ENTERPRISE + INITIATIVE Page 22 of 33

Behind the scenes of the making of an e-course (Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers)

Behind the scenes of the making of an e-course (Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers) dwylhq1

This brand new course is particularly exciting for us because we get to work with industry veteran Lilla Rogers, who is sharing what she has learnt over three decades as an illustrator and top agent. Lilla is an incredible woman – so knowledgeable and savvy, yet so philosophical and kind. She cares for her own artists like a mother hen, and I am thrilled that we get to expand her virtual nest through Make Art That Sells!

Behind the scenes with Lilla Rogers

Filming Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers

There are more and more e-courses popping up all over the internet and some are better quality than others but generally I think this democratisation of education is fundamentally a really good thing. Gooodbye restrictions of location, timing, access etc, hello flexibility, anytime/anywhere availability, and international connections. Do What You Love has come a long way since we launched our first e-course two years ago, and we make it a priority to keep learning, researching, trying new things. When you have delivered courses to thousands of people in more than 50 countries, you soon realise that technology can be scary, but it is also fascinating, and is absolutely your friend if you can take the time to understand it, or find someone else who can!

We are often asked for hints and tips on developing e-courses, so I thought I’d share some behind-the-scenes images from the filming of Make Art That Sells with top artist agent Lilla Rogers, which opens for registration next week (we already have a massive waiting list to get on it if you are interested!)

Behind the scenes of the making of an e-course (Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers) IMG 2571

I travelled to Boston last month to film with Lilla and our professional cameraman Kevin Balmer, who joined us from Portland. Prior to the trip we had spent hundreds of hours developing the curriculum, drafting the content, selecting images, building the virtual classroom, planning the production schedule etc all via the miracles of email and Skype. By the time we all got together at Lilla’s studio for four full-on intensive days of taping, we were so excited to get going with the filming piece. Fortunately Lilla is a natural in front of the camera, and was able to share her insights and knowledge eloquently, generously and often humorously on film. Her studio is a colourful, visual feast, full of real products that feature her artists’ licensed work, and we can’t wait to share the videos with participants when the course launches.

Here is a sneak peek of us at work!

Behind the scenes of the making of an e-course (Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers) IMG 2308

Make up (always worth getting a professional on the case when you are filming in HD – thanks Maura) 

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Getting the mic on

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Talking through the talking points!

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Lights, camera, action!

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Me in Producer Mode

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Always time for some art from the illustrator in Lilla!

I hope you enjoyed that little behind-the-scenes tour! If you have ever wanted to learn how to make art that sells, directly from someone who has sold art for products worth over $100 million, then check out Make Art That Sells.

Stellar contributor line up for Make Art That Sells!

Stellar contributor line up for Make Art That Sells! MATS landing page banner new 550

We are so thrilled to announce an incredible line up of top industry talent as contributors to the upcoming new course Make Art That Sells. Not only do you get access to Lilla Rogers, one of the world’s top agents, you will get industry insight and advice from a host of art directors, senior designers and others at the cutting edge. These include:

ANTHROPOLOGIE: Lauren Graham, Producer

CHRONICLE BOOKS: Kate Woodrow, Senior Acquisitions Editor

PAPERCHASE: Gemma Parris, Card Buyer

EK SUCCESS BRANDS: Deb Tagtalianidis, VP – Creative Direction

ROBERT KAUFMAN FABRICS: Evie Ashworth, Design Director, Retail Division

REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE: Alexandra Mooney, Senior Designer

OOPSY DAISY: Carly Gray, Creative Director

… and more to be revealed soon!

We already have a MASSIVE waiting list for this course, so if you want to be among the first to be notified (and bag an exclusive discount) then get on the waiting list now. Registration opens next Tuesday February 26 2013 when all course details, price and date info will be released.

Stellar contributor line up for Make Art That Sells! waiting list button1

I love business trips – wandering Boston

Wandering in Boston

A few days ago I got back from a fantastic trip to the US, where I filmed a series of videos for this exciting new project with Lilla Rogers (more on that in the coming days!). When we had wrapped up filming I had a couple of days to myself in Boston. I love having a bit of down time in a new place after several days of work, to explore it and be inspired whilst gathering my thoughts before plunging back into my life back home.

shop front

Boston is a particularly good city for walking, and for sitting in cafes, and I did much of both those things. I wanted to share a few photos from my wanderings, so here you go… I just love the wreaths hung on so many of the brick buildings and lampposts, even though Christmas is long gone. They are so pretty and welcoming, and bring a warmth to winter.

Boston signs

Boston Art

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Boston street

I stayed at the lovely Encore B&B, a very cool little place inside a beautiful house owned by a former architect and theatre director. It is in the heart of South End, and I loved having the attic room with a balcony looking out over the snowy city.

Encore b&b

The Encore B&B – My home from home for the duration of my stay in Boston

I feel very lucky to have this kind of business trip!

Want to reach way more people and make significant profits? This helped me and it could help you…

Beth working in Japan

Doing my own marketing ‘work’ on my iPad from a cafe in Kyoto [Image: Takeshi Kohari]

A couple of years back I took Marie Forleo’s ‘B-School’ online class, and I can say hand-on-heart it was a major part of helping me move from someone who didn’t know what a blog was, to someone who was a finalist in Digital Entrepreneur of the Year, in under three years.

It is an online marketing programme aimed at women who are doing it for themselves, and it offers detailed strategies and great advice for online marketing whatever your business model. Marketing is a massive part of any business, and has been crucial to allow me to do what I love.

