Avoiding the Comparison Trap: AME 044
Have you ever felt defeated when teachers receive more recognition than you? Do you wonder how others get more followers on social media or why some speaker’s sessions are packed? If you ever felt that awful feeling of comparing yourself to others, this episode is for you. I share my business journey from when I started my blog to how I ended up in a mastermind that launched my full-time business. And believe me, I fell into the comparison trap plenty of times! It’s not always easy to avoid comparing yourself to others, especially in this online world,...
How to Manage Overwhelm: Art Made Easy 031
Are you feeling overwhelmed? I must admit that this year has been an intentionally busy one for me. In order to prevent overwhelm, I fall back on 5 strategies that keep me focused on what is important, what I value and the most important tasks I need to accomplished in a day. This episode will help you identify when you are about to go down that overwhelm hole and how to get yourself back on track. After you listen to the episode, let me know how you handle overwhelm. Share...
Crafting with Red Ted Art: Art Made Easy 030
Do you love creating crafts with your kids? Or creating art based on famous artists? Learn how engineer turned crafter, Maggy Woodley started Red Ted Art, an arts & craft blog for kids. The success of her blog lead to her first book deal, Cute & Easy Crafts for Kids and grew her Facebook page to 1.8 million fans and almost 91K subscribers on You Tube. Amazing, right? Maggy was so much fun to talk to. She shares so many secrets of how she grew her blog following while raising a...
Life After Teaching Part II – Art Made Easy 028
Have you ever wondered whether you could run your own creative business? In this episode, I’ll walk you through what its like owning a business, qualities you need to possess to be an entrepreneur and what to look for when deciding what type of business you would like to run. This episode is perfect for anyone who is looking to supplement a teaching income, explore ways to teach art outside of school and general tips for starting your own creative business. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: What my definition of entrepreneurship...
Life After Teaching – Art Made Easy 027
Are you dreaming of what life will look like after you retire from teaching art? Or perhaps you’ve had enough of teaching and are ready to move on? Today’s episode helps a reader bridge the gap between finding happiness as a K-8 public elementary art teacher and her dreams of opening up a children’s art studio. This is Part I of a two-part series on exploring creative opportunities after teaching. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: What are three main courses of action you can take when you feel like...
How to Host Your Own Art Workshop – Art Made Easy 018
Do peers ever ask you to share your teaching secrets? Do you specialize in an area of art-making? Does generating extra income sound appealing? If there is a yes in there somewhere, this episode is for you. In this episode, I unpack how I developed and executed my successful Art Workshop. I break down the process from the idea to how to book a facility to structuring the projects plus much more. This process may sound scary or unrealistic to some of you. You maybe asking why anyone would attend your workshop, let...
Matisse-Inspired Backdrop
I really don’t know what happened. I was in the middle of writing copy for my newsletter when my eyes settled on a Matisse book. I have a large format one that’s meant for coffee tables so it’s quite a distraction. The next minute I was drawing large organic shapes and cutting them out wondering what I should do with them. And then of course, I was on my hands and knees painting the reverse side of my painted backdrop that I use for some of my videos. Sorry newsletter. You just weren’t intriguing enough....
How to Draw with Kids & Create a Rockin’ YouTube Show – Art Made Easy 015
Drawing with kids is probably the best job in the world which is exactly what Rob Jensen does with his three kids 5 days a week. After starting Art Hub for Kids in 2012, Rob shares his love of art with his kids by committing to a 5-day a week art show in YouTube. His success has been exponential. He shares his YouTube secrets of how to get subscribers, staying engaged with you audience and how to record your own art videos. IN THIS SHOW YOU’LL LEARN: –...
From Blog to Book- Art Made Easy 014
Jeanette Nyberg, author of the popular art blog Craftwhack and former professional artist, traded in her paintbrushes for a keyboard after the birth of her kids. Discovering that her love of kid’s art was just as passionate as her former painting days, Jeanette started a blog that changed, transformed and ultimately lead her to her first book deal. In this episode, Jeanette shares her struggles with blogging and how she reigned in her focus that resulted in the publication of her first art book for kids and adults. ...
My NAEA 2016 Debrief…
Did you miss attending the NAEA Conference this year? I almost did. Just two weeks before the event, I purchased my ticket after realizing that this might be the only chance to meet with my Art Workshop co-teachers, Cassie and Laura, before the summer. Plus I wanted to meet Christa from Faber-Castell who provides art supplies for my summer workshop and who I have worked with this past year creating lessons. I’m so glad I went. This is what I did…. I going to confess up front that I didn’t...
