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We live in a society that seems to praise busyness and burning the candle at both ends, but it's time for us to shift this paradigm and begin to recognize the importance of rest, of pacing yourself and preserving your energy. And when it comes to social media, podcasting, marketing and more, folks are so worried that they'll be forgotten if they take a break. In this week's episode, we talk about how this shows up in our own lives, the future of the Startist Society podcast and the importance of giving yourself a well-deserved break to avoid overwhelm and burnout! STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/takingbreaks/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Everyone talks about the importance of discovering or developing your signature style in art or design. When you’re just starting out, or if you have many different interests or media, this kind of feels impossible to figure out. In this episode, we talk about the reasons for having your own style, whether or not it’s important, and provide you with some tips and exercises that might help you develop your signature style. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/style/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduced you to Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters, an artist, author and educator extraordinaire. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to that episode yet, definitely check it out. Peggy gave us such great advice on growing a successful business while breaking all the rules that this week, we've invited her back to share with us five tips on being a successful multi-passionate creative over the usual advice of niching down. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/peggystips/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

This week's guest is Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters. Peggy is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, an artist, author and educator. And she is a great example of a Startist! Peggy is the author of eight books, a top teacher on Skillshare with over 50 classes on drawing, painting, lettering, digital art and more. She has her own creative membership called The Flock Cooperative. She created her own line of synthetic cruelty-free watercolor brushes and monoline pens, and has created Lightroom presets and Procreate brushes. As a self-taught artist born into creativity through a struggle with mental health, Peggy promotes embracing imperfections and living out loud. She has a soft spot for ensuring that anyone with a passion feels empowered to be able to create. In a world where we're told to specialize - Peggy shares how you can build a successful creative career that encompasses all of your passions. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/thepigeonletters/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

In episode 9, we talked about our love of art supplies and our addiction to purchasing sketchbooks. Every once in a while we actually fill some up. Have you ever wanted to start a sketchbook of your own? In this episode, we are going talk about our own sketchbook practices, why we have them, suggestions on how to choose the right sketchbook and more to get you started on your own sketchbook journey. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/sketchbookpractice/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduced you to Janine Vangool, designer and publisher of Uppercase Magazine. She shared her Startist story with us and all about launching and publishing her gorgeous magazine. Today she's back to share her five best tips for getting your artwork published in magazines, maybe even in hers! STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/publicationtips/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Uppercase Magazine is curated, designed, edited and published by the extremely talented Janine Vangool, a one woman publishing magnate who in addition to putting out her beautiful magazine, has created – and continues to create – an amazing series of books called Encyclopedia of Inspiration. She’s also been a shop owner, a bookseller, a gallery curator, a stationery designer, a fabric designer, and an educator. We are kind of exhausted just thinking about all of that! Listen to our interview with Janine and hear her winding Startist story and everything that goes into putting together one of the most beautiful magazines you’ll find! P.S. She also drops some great hints on how to get your artwork published in magazines. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/uppercase/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduced you to Alli Koch of AlliKDesign. She shared information about her amazing mix of painting murals, designing all kinds of products, publishing books, teaching, mentoring, and more. If you haven't had a chance to listen to that episode yet, be sure to check it out. Today she's back to share more of her juicy knowledge with us and give us her five best tips for getting started with murals. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/muraltips/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Have you ever wanted to paint murals? If so - you will love our interview with today's guest! Alli Koch of AlliKDesign is an artist based in Dallas, Texas who has turned her passion for art and design into a full time career. She is the author of eight published books (and counting!) and is on a mission to inspire others to create as well. You can find Alli's artwork on dozens of murals all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area, on merchandise, and in stores all around the country. When she isn't creating her gorgeous artwork, Alli speaks about business and entrepreneurship through panels and on her own podcast, Breakfast with Sis, which she records with her dad. While Alli has worked with some incredible companies around the country, her favorite part of her job is still drawing from her bed while cuddling her adorable cat and drinking sweet tea. Listen in as we learn about her startist story, how she got started in all the incredible things she does, and a deep dive into getting started with painting murals! STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/allik/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

In Episode 64, we introduced you to Dave Conrey, an artist and designer who's always exploring creative new ways to make his own art and share what he's learned with other artists and designers. In that episode, we talked about using print on demand on your own website. So if you haven't heard that yet, it's definitely worth the listen. Today we have Dave back because he has done a deep dive into the crazy new world of NFTs over the last year. There's a lot of confusion about what exactly NFTs are, how they work, how you make money with them, which marketplaces to use, how to market your NFTs, their impact on the environment, and so much more. Listen in as we dive into all of these topics with Dave. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/nfts/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

