The And She Looked Up Podcast

Recording this week's episode felt like a moving target! I recorded it on Feb 8th and the news moves so fast that it was hard to keep up. I'm sure you'll notice a few things in here that have since changed.  Having said that, this week's episode was born out of the launch of a trade war Canadians didn't ask for. The threats of tariffs and, frankly, annexation, have made th...

Winner of the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards for fiction, Susan Wadds, author of "What the Living Do", shares her inspiring journey from aspiring poet to published novelist. But we also discuss the power of community and connection in the creative process. Susan fosters safe communities for other creatives through her workshops and retreats while also creating additional revenue streams...

As we close out 2024, Heather and Melissa reflect on the ups and downs of the past year and look ahead to what's coming in 2025. This episode highlights the core theme of finding joy amid challenges as we close out one year and being another. Here's a quick recap of what we get into! • Recap of 2024 and its unexpected challenges  • Importance of joy in art and creativity  • Personal grow...

Award winning poet and writer Kim Fahner joins the show this week to share her creative journey and discuss the importance of forming a community of our peers. Forging nurturing and supportive connections with other creatives in a country as vast, and empty, as Canada can feel like a huge challenge - particularly for those in smaller or rural communities. We also discuss the copyright implications...

With Black Friday coming up quickly and market season in full swing, should you discount your creative work? There's a time and a place for discounts. This week we go over the pros and cons of offering or granting discounts and why it is SO crucial to price your work properly in order to have more marketing flexibility in your business This is a great episode for creatives who... ⭐️ don&apos...

If you need a good dose of hope and inspiration this week, then Episode 177 is for you. Canadian writer and author Beka Shane Denter joins the show to talk about her latest book, Bloom Across Canada - an inspirational collection of conversations with 50 diverse women and non-binary creatives entrepreneurs from all across Canada.  Beka shares how a pandemic, her nomadic life and a career as a featu...

In this week's regular season episode, Melissa and Heather explore the transformative power of intentional rituals in our creative practices. Rituals are different from habits. And, there's real science behind them and how they affect our brains. They can help shape our creative mindset, help us achieve a state of flow, quite our inner critic and much more! Do you have a particular ritua...

For Week 13 of Prep for the Holidays we're talking about how to accept payments at your holiday events, markets and pop-ups. You're going to need a payment processor! And if you've already got one, you've probably had at least one freakout moment with your payment processor hardware or software.  So, let's talk about what you'll need and a quick checklist of what doub...

In this week's regular season episode, classically trained fashion designer Rebecca Rowe joins the show to talk about how she pivoted her business (and how a disaster pushed her to embrace that pivot full force!) from a designer to a stylist who helps other women find confidence in their wardrobe. And then, she took on what, at first glance, appeared to be a surprising collaboration to expand...

It's Week 12 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series and it's time for us to prep all our online shop for the holiday rush. Whether you sell on Etsy, eBay, your own website or any other online platform, there a few things you'll want to make sure are in tip top shape before shoppers land! We're going to talk about photography - especially for key products - SEO, titles and...

In this week's regular season episode we're covering the powerful impact that increasing Average Order Value (AOV) can have on your bottom line with 15 ideas for you to try in your creative business. I share my own experiences as an illustrator who significantly increased my AOV and sales by learning to bundle items and offer bulk discounts - among other tactics . You’ll learn how this s...

For Week 11 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series, I'm focusing on market booths! Now is the time to start planning this year's booth, buying or making any display items you might need, thinking through your signage, ordering business cards, deciding how to coax people to sign up for your email list so you can build a long term relationship with them and... figuring out strategies...

In Week 10 of our Prep for the Holidays series we're talking about planning and preparing your holiday promotions now, to reduce stress later! There's lots of actionable tips to plan all your holiday promotions - including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day - well in advance. I'll also share some tips on how to craft deals that not only capture attention but also ensure you...

In the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather jump into the deep end to talk about creating our creative process. When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? Have you mixed things up lately? Moved your desk? Painted outside?  Tried to find a way to make a dreaded task more fun? Sometimes, we get into a rut, or a comfortable groove that doesn't push us for...

It's Week #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series! To make sure you're on top of all your key deadlines and dates this holiday season, start by working backwards from December 31st. I'll walk you through key dates to make note of and how to ensure you've got enough time for making, marketing, selling and shipping! Whether you’re an artist, maker, or creative service provider, th...

For Task #8 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist I'm putting the focus on getting your holiday market applications in - for makers, artists and creative service providers (yes, there's room for you, too!). While it may be too late to apply to some of the bigger craft and maker markets in major urban centres, there's no shortage of opportunities in smaller, local markets. I'm...

We're up to Task #7 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist for creatives. If you want to broaden your reach and get new eyes on your work this holiday season, it might be time to pitch yourself for holiday gift guides! Like a lot of holiday season prep, this is an early bird task - in fact, you might be too late for print magazines! But there's still lots of time for on-line publications...

We're up to Task #6 in our Prep For the Holidays checklist for creatives. This week, we're working on early marketing tasks with two powerful platforms that need time to reach their full potential. We're talking about blogging and Pinterest - and why starting these two tasks early is crucial for a successful holiday campaign. Don't limit your potential this holiday season - bui...

Getting featured in print & digital gift guides, getting accepted into big holiday craft markets or selling your items in small boutiques for Christmas all require a lot of advance prep work - that happens way earlier than we think!  This is where prepping mockups and samples of whatever it is you create can help you get a jump on things! You might not be ready to go into full production mode...

You know what you're going to be making and selling for the holiday season - but do you know how you're going to package it up for selling and shipping? In this week's Prep for the Holiday's episode, Melissa walks you through the process of figuring out your delivery systems. If you're a creative services provider or content creator, you still need to get your "produc...

Are you ready to streamline your holiday prep and crush the busiest selling season of the year? In this week's Prep for the Holidays episode, Melissa helps you get your supply game on point so you can focus on what you do best—creating amazing products your customers will love! Let's break down the essential steps for securing raw materials, supplies, and packaging, as well as securing y...

It's really hard to get a jump on the busy holiday season if you don't actually know what you're going to be making and selling! So in Episode 2 of our Prep for the Holiday series, Melissa walks you through figuring out what you're going to be putting your focus on - whether you're an artist, maker, creative services provider or a content creator. What will you make? What...

Episode 1 in our new minisode series - Prep For the Holidays - is all about email. It's time to work on growing and warming up your email newsletter list before the holiday selling season! Kickstart your holiday sales strategy with actionable email marketing tips and suggestions to get you going. Don't have an email list? We tell you how to get started - you don't even need a websit...

What if you could seamlessly prepare for the holiday rush without the stress? That's where our special "Prep for the Holidays" mini-sode series comes in! Melissa is here to provide you with a straightforward, actionable game plan so that come November & December you put all your focus on selling, shipping, and customer service. Whether you're an artist gearing up for market...

With the Season 5 finale, Melissa and Heather talk about rest and why it's so critical for self-employed creatives.  What does rest look like (no it's not sleep - but that's critical too!)? It's not a "one size fits all" concept. It may be a two week vacation but what if a "leave the house" vacation isn't possible?  We dig deep into ways we can ensure r...