Creative Connections Event 2010 - HUGE SUCCESS!...

Happy Monday all!  I'm back after spending four days in Minneapolis at the Creative Connections Event! I feel so lucky to have been a part of the inaugural event created by the dynamic duo of Nancy Soriano and Jo Packham.  Big, huge thank you to Nancy for inviting me to speak on the How to Launch a Business Panel.  This is event was so impressive, it is hard to know where to start.  The most valuable part of this experience for me was how sincerely everyone wanted to share and nurture business and creativity.  By that I mean not only for their own ventures, but also for everyone else's who was at the event as well.  This event was truly a manifestation of what is happening in the craft/creative/women's arts movement.  Everyone was so kind, and giving with their knowledge and talents.  It was remarkable, motivating, and heart warming.  This few days was far above and beyond a creative meetup.  The Creative Connections Event was, and will continue to be, a place to learn about your craft, your community, you business, and a wonderful safe place to explore the depths of your creative make up.lisa leonard generously donated the lovely necklace in our bags!
So just to get an idea of what the days were like...PACKED with goodies to say the least.  The handmade market was open daily (and open to the public as well).  There were also a wide range of classes throughout the day from painting folk art to jewelry making and everywhere in between.  Lunches and dinners were provided and included a keynote speaker (Amy Butler, Ree Drummond, etc) or a panel on great subjects like the ins and outs of the editorial process (ie getting published, press etc).  The dinners were great because they provided another great time to meet other fabulous creative women (especially if you were traveling alone like me).

Each day included a morning panel and an afternoon panel.  Topics included: How to start a business (that's me with my panel pals!  Amy Barickman, Laurie Lenfestey, and Serena Thompson), Using Social Media as a Marketing Tool, Blogging:  How to Make it Matter More, The Future Face of Retail etc.

one of the dinners included beautiful decorations by Christine Hoffman

on my way! creative connections event 2010

I'm so excited!  I am heading to the first annual Creative Connections event tomorrow!!  Will you be there???  I will be speaking on the how to start a business panel taking place Thursday morning from 8:30-11 on Thursday (9.16)  Three whole days of meeting all kinds of fantastic, exciting creative women.  Including...drumroll please... AMY BUTLER! Yep, I know NOW you are jealous.   Well don't be!  Hop a plane and meet us in Minneapolis why don't you!  Full report to come - promise!  BTW, did you get your free printable yesterday?

new hot spot - the creative connection event!...

This past May at Surtex, I was lucky enough to meet the lovely Nancy Soriano in my booth.  She has quite the accomplished past, which includes reigning over Country Living magazine as editor in chief.  As we were chatting away about what I do etc., she told me about this great event she has created with Jo Packham of Where Women Create.  Yeah, ok, right away I knew this was going to be good!

The Creative Connection Event is going to be three fantastic days full of workshops, panels, innovative ways to learn how to grow your creative business, and even a full on open to the public handmade market! Excited yet?  It gets even better.  Classes range from folk art portrait painting to turning your old books into scrapbooking marvels.  Once you've learned a fun new way to create, you can check out one of the great panels on ways to grow and market your business.  Oh, and did I mention, AMY BUTLER is going to be the keynote speaker!!!

The event is taking place in Minneapolis, MN, September 16th-18th.  Check out all the details on the website.  With a major sponsor like ETSY already signed on, I think this will for sure become the go to annual creativity/handmade/ event!