Introducing Flying Lessons: The E-Book Series!!

You guys. I am so excited to share the following news with you....please help me celebrate!!

As many of you know, I offered my first e-course earlier this year called Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks To Help Your Creative Biz Soar. As I've said before here on the blog, it was one of the biggest adventures and accomplishments of my entire creative biz life. I was challenged to expand my own possibilities while pouring my heart and soul into content that felt honest, rich, and practical. It was a giant success and I'm so grateful and proud of the entire experience.

Because I will not be able to offer the e-course again anytime soon (b/c I'm going to be a new mom!), I decided to put all of that rich and juicy e-course content into three different e-books. I'm calling it Flying Lessons: The E-book Series. Each e-book shares various sections/topics that were covered during the e-course so that you can pick and choose which e-book most applies to you and where you are in your creative biz journey. I'm soooo excited.

All of the details below on each e-book in the series and how you can download yours today!

Everyday, I receive emails from creative souls asking for my advice. They want to know how, in a span of just a couple of years, I built an online presence and successful online shop, wrote a best selling book, got published in several magazines, and launched successful gift collections (via licensing deals) that are sold in stores nationwide. They ask advice on how to sell original paintings, how to have an effective online presence, how to create and package prints/jewelry/originals, how to create a website and community. They ask about licensing, money, publishing, press, and social networking. They ask me how on earth I manage my time, how I face my fears, how I stay organized.

I know exactly where they’re coming from. It wasn’t that long ago that I was sending similar emails out to artists I admired, people who seemed to have booming creative businesses. Some would answer me, but most didn’t. Now that I’m crazy busy over here and on the other end of that email exchange, I get it. I’m sure some didn’t respond because they were simply too busy to give advice to a complete stranger and I’m sure some didn’t respond because they wanted to protect their hard earned information. For me, it hasn’t been a matter of not wanting to share what I know, it’s been a matter of time and the value of that time.

In the end, I deeply believe in finding a way to share our stories, our resources, and how we’ve made it to where we are now. After months of writing and thinking about how I could best share everything I know (and finally answer, in detail, the questions that come my way) I came up with something that I think is pretty darned special: a series of four e-books called Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks To Help Your Creative Business Soar....

Flying Lessons E-book Part One. In this e-book, I spill all of my secrets on how to create an effective online presence via blogs, websites, and social networking - and why this is crucial to your creative biz success. I go into detail on how to create/improve your blog, the secret ingredients to a successful blog, and how to get traffic to that blog - ditto for websites and social networking sites.

I also share strategies on facing our fears as we reach for our creative biz dreams, how to create community, and in depth + inspiring interviews with blogging superstar Holly Becker and mixed media rockstar Claudine Hellmuth. Along the way, personal stories of what's worked for me as I built my own successful creative biz, and SO MUCH MORE! ALL THE DETAILS HERE!

Flying Lessons E-book: Part Two. In part two, I share everything I've learned about effective marketing strategies (it's not as hard as you think) to help your creative biz grow. I also share specific tips for selling on etsy and other online marketplaces, including tried and true strategies on how to increase traffic to your shop, and how to effectively price, style, and photograph your work.

I also answer all of your burning questions on how to make prints of your artwork, including my exact process from scanning to printing to packaging to shipping matted prints. I also share how to sell your work offline (wholesale, boutiques, craft shows!), copyright issues, and SO MUCH MORE! ALL THE DETAILS HERE!

Flying Lessons E-book: Part Three. In part three, I share all of my secrets on how to get press and how to get published (magazines, books, etc!), including in-depth interviews with Christen Olivarez (editor-in-chief of Somerset Magazines) and Tonia Davenport (acquisitions editor for North Light books - same publisher who published my book).

I also go into detail about licensing, copyright issues, and effective ways to diversify your creative biz income (crucial). I often get asked how I get so much done - in this e-book, I share my time management strategies and how to actualize goals, and SO MUCH MORE! ALL THE DETAILS HERE!

