Looking to the future

So, 2011 is coming to an end.... and Turn Peace Around, well honestly, hasn't done much of anything this past year... Let's see... started out the year in a free Zibbet shop, with a Facebook page, not really being too pushy. In July, we moved into the Breath of the Dragon Zibbet shop, in hopes of more visibility. As of November, we got ourselves a blog as well, that serves as a sort of free mini-site with pages of information.

Haven't sold much of our handcrafted items, other than a handful of tote bags to my great-Aunt who lives in Walla Walla, WA. She's doing her part by spreading the word at her workplace, which happens to be a state prison. While she's been a great customer so far, I know there has to be more of you out there who want to spread the message and support this cause by wearing a handmade necklace or carrying a hand-painted tote bag....

This year, I'm hoping to increase my exposure, but I won't do it with paid ads or pushy marketing. I will focus on word-of-mouth, and I will do my best to overcome any shyness I may have, so that I can start talking about it. Because if I don't talk about it and get excited, no one else will, either. I also plan to have some of the products on display any time I set up my woodburnings at a craft show. Then perhaps my conversations won't end with "I don't have anything for sale here, but you can always check out my shop online" which they usually forget to do.

I'm asking all of my followers to get talkative about it as well. Make 2012 a year of positive change, by talking about peace instead of stopping war. Remember, this is all about our focus, and when we focus on the positive things we want, rather than the negative things we want less of, we create that positive change.

One thing the original site did that I would love to see again, is it encouraged people to take pictures of themselves 'turning peace around' (i.e. standing in the pose of the flipped peace sign). Wouldn't it be cool to see peace being turned around all over the globe? So, if you feel so inclined, share a photo of you turning peace around (include name/location/etc), and we'll put together a gallery or slideshow. I was going to use slide.com, but they are shutting down in March, so I'm currently on the hunt for some other easy way to set up a gallery/slideshow for this....

This site isn't just about me trying to sell my handmade goods, it's about connecting people over a certain cause, a positive belief, and a symbol of change. Will you join me in making 2012 an awesome year?