The Creative Connection

You are a creative soul, with the passion to make your artful dreams a reality. This workshop is a mixture of creative play, writing, exploring, and discussion. I will reveal clever ways to visually brainstorm your business ideas and market your ART. This workshop will get you thinking about DISCOVERING YOU...combining your talents and passions to help you find unique ways to pursue creative business opportunities. I will be sharing my ideas and experiences, and let you peek inside my business DREAM BIG INSPIRATION book. It’s a collection of lists, goals, IDEAS, drawings, collected images, and creative dreams from the past 15 years. These pages have been my guiding force in planning and strategizing my business. My DREAM BIG INSPIRATION book has been my creative marketing roadmap to a successful art career. If you are ready to take your business to the next level, dream BIG, and creatively market YOUR art...join me on this exciting journey! Also, don’t forget to check out discovering Y.O.U. part two: making a living as an artist. Here’s an overview of the workshop topics:

• Discovering Y.O.U. - fun and creative exercises to help you brand yourself, write a unique artist/mission statement, and express your goals and creative dreams on paper
• DREAM BIG Inspiration Collage - this exercise involves collecting and putting together a work-in-progress inspiration collage, inspirational 10-minute collage exercises, and creative ways to keep your inspiration files
• Digging deep - researching your market, finding opportunities, developing product ideas, working with manufacturers, developing creative partnerships, leveraging your art
• The CREATIVE YOU package - designing and brainstorming your logo, business cards, stationery, press kits, portfolios, and promotional materials
• Mélange marketing - includes strategies for finding niche markets and alternative ways to promote your business, craft/art shows.
• Social media - Creating your online presence, tips on social media, email marketing, creating your story and building relationships through blogging, Facebook and Twitter.

Students should bring to class:

• a sketch book or journal
• Scissors
• pen/pencil
• adhesive - glue stick or Scotch/Tombow roller double-sided adhesive)
• 2 favorite magazines
• INSPIRATION folder - collect images and words from magazines, online, or your photography stash. Tear or photocopy them.