I don’t often single out other people’s courses to share in this blog space, but I truly believe in this one as I have taken it myself and seen the results. If you want to learn more about online marketing, to grow your audience exponentially and boost your profits along the way, B-School is for you! It has launched today – check out this link to find out more!

Featured in Where Women Create!

Where Women Create - cover

I have just got back from Boston (more on that soon!) where I was thrilled to walk into major bookstore Barnes & Noble and find the latest copy of Where Women Create, with a 10-page Do What You Love feature in it! It is always such a special moment when you see your writing and photography in a magazine, and especially when the publication is as beautiful as WWC. I have long loved this magazine, and am truly honoured to be included.

Featured in Where Women Create! WWC DWYL

In this article I shared my experience of spending six months in Japan, where I was surrounded by inspiration, and had luxurious time to think, but was without my studio all that time. I talk about how I came to realise that you can be creative anywhere, and sometimes it is worth leaving behind all the bits and pieces of a full studio to head out into the world and create wherever you are. It was quite an unusual article for a magazine which is filled with stunning photos of women’s physical studios and creative spaces all over the world, so I must send my grateful thanks to Jo Packham for including it, and recognising that a creative space can be different things to different people, and different for each of us at different moments in our lives. When I was in Japan my creative spaces ranged from temple gardens and paper factories to the riverbank and a bamboo forest.

You can download the first two pages of the article below, but I would encourage you to get the whole magazine if you can (from Stampington here), because it is filled with inspiring articles and delicious eye candy.

Download the first two pages here: BethNicholls_WWC0213

PS A four-page sneak peek of my new column (co-authored with Kelly Rae Roberts) from the new publication Where Women Create Business was included in the back of this issue of Where Women Create. What a treat and a lovely surprise!

Thought for the week (5)

Dreams

This is really really true. Are you taking steps to build your own dream or are you spending all your energy building someone else’s? This doesn’t mean you have to be an entrepreneur – it just means you have to know what your OWN dream is, and be sure you are spending your limited resources working towards that!

Pattern course graduate spotlight: Faye Brown

Faye Brown - Tweet

Today I would like to introduce another of the talented graduates of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. Faye Brown is a UK based designer with over 10 years’ experience in the design industry including graphic design, illustration, motion branding and surface pattern design. Faye said, “The course proved an inspiration and relit my passion for bright, beautiful pattern design.’ Faye also has a keen interest in photography and travel. You can see some of her photography here.

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Last chance to ‘Monetise your designs’ with The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design

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Cute patterned motifs in ‘Frutti Collection’ by talented course graduate Wendy Kendall

Are you a designer who is struggling to sell your work? Do you wish you had access to industry insight on freelancing, licensing, selling outright and manufacturing? Are you ready to make it as a surface pattern designer? If the answer is ‘yes’ then ‘Monetising your designs’ (Module 3 of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design) is for you.

Don’t miss it – this is your last chance to join Module 3 before class begins online TOMORROW (Monday 14 January). (This course will not run again until April!) Find out more and register here.

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Pattern course graduate spotlight: Jennie Whitham

Jennie Whitham - Rain

We are always super proud when we get feature one of our successful graduates of ‘The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design‘. Today we are showcasing the  work of Jennie Whitham, the name behind JensLittleT

Jennie graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2012 with a degree in Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design. She recently joined us on the e-course which ‘allowed her to expand her portfolio as well as push the boundaries of Surface Pattern’. Jennie’s love of florals and geometric pattern lead her to combine the two to create designs that are ‘bright and inviting’.

Jennie’s work has been selected for ‘PatternBase’, a new pattern source book due for publishing early 2013. 

Jennie is currently looking for Freelance and Licensing opportunities to work around her family lifestyle.
You can keep up with Jennie on her website or shop her designs on Etsy. You can also connect on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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Where Women Create Business

Where Women Create Business - cover

Don’t you just wish there was a magazine which shared business insights from creative women, along with practical advice, real stories and inspiration… as well as being beautiful? Well now there is!

Where Women Create Editor-in-Chief Jo Packham and Stampington have just launched Where Women Create Business.  I am thrilled to have been invited to co-author a column with Kelly Rae Roberts (featuring gorgeous photos from Tracey Clark). The first issue is out now, and our first column is in it!

You can download the first two pages of our six-page article for free here: hellosoul_WWB0113

Where Women Create Business pg1 2

In this first of our four-part series we talk about the importance of understanding WHY you are doing what you do. As it says in the opening paragraph:

“Just as our individual lives become soulful when filled with purpose and passion, we believe businesses are also living, breathing things that thrive when infused with these powerful elements. We believe in abundance — that you can achieve your dream, and when you do you’ll inspire every inch of your life and all those touched by it. Nurturing a successful, soulful business — however large or small — can transform you into an influential leader and make you a force for positive change in the world. It can be one of the most exciting and rewarding things you will ever do; however, it can also be one of the toughest. It can be stressful, complicated, frustrating, and risky, especially if you take a traditional approach. We are proposing a whole new way of building a smart, soul-based business, which is the opposite of how most businesses are shaped.”

The magazine is available from Barnes & Noble, Costco and other major magazine sellers across the US, or via international subscription direct from Stampington. This first issue features all sorts of fascinating articles, insight and entrepreneurial inspiration – from Amy Butler talking about working with your husband, to Nancy Soriano guiding you through the book publishing maze. I think you are going to love it!