Tips for Running an After-School Art Program – Art Made Easy 010
Kathy Barbro was one of the first art educators to offer online art resources through her site, Art Project for Kids. No doubt you have seen or purchased her wonderful artist-inspired collaborative murals for your students to color. After speaking with Kathy for the first time in January, I realized there was so much more to Kathy than how-to-draw handouts. Kathy is a busy gal. Not only does she teach full-time in Southern California and manages her blog, but she runs a thriving after-school art program. This is where we...
Art Made Easy #009: From Art Educator to Art Entrepreneur
Megan Schiller is the founder of The Art Pantry, a design studio specializing in children’s creative play spaces. She is a former Reggio-inspired preschool teacher and art educator and her mission is to encourage creative independence and learning through inspired spaces. Megan works one-on-one with people in Northern California looking to set up creative play spaces in their homes or schools She has launched a series of DIY guides that are available through her site. In today’s episode, Megan talks about her evolution from a preschool art teacher to offering...
Art Made Easy #008: Secrets of a Teachers Pay Teachers Top Seller
Have your colleagues ever told you how well you explained a lesson? Or how creative you are? Do people always ask you for advice? If any of these questions ring true for you then you need to listen to this episode. Jennifer White shares how she went from teaching during the day and working as a cashier at night to making $14K in her first THREE months of selling her craft products on Teachers Pay Teachers. Crazy, right? I know I sound like an informercial, but I guarantee you that Jennifer is humble yet strategic about...
Books to Understand Your Creative Journey
A few years ago, a good friend was collecting nuggets of advice for her daughter’s 18th birthday. She created an album and inserted notes from friends, relatives and loved ones. I happily agreed to share my advice. When in doubt-read a book-Patty My friend was put out over the brevity of my note. After all, I had known this girl since she was a baby. Didn’t I have more to say? But for me, if everyone who ever had doubts or concerns or was curious or intolerant, all they had to...
Teach Art at Home: Interview with Meri Cherry
Have you ever wondered what goes into running a creative business? This series is all about building and cultivating your own creative business from finding inspiration to e-commerce platforms to the nuts and bolts of operating a website. This month I interviewed Meri Cherry who writes about art, crafts & family on her blog Meri Cherry. Meri began her career as an elementary school teacher but switched to teaching art through private lessons and home-group instruction. She has created an engaging art & craft community for preschoolers and runs a successful art...
The Happy Secret I’ve Been Keeping…
Last November I received an email that would literally change the way I think about Deep Space Sparkle. An agent in New York wrote to me and asked if I would consider writing a book about art. Hmmm. Let me think about that… Sure! I was a little more excited than that. Books are a huge love of mine. I spent ten years writing middle grade stories and as many years attending SCBWI workshops and conferences, meeting in coffee shops for critiques and revising every spare moment I got....
How to Host a Summer Art Camp for Kids-Part 2
Looking for art project ideas that will work perfectly for your summer art camp? This post outlines lesson ideas that will engage, delight and inspire your group of summer artists. The first part of this series detailed the business side of running an art camp. Today we will dive into the fun part: art projects. This 2-part series is designed to help you plan your own art camp for kids. Use the tips to generate ideas to turn your expertise, talents and love of art into a summer art business that you may...
How to Host a Summer Art Camp for Kids
My art room is stripped bare, supplies sorted and cupboards cleaned. The last thing I want to think about is pouring paint and cleaning brushes but summer can be a great time to test out new art lessons and even make a few bucks. Use these tips to generate ideas to turn your expertise, talents and love of art into a summer art business that you may want to do year after year. 1. LOGISTICS The first thing you need to do is to determine what type of space you have, how...
Easy Ways to Create Images for Your Blog Posts
Have you ever wondered what goes into running a creative business? This series is all about building and cultivating your own creative business from finding inspiration to e-commerce platforms to the nuts and bolts of operating a website. In March, a reader wrote to me asking for advice on how to photograph her student’s artwork for her blog. In today’s digital age it’s not just about how to take a picture anymore. It’s all about branding yourself and your blog. And if that’s scares you or sounds like too much work, rest...
How to Use Pinterest to Increase Your Blog Traffic
Have you ever wondered what goes into running a creative business? This series is all about building and cultivating your own creative business from finding inspiration to e-commerce platforms to the nuts and bolts of operating a website. The Business of Creative Blogging: Pinterest Are you looking for ways to increase your blog traffic? Look no further than Pinterest. I love to use Pinterest to source ideas for art techniques. I scroll through my feed or perhaps do a search. I pause on the pins that connect with what I am looking for and if the image...