What do you do when you want to create new art and move forward with your creative business, but life gets in the way? How do you get past the roadblocks? In this episode, we share a glimpse of the crazy things going on in our own lives right now that could easily derail us from our creative journeys and the tools we are using to get past the challenges. If you've ever thought, "There's too much going on in my life right now to ever make any progress"... this episode is for you. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/intheway/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduce you to Jhina Alvarado, a painter who juggles a full time art practice, is represented by multiple galleries across the US, teaches calculus part time, and is raising the most adorable twins. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to that episode yet, be sure to check it out. Today, she's back to share with us her five best tips for getting your work in art galleries.  STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE TIPS PDF DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/gallerytips JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Are you a fine artist interested in having your artwork in galleries? Are you confused about where to even start with getting gallery representation? Today's guest shares her journey from developing her painting style over the years to getting her work in multiple galleries across the US. Jhina Alvarado is a prolific self taught artist with gallery representation across the US. Her work has been featured in international and national magazines, blogs, and art technique books. Her primary mediums are oil and encaustic. She works part time as a calculus teacher and paints full time in her home studio in San Francisco, while also raising the two most adorable six year old twins. We learned a ton from this conversation with Jhina and we know you will too. We cover things like how to know when you're ready, the ins and outs of working with a gallerist,  money matters, marketing, shipping, gallery exclusivity, knowing which galleries to avoid, and much more! STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/jhinaalvarado JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Back in episode 23, we shared with you seven books that have helped us in our creative businesses. If you haven't listened to that one yet, go back and check it out. This week, we have another six books on mindset that we think will make a difference for you like they did for us. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/mindsetbooks JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduced you to urban sketcher extraordinaire, James Richards. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to that episode, be sure to check it out. Today he's back to share with us his five best tips for getting started with urban sketching. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/urbansketchingtips/ JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

If you've ever had an interest in hitting the road with your artwork and sketching the world, you're going to love this episode. James Richards is one of the best urban sketchers on the planet. He has a background as an urban designer, artist and professor, and spent decades designing urban places and experiences to make cities more walkable, livable and beautiful – the perfect career background for becoming an urban sketcher. A big part of learning his craft involved traveling the world and sketching the world's most interesting places; 45 countries so far. Jim is now a full-time traveling artist and spends most of his time sketching on location and teaching workshops around the world for veteran and aspiring sketchers, university design programs, art groups, and travel companies. He even has online classes on platforms like Craftsy and Skillshare. We know this conversation with Jim is going to leave you inspired to pick up your pen and sketchbook and head outdoors!   STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/jamesrichards JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week we introduced you to artist, educator and toolmaker, Elizabeth Schowachert, and learned all about her e-commerce shop where she sells her art, her handmade brushes and other art supplies. Today, she is back to share with us her best tips for starting and growing your e-commerce shop. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/ecommercetips JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Today we’re speaking with Elizabeth Schowachert, a self-taught artist who has built a beautiful creative life combining a successful handmade art supply e-commerce shop, with her own art practice, and teaching both in person workshops and online. Elizabeth has a passion for travel, ink and encaustic painting and creates insanely cool brushes and tools for artists. If you have ever had an interest in creating your own e-commerce business, we know you’ll learn some great tips from Elizabeth on resources and steps you can take to just get started. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/elizabethschowachert JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Last week, we introduced you to Mel Armstrong, a surface pattern designer, children's book illustrator and top Skillshare teacher, among many other things. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to that episode yet, be sure to check it out. Today, she's back to share with us her five best tips for getting started with children's book illustrations. STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES & FREE PDF TIPS DOWNLOAD: startistsociety.com/childrensbooktips/ Sign up for Mel's new Joy of Surface Pattern Design Course and get 25% off with coupon code "STARTIST2022"! The Art & Joy of Surface Pattern Design Course JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/

Today's guest calls one of Laura’s favorite countries on the planet home, New Zealand. Mel Armstrong has had an amazing life journey. She's gone from being a professional ballet dancer to a web designer, award winning illustrator and surface pattern designer. She's illustrated 15 children's books so far, she's a top Skillshare teacher, works with an agent to license her work globally and she's a mom of two amazing kids. In this interview, we discuss her varied career, her new course, her Spoonflower shop and a lot more, but we are especially excited to share with you all about her experience with illustrating children’s books! STARTIST SOCIETY SHOW NOTES: startistsociety.com/melarmstrong/ Sign up for Mel's new Joy of Surface Pattern Design Course and get 25% off with coupon code "STARTIST2022"! The Art & Joy of Surface Pattern Design Course JOIN THE STARTIST SOCIETY FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/startistsociety/ FOLLOW STARTIST SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/startistsociety/ LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? BUY US A COFFEE BOURBON: buymeacoffee.com/startistsociety/