Big changes underway!

Tune into this episode to get all of the latest happening behind the scenes of Creative Thursday.

A "Direct Pep Talk", this is a transparent share on

• what it takes to build a Creative Business online today, and have lasting success as a Professional Artist
• how to choose the right support to grow your business from courses, to memberships to coaches
• plus I step you through how I prioritize and make big decisions about the direction we're taking after 20 years in business

This is also a time-sensitive invite ending TONIGHT @ 11:59 pm PDT, the last + only chance to get Creative Business Coaching + Consulting support from me this year before the baby comes!

Join us in The Red Dot Society

https://thereddotsociety.com/

You know the feeling you get when a dream that's been in the works for a while becomes a reality?

That's the unbridled enthusiasm you're hearing in my voice for this episode.

I'm thrilled to announce that the first official Shiny Squirrel Summit for Visual Artists looking to create multiple revenue streams is happening, and kicking off this Sunday, April 28 @ 1 pm PDT!

And you're invited to this free event. Just head over to https://shinysquirrelsummit.com/ to get your free ticket.

This vision inspired the first Shiny Squirrel podcast episode #271 is bigger than me.

The event includes hearing from 11 additional Creative Expert Speakers on a variety of topics that are all ways you can create more income in your Art business, so you can avoid burnout and have more time to do what you best, make the Art you love making most.

In this episode, I introduce you to all 12 speakers, myself included, and the topics that we'll be covering so you can start thinking about ideas and possibilities to incorporate new revenue streams into your Creative business.

It's going to be a fantastic week!

See you there!

If you're listening after the event happened, and are interested in getting access to the replays please reach out to us at support@creativethursday.com

Click here to join the Shiny Squirrel Summit

Click here to download the 20 Ways + Product Ideas to Make Income with Your Art

Listen to the Shiny Squirrel Podcast episode #271

Say hello and follow all the speakers on their Instagram below

Joy Cho @ohjoy

Bonny Snowdon @bonnysnowdonacademy

Josie Lewis @josielewisart

Heidi Easley @texasartandsoul_

Kristine Richer @kristinerosephotography

Dylan Mierzwinski @bydylanm

Mim Jenkinson @mimjenkinson

Karen Abend @karenabend

Michelle Lloyd @unitedartspace

Alex Cole @alexcolestudio

Alyssa Van Guilder @apothecaflowers

What qualities do Creatives have in common that make adding a membership model to their business a perfect fit?

We'll tell you! In today's episode I'm joined by my friend and Mentor of 5 years and Membership Expert Stu McLaren to talk about the wild success Artists are seeing in the membership space.

And by success we mean, growing 7 figure memberships in just a few years, while inspiring art and creativity, and creative business skills for thousands of people across the globe.

It's inspiring, to say the least, to see this rapid growth of PROSPERITY and THRIVING in an industry that was once known for its starving, struggling mentality.

Days of the Starving Artist are gone as Creative Business owners today, myself included are changing the narrative forever more.

It turns out there is one single quality many of us share that makes Artists especially successful at starting, building, and running memberships.

In today's episode, we share

• what that one quality is among others that makes Artists perfectly suited to add a membership to their revenue streams
• how many different kinds of creative memberships there are with very specific skills being taught
• how to know if starting a membership might be something you want to do
• what owning a membership, not 1 but now 2! has done for me both personally and professionally

If this episode has thinking about what it might be like to start a membership or you have one going already but don't know how to grow it effectively, you're in luck because Stu's free workshop is happening now:

How to Turn What You Already Know, Love, and Do into a Profitable Business

Just click here to join the workshop for free

If I could go back and mentor my younger business self, the one who said yes to her dream of becoming a Professional Artist, the lessons learned that I share in this episode is what I would say.

Today, March 7 marks a celebration of not only 17 years of making a consistent living with my Creative Business but this February 2024 I celebrated 20 years since the very first Creativethursday.com site went live, featuring my Art work.

