I got home from Spark a week ago today and still have a giant grin on my face! I'm still glowing from the experience, but am also slowly getting my feet back firmly on the ground and starting to get back into normal life. I've signed up for my first creativity coaching course (yay!) as well as Marie Forleo's B-School. They both start in June and will take up most of my summer as I start to route out my future - what the coaching business will look like - and also start gaining the skills I need to help others get in touch with their creative best self.

Because these courses will take up most of my summer (along with my desire to delve back into making things for manusmade - new designs are percolating!), I'm trying to do some spring cleaning. I want my home space to be ready for me to be free to dive into my studies. I don't want to fall behind just because I feel the office is not the room I want to be in because of the mess. So, I'm starting to go room by room and getting rid of the things that I no longer want or need, and really identify the things I still want in my life. Clothes that no longer make me feel amazing? Gone! Stuff that's been sitting in a pile for more than a year waiting for attention? Getting sorted! Things sitting there sadly in the corner unused? Listed on used-goods websites! I'm trying to be realistic with my time - I do only have a couple of free hours each evening to do anything - including manusmade/household, etc. Being able to just do one little space at a time is actually good - it seems manageable in the moment (of course I can just go through these 3 drawers, no problem!), and is pleasing my need for productivity and actionable things I can check off my list.

I even spent some time standing out in the backyard this weekend staring at empty spaces trying to figure out the design I want back there - I want new grass, veg gardens, flower gardens, patios, dining areas, gathering spaces, hot tub, pool, and maybe a hammock too. I actually figured out some designs and even some ideas to bring in some of those items on the list in an affordable and manageable way.

Seriously, I haven't had this much clarity and decisiveness in months (years??!)! Thank you, Spark!

Speaking of spring cleaning, if you've got some organizing to do, and want items that will help you organize your stuff, check out my 100% wool felt boxes available now in the shop. I've got more colours and box styles coming soon, send me an email or convo on Etsy if you'd like to chat about custom sizes and requirements. 

I'm so proud to say that the picture above was sent in by a happy customer - their beautiful baby enjoys the natural felt box as much as the goodies inside! If you have photos of manusmade stuff, too, I'd super love to see them!

I'm sitting here in my office back at home after returning from Spark late last night. I'm surrounded by the comforts of home, Arek, and the pups, and it feels good! Warm, welcome, loving return home. Parts of me, though, are still in New Mexico - partly my desire to return to that magical place, and partly the emotional and soulful bits of me that I let go of that I don't need anymore.

I can't begin to describe this entire experience - it was transforming, grounding, discombobulating, funny, strengthening, and nourishing. From the moment that Deanna and I started to plan the retreat, I knew it would be magical, I just had no idea how much so. It will takes days, weeks, maybe months, to process everything that happened and figure out the things I want to put into action now.

So how to describe my experience of New Mexico? Pictures and lists, of course! Here's a little of what I learned this past week in New Mexico, and especially during Thursday to Monday at Spark:

• I love adobe. I want to live in an adobe house, surrounded by wood and more adobe. Love!
• I love New Mexico. It's scrubby and beautiful and mountainous and warm and grounding
• I need to drink about 4 litres of water every day in NM - the full-body moisturizing that I did about three times a day was not enough to keep me hyrdrated
• it's hard to breath when you are doing a lot of walking and shopping when you are 7000 feet up

•  I continue to love architechtural details, including doorways, lights, and frames

•  I could live very happily at the Hacienda Dona Andrea and never leave. Seriously, it was beautiful and the perfect spot for the retreat - warm, inviting, big enough to have lots of little places to get away, relaxed, and full of personality 

• I crave female connection more than I think I need it
• laughter is still my favourite sound
• smiles, hugs, and love from instant friends is heartwarming
• I'm connecting with the same people on the internet as I would in real life - when I met some of the women at the retreat for the first time (after knowing them online for a while) it felt like coming home

• one of my favourite things is sipping wine at lunch time with an old friend in a beautiful patio with flowers falling all around, eating amazing food

