Starting with a big thank you to everyone who got involved in with us this month, despite the incredibly beautiful weather and unbelievably warm, sunny and lots of Vitamin D! Of course, the plants died in the garden and of course some spider dance each time I see a spider in my face! Gosh they look so huge but till fit in the vacuum and easy to release them back out!

This week was very slow but yet during the month we had 30 entries. While I wished more would engage I very happy to have met some wonderful makers. I checked all links and I left comments, but I also looked through the blogs on many of their makes.

I thank the Design Team for taking their time to visit the blogs. You are an amazing team and I am so lucky to have you!

I hope you found the team's advices useful. I am glad they shared their experiences with us so we know more about what it is like to be on a Design Team and keep the good spirit.

Now it is my turn, as a store owner, I would recommend you some things that help you to become a great design team member. Yes there are things you need to master before applying for a DT call. Skills you need to have. While many companies and stores miss that, I always keep in mind that a DT member is a person with skills to inspire, and that is not just a word!

Inspiring someone is not easy, you have to be creative, innovative, playful, experienced, come up with new ideas all the time and much more. However, most common choices have been based on the following skills:

1. Great photography.
2. Clear explanation.
3. Creative makes.
4. Amount of followers and readers.
5. The influence.

This has been changing over the time and now, if you make videos then you have a big plus. Notice that if make videos is not like being a Youtuber. If you make videos and show your work, like Lou, Anna Sigga and Laurigami do once in a while, then you are a blogger who also makes videos. But if you are like Olga with a complete tutorial video every time and you've got followers, then you are a Youtuber. At the end, these are just opinion, we are still understanding what has just happened in the last 15 years with technology that we are experiencing huge changes in our life styles, works, social perspectives and skills too.

Despite all the above there are the core skills that are very important for everyone to be a successful DT for longest time.

1. Be positive with your teammates. It is important that you don't make argues about your teammate's work. If you discuss an idea for example and your teammate used it, then you benefited the team. You made a change. That is how you become the giver and superior.

2. Accept critics. Perfection is a myth. There is always one out there who dislike your work for a reason in their own heart. don't get upset if your boss or your team tells you to adjust things in your work. This is very normal, at the end, you are making for a reason and a goal.

3. Be a social media queen. Let your comments and replies attract people to you. If someone for example says: your card is awfully ugly. You can choose between replying: ya, let's see yours "%"/&%#"/. Or you can say: Thanks, would you please point my mistakes to learn from them for next time?. Turn a negative comment to a positive. Win it always. What was the proverb? Kill them with kindness, I think.

4. Being part of a team means that you must and absolutely must be supportive. The whole team has one goal which is promote the business they make for. If your teammate is sick or had sudden emergency and wasn't prepared, make sure you are a hero, one day you may get an emergency yourself and you will need your teammates to cover for you.

5. My team knows I am deadline freak. But it is not just me, this is important. Never ever miss your deadline. Try to be as early as possible. This is essential.

6. If you do not enjoy the products you are using it is better to leave the team as your main job is to inspire, if you can't yourself be inspired and be able to inspire, then leave the team. Find a better place for your creativity. Experience will teach you.

Now after this long talk.. if you reached this point, what do you think? share your experience with us!

For now, let's welcome July and let's hope this month we get some rain before we dry out!!

Cheers,
Suha