Class Is In Session! // 3 Warm-Weather Workshops

Get your pencils and your books! A bunch of our friends are hosting some fun classes for the spring and summer that will help you get up the courage to focus on what you really want out of your career and life. We are even participating in a few of them.

First up, some self promotion--there's only a few more days to sign up for my From Scratch to Success: Starting Your Own Creative Small Business class, which starts next Monday, the 6th. Work at your own pace, plus one student will win a $500 grant from Go Mighty + a free business consultation from me. **Use the code "MIGHTY" to get 20% off of the regular $20 price.


Also, starting on May 6th, be sure to check out our good friend Melanie's brand new online workshop: Start Your Spark//Creative Writing! This one is $75 for a six week program, and looks like a great way to initiate your writing brain power to wake up and get that pen moving!


And for all you bloggers out there, don't miss the School House Craft's Summer Blogging Camp! On June 14th, we'll be speaking on a panel with other bloggers like Megan Reardon of Not Martha, Blair Stocker of Wisecraft, and Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia. For $45, the camp includes two panels with Q&A roundtables, plus a healthy lunch buffet that will include vegan, omni, and gluten-free options. Yipee!!


See you at school, kids!

Take Notes: "Blog with Purpose" by Melanie Biehle

A quick note about an awesome lady, that you met back in November of 2012. Melanie Biehle of Inward Facing Girl and Genuine Mix is definitely a favorite friend, and recently, she published her first ebook, entitled Blog with Purpose: It Takes More Than Top Knots. The title just cracks me up, it has "Those Girls" written all over it.

I still manage to learn something new every time I see Melanie, and her e-book is full of valuable information for anyone who is a blogger, wants to be a blogger, knows a blogger, or really has ever read a blog. I would absolutely pick up a copy, I mean, hey--it costs less than two lattes and a donut (can you tell I'm in the mood for coffees and donuts?) Not quite so much about the mechanics of setting up a website or designing the perfect logo, this e-book focuses more on creating unique and valuable content that relates directly to your own readers, plus it has worksheets! Who doesn't love a worksheet?? Well done, Melanie!


Book cover image via Genuine Mix

Special Guest Post: What I Learned at Alt Summit by Brianne of The Ravenna Girls

We are very excited to have Brianne of the Ravenna Girls here to do a special guest blog post about Alt Summit. We were so sad that we couldn't make it this year, but definitely next, and Brianne's wrap-up is as good as a seat in the front row. Enjoy, and thanks Brianne!

[photo via Alt Summit Flickr. Text added by the ravenna girls]

Hey Assemble blog readers! My name is Brianne, one of the co-editors of a local Seattle design blog The Ravenna Girls. Andie and Emily invited me over today to share my experience attending Altitude Design Summit (Alt for short) in Salt Lake City last week.

This was my second year at Alt and the experience felt totally different from the first. You can read my 2012 recaps here to get an idea of what the true newbie experience was like. This year was less about learning blogging knowledge and much more about making real connections and doing some deep thinking about creativity and our brand. So without further ado, here were my most important takeaways from the conference:

[Photo by the ravenna girls. amazing gold fascinator on Kelly of Studio DIY]

At Alt summit, everything is over the top. Fashion (polka dots everywhere!), makeup (Rockin the red lips), and business cards are all bright bold and beautiful. But the thing is, you don't have to look bold to be bold. This year I actually spent very little time planning outfits and accessories, and chose to be bold in the confidence of knowing that in this big sea of talent, each fish has their own important niche. As long as you find the confidence that you belong and that you do fit in, your own individual boldness will shine through in all that you do.

[Photo by the ravenna girls]

One of the most inspirational and helpful sessions I attended during the week was called "Finding your Voice" by Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks. She spoke fiercely about fine tuning what your "brand" represents by finding your true personality and point of view. I feel like the word BRAND gets thrown around with reckless abandon lately but as bloggers we need to remember that even if you don't feel like you have a brand in the traditional marketing sense, you do have a unique voice that is responsible for creating your community. For Danielle and I at the Ravenna Girls, establishing a community is the most important part of blogging for us, so I loved hearing Karen talk about turning occasional readers into FIERCE SUPPORTERS by creating a unique and safe environment for people to open a dialogue about life and design.