• I am reminded, yet again, that I am stronger than I realize
• I am able to take charge of what I feel is a confrontational situation and turn it around in a compassionate manner in my own way and still come out alive and stronger for it on the other side
• I am bossier than I ever realized, and am loving embracing this side of me - it will help me define the things I want and require in my life, take charge of my own happiness and health, and it will help me help others
• I can sit and release years of pain through sobbing statements and feel happier than ever as I'm surrounded by complete love from 14 other women
• that even when you think you have things figured out, you really just have touched the surface
• after the release comes the feeling of complete disorientation and worry that I had it all wrong - and even this is ok as it was the turning point to step back and realize that the best parts were right, it just needed tweaking
• I will be moving forward as a life and creativity coach, but in a different way than I thought - in a way that is so completely true to myself, yet in a way that I never allow myself to see and be. I know this sounds a little vague right now, but I seriously feel I've reconnected with my kick-ass warrior who likes to say punny things on the side.
• I'm more sensitive and empathetic than I've admitted to myself over the years - explains a lot of the emotional drains and overwhelm I go through. I've realized I need to protect myself better than I have in the past
• I more fully committed to being the boss of me - defining what I need and going and getting it
• good health - emotional and physical - is a non-negotiable. I am determined to stay healthy through exercise and food and well-being. It is the ONLY way that I can be in order to be at my best
• that when you work with Dyana Valentine she will seriously kick your butt and get you digging so deep it will change your life
• that Alexandra Franzen is one seriously cool lady who will empower you through her words, and get you to write things you never knew were inside you
• that Jessika Hepburn is nothing but love, support, courage, sparkle and laughter. Everyone needs a Jessika in their lives.
• and that coming from a place of love can change the world, one person at a time

I'm sitting at a giant harvest table here at the hacienda - the sun is streaming in the windows and the view to the mountains is breathtaking. I'm here with most of the retreat leaders and we are getting ready for all the participants to arrive this afternoon. Jessika is sitting across the table writing a blog post and getting ready for the #omhg tweet chat at 11 MDT (1pm EDT). It's all coming together and it feels perfect - welcome, relaxed, generous, and warm.

I don't feel in control of the weekend - in the best of ways.  I feel like Deanna and I have created a space for amazing things to happen, but it is all the participants and workshop leaders that will make it amazing. They each are bringing their own perspective, their own desires, their own hopes for the weekend. I can't wait to see everyone here tonight - the energy is already amazing amongst those of us that are here. Once the particpants get here, the energy will be unstoppable!

We'll be talking, connecting, learning, playing, writing, exploring, looking inside, and reaching out. And I'm pretty sure there will be an all-out dance party at some point over the weekend.

I am so happy to have felt the fear of setting up this retreat - those moments like putting down a huge non-refundable deposit on the hacienda or reaching out and inviting our speakers - and moved through it and did it anyway. If I had got stuck in those moments, I wouldn't be sitting here now with all these wonderful women.

Do you want something? Like really want something? Go make it happen, you'll be glad you did.

Hello, my lovelies! I'm really excited today to bring you an interview with Laura Clempson from Cupcakes for Clara. Laura is absolutely lovely and not half as grumpy as her little girl character Clara who is maybe even grumpier than I am early in the morning. Through Cupcakes for Clara, Laura sells paper dolls and stationary with her adorable drawings of Clara, Macy, and Colin. She also sells some toys and sewing kits related to her characters. Laura lives in England and started her business while at home after having her baby jut last year! She has already taken the handmade community by storm - we can all learn a lot from her with respect to branding, staying true to the essence of a business (ie, Clara' grumpy character - often the images and text on the blog have a grumpy side comment from Clara), and being able to balance a creative business with the rest of her life. I wanted to talk to Clara about some of this - where she gets her creatiity and inspiration from and how she is able to fit it all in.

Pop on over to Cupcakes for Clara and read all about Clara, Macy, Colin, and Laura. There is lots of behind the scenes looks at the business, and check out her shop on Etsy to see all the goodies! Laura's got a brand new launch of goodies starting on May 9th, so stay tuned on her site and in her shop!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Laura, I'm really excited to share all your comments!

Cupcakes for Clara is adorable and whimsical, and it's extremely easy to fall in love with the characters! Especially Clara, as I too can be very grumpy like her - especially in the morning :) Who do you find the characters appeal to, or who is your ideal customer?



