DeNaye Dotson is a visual artist who paints glassware, vases, jars and wall art, infusing them with vibrant colors and personality. In her interview, the artist reveals what inspired her to start a creative business and offers advice for taking the first steps to selling your art. How did you
Paige St-Pierre is a fiber artist and teacher who creates visual and wearable pieces from earth pigments and reclaimed textiles. In our interview, the artist shares how she turned her craft into a business and her passion for sustainable fashion, including natural dyes and upcycling. Keep reading to learn more
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Alexis Avery creates original paintings that empower, uplift and inspire with oils and acrylics. Additionally, she loves to explore different mediums and dabbles in mixed media art, candle making and designing jewelry. Read our interview with Alexis, and you’ll find amazing tips for your own journey as a creative
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A Conversation with Kent Stetson This year, Kent Stetson, an artisan handbag designer, is celebrating two decades of creative entrepreneurship. His niche is handcrafted handbags that double as art. Initially, the artist explored selling his paintings, but the endeavor wasn’t for him. Here, Kent shares why he cut up
creative business
Rachel Frank and Lori Berlinghof launched their handmade luxury jewelry brand, Elements Studio NYC, in 2015. With designs influenced by the earth’s elements, it’s no surprise that Rachel and Lori cast their pieces in recycled gold and only use ethically sourced stones. The design duo’s Bowie Collection
creative business owner
We chatted with Chau Sáenz, a skilled leather artisan who designs and creates luxury handbags and accessories. The designer’s love for bags and purses inspired her to enroll in a leatherworks school in San Francisco, where she trained under a Hermès leather artisan. The designer’s passion for her
Running a Creative Business
Marketing can be challenging for artists. A reader asked us to present creative ways to promote artwork. While galleries have been the traditional route, artists reach potential buyers in many other ways. So we asked artists and experts in the industry to share their best advice for promoting artwork. Read
Running a Creative Business
Business advice for artists, artisans, designers and makers By Hilary Young The concept of branding has officially made it into the mainstream. Branding is everywhere and, quite frankly, hard to avoid. It’s not even relegated to the business world anymore, given that I’ve witnessed many friends describe the
artist
As teens twins Eva and Yvette Estime loved watching anime and flipping through Japanese street fashion magazines—interests that would influence their future careers. Fast-forward to 2020, when the sisters founded Dirty Celebrity, an indie fashion brand. “Our accessories line takes inspiration from Japanese streetwear, American punk and pop culture—
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After Natalie and Julian Dion bought their first home, they needed to furnish it—but the couple spent all their savings on a down payment. So what would they do in a few weeks when they were hosting family for Christmas? Julian was a carpenter and designer. Natalie had a
Creative Business Tips
Imagine this. You just got into a juried show, a store just picked up your line or a company offers you a contract to license your work. You should be really pumped, right? You’ve worked so hard for this. But instead of being excited, you have thoughts like, “I’
artisanal food
Carol Gancia is the founder of Kokak Chocolates, an artisanal chocolate company in San Francisco. The creative entrepreneur has an incredible story—Carol, an Irish-Filipino immigrant and LGBTQ member, moved to the United States from Manila, Philippines in 2004. In the same year, she founded Ripplemakers, Inc., a video production