10 Reasons to Join Me at CMBXP

I think we all can agree in the importance of treating your creative endeavors like a business, especially if you want to make a living off these skills. While that doesn’t mean you need an MBA, it does require learning about business best practices. Accounting, Marketing, Legal; You wear all of these hats in your business on top of being the artistic powerhouse you are. And if you’re like most of the artists I work with, you'd rather concentrate your time in the studio, so the more efficient you can be in these other areas, the less of your creating time they’ll take up. There are tons of options out there for professional development - Books, Classes, Workshops, Facebook Groups, Blogs, Coaches - so how do you narrow down and make the best use of your time? Oh and did I forget to mention Networking? It’s exhausting to think about all of these outlets, even more so if you’re an introvert and right brain dominant. Well guess what? I have an awesome solution that will serve you no matter where you are in your business: CMBXP, a networking and professional development experience specially designed for creatives!

Always Be a Student

I believe I've mentioned that one of the secrets to my success is showing up. Sometimes I mean this literally as in all of the events I attend to support and stay in touch with our local art scene. With that said, showing up can also be more figurative. Trying. Learning. Continually developing your skills. Plenty of people are happy to stick with one big idea and never push the boundaries. Perhaps they’re scared of the "what if’s". What if I’m not good at this new technique? What if I don’t learn it as quickly as others? What if my customers aren’t interested in something new? These are all valid points, but that shouldn’t stop you from testing the waters. You’ll never know otherwise. People who stick with the status quo usually do ok, but if you really want to have a full professional life, you should never stop learning. Ideally you pursue things with the greatest likelihood of benefiting your business, but there’s nothing wrong with little creative tangents to keep your juices flowing. Whatever your reasoning or motivation, I highly recommend making time for professional development throughout the year to keep growing as an artist and entrepreneur.

Key Takeaways from Austin Art Business Summit

What an amazing weekend we had at the Austin Art Business Summit! Two days full of helpful information for everyone from the aspiring artist to the professional ready to up their game. It was such a pleasure to meet art business experts like Carolyn Edlund and Wendy Rosen, among other special guest speakers. I highly recommend looking out for the event next year when they hopefully come back to Austin. In the meantime, I'd love to share a couple key insights that I walked away with. Feel free to reach out if you have questions about what you can do continue building up your success as an artist!

Social Media Planning for the Holidays

It's almost the most wonderful time of year! For artists and makers, that usually means the busiest time as well, but holiday demand can yield the great return as long as you play your cards right! I'm so excited to see what everyone has to offer for handmade gifts this year! I also want to be sure you are armed with the tools you need to promote your business and bring in the sales you deserve. In my opinion, Social Media is one of the best ways to make the most of your holiday season! I'll highlight a few key tips below, but for all of you Austin artists that would like to meet and discuss this in person, please join me for one of two workshops I'll be hosting in November! Expert advice and cheesy holiday puns to help you plan an effective online strategy for end of year!

• Social Media 101: Holiday Edition, brought to you by Chula League
• The Art of Online Exposure, organized in partnership with Lake Travis Artists

Austin Art Business Summit

I'd like to take a quick break from talking about art events and best practices because it's important to take advantage of professional development opportunities that come up, especially when they are specifically designed for the art community! If you follow Crafting Exposure on Social Media, you've probably heard about the Creatives Meet Business Experience, CraftHER Market and a few other educational events that I think we artists can benefit from. Well, I have another I'm really excited to highlight: the Austin Art Business Summit, organized by the Arts Business Institute and the Creative Arts Society! I'll be there, and I highly recommend signing up too!