Michele Santo is a Copywriter for Wellness Warriors. She believes when your personality pops off the page, your work is irresistible.
Her forte? Helping you find the right words to stir people to action.
She co-authored the book, Empowering Transformations for Women, and has been featured on www.wholefoodsmarket.com, www.terrawarner.com, and www.sheerspirit.com.
Learn how to communicate with ease at www.MicheleSanto.com.
Carrie: Welcome to Artist Strong Michele! How would describe your work to Artist Strong readers?
Creative Spirit Michele Santo
I paint websites with words that get people excited about your work. What makes me different from other copywriters is I take time to get to know my clients inside and out. Learning WHY they do what they do is key. Pulling out their stories helps me convey their message… as if they said it themselves.
I’m also developing an artsy, empowering workshop for teen girls. I can’t wait to teach them conscious communication, authentic expression, and to be themselves unapologetically. Stay tuned!
Carrie: How did you discover your interest in writing?
Whenever I saw words in unexpected places like on sidewalks and paintings, I got excited. In college, I studied graphic design to design greeting cards filled with positive messages to make people smile. Words of Affirmation is one of my Love Languages, so positive quotes were my jam.
At 25, I managed a retail shop. Around town, I’d see this magazine, Red Hot. It was a guide to fun stuff going on and stories about the cool local business owners. I always enjoyed reading it.
One day I decided I wanted to write for this magazine. So, I walked into the publisher’s office (with no writing experience) and said I want to write for your magazine. How can I help? I left with an assignment paying $100 an article. That’s how it began.
Carrie: Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you move from idea to finished product?
Ooh, great question! Ideas over-saturate my mind. Literally from sunrise to sunset, I constantly have downloads of blog topics, apparel design ideas, workshop ideas, quotes, cool projects with other creatives. It’s endless. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, because I can’t produce fast enough.
If I’m writing email marketing or web content for a client, I have them fill out a thorough Playbook. I absorb it, then research the service or product they’re selling. Evernote gets scribbled in.
I get the Sh*tty First Draft done. Then I step away and do something else. I need to give my mind space from the project.
I go back to it the following day, comb through it, trim the fat, and tinker with the Thesaurus (one of my favorite books!). I hand over the final version to the client. They get one revision. So I have a call with them, and we walk through it, line-by-line. I make revisions and boom, it’s done!
Carrie: Where do you get ideas for content?
Life. Music. Client questions. Cool people I meet. What I’m dealing with at the time. Interesting exhibits or restaurants I go to.
Carrie: How does collaboration help and/or hinder your art?
Infusing another realm of expertise or different medium into my writing is fun. I love fusions. I love people. I love projects. They feed me.
Carrie: What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?
I get out of my head and into my body. I’ll go workout or take a walk. When I do something fun that makes me feel good, I come back to my work in a relaxed, more empowered state. It always works.
Carrie: How do you take risk in your art?
Sometimes I curse. Ooh, what a rebel!
No, seriously, I don’t care if I fail. In my mind, failure isn’t real. When you walk down a road and things don’t work out, you just turn around and keep going. Only now you have more information to better handle that situation.
Carrie: Who/what inspires you?
Artists. Nature. Music. People that devote their life’s work to the greater good.
Carrie: Name one creative resource you can’t live without.
I’d have to say kids. They’re amazing: the way they express themselves so naturally and with a pure innocence. It’s so inspiring.
Carrie: How do you define Creativity?
Try on glasses with green lenses. You see things in a whole new way.
BE COURAGEOUSLY CREATIVE: Do you have more ideas than time for creative projects? How do you choose which project to focus on? I want to know! Tell me about it in the comments below.
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