Flying Lessons E-book: The Whole Shabang. In this e-book, you get it all! It's parts 1, 2, + 3 combined into one big e-book packed and loaded with tips and tricks to help your creative biz soar!

It includes everything you ever wanted to know about creating an online presences (blogs, websites, social networking), marketing, licensing, getting press/published, selling online + offline, time management, pricing your work, actualizing goals, copyright, building community, facing fears, burnout, personal stories of what's worked for me (and what hasn't worked), interviews with successful artist, and SO MUCH MORE! ALL THE DETAILS HERE!

home renovation update!

the total truth is that some days i regret this decision. and other days i do not. some days i love our contractor and other days i do not. we were totally unprepared (and COMPLETELY naive) for the amount of work, both physically and emotionally a project like this would take. but in the end (and we are at the end, peeps - moving within the week!), i'm excited to say that it's been wholly worth it, every step of the way. and all my angst is turning into pure giddy.

remember those walls we unearthed at the beginning of the project? here's the update on one of the the rooms where we decided to save those walls with all those layers of old wallpaper found beneath layers and layers of paint. i love this room so much, i can barely take it!

here was the room before:

and here it is today:

crazy, right? as john scraped the walls, he intentionally and randomly scraped down to the original layer of green paint (the house was built in 1911) while leaving layers of wallpaper showing through here and there. the effect is magical, looks like a map, and i'm so glad we took this risk! we decided to keep the chair rail molding and paint below it so that it looks like the entire "look" was done intentionally. he then lightly sanded the wallpaper down a bit and then sealed the entire thing so it's safe.

i was thinking that this bedroom would be my favorite room in the whole house, but then this happened up in the attic:

how it looked when we bought the place:

during renovations to make it a master suite (new walls, slightly raised ceiling, new insulation, wiring, adding a bathroom, skylights, etc):

and here it was earlier this week, almost done. i can hardly freakin believe how much i love this space:

the fir floors were already there. we just sanded them (they were painted green when we bought the house) and varnished them. we added built-ins for storage and bookshelves. at the far end is the bath. it's an open master suite/bath (love!). adding a bathroom up here was tricky but so glad we did it.

(that's the shower behind the glass door - there's even a small skylight in the shower)

this is a view from the bath looking out into the bedroom space. shower on the left. toilet on the right, behind that door. and a sweet little built-in for toiletries and stuff. still working on adding sinks, mirrors, lighting, but you get the idea :)

so there you have it. that's what we've been up to around here. it's been a very full, crazy, 12 weeks of this renovation. if you're interested, more photos over here. we are moving in a few days! i've promised john and my contractor that i would stay away from the house this week so that i can be surprised at the "finished" result this weekend (i haven't seen the kitchen yet and it's being installed now!). i think i might cry my eyes out when i see it with fresh eyes and finished. it's been such a journey....in so many unexpected but very good (in the end) ways.

just in case you didn't already know....

every year on our drive to the coast, jen does her magic and writes out little hope notes that we spread all over the beach cabin for lovebomb. it's become a tradition. some are funny, some are thoughtful, and they change every year. the rule is is that throughout our days together as a group we have to take the notes that speak to us the most. if we don't think the note applies to us then it usually means that's the exact message we need to hear. i love this idea.

this note on the fireplace made me stop and think about all the ways we each change each other's lives, sometimes without ever knowing it. you never know when that story you tell, or that truth you share, or that memory you honor, or that leap of faith you take impacts those around you. in fact most of us will never know the impressions we leave on another's life, the imprints we leave on another's heart.

so this is for you....

you are changing people's lives (including mine).

xo

kelly rae

Weekly Sponsor Spotlights: Amelia Critchlow + Michelle Ward (The When I Grow Up Coach)

Big thanks to my sponsors...I'm really enjoying these weekly sponsor spotlights where their creative talents and businesses are featured. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!

