Creative Thursday with Marisa

Truth time. When it comes to selling your Art work, are you a hobbyist or a PRO? Time and time again I see Artists with all levels of experience, struggle to build a successful business because they're focusing on the wrong priorities. Your attitude informs how you approach building your business, and it can make all the difference in how profitable you are for the long game.  So today, let's talk...

What's my love of cooking a good meal + sourcing the majority of my food locally have to do with running my business? After spending 3 days in a Mastermind surrounded by some amazing business owners - the kind who are "crushing it" daily, growing to 6, even 7 figures within one calendar year ~ the concept of the slow food movement popped into my mind. As they vulnerably shared their experiences of...

If overwhelm is  being busy without priority , then confusion is not knowing what your priorities are. Working backwards, that means that without clarity your days are driven by a state of confusion and overwhelm which is also what I call living on a hamster wheel. The overwhelm never ends. Since it doesn't look like the complexities of living a creative life + growing an online business are going...

Why me?  or Why not me?   Be honest, when you're thinking about your dreams, which question pops into your mind first?     Then ask yourself what example are you setting for your kids, for generations to come? Do you want them thinking the world is filled with possibilities or to not bother trying because what if it doesn't work out the way they thought?       When we give ourselves permission, th...

Have you ever thought you were clear on your "priorities" only to realize that something else always comes first? And is what comes first, something you want or something for someone else? This year I was introduced to one concept that was a huge wake-up call for me in terms of getting to the bottom of what matters most to me - not anyone else. Continuing on in our first of the year mini planning...

Who says we have to decline as we get older? Let's talk about what it really means to age gracefully in a very special conversation + bonus episode at the start of this new year! We can't talk about dreaming, planning, reflecting + resetting,  all the new year things  while neglecting a conversation about the very thing that makes everything possible in life,  our health + wellbeing. In today's ep...

If you haven't noticed? Accomplishing your BIG + small goals has as much to do with taking action on practical steps as it does with that miraculous, complex organ between your ears. Yup, your brain ~ and your mind set.   One of the best ways I've found to begin getting your mind on board with your dreams, is to give it some structure so it feels safe, a framework if you will.    In today's episod...

How do you create a life you love?   Committed to being an example for her children, and finally living her dream as an Artist, Yvonne has figured out what works when it comes to building her Art business.   Honored to have her as a member of our Expansive Artists and Artful Selling communities, it's been so exciting to see her progress over this past year. In today's episode she shares the moment...

It's become tradition! A couple of years ago I started sharing a behind the scenes studio wrap up of what worked and what didn't when it came to my art practice and my creative business. And how did it impact my personal life? One of my best years in business thus far, a lot of progress made, and definitely more room for improvement in one area I was struggling with last year. The question is whic...

Remember the episodes when I shared some of my BIG business mistakes? (episodes 122 and 208) What I'm sharing with you today is what I wish someone had explained to me a whole lot sooner ~ than the time it took for me to learn the hard way. I'm often asked when it's time to invest in yourself, specifically your business education? In today's episode I break it all down for you, from how much I inv...

Is there really such thing as self-sabotage? Why would we ever consider keeping ourselves away from what we say we want? Doing ALL the things for many years, and still not progressing in the way I envisioned, lead me to start a deep dive on learning more about the brain from science to psychology. Oh the discoveries, wow! mind-blowing, pun intended. Coming to understand the science behind our auto...

Guess what! The first official Small Studio Sunday is this WEEKEND! First and foremost! Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends celebrating today.  Filled with extra gratitude for you, our listener. Endless thank you's for taking time to join me here on this and every Creative Thursday. Get excited because Small Studio Sunday, a little idea I had driving home from Thanksgiving holiday in 2018 is now a...

Did it really start with a wedding invitation? Cozy up, get comfy, grab a little cup of eggnog (too soon?) tea? wine? Today I have story to share with you. Looking back, I see it so clearly now, I think this story may have been the moment Creative Thursday actually began. It was definitely the moment I started to follow my creative calling and discover my voice as an Artist. Can the bustle of the...