Ah, thanks Tania! I think we all have a little bit of grumpy Clara within us - especially in the mornings! I know that it goes against all business advice, but my ideal customer is myself. I create things that I personally love, and think that if I love them then other people will too. I have found though, that the characters appeal to mums a lot - probably because they recognize the same grumpiness in their own children!

When did you start your creative business, and what was the impetus to get it up and running?



I've had my blog for about five years now, and had a small etsy shop too but nothing concrete or with any kind of definite direction. Clara & Macy have also been around that long, kind of growing organically in my mind. In September 2011 when my maternity leave finished, the company I work for had no work for me to go back to, and so I figured it was going to be a now or never kind of thing with my own business. So I took the leap and launched my shop in October 2011.

You lead a very creative life - from your business to making things with your children. Have you always been creative, or is it something that came later? Did you take any training, or are you self-taught?



I have been creative for as long as I can remember. Since early childhood I was constantly making things, drawing, painting and being generally crafty. I loved to transform toilet roll tubes into fancy things, and I would spend hours in the local library looking through craft books. I did Art & Design Technology GCSE's, then continued Art at A Level. I studied Animation at university and have worked as a puppet maker since leaving. I can't imagine not being creative, I guess it's just inbuilt!

What is your process of taking your ideas and bringing them come to life. And to add to that, do you record all your ideas as they come and then pull the best from those, or do you act on everything?


I keep a notebook with me all the time, and scribble ideas down when I think of them. Some things I ponder on for a while, developing them in my head, but mostly I keep all of my ideas in various notebooks, folders, and scraps of paper. Because my husband and I work together on Clara & Macy a lot I often take his ideas and run with them. Sometimes I have ideas that I know I can't create into products straight away eg. screen printing or toys but I others can start with a sketch and become finished artwork a few days later.

For my illustrated products I start with rough sketches, then experiment with colours and fabrics before tightening the drawings up. I use tracing paper a lot and have a homemade lightbox which is super helpful. Then I'll draw the artwork out onto my fancy paper, paint the watercolour portions, and then begin to add in photocopied fabrics.

I know that Clara is very outspoken, and you get a lot of inspiration directly from her - where else do you get inspiration for both your products and your designs?



Clara is such a huge inspiration - considering she is a fictional character it seems funny, but so many times I'll just think of thing Clara would love or really hate and a new design pops up. But a lot of my inspiration is from my husband. He is a writer, and often comes up with funny little Clara ideas. Other illustrators inspire me tremendously, and just looking through a bunch of picture books can send me into a frenzy of ideas! But other things like colours or little things I hear the kids say can inspire new designs.

Everything about your creative business fits together so nicely - from the designs to the packaging and the branding on the website. Do you do everything, or do you have help with some of this?



Ah, thank you so much! I pretty much do everything myself, but feel like I'm kind of cheating really - as soon as I put Clara on something it fits the branding. I don't print the products or packaging myself, mainly because printers and me don't get along so well. I would rather spend time on other things! But I often finish off the printed items eg. turning postcards into euroslot header cards, or business cards into swing tags. It keeps costs down and allows me to get exactly what I want. I never really set out with a branding plan - I just did what felt right. I'm a great believer in gut instincts, and fingers crossed it's working so far!

Tell us about what's coming up next for Clara and the gang? I hear rumours of a book!

I am beyond excited for everything we have planned for Clara & Macy. Tom and I are working on a series of picture books, and amazingly we have an interested publisher (squeal!). The next step with that is for me to produce a dummy book and get an agent.

Product wise there are so many things in the pipeline. I would love to expand into fabric, creating a range of fabrics and toys. Magnetic dress-up dolls are hopefully coming later in the year, along with a larger range of greetings cards/notecards. I also plan to offer art prints of my illustrations very soon.

Thank you so much for interviewing me Tania - it's been fun to answer your awesome questions!

The post is the last in a blog series organized by Michelle called How to Follow Your Creative Dream and Make Loads of Money. You gotta love a title like that - straight up and to the point :). Michelle is a coach in South Africa dedicated to helping "solopreneurs" quit their day jobs and pursue the things they love to do. The series will be published in an e-book that will be available in mid-May. I'll have it available here, so stay tuned. I'm so proud to be part of this series that also included the likes of April Bowles-Olin, Danielle Laporte, Mayi Carles, Jennifer Lee, Jenny Shih, and more!