Back then I was so busy trying to make it all a go, that I didn't even know (or think I had the time) to intentionally hold a vision and actually plan out where I wanted to be 20 years ahead. For the longest time I was living in a pinch me state, wondering if what I was building wasn't just a temporary dream.

Turns out it wasn't a temporary dream, but one that would grow to help and support you in your Creative dreams too.

What would it have been like if I had the insight I have now when I first started?

That's the wish right, and yet it's the 20 years of lived experience starting, building, and growing my own business that was the ONLY way to gain this insight.

And now I get to share this wisdom with you, while also applying it to my vision for the next 20 years.

So, let's go! Together

In this episode I share 20 plus lessons I learned in 20 years of building Creative Thursday, covering a variety of topics from

• the power of intention
• keys to Creative Business Success
• how to navigate your business boundaries
• why knowing and tracking your numbers is essential
• what I wish I had known sooner

Gift for you! Download the 20 ways to make income as a Visual Artist

Click here to Download

Get excited! welcome to another favorite edition of Artist Success Stories.

In this episode I'm joined by three of our Alumni; Heather Harrington, Joanna Smith, and Marissa Parsons sharing

• how they first decided to follow their passion
• what's helped them find and keep the courage to pursue the professional Artist life
• how they show up with consistency
• the value of self-discovery + authenticity in the art-selling process
• the benefits of personalized mentorship
• the significance of community and support in building an art business
• why it's so important to celebrate accomplishments and stay grateful for the process
• and the transformative effects of choosing to join us in Artful Selling

Hip Hip Hooray! It's here! Only Open Once a Year!

Doors to Artful Selling are OPEN starting now through Tuesday, January 23 @ 11:59 pm PST

🎨 Transform Your Art Business:

Craft your Art Sales + Marketing Plan for 2024 and beyond. Make more art, sell more art, and turn your dreams into reality.

💡 Get Clarity and Achieve Your Dreams:

This time, it's about follow-through! Having a Sales and Marketing Plan is the most effective way to confidently and consistently sell to your Ideal Collectors online. Let's build a thriving business that supports a life you love.

📆 Your 12-Month Product Launch Plan:

Know what you're creating, when you're launching it, and how to price it for PROFIT.

📱 Create Your Social Media Plan:

Unlock the secrets to impactful social media strategies.

📧 Create Your Email Marketing Plan:

Learn the art of email marketing for successful art promotion.

🌟 Ready to Make Selling Your Art Easy?

We can't wait to welcome you!

Join us!

https://artfulselling.com/

You can find all things

Heather Harrington @lifeandwhim on instagram

Joanna Smith @joanna.smith.5876 on facebook

Marissa Parsons @marissaparsonsstudio on instagram

Spontaneous creation or being prepared ahead of time with your content? which do you prefer?

Continuing on with our series, part 3, of answering your Time Management questions; I'm opening this episode with a few more social media creation tips, specifically for video, while also sharing more tools to help you get and stay organized with your assets, marketing plan and project management.

• what and when I record behind the scenes to use in my social media marketing
• app recommendations for video editing
• my favorite project management tools and how I use them specifically for my social media planning

Yay! it's almost go time!

We start Monday, January 15

Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge + Coaching Week

Join the Artful Selling Waitlist

Be honest: how's your 2024 Social Media plan looking?

Are you feeling ready with a big picture strategy in place, or are you reading this thinking, Marisa what are you talking about "ready", I barely know what to post tomorrow let alone the rest of 2024

Would you like to feel more prepared when it comes to your marketing?

What if this is the year you could change the hamster wheel approach of: overwhelm + procrastinate = now I feel behind so why bother with any sort of plan at all ~

to breathing easier because you feel clear and excited about what you're creating and sharing with the wonderful people who can't wait to see (and collect) what you're working on.

