creatives and small business owners for Hive Workshops. Hive Workshops, based in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, hosts small business workshops to help creative entrepreneurs thrive. My class was all about how to use blogging as a medium to help connect with clients, enhance your messaging and grow your business.

Hive Workshops KC Blogger 008

Hive Workshops KC Blogger 003

It felt pretty incredible to share all of the knowledge and tips I’ve gathered over the last 11 years of blogging, and the creatives who attended the workshop were eager and open to learn. I am not much of a public speaker (and we all know I’m an introvert), but I actually, really, truly enjoyed this experience. I kept the class fairly interactive and covered topics that the creatives could then go and immediately use in their own businesses. We talked about storytelling, creating connection with clients, promotion, and social media. I also shared some of my favorite tricks and tips for making your business blog into a fun, simple tool for growth. One of the most important tips I shared was to be as authentic as possible. People know when they are being marketed to, so instead, actually try to cultivate a real connection. Be upfront about who you are, especially your mistakes and flaws. In my experience, when we share our weaknesses, it makes others feel more comfortable sharing their own stories. When the sharing becomes a conversation, that’s when the fun begins!

Hive Workshops KC Blogger

Hive Workshops KC Blogger

I felt the class went really well, and I’ve been thrilled with the response from the creatives who attended. One creative even gave me a sketch she made featuring one of my lessons. The reaction as a whole was so positive, I’m hoping to lead another workshop soon! When I decided to strike out on my own as a writer and photographer earlier this year, one of my goals was to add teaching to my resume. I love sharing my passion and knowledge with others, and I’m super grateful the team at Hive Workshops gave me the opportunity to do just that. After the workshop, I went out with a few friends to The Ship, a local dive where I learned the greatest benefit of working with photographers for a living…when you have a fantastic night and want to document it, they will professionally light and pose you in front of rad neon signs and make sure the moment is captured perfectly, using only their cell phones!

Hive Workshops KC Blogger

Hive Workshops KC Blogger

If you’re interested in having me teach a workshop for your group or organization, please contact me at megan@crazybananas.com for more information!

Facebook Giveaway : Humans of New York

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You’re probably thinking, “What, another giveaway?!” Well, I honestly hadn’t planned on doing two giveaways within a month, but then something fun happened. Our little Facebook community started to grow, and I swore that when we reached 300 followers, I’d do a little giveaway to thank everyone over there for all the love and support over the last year. So in honor of that fun milestone, I’m giving out a copy of one of my favorite books, Humans of New York, based on the popular blog and Facebook community.

I love EVERYTHING about the Humans of New York movement, and everything the creator, Brandon Stanton, has done using this incredible platform. He raised $1.4 million dollars for an inner city school by sharing with his online community. He even traveled to the Middle East to share stories of people whose lives had been torn apart by war. Brandon and Humans of New York showcases the very best of humanity, and what good can be done through blogging and photography…obviously something I’m very passionate about.

If you’d like to enter this giveaway, please head over to the Crazy Bananas Creative Studio Facebook page, follow us (if you’re not already) and then leave a comment on the giveaway photo (click here for a direct link).

The winner will be selected randomly while I’m in New York on April 25th! Good luck! I hope you win!

Day in the Life : Behind the Scenes

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Last week was crazy, and I mean that in the best of ways! Lately my life has been full…so full of good and lovely and wonderful things, both in work and in my personal life, and while it’s amazing, it’s also a bit exhausting. Sometimes, as I’m running from task to task, I find myself getting anxious and I lose sight of how incredible this little life of mine is these days. My kids are finally old enough to be much more independent, I’ve started my own business, what used to be a hobby is now my JOB, and I have the flexibility to have the life I’ve dreamed of…and yet I can get stuck in the hectic busy-ness of it all. I know this is just a phase of life, and I won’t always feel this crazed, but it’s easy to get lost in the list of things to do and the little amount of time I have to do it all.

Day in the Life on Instagram with @crazy_bananas

So last Wednesday I looked at my calendar and decided I needed to find something to be grateful for every, single hour. I had a huge day scheduled. It was April Fools Day, I was hosting Tate’s school Easter party, I had my first newborn photo session of the year, and we had both piano and soccer after school. In between I had deadlines and daily work I needed to get done. I was overwhelmed with all of it, but I had an idea that I thought would help.

Day in the Life on Instagram with @crazy_bananas

I’m a huge fan of Instagram, so I decided it would be fun to do a “Day in the Life” series, where I would post a picture every hour of what was happening in my day. I started when I got up in the morning, and went until my head hit the pillow that night. I posted a photo as Tate exchanged plastic eggs with his buddies and as I arranged a sweet baby in a prop for our session. I shared as I helped Lulu with piano and as I edited late at night when the rest of the house was asleep. I wanted to share my day, but this project was also a bit self-serving. You see, I know the arguments against sharing photos of the “good stuff” on social media. I get it. It’s not realistic to think that every great photo of a beautiful kid smiling in the sunshine is indicative of someone’s entire life. Of course there are bad moments and tantrums in the grocery store. But I decided a while ago to try and focus on the good things in my life, and posting about those happy moments on social media (especially in photos) helps me cultivate gratitude and joy. So, for me, sharing the good moments doesn’t feel inauthentic. It feels like an act of thankfulness.

Day in the Life on Instagram with @crazy_bananas

I shared my day on Instagram under the hashtag #dayinthelifeofmeg, and found the whole experience to be uplifting. It helped me take a crazy day and turn it into a series of beautiful moments. There is a lot of calm amidst the crazy! I also loved being able to share a bit of what my life looks like as a work-at-home mom and freelancer. I think there is a misconception that freelancers spend most of their time in coffee shops, leisurely writing their memoirs or something…and that couldn’t be further from the truth in my case! I work very hard so that I can be flexible and be with my family when they need me. It’s certainly not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

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