Let me know what you think in the comments!

I'd like to let you know about an amazing resource for creative entrepreneurs - the Guide to Businessy Goodness, created by Jessika Hepburn from Oh My Handmade Goodness.

The Guide is truly a definitive resource manual for growing your business. It's 68 pages of relevant articles, awesome advertisers, worksheets, quotes, prints & printables, all packaged up beautifully and ready to be of service to you. Jessika created the guide as a way to help creative entrepreneurs navigate through the journey of starting and being in a creative business. As a major creative community leader, she has met many people who are starting their own creative business - or those who want to, one day - and who are having a difficult time building or expanding their buisness as they don't have the help they need.

For someone who sits in their spare room crocheting hats or crafting beautiful wood bowls, not knowing how to market their business, how to take good product photos, or when to hire a graphic designer to make their logo more professional - this guide is for you. There is information in the guide that will help you with branding and design, coaching, copywriting and editing, illustration, legal support, marketing, photography, printing and packaging, and web development.  Not only has Jessika carefully selected the advertisers to those that support the development of other creative entrepreneurs, she has pulled together tips and strategies to help you grow your business. I've already printed mine out and dog-eared it and made notes of people to contact and information to put to use in manusmade!

As Jessika says, "Building your business is hard work and you can only do so much all by your lonesome. Letting go and hiring help makes it easier to get back to the parts of your business you love and are best at. At the same time supporting others to do what they love and are best at. A perfect circle!"

So, go and check ot the 6-page preview, and then get yourself the entire 68-page guide - it's Pay What You Can so you know you can't go wrong!

Leap original watercolour by Laura Shepler

Well, hello there! Um... hi!

So! I've got something I'd like to share... Ok.

Um... here we go!

As much as this post has been wanting to bubble out of me for weeks, it has also been a bit shy about coming out. And as much as I am excited and pumped about a new leap I'll be taking, it's a little more difficult when it's written down.

You all know how excited I am about creating things - about expressing myself through my creations and about getting out of my head and into my hands. Well, many of you will know - and it will come as no surprise if you've read more than a couple of posts here - that I am also passionate about making a connection, over and over again, with my true essence - my authentic self - through creating.

I can't count the times in my life where I've felt disconnected from myself - either through a job I no longer found meaningful, or through a difficult time in a relationship, through a death in the family, or through fertility issues. Those are the times where I have felt least like myself - frustrated, tired, drained, and empty.

And as many times as I can count the times I've felt disconnected? I've found the courage and energy to REconnect - to start sewing again, to play with making paper, to decorate a room in my house, and to settle deeply into friendships once again. I have hit those moments of complete separation many times, but I have also come out of them - through creativity.

Creativity has been the key for me, over and over again. It's when I feel myself the most. It's when I feel the most sure, the most confident, the most free. The most radiant. Perhaps it comes from a childhood of stealing moments of freedom where there weren't many to be had. Or from those moments where I let myself be ok with not fitting in. Or perhaps simply from feeling comfortable and safe from the clique-y highschool outside world when I was 16 and all I wanted to do was make floral skirts without a pattern.

Wherever it comes from, it's here with me. Always. I have a history of forgetting it's there - forever on the search for it. Always wanting to reach out and feel its comforable hug again and again.

Like frantically looking for my glasses - but, if I took the time to notice, I'd realize they were on my head the whole time.

I've realized that this continual search for connection to my creativity is a constant craving to reconnect with my most true soul. And holy shit, it feels good. I've realized more than ever in the past year, that the more I stand in that creative chaos - the more I fully own all that energy - the more solidly I feel myself. Confident in myself.

And the best part? I know that I'll forever be finding that point where I feel most like myself. That feeling at the end of the road is great, I'm sure. But I'm after the confidence and the surety of ME that comes from reconnecting over and over again. From knowing that no matter what, I will find the energy and means to get through whatever situation comes my way, pick myself back up again, and find myself again through my creative activities. Like a GPS that comes across a new neighbourhood not yet in its map database - but once you get through it, it reconnects itself to the road it knows, the main highway that was the road you were on all along.

And the best-er part? I'm ready to help others do this too.