On this first Creative Thursday of the new year, the energy of clarity that comes with a clean slate is on your side which is why I'm excited to welcome you to part 2 of the Time Management series where I'm continuing to answer your questions and sharing tips on how to organize your social media content so that you're not constantly trying to figure out "what to post" and wondering whether what you post will actually help you reach your people and grow your Art business.

When I find myself getting overloaded by a long list of to dos, a simple practice of physical and/or digital organization is the best place to start to catch my breath and clear my head.

With that approach in mind let's get into some practical tips to help you get organized.

In this episode, I share:

• what tools and apps I use to organize and back-up my assets
• how I organize my photos and social media images so that they're easy to find
• what apps I use to enhance and elevate my photography

It's getting close now...let's kick off the new year, with an inspiring planning session together.

We start Monday, January 15

Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge + Coaching Week

Join the Artful Selling Waitlist

First ~ thank you for your kind messages about our recent loss.

Holiday time, depending upon how you like to approach this season, can be filled with long to-do lists, countless visits, parties, and celebrations, or if you're like me, a perfect time for a peaceful reset.

Very intentional about how we choose to spend Christmas, Sean and I often opt for a quiet celebration which leads to a perfect opening to dream, plan, and prepare for what's next.

Over the past few years of a rapidly growing business, this has been the best time to get caught up and reset, from organizing to planning along with getting a head start on upcoming projects, especially those happening at the start of the new year (get excited and save the date! the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge and Coaching week starts Monday, January 15)

On the last episode I invited you to send me your questions about time management, and this is the first in a series of 3 answering what you asked about the most with today's part 1 focusing on a very popular topic: Social Media, specifically how I plan my Social Media from content creation to posting.

In this episode, I share with you:

• the BIG mistake I see many Artists making when it comes to how and when they post to their Social Media
• what you must have clarity on FIRST to effectively post to your Social Media
• why it's important to understand your relationship with selling and being sold to
• how I like to plan my Social Media shares
• my best practices for planning and posting your Social Media content

See you January 15 for an inspiring + fun 2024 Planning session!

Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge + Coaching Week

we start Monday, January 15

Join the Artful Selling Waitlist

To get the latest updates, click here to join the Creative Thursday List

You can find all things Marisa and Creative Thursday

creativethursday.com

and on instagram and facebook

@creativethursday

What does your ideal work day look like?

A question I'm often is what does my the structure of my day looks like and how do I schedule it to support my goals.

Do you know your energy levels throughout the days of a week, at particular times of day?

When it comes to planning your ideal schedule where does your productivity excel?

All important questions to help you be efficient with your time and effective with your focus. But not more important than the one question I come back to asking every time you ask me about how I plan.

In this episode I remind you of that single most important question that you want an answer to that will help you all the rest of your plans fall into place.

I also share with you the full list of responsibilities I have in the business today while stepping you through exactly how my days and week look based upon my answer to the questions above.

In a nutshell, this is how I get things done in my business.

Part 1 of a series on Time Management. Send me your DM's on Instagram @ creativethursday with any time management suggestions and questions you'd like me to answer and I'll include them in the podcast.

And stay tuned for the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge, starting January 8, so we can do some planning together!

If you tuned into the episode on this Thursday the episode dropped, super secret invite you can join us for the last time this year as a Founding Monthly or Annual Member in the brand new Daily Painters Membership where we'll be making Art together all year long!

https://cart.creativethursday.com/daily-painters-founding-member/

Did you hear the news? Not only am I now a happily married Mrs!

During my time away from the podcast I had an epiphany, a realization about what's been missing, what can no longer take a back seat, and the dreams I'm fulfilling in 2024.

I've got a lot to fill you in on and I'm starting by sharing the story of the Cranky Bunny, and the inspiration behind a brand new idea and Artist community I just opened that I've been thinking about since 2006.

I'm also excited to invite you to come have some holiday fun, creative painting time with me starting Monday!

Join me for the Ornament Painting Workshop starting Monday, December 11

https://ornamentpainting.shinepages.com/