[photo via Alt Summit Flickr. Text added by the ravenna girls]

On Friday morning of the conference, you have the choice to attend small round tables instead of large learning sessions. This year there were several amazing roundtables, including those led by friends of Assemble, Melanie and Sandra. Going into Alt, I had been having a couple month struggle with motiviation and the end result of blogging, so once I spotted that Tiffany's roundtable was called "Growing and Maintaining a Small Blog with Pride", I knew that conversation was timed perfectly for me. There were about 12 women at the table, and we had a really lovely conversation about taking a long hard look at the realities of each individual blog, establishing what would make you happy, and working toward that place in a really authentic fashion. The realities of blogging these days are that not everyone is going to have an uber-blog. And actually, thats great. For Danielle and I, we have passion in our careers (that are not blogging), and we don't have the desire to give those up. The goal is not to grow to a place where our blog is going to be full time. This roundtable gave me the opportunity to talk through some of my ideas of where we actually feel comfortable being, and then finding pride in the creative project we're a part of, no matter how big or small. This year, this round table on the pride of your own creation was really the transformational moment for me. Gave me a chance to look beyond traditional blog growth strategies and focus more on creating an authentic solid content.

[Photo by the ravenna girls]

Last fall our etsy shop was connected with the lovely folks at Bing for a small blogger partnership at an event here in Seattle. A couple weeks before the conference, they contacted us again about providing a large batch of our colorful woven bracelets to be a part of gifts that were given out at one of the keynotes during Alt. This was by far the largest order ever for our humble little shop, and it was so moving to see people appreciate our products on such a large scale. This opened my eyes to the importance of nurturing successful connections. I think it is in all our natures to always look for the new and exciting connections, but for me Alt this year was about seeking out a lot of friends I made in 2012 and really spending quality time with those people. Strengthening those existing connections into truly meaningful relationships was really the keystone of Alt 2013, and I think this is a reflection of where the larger blog community is heading.

[Photo by the ravenna girls]

Authenticity was a theme that kept coming up over and over through the conference. Establishing trust with your blog readers, and being true to your own design were hit home by almost every speaker. Stefan Sagmeister talked about going with your gut, Karen talked about what you like and WHY you do it, and Katie showed us all how her brand of happy has helped her be successful. Not everyone is going to love what makes you real, but you'll find true creative power in staying true to what makes you YOU.

[Photo by the ravenna girls. Styling by Nicole Gerulat]

This year, I didn't attend every single informational session. I sat out of several because I was in the midst of a deeper conversation or I had just made a new friend. The one thing I did make sure to get to , though, were the Saturday Design Camps. These are smaller group sessions focused on a new creative skill, and are the most hands-on part of the conference (super important for makers like me). I took a tabletop photography and styling workshop led by Nicole Gerulat of Nicole's classes and I feel like I learned an amazing amount in such a short period of time. It also gave me a chance to play with the new camera lens I got for Christmas, instead of procrastinating any longer. I cannot wait to apply this to our DIYs and to our product photography. I think coming out of Alt with a new tangible skill is a really cool thing since a lot of the other concepts can be pretty high level.

[photo via Alt Summit Flickr. Text added by the ravenna girls. This installation was part of the #bingittolife project
where Bing took blogger projects submitted over last summer/fall and made them a reality.]

The most important thing I learn every year at Alt is that you can't do everything. The days at Alt are long and jam packed full of inspiration, but you really need to set aside time to reflect on what you've learned and how you've grown. If you find yourself worn out from learning and socializing, take advantage of the amazing setting at Grand America by taking a bubble bath, visiting the spa, or squeezing in a workout to get those relaxation juices flowing.

Alt is an amazing experience for those interest in the online design community. I met a ton of interesting folks who aren't bloggers, per se, but have online shops or other creative presence. So, you don't have to feel like you need to be an experienced blogger to attend. Its just a great source of creative inspiration and a chance to push yourself out of your comfort zone in the best possible way!

Be sure to check out our blog this week for more recaps of the week including my favorite business cards, Details on Stefan Sagmeister's speech, and more on my tabletop photography class.