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Do you want to find the natural artist in you? Amelia Critchlow's e-course, Experimental Art, explores a variety of art techniques in experimental ways whilst having fun with an on-line community, sharing and discussing ideas and work produced. This 6 week course is for busy people who want to take their creative inclinations to the first step, or people already practicing their art and want to try something new, getting some fresh inspiration, all from the comfort of home. The course costs £60 ($90 based on current exchange rate) and will include an extensive look at a variety of artists, with lots of pdfs, web and book resources, as well as individual feedback from Amelia - a qualified tutor and practicing artist in the UK. Enrolment for the Autumn experimental art e-course (starting Sept 13th) is now live here - please note, there are a limited number of spaces on each course. Be sure to check out Amelia's website where you can find her gallery, blog, and more. For testimonials about the course, see here.

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"Michelle Ward is The When I Grow Up Coach, & has helped over 70 creative people devise the career they think they can't have - or discover it to begin with! A

musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch & a certified life coach who's been featured in Newsweek and Metro News, Michelle uses a dose of empathy, a shot of butt-kickin', a wagon full of enthusiasm, & a crapload of inspiration to help turn her client's grown-up skills & values into a passionate (& possibly out-of-the-box) career.

Michelle makes her home on the Interwebs tweetin', Facebookin', bloggin', co-hostin' & coachin'/givin' away free stuff at whenigrowupcoach.com. Check out her new Services & make sure that you sign-up for her newsletter to get her downloadable 21-page, 7-exercise workbook for exactly $0! Amazeballs."

on abundance

(photo of mati by me, pola by hula)

i love that mati recently invited abundance to her life. it got me thinking of all the ways i want to subscribe to the idea that we are worthy of abundance. abundance in love. in community. in financial abundance, too (especially for us creative souls - i don't believe in the idea that we have to be starving artists in order to be the real deal).

i think it's so important for us to ask for what we need, for what we want to invite more of into our lives, and then to release that intention out into the world. but i don't believe we can simply have abundance in our lives (financial, community, love, and so on) if we aren't intentional about creating it. we have to ask for it, yes, but then we have to show up and do the work. i'm learning that somewhere along the line the asking and the showing up seem to merge into the same orbit and then the magic happens: the flow, the intention, the asking, the work all line up and the abundance arrives. i love how that happens! but we have to be intentional about asking and we have to be intentional about showing up.

before i ever received any sort of financial abundance in my life, i had an abundance of creative inspiration and love that carried me a long way. but i'm reminded of the days when it never occurred to me to ask for financial abundance. i think perhaps i was worried about asking for too much. who am i to ask for more, to want more? but somewhere along the line i started to believe in the idea that financial abundance did not equal selling out. or that i wasn't a true artist just because i was no longer hustling. or that i didn't deserve it. or that it was forbidden to ask for such a thing. eventually, i did ask for it - perhaps with one toe in the water. and boy have i learned so much about the idea of inviting this kind of abundance into my life. about boundaries. about judgement. about my value. about its value. in the end, it's not the actual abundance of finances that i've learned the most from. rather, it's been the rewarding + specific discovery of self respect and value that was unearthed along the abundance path. i know finances come and go, and when it does go, i will be left with these heart + soul gifts that will never leave me. i'm so grateful for that.

i'm also learning that abundance arrives differently for all of us. it's in the small moments and it's in the big ones, too. it's in the simplicity of a meaningful conversation. it's in the paycheck we've worked really hard for. it's in telling the truth and how abundance arrives the minute we let go. it's in family, in community, in new friendships, in creative blessings, in ordinary days. it's mysterious and it's concrete. either way, it's ours for the taking. we just have to ask for it and show up. we deserve its gifts. we are meant for its journey.

lovebomb 2010 - a snapshot

“Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with a passing whisper. They come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.” – unknown

(photo by tracey clark)

i arrived home a couple of days ago from our annual lovebomb trip to the oregon coast. i arrived at our gathering a bit scattered and overwhelmed. as you know, i've been having a hard time getting my bearings for a couple of months now. i just feel totally uprooted.

but being with these dear friends for a few days inside the tradition of our yearly gathering left me feeling rooted and secure in friendship, in life, in what really matters. i love that our group is firmly embedded into our lives, that it's something i can count on, that it will always be a source of holding up, of celebrating, of intimacy, of fun. i am so lucky. no mater what state i arrive in each year (crazy, frazzled, peaceful, inspired), i always find refuge and comfort and i always go home transformed.

