My top 5 creative business resources

Photo courtesy of Design*Sponge Biz Ladies series

If you're like me, being more of a person that enjoys making more than business planning, it can be so hard to know where to start and really making yourself be business like.   However, over the years I've become much more confident and I now believe that I can run my business.   And the way I got here was with the help of other creatives and business-like people.

So I here I'm going to give you my top 5 resources, most of them are run by women who are in the creative field which is a double whammy for me. 

1.  Design*Sponge Biz Ladies:  Whenever I read a post from Biz Ladies, I feel and know so much more than I thought I knew.  They give advice from everything to how to drafting blog posts, contact PR companies, business planning, advertising, how to photograph your work, wholesale, retail etc.  Just the avatar alone (Rosie the Riveter) We Can Do It gets me revved up to get working!

2.  Designing an MBA:  Megan Aumen is a true business woman and metalsmith.  She really analyzes the market and how a customer thinks.  She is a champion for all new kinds of technology, like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for creatives to use instead of rejecting.  I also love how honest and sincere she is; when you read that despite how successful she is, she has her ups and downs too, it's oddly encouraging to me. 

3.  Tara Gentile:  I heard about Tara through Megan, now wonder there! Tara is also just as savvy as Megan and gets in the head of the customer and the maker.  When I read her posts, I'm much more informed and thoughtful about how I interact with my customers.  I love her tagline too, Maximize your impact, minimize your effort. 

4.  Art Biz blog:  I recently wrote about Alyson and her takeaway from Nick Cave.  Alyson knows how the creative person thinks - we avoid anything regarding growing our business, 'cause it's no fun! But when I read her advice, I immediately get to working on my contact list and business goals.  She also knows how emotional artists can get when it comes to selling our work and that, often we take it as personal rejection.  

5.  Kari Chapin:  I've bought both of Kari's books, Grow your Handmade business and Handmade Marketplace, both have been a bible to me over the past 6 months.   Kari provides step by step processes for setting up your business, as well as practical advice from a slew of successful creative business people.  The book is very easy to digest and she gives really thoughtful questions to ask yourself in the process.

I hope that my recommendations provide you with new resources to grow your own business and get you motivated for the future. 

Thanks for reading!
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6 things to learn from Nick Cave

These past several weeks I've been researching and going through my books to get tips and methods on how to be a better artist and boost my creativity.  Since graduating from art school, I've been on my own in the studio and it's been such a strange, good and uncomfortable change.  Now, I have my own space and quiet time to really focus...but it's been so hard.  I think I have a bit of ADD, I'll get started on a project and then get up and rearrange my hammers or tidy up the casting station - basically avoiding my work!  And I know it isn't because I don't want to work, I think it's because I'm a bit scared and intimidated by my new schedule and space.

With that said, at night I read and try to learn how I can focus my attention and be more productive.  I recently found in my folder of important articles a great blog post by Alyson Stanfield of Art Biz Blog, she is an amazing and business savvy woman. The article is 6 things Nick Cave Said That Made Me Pay Attention, and the tips are wonderful. 

One of the main tips Alyson talks about that stuck with me most is Live your art and Prepare.   I have had it in the back of my mind to visit and research taxidermy and bone preservation for a long while now...and I haven't done it!  It's a very essential part of my jewelry in that I want to know how to collect and preserve animal bones and parts.  Also, preparation, constant testing and rearrangement would really benefit my jewelry; it is a part of my research but I want it prepared constantly.  I'm going to post these tips that Alyson took away from Nick in my studio and remind myself to challenge myself, evolve, grow and push myself everyday.

Here is a short video about Nick Cave and his visit to the Seattle Museum last year.  Hope you enjoy!


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