Natalie Rae Creative

You get one chance at this life.

And before you roll your eyes and keep scrolling, I want you to know that I understand. At times I also feel-

discouraged
trapped
exhausted
worthless
like giving up

But I have learned that slow growth is still growth. Sometimes it isn't all or nothing. I still show up to my 9-5 while I work on freedom in my off time.

Grow your business, one step at a time.

If your goals are to:

✨ Improve your captions 👉 then check out my Caption Success Guide (or comment SUCCESS)

✨ Grow on IG 👉 then check out my Organic Growth Guide (or comment GROWTH)

✨ Stay consistent on IG 👉 then check out my 31 Days of Posting Guide (or comment 31)

In 2024, we are taking growth one step at a time. I believe in you, creative soul. Let's do this! 💗✨

Keep reaching, even when it feels impossible. 🦖✨

Aaaaand if your dream happens to be growing in Instagram, then you don't have to reach quuuuite as far this time. 😉

I really love being able to offer creative businesses support where they actually need it. So I have decided to that I am still going to offer my Organic Growth Guide for free this month! 🤫

I really should start charging money for it. 😅

Comment "Growth" and I will send it to you today!

I'm going to be honest.

Sometimes I get so annoyed with trends. Everyone using the same sound. The same font. The same templates. The same caption format (I'm guilty of it too).

In 2024, I truly think it's the ones who think outside the box will be the ones who find the most success. But beyond that it's just SO much more fun when the allow yourself to take the lid off of your creativity a little. Stop worrying SOO much about trends and strategies and just let yourself show and express who you really are.

Not to mention, when we are brave enough to go against the flow, we find the ones who vibe with us most.

How are you taking the lid off of your creativity in 2024?

I don't know about you, but I'm always on the endless struggle bus of what works vs. what I'm excited to make. It's also so tempting sometimes to use the latest Canva templates that every chic, minimal social media business is using because it's what's trending. But honestly...I can't constantly change my style to fit what is trending. Putting my own flair into what I make for my business is important to me. And I've decided that that is totally ok. Double tap if you agree. ❤️

Here's the thing: When you are STOKED about what you offer, what you sell, and what you post...your people will be excited too! 💃

Now obviously not everyone is going to be jumping up and down for you, but YOUR people, the ones this is all for, they will be excited.

Why?

Because they will feel your energy around it. And it will be magnetic. 🔥

So...if you are finding that you aren't OBSESSED with your offerings - that's ok and normal - but maybe it's time to reevaluate.

Maybe it's time to find the thing that lights you the f✨ck up and focus your energy in that direction.

Because when you are lit up, your light will attract ALL the right people and opportunities.

Don't forget to like, share, and comment if this was helpful for you! 🙏 💕

✨ Now more than ever, the universe needs YOU to share your magic. ✨

Take out a journal and ask yourself these questions:

1. What kinds of things would I share on social media if I didn't give a f✨ck what people thought?

2. What insecurities hold me back from posting about my business on social media?

3. What creative skills do I have that I could use to share what I offer in a fun and new way? (Example: Drawing, scrapbooking, claymation, beautiful handwriting, a pleasant speaking voice, amazing baking skills, photography, etc).

4. What offerings, products, and services have I held myself back from sharing about? Why am I holding myself back? What would help me feel more excited about sharing?

As you write the answers to these questions out, remember to be curious. Sometimes the answers we are looking for can come from the most unexpected places!

P.S. Did you know that I offer bullet journals on Etsy? Click the link in my bio to explore the bullet journals I offer! Keep your creative journal entries and start unlocking your creativity!

2024 goals: Get less serious about social media...and get more uhinged about it instead. 😜 🛸

Maybe it's not time to get more "serious" about social media this year.

Maybe it's time to have more fun, to embrace messy creativity, to let go of the expectations of others, and let your freak flag fly!! 🙌

Let's not just aim to think "outside the box" but instead think outside this GALAXY!

When we embrace the weird and quirky aspects of ourselves, we can accidentally create incredibly memorable marketing and create a magnet to attract only the people who are vibing on the same wavelength: AKA attracting our dream clients.

So who is ready to be less serious about social media with me this year?? Leave me a 👋 in the comments!

"I'm a perfectionist, that's why I haven't finished it."

I hear you. But what if you are using perfectionism as an excuse to procrastinate?

What if you aren't procrastinating because you are a perfectionist... or even because you are lazy....what if it's actually because you are afraid?

Afraid that when you launch you will fail
Afraid that you didn't or won't do it right
Afraid of what might happen...if you actually are successful

My incredible friend and colleague, , recently launched a podcast episode all about the subject of fear, how it holds us back, and how to overcome it. I highly recommend you go check out Soul Level Whole Ep. 74 on Spotify (or wherever you listen to podcasts).

Then work to release, overcome, and actually get excited about what makes you afraid. Finish the damn thing, and give it to the world.

You've got this!

💗 Natalie

You might not know this, but I am a huge fan of the office. 😂

And of all the advice Michael Scott gave. This was definitely a gold nugget. (Even if it really wasn't his advice at all, but you know, the heart is there).

So shoot your shot. Stop worrying about looking or being new. Guess what, you ARE new. And the only way to get better is to get started. 😉

My favorite social media management tools and a disclaimer: 👇

Ok, before I go in-depth about the tools. Here's a disclaimer: New apps roll out ALL the time. Sometimes yes, they are better, have more features, etc. As someone who has been doing this for over 5 years, I believe if you find something that works for you. Stick with it. No need to switch. However, if something does make your system easier, and more sustainable THAT is a good reason to switch.

Ok, now...onto my favorite tools (at the moment):

Canva: Free with upgrades
Graphic design made easy. Canva is great for uploading fonts, storing branding assets, and editing videos. The free version is great for beginners.

Adobe Suite: $50 monthly
Advanced software for video editing (Adobe Rush), graphic editing (Illustrator) and when necessary...Photoshop. I recommend YouTube tutorials or taking classes for a deeper dive.

Mojo: $9.99 monthly
An easy tool for creating animated videos. Great for editing stories and videos.

Meta Business Suite: Free
Facebook's built-in free scheduling program for business accounts. It offers content scheduling, ad creation, and analytics. Type business.facebook.com to get started.

Later: Free with upgrades
Great for previewing your social media feed! Also allows scheduling on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Linktree: Free with upgrades
A convenient way to manage your links. Ideal for showcasing everything you offer in one place.

Trello: Free with upgrades
My external brain lol. It's where you can store ideas, and important links, and create a client management system.

Airtable: Free with upgrades
This is where I create a client-facing content calendar. If you are the only one in your business, it may not be necessary. But it is a great place for people to collab on content before it is posted.

Honorable mention to Chat GPT, which I do use on occasion to help me with caption/copywriting.

Comment for a deep dive on any of these apps from me! I don't have enough room in one post for all of them, but I can definitely go deeper one by one! 😊

Do you really need to post on every holiday and national day?

Personally, I say no.

Reasons to post on a national day or holiday:

1. It resonates with you and your brand
2. It's relevant to you and your brand
3. It helps further social justice (for example, Juneteenth)
4. You have something insightful to add

Reasons not to post on a national day or holiday:

1. It's so saturated with other businesses doing the same, you'll just add to the noise. And likely barely be seen.
2. It might not resonate with your brand. Making your content feel inauthentic and less valuable.
3. You deserve your day off (if it is one for you). Just take the day. And come back later with something more authentic and valuable to share.