So, part of my exit strategy from my day job is to take coaching classes - creativity coaching and life coaching courses. I know that I already have a life's worth of experience with finding my creative way again and again through those tough waters. And I have the inherent ability to listen well, read people intuitively, and offer compassion through the roof. The training will simply round out my abilities to help guide others through their own waters - knowing the right questions to ask to best guide someone, and figuring out the best tools I can equip them with.

I'm ready to fully be my most creative self - and, after all this time of figuring out how best to help others in life, the answer really is to simply be myself.

Within the year, I'll be offering coaching services to help people who have gone through difficult times to reconnect with their creative soul. I'm not entirely sure yet what that will look like, or what the exact services will be, but they will be there, I promise. Funny how I started Spark before I really even knew the direction I was headed - seriously, I'm still bowled away by that one.

Oh yeah, and I'm looking to leave my day job sooner than later. That may be the best-est part :)

Hello, my lovies! Today I have a treat for you - Allisa Jacobs kindly accepted my invitation to an interview! Allisa is a lovely woman who not only runs a beautiful Etsy shop full of adorable bags and organizers, she also helps other small handmade entrepreneurs build their own creative businesses. Allisa used to be a teacher, and then started making things as a way to bring in some income while she was at home with her first baby. Another child later, she has become a go-to person for creative entrepreneurs everywhere, is a huge force in the handmade and creative community, and still has time to raise her kids and keep her beautiful store stocked. All that, and she's kind, generous, and helps people in any way she can to succeed.

I wanted to ask her a few questions about her business, creativity, and the art of understanding when to say no to something when your heart says yes to something else. Read on to find out why Allisa gave up a huge number of sales to focus on making the things that really made her heart sing.

Check out Allisa's shop and blog where you'll find all sorts of useful creative business information and a lot of colour inspiration!

Thank you, Allisa, we can all learn a lot from you!

First off, thank you Tania for including me in your series! I really appreciate this opportunity to share a bit of my story.

Where does your creativity come from?
I think it's a combination of being born into a family of 'makers,' and the joy of the creative process. I really appreciate my time alone to make, reflect, think, problem solve, and plan.

Have you always expressed yourself creatively? In what ways?
Oh, yes.  Looking back, as a young child I was always up to something creative. Putting things together, building, drawing, cooking, and sewing.  From silly popsicle stick houses and yarn dolls to more serious aspirations of being an architect, creating things was a way for me to forge an identity and deal with difficult situations in my life.

Have there been times when you felt disconnected from your creativity? How did you get past those points?
It's difficult for me to pinpoint specific moments of disconnection, though I know they are there. It's more like passing waves of frustration and disappointment. Sometimes I think that disconnection is born from trying too hard to make something I think people expect, rather than out of my own process. To get past these times I typically do a few things; I talk myself through it, take a bit of time away - maybe just a walk outside or a weekend soaking in life, and sometimes try a new skill.  I almost always feel more in balance, reminded of my aim, and ready to create.

What are your favourite creative moments - where you are creating and find yourself in the zone, in complete happiness?
Without a doubt, my favorite moments creatively and otherwise, are first thing in the morning, right before sunrise. I've always been this way - an early riser. It feels like watching a secret slowly reveal itself. And, I really enjoy the tranquility of most of the world still sleeping.  Because of this, I wake up very early each morning and spend this time before my children wake up, stretching, clearing my mind, preparing for the day, and creating all that I thought of the night before.

I understand there was a point in your business when you were making things you weren't thrilled with even though they were selling well. How did you come to the realization that you no longer wanted to put your energy into making something that didn't feel creatively authentic to you, and then transition into selling items that you are passionate about.
Initially, my handbag business was just a side venture, offering additional income to my meager teaching salary, and then filling the gaps for our household once my first child was born and I stayed home with him.  Because my initial focus was just on 'selling,' I had a completely different mindset. I made things for our home, our son, and our friends - people enjoyed them so I thought, 'why not add these to the shop?'  My sales were great but I lost a bit of the joy in some of these creations. I felt like a mini-factory. I was just making, rather than designing and creating.  I love sketching out designs, trying new techniques, developing my own patterns, and playing with color combinations. I wasn't doing this with all the baby and household items. So I realized that I couldn't keep on without my spark, I'd either have to transform my business, or find another means of income. I decided to relaunch my business and focus solely on handbags and custom wedding bags.  It's the smartest (and happiest!) business decision I've made.