Survey Says…Reader Survey Results 2015
I must confess that I do not have survey-asking skills. I merely want to know, now that I’m in my seventh year of blogging, what my readers care about and if they had anything to tell me. Basically, I want to know about you. Here’s what I found out…. I love that after SEVEN years of blogging, you still visit me. A few of you mentioned that you had trouble finding me. Well, that’s a simple fix. However, I don’t think that typing Deep Space Sparkle into a browser is what you mean....
The Business Of Creative Blogging
My inbox is full of people asking for business advice. Things like how to set up a home-based art business to making PDF lesson plans to increasing blog traffic and even when to pay taxes. It seems people are looking for creative ways to make a little extra each month and need specific information to get them moving in the right direction. I’m happy to give you any advice I can. Deep Space Sparkle has evolved from sharing pictures of my student’s art to the online art resource it is today. It has grown from 100 readers...
What I learned in 2014
Lessons learned. Always good to reflect back and see what resonated with you most in the past year. Here are my biggies: 1. Despite feeling awkward and just plain silly, nothing makes you feel seven again like wearing a tiara. Thanks Jonna for pulling out the tissue-paper, sequin encrusted birthday crown again this year. 2. Loved attending my first 2014 NAEA conference. Meeting Phyll and Cassie and Rina and Donna and Jessica made me realize that people are always better in person, which is amazing because these women rock the online world....
Favorite Posts of 2014
2014 has been a great year. That’s not to say that everything went swimmingly, but I crossed stuff off my bucket list and ended the year happy. This site has been a catalyst for much of my joy. It’s where I get to exercise creativity, push through comfort zones and dream of doing bigger things. The best part, of course, is connecting with you, sharing ideas, and extending a helping hand. When I receive emails from teachers in Pakistan and China, I’m blown away with how small our world has become. But it’s meeting folks in person that...
Merry Christmas 2014
The most wonderful time of the year…. We can’t wait until the boys come home from college. We plan to do nothing. Not going anywhere. Just cooking (me) eating, drinking wine and waiting to see the The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies and Unbroken, which was one of our favorite reads this year. Doesn’t get any better than that. My next newsletter will be delivered January 1st. I will be posting my best organizational and goal-making tips and making some announcements. May your holiday season be filled with family, friends and good cheer...
Live the Life You Want (this recap is a tad long)
I just spent two days in San Jose at Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend. It was not a fireside chat with Oprah but rather one of ten thousand (mostly women) listening to her amazing stories of inspiration, courage and life lessons. I wanted to get my thoughts from this weekend down on paper but figured Deep Space Sparkle might be a better place. Of course, I realize that many people may not be Oprah fans or that you may prefer that I stick to art lessons, so this post is for all...
Teaching Art and Motherhood
I received this question yesterday and it stuck with me. Some questions I answer back right away especially if it’s an easy answer regarding art supplies or an art lesson, but life questions make me think. SO HERE IS THE QUESTION: …I’m going into my 14th year teaching. Except this year, I have a 6, 4 and 1 year old. Teaching (to my high standard) and parenting (most important job in the world) seems almost impossible. Can I do it? How did you do it? So beautifully, I might add. Any tips...
Art-Inspired Pinterest Boards to Follow
I love taking a few moments here and there to dip into the deep pool of creativity that is available to us on Pinterest. Occasionally, I’ll devote some time to discovering new pinners instead of staying within my feed. It’s so worth the effort! Here are a few pinners and boards that I love to follow: ARTFUL KIDS is an online store in the UK that features artsy-inspired toys and art for kids.This gal has great style and I love her boards that feature what to do with kid’s art like Displaying...
Art Inspiration from Alaska
To celebrate my 50th birthday (I need to start owning this number), Neil and I took the kiddos on a cruise to Alaska. Just saying those words makes me feel more grateful than ever. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Of course with any trip, inspiration is everywhere. We decided to do as much as we could while in Alaska as we all felt that Alaska was unlikely to be in our travel plans any time soon. Once aboard the cruse ship, and after the excitement of being...
Best and Worst Art Projects for 2013-14
Creating art lessons is what I do. Developing cool techniques, inventing simple ways to teach hard art concepts and incorporating unique subjects into art is why I love teaching. It thrills me when a lesson resonates with a child and for one small moment they know they are a great artist. I am fortunate to be able to teach pretty much what I feel is best for my students. I get a feel for each classes strengths, I sit down with kids at lunchtime and listen to what they love (or not!) and go...
