A slight change of pace for this week’s update, as I’m off my standard schedule, due to a side trip this weekend.

Anyway, today’s topic is something that I’m currently slogging through and essentially having to put my psychic hat on to figure out what a client actually wants, and so I figured I might see if there might be a way to explain what it is that makes it so I can translate what’s in your head to the final product.

Playing a role in the development of your project is not a problem at all, I love coming up with the different and outside the box, but unfortunately, I’m not able to read minds.  If I get vague instructions, the odds are pretty good that you’re not going to see something that resembles what’s in your mind. I also don’t want anyone pondering asking me to do something to think that I’m prima donna’ing with these, but these are just here to possibly make the process easier – I know how my brain works, so….

Things to think about when you’re explaining that help me align my creative train with yours (I’m pretty sure that there’ll be some WTF looks for the reading, but hey, I’m invoking my artiste privileges):

*Costuming

• What music are you using?  For those of you using these for dance/burlesque/theatre/whathaveyou, I’m just trying to get an idea of the “feel” that you’re going for.
• What are you looking to accomplish with your costume? Are you looking for pure sex appeal through bare flesh, are you looking for a vintage feel, are you looking to mash eras/items/styles up, etc.?
• Are there particular textures, fabrics, colors, accessories, trims, etc. that you absotively posolutely cannot live without?
• For the burlesque girls – do you have any preferred methods to remove this particular pieces? For example, one of my girls prefers zippers on her right side, as it makes the removal much easier for her.  Do you prefer zippers/laceups/snaps/buttons/velcro/ties, etc?
• Anything that’s inspired your vision of what you want – photos, individual people (for example, “I want the Marilyn Monroe dress, but in purple”), individual images, music, a place where you’d be wearing the outfit in a non-staged situation, whathaveyou.

Essentially what this all boils down to is:

The better I understand your inspiration and what exactly it is that you’re wanting, the higher the likelihood is that I can make it happen. 

Now, don’t let this intimidate you – I can work with pretty much anything, I just want you to be happy with the final product.  Work smarter, not harder!

Love,

Cyn