You have over 2400 sales on Etsy - congratulations! - can you talk about how sticking to your core values in your creative process has helped you achieve this?
Thank you! As I mentioned, I didn't necessarily start out with a clear vision, but had more of a trial and error approach to it all. However, I did have a few core values that I focused on during both times of disappointment and success. One thing I really try to appreciate is the celebration of each sale...because it means an opportunity to make (and keep!) a new customer. I really attribute much of my success to a few early customers who purchased items, gave them as gifts, shared my shop with their friends, and returned again and again. This kind of loyalty & support is invaluable.

Additionally, I've also tried really hard to remain true to myself. Though I strayed a few times by doing what I thought I was "supposed to do", I've made it a priority to be authentic in my creative process, marketing, and customer service.

One of your other passions is teaching. Can you tell us about how you are incorporated this love into your creative business?
Teaching truly was my first passion. It was the first avenue that really lit up my life. I'm lucky I discovered it so quickly and enjoyed a rewarding journey in that direction. Because I taught high school students with special needs, often in at-risk situations, I made the decision while pregnant that it was not something I could do both of....at least not well. For me, teaching was a 24 hour commitment and the students I worked with both fulfilled and drained my emotions. I wanted to have more of myself to give my children. But it was a tough thing to let go.

To reconcile this, I found ways to incorporate my teaching skills into business. Some were more intentional than others, like my love for research and planning. I discovered that many of us have talents from our 'other lives' that overlay wonderfully in our creative journey. Finding this connection really bridged a lot of gaps I felt from doubt, confusion, and misgivings over not 'using' my master's degree.  Now, I'm building upon that connection by using more of my teaching skills and applying them to coaching sessions I offer to other creatives looking to make their mark in business.

Pantone tells us the colour trends for Spring 2012 are Tangerine, Solar Power, Bellflower, Sodalite, Cabaret, Margarita, Sweet Lilac, Cockatoo, Driftwood, and Starfish. To you and me, that's orange, yellow, purple, fuschia, dark blue, pink, green, teal, slate, and tan.

So can we bring these colours into our homes? Getting inspiration from Apartment Therapy, we see couches are going brighter. So you want to bring in a pricey splash of colour into your living room, you could go out and buy a new spring couch like one of these:

Or you can take one of those colours and bring into your house more affordably by simply getting some new dishes:

\

Handmade accessories, like storage boxes, in some of the colours of spring are also the perfect way to bring in these colours:

My favourite way to use colour is mixed with naturals - cream paint, natural wood, and a splash of colour are so beautiful and I'm drawn to this combination over and over again. I'm thinking of this kind of thing:

What are your favourite colours for spring this year, and how are you going to bring them into your lovely nest?

How cute are my new wooden Easter eggs? I say very! I was lucky enough to find them through a local wood artist. Juanita, of Element Arts and Crafts, was kind enough to put one of my own shop items in a lovely Etsy treasury. I thought it was great, filled with things on a cottage theme, and all of the items were made by artists local to Ottawa! I went to Juanita's shop and was blown away - she and Kevin made the most beautiful turned wood items - corkscrews, candlesticks, and even makeup brushes! In amongst all the beautiful items were these adorable eggs, and I knew I had to have them. She says she's never turned eggs before, and it was her first project without a pattern. They may not be perfect, but I think that makes them even more beautiful! Isn't that the idea behind wabisabi - that there is beauty in imperfection? And, in addition to the adorable wooden egss, Juanita made the nest HERSELF! Yes, I'm impressed. And it adds to the entire adorableness of it. Anyway, they are now sitting on my dining room table, and each and every time I walk in the area I smile. Can you tell I'm enamoured?

On top of it all, Juanita was kind enough to drop off the eggs to my house for free! She works fairly close by and dropped them off one morning last week. AND, she didn't laugh at me when I answered the door in my housecoat. Seriously, she is a very kind soul, people, go check out her shop now!

Do you love my eggs???

And don't forget to check out your own local artists - you never know what sorts of things you can get that will tickle you pink.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, people. I hope you get to spend time with friends and family, and that you find all your chocolate eggs.