Does that monster creep up on you too? O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M How do you handle it?  On a coaching call, one of my business mentors shared a perspective on overwhelm that stopped me in my tracks.  And this subtle shift, or rather WAKE UP CALL, around how to deal with overwhelm, has been a game changer in how I move through my days. Not that the sneakly little Overwhelm monster doesn't try to creep back...

Think about the last time you prioritized  you  and something you most love to do.   Like art and creativity perhaps? especially if your business is your Art.   This past weekend, instead of prioritizing catching up on administrative projects in my creative business, I decided to dedicate it to my creativity.   Something clicked for me and I realized what I can no longer give up.   Ask yourself if...

Or rather, do you plan? And if not, why not? And if yes! tell me. Paper or Digital? And if paper what are your non-negotiables when it comes to your favorite planners. Do you habit track? Do you do 90 day plans, yearly, monthly? or are you lucky if you just manage to chicken scratch a to do list? Are you a bullet journaler? Lined or Plain paper? Maybe you heard, I'm cooking up a (creative) plan(ne...

This week kicked off a new season of reinvention, and peeling back a few layers of the onion that is me.   When I reintroduced myself over on social media, I also said that I'd be shaking + mixing + spicing things up around as we head into the holiday season, which will include bespoke cocktails, new food recipes  and ART….plus a  creative  planner coming soon…    And for you! my podcast listener,...

Do you have a love hate/relationship with social media? Do you want to create art you feel connected to and sell it to Collectors who LOVE what you create without feeling forced to bend to an algorithm? Yes!  Fabulous! in a time when the demands of effectively using social media are changing (once again), it's time to revisit how you want to approach using this tool. Let's start at the beginning....

Nope, not talking about your day job in this episode. We're talking about the days when your dream "job" working for yourself, isn't working out the way you hoped. What's your go to? How do you handle those days when you just aren't sure if this making a living as an artist is really right for you? In this episode, I share with you one of my go to's when those challenging moments come up. Join me...

This process is my new go to when it comes to having a clear daily focus that leads to taking action on the important steps that actually move the needle forward , I'm sharing some practical steps for crafting your 90 day plan. I'm also pulling back the curtain to talk about some of the challenges I don't always speak about publicly. I explore why the well intended oversharing on social media is b...

Coming to you with a special Sunday edition of the podcast. In 2000, I started to ask myself the question,  if I truly believed I could follow my dreams and become anything I want to be in this world, would this path I'm currently on, be the one I'd choose?  It was answering that question that ultimately lead me to finally acknowledging that I always wanted to become an Artist. When I was easing m...

Oh do I feel ya...but It's time to get real about some truths you need to know as an Artist who wants to a grow a business and successfully sell work online. In today's episode I share with you a BIG mistake I made about 6 years back, adopting a certain attitude  shall we say ...when it comes to working with the inevitable changes of the internet and specifically social media. As someone who once...

If you care about about INTEGRITY, the value of creative work, and rights for Artists, this should make you angry. I have a documentary to recommend, along with a personal story about a collaboration that almost went very wrong. If any of what I share is a shock to you, then we as Artists haven't been truthful about our experiences. One of the reasons Artists continue to find themselves in these k...

Are you afraid of making a "wrong" decision when it comes to building your online shop? One of the questions I get asked the most by the Artists I mentor is "what website, e-commerce platform do I choose for my online shop?" followed by "how do I know for sure, that it's the right one for me?" So often our fear of making the wrong decision keeps us from making any decision at all, which in turn ke...

In November 2018 I had an idea around how to support + celebrate independent Artists more... and this Sunday, August 29 it's game on! First things first! You're invited! Join us for our FIRST (what we hope to be the first of many ) virtual art event + pop-up gallery; Small Studio Sunday . It's free to attend, just be sure to register here for your invite so you'll be first to view the pop-up galle...