(me, jen)

every year during the two hour car ride to the coast, jen and i talk, and listen to music, and then we tell one another what we most hope for from the upcoming days - both for our group and for ourselves. this year (for myself), i hoped for calm, for air, for breathing space, for moments to sink into my pregnancy, for conversation, for blessings into motherhood. i hoped for the inner and outer chaos of my recent days to slip away so that i could deeply feel my pregnancy, forget all the renovation and work back home, and just be wrapped inside the arms of community.

of course, it totally worked. i've learned so much from our yearly gatherings, but one thing i keep learning is that it's 100% okay to ask for what i want/need and then to simply show up (physically, emotionally, spiritually) and receive. as as magic happens, the giving unravels when our hearts are full. this gathering fills my heart. every single year. it's part of what fuels my creativity for months to come, my optimism, my productivity, and so much more.

(photo by hula)

it's become a sort of tradition during our days on the coast to call in what we most need in our lives. last year, we marked that calling with script on our bodies. this year, we had a more intimate ritual around the the fireplace after a few days of togetherness. either way, i love the idea of witnessing one another's hopes and dreams in real concrete ways like this - around a fireplace, side by side, heart by heart. there is so much power in sharing our stories of where we're standing today and then having the dearness of community support you as you tend to that need, that hope, that dream all year long.

of course, in between all of that is pure fun and sillyness. i loved hula's list from the weekend - it's so true, every single one. there's singing at the top of our lungs (last year it was hilarious dancing), shared meals, shopping excursions to Unfurl (best shop in manzanita, oregon), hot dog stands, story telling games, play on the beach, and even googly eyes where you least expect to find them.

this group feels a bit like a compass for me in my life. their trueness inspires me to continually find and adjust for my own true north all year long. i am so grateful for that...in every way. i have so much more to share in the way of photos and pregnancy and messages from the universe....more soon!

every year when i write about lovebomb, i'm reminded of the idea that we really must create the experiences we most need. that's how this group was formed a few years ago, and the same is totally possible for you. please head over to this post that jen and i wrote last year on how you (yes you!) can create your own gathering. if your heart is calling, listen. i can't encourage you enough to really lean into those whispers....

finally, some creative play

i've been a little lost without my art supplies. i put them in storage back in march thinking they'd be there for about 4 weeks at the most. little did i know that we'd surprise ourselves and buy a fixer upper which meant their 4 week storage journey would turn into a 4 month storage journey.

with all the activity in my life at the moment, i can't help but wonder if i'd feel less crazy if i had them with me. you know, just as my safety net and my anchor. i didn't realize i'd miss them like they were an old friend. luckily, just a couple more weeks and they'll come out of storage (finally!).

i've been away for the last few days soaking in a bit of the gorgeous oregon coast with a few loved ones. my heart really needed our gathering in big ways, but what it also needed was some creative play around the table with music and glue and friends and art supplies i've never used before. i didn't have my usual stuff so i played with all sorts of cool new stuff that my friends brought. and man, did it feel great. the piece above has a ways to go but it felt so good to take the creative juices out for a date. it's been awhile and we're a little rusty in our relationship at the moment:)

ali made this piece and it took every piece of me to not steal it from her and take it home. i just love it so.

i have so much to share but for now i wanted to pop in and say hello, and that art really has the power to soothe and rearrange our everyday chaos. i've deeply missed that healing perspective....

more soon. i can barely wait to show you some prego belly photo shots that are hilarious and tender and even a little sexy if i do say so myself.

Sponsor Spotlights: Gwynnie B Designs, Blue Muse Jewelry, + Happiness Inside

Big thanks to my sponsors...I'm really enjoying these weekly sponsor spotlights where their creative talents and businesses are featured. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!

