I’ll be reposting archived posts from Creative Arts Consulting and Small Object Photography over time and including new content as well. It would be awesome if you would visit me there and “like” my IMakeCuteStuff Facebook page to keep up with all the updates!

CreativeArtsConsulting.com will become an information website to find out more details about my consulting services  and session pricing for independent creative business owners. So, lest I confuse things further, feel free to contact me via Creative Arts Consulting or IMakeCuteStuff – I’ll answer to either!  My main goal is to help you improve your business!

Thanks so much everyone! See you there!

There is a huge roster of classes scheduled! There are classes on improving creative business, seo and blogging alongside purely creative classes like scrapbooking, decoupage and sewing. So awesome!

One of the first sessions I’ll be attending is the When to Seek Professional Help: Building Your Indie Business with the uber-talented Steph Calvert of www.heartsandlaserbeams.com/- if you’re in the market for graphic design, illustration, website design, logos or any other kind of visual marketing for your business, you really should check out her site. Her rates are *super* reasonable — I mean *REALLY* reasonable for indie business owners and I love her work a lot! She’s definitely going on my roster of graphic designers to recommend :

At one point, while I was on my way to my next session, one person asked me a very pointed question:

What are the chances of someone actually making it (a living) selling handmade work?

I really wanted to dig in deep and figure this person out but I was on my way to another class so I just didn’t have the time to go into it. Instead I managed to say, “Well, my business has been completely handmade for over 18 years and I feel I’ve found a good bit of success along the way. What makes you ask such a question?”

The answer was, not surprisingly, full of fear and hesitation:

“Well, it just seems like it’s just so hard to run a handmade business. There doesn’t seem to be much hope for anyone to really make a living at it.”

I answered as politely as I could saying, “Well, running a small business is definitely challenging, but that’s why you’re at this conference, right? To learn how to do it the right way?” Ending on my usual cheery “rah-rah” note.

The conversation ended with a half-hearted, “Yes, I suppose you’re right” and the two of us went about our business. However even now, days later, that exchange is haunting me. I’m realizing that she was probably just saying out loud what most of us in the handmade industry wonder from time to time.

The truth is, success is always right in front of us. What we might not know is that it takes the form of small courageous movements forward every day. When you are able to celebrate those moments, that is where you find success.

Honestly, if I had the chance to talk to that person all over again, I’d ask my own pointed question:

What would you say if I told you that running a successful creative business is absolutely possible and that all you would need to do to make it happen is to put your fears aside and do the work*? 

I wonder what the answer would be?

What’s YOUR answer?

*Taking a cue from Robert H. Schuller’s famous inspirational quote, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”

 Tweet

In my latest guest post on the Handmade Success blog: HELP! (and how to get it) I offer some insight and tips on this very subject -

Now that the summer show season is in full swing, how are you are holding up to the demands of running and growing your creative business?

Between creating inventory, traveling, setting up your display and then turning around to do it all over again every weekend while trying to keep the business and personal ends of your life above water is tough for even the most seasoned crafter.

So, what can you do to ease the pressure?

Handmade Success reader, Lauren left a comment on my last post asking, “Has anyone had any experience hiring or gaining an intern to help with show season? Any words of wisdom?”

Please click through to read the entire post and if you have questions, feel free to leave a comment here or there!

You’ve probably seen it floating around the internet but the sheer wisdom and weight contained within this seemingly simple list just begs for it to be repeated as many times as it takes for talented artists (and craft makers and bakers and mothers and students and race car drivers and quite literally everyone else in the world who strives to better their lives…) to really GET it and make a daily practice of living the opposite of what each step suggests:

Now I’m curious:

Which ones are you experiencing right now?

How are you going to go about changing that for yourself?

Well, here’s your chance to ask a business consultant – me!

questions answered by travelinlibrarian via flickr

Just post your question to the comments below following these rules:

1. Have a question (for the record, no question is “silly” — I love any and all questions!!)

2. Be sure your question is relevant to the indie creative business community

3. Include your business name and website in your comment (fill out the form below)

4. If your question is chosen you agree to have your business name and website referenced in the blog post answer

5. You understand that I reserve the right to edit the question for clarity (I promise to be super nice)

This offer is good through the end of January – answers will be written in the form of ongoing blog posts to be written and posted throughout February.

PLEASE Note: Posting your question here does not guarantee an answer, but just like life:

Asking a question directly gives you a better chance at getting an answer

Agreed? Okay!

What’s on your mind?