Mission Statements

January 2017 has been a growing month for me as I've taken time off from the Studio to strategize and plan (and pray—lots of praying). It's been a process I'm really enjoying. I feel like I have a better vision for my studio.

In this process I have developed a mission statement for Whispering Oaks Studio--Growing creativity through art and fellowship. Seems like a small enough task, right? But, a mission statement can be the "North Star" of a business. I now know that through my studio I want to help people grow in their creativity through their art while fellowshipping with others. 

And now having a mission statement has made the process of developing a business plan so much easier. Here are five steps I took in developing the mission statement for my studio:

1. Unravel.
   Sounds silly but I had to "unravel" the knot I felt my studio was in. I had to find what was really at the core of my studio—the who and the what. 
   
2. Research.
   It was time I did a little homework. I looked at what other successful businesses were doing. What separated them apart from the rest? 
3. Brainstorm.
   I can't say enough about this step. I have so many little scribbles, sketches and notes where I kept jotting down ideas—many erased or scratched through.
   
4. Step Away.
   I know this sounds absurd but I think it may have been the pivotal step for me. After the first three steps I honestly stepped away from it all. I had a few days where I wouldn't let myself even think about the mission statement or the studio.
   
5. Write It Down.
   After these four steps I had a mission statement in mind and once I wrote it down on a piece of paper (photo above) I knew it fit. Up until then I had not written it down anywhere. Yeah, there were some of the words and scribbles written down here and there but it wasn't until I saw [it] written down together—all by itself—on a plain white piece of paper that it became the mission statement for my studio.
   

Let me add that these are mere steps I took to come up with a mission statement. I know there are better resources out there so please find what speaks to you best. If these are of help to you I'd love to hear in the comments below or if you have resources to share please do. 

Grace and Peace,
Kelly