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If you stop by Gwynnie B's seaside studio you'll find a delightful mess of color and beads and paint and 4 crazy animals helping out. The dogs, Lucy and Louie, offer suggestions with a wag of their tails, while the 2 cats, Fatso Skinny and Bleu Kitty offer purrs with the occasional nudge to get attention. It's a happy studio filled with lots of sunlight and music, which makes for an atmosphere full of inspiration. Please stop by Gwynnie's website to see whimsical jewelry and unique gifts and also her blog to find out what's new in the Gwynnie B studio.

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Blue Muse Jewelry is a collaboration between two sisters, Kelly Letky and Conni Bills, who, for the past five years, have used their love of handmade jewelry as a way to bond and spend lots of time together. Their favorite material is precious metal clay, and they also work with artisan glass and semi-precious stones. Creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces is their way of adding a little beauty to life, everyday. Visit their etsy shop to see more of their work, and Kelly's blogfor updates, imagery, and writing on life, art, and working as a graphic/jewelry designer.

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Happiness Inside is a free social networking site with a focus on Happiness and Positivity. Our members from all over the world provide each other with tools and resources, support and friendship in order to learn how to be happier NOW! Everyone can use a little more happiness. Join us today at Happiness Inside and explore why we're doing it, our forums, our everyday tools, and so much more (including our new HAPI decals!) Check us out on twitter, too!

house reno update

i love that you guys have been asking for house reno photos. the last photo update was three weeks ago. you can see that update here.

a lot has happened since three weeks ago. we've got trim, doorway casings, baseboards, crown molding, some paint on the walls, and major basement remodel is coming along! oh yes, and the floors have been sanded and coated and they are GORGEOUS but you can't see as they're all covered up in these photos.

here's a quickie tour of the living room showing progression:

we love the yellow and the brick! we knocked down an old furnace chimney when we bought the place and used those bricks here. they'll be painted white soon and our new mantle is being built now! the windows by the fireplace are yucky painted frosted textured windows (yep!) so those are coming out and being replaced soon too! but what i love about the main area rooms right now is all the new trim, baseboards and doorway casings. they've been created to look period to the house (1911) and it's awesome. you can see a peek into the dining room here with the blue paint on the walls!

here's a quickie basement progression tour:

i can't even begin to explain the work that has gone into the basement. we've recovered major square footage down here by excavating about half of what used to be a huge crawl space of nasty dirt and yuck. this just shows one side of the basement! it's huge down here and i'm so glad we decided to do all the work to make it water tight (quite a feat in portland - it was a major deal to get this basement dry) and livable. the windows are big and let in lots of light. this area is totally adding to the bungalow's overall living space (so excited!). the stairs to the basement are situated perfectly to the overall flow of the house. got lucky on that one.

here's the other half of the basement in progression so far:

pretty crazy, no? the two sides have large entry ways into each other so that the entire basement is wide open and circular. it's going to be awesome. i love all the light and ceilings are high (7 feet). so that's the basement. lots of work to do down here still. but it will come together.

this is the current state of affairs up in the attic (master bed/bath):

you can see the attic progression in that last home tour i gave you. but it's suffice to say that we're working hard on this master suite - closets, built-ins, doors, stair rails, etc. lots to do!

i can hardly wait to show you the kitchen and bedroom updates. more soon! we are moving into this house in TWO 1/2 WEEKS. yes, yes, you heard me right. please send MAJOR good juju. we and our team are working like crazy people to get it all done in time. i am seriously thankful for all the folks who are putting in the hard work - there are so many workers to thank.

it's been a crazy 10 weeks of this renovation. we have been on a big journey (emotional, physical, spiritual) through every bit of it, but we're in that celebration phase of fun detail work of design, paint colors, lighting choices, and fun stuff like that!

heading out for a weekend on the coast with some friends. i'm going to soak up every ounce of love, hugs, energy, and community.

xxo,

kelly rae