[Also - you can find tons of other blogger's recaps of the conference on the Alt Summit blog]

 

Favorite Friend Friday: Melanie Biehle of Inward Facing Girl & genuineMIX

The perfect Jane-of-all-trades, Melanie Biehle is one of those special people that seems to have about three thousand talents. Aside from being pals, we were lucky enough to be one of her first clients in her brand new business, genuineMIX: a creative consulting, branding and design business. Working with her was excellent and we learned sooo much. Walking away from our meetings made us feel empowered to build Assemble in the direction we want. On top of all of that, her successful blog, Inward Facing Girl, is a delightful read, and completely inspiring. Meet this week's Favorite Friend!


Photo by Sandra Harris
Tell us a little bit about how you came to be a blogger and consultant, and Inward Facing Girl.
I've always written things and kept diaries, ever since I was a little girl. When I was a teenager, that turned into bad poetry. Then when I got older I started exploring short fiction, essays, and screenwriting.

In 2003 I moved to Los Angeles to become a screenwriter. I'd worked in market research in Seattle, so I decided that I'd take a day job in film marketing until I became the next Nora Ephron. My political romantic comedy never made it to the big screen, but I did option my screenplay, which is pretty cool.

Inward Facing Girl
Ultimately, working in the film industry killed my creative mojo. I spent my time working long hours and telling studios how to market and edit their films. After that kind of day, I just didn't have the energy to work on my own stuff. In 2008 I moved back to Seattle, far away from moviemaking, and started Inward Facing Girl to ease myself back into creative writing. I never planned for it to be such a huge part of my career or that creating that blog would provide inspiration to start my own consulting business.

You've just launched your brand new business website, genuineMIX. We were so happy to be one of your first clients! What kinds of services do you offer?
Fun ones! I offer social media and branding consultations, graphic design services, and creative coaching. I'm interested in several different things, like a lot of creatives are, but I've found that these services really complement each other and give me a way to combine my educational and professional background in a unique and authentic way.


genuineMIX
What is it like to work for yourself? What are the downsides and upsides?
It's pretty awesome. I love being in charge of my own day. I can decide how I want to spend my time and if I want to get dressed or not. I love being able to do work that I'm completely passionate about, and that I know there are opportunities out there that I haven't even thought about yet. The downside of being a creative entrepreneur is related to an upside - I love being in charge of my day, but it's all on me. I'm the one who is responsible for bringing in new clients. I'm the one who is responsible for marketing myself and my work. I'm the one who is responsible for my own income. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time!

What would your advice be for anyone who wants to be their own boss, whether in the creative field or not?
Have at least a partial plan. Be open to switching gears if something doesn't work out exactly the way you'd hoped. Organize your time! That's a huge one. Typically when you're starting out all the work falls on you and you have to make room for the day-to-day and the big picture.

How do you balance being a mom and wife while working at home?
It's interesting. My husband works from home too. Until recently we both worked side by side in the same room, then one morning I asked him to help me move my desk into our bedroom. I'm probably more productive now. :) I have a two-year-old son who is in day care 5 days a week, so when he is gone I am in full-time work mode. I try not to do too much work on the weekends, but it's not always realistic when you start a new business. If I have to work on weekends, I try to do everything really early in the morning while my husband and son are still sleeping or during my son's nap time. Balance is something I'm constantly adjusting.

Do you have any new projects you are excited about?
I'm excited about getting new projects! I finished redesigning my website earlier this month, just met a lot of incredible people when I went to Camp Mighty that I'm hoping to work with, and I'm speaking at Altitude Design Summit in January. I'm excited to see what 2013 will be like, and I'm looking forward to meeting and working with some awesome people.


Smilebooth at Camp Mighty
If you could work with anyone on a collaborative project, who would it be?
Sofia Coppola. I love her.

What do you like to do in your off-time?
LOL! That's a good one. You're hilarious!

Okay, so my husband half-seriously jokes with me that I'm always working. It's kind of true when you have a blog that is largely about your life and the stuff you're interested in and like to do. There are times when I leave the camera at home and focus on experiencing the moment, but it can be really hard to turn it off sometimes. One of my personal goals for 2013 is to be more present when I'm doing one of my absolute favorite things, spending time with my husband and son. I'm not someone who is constantly on my iPhone, but I'm on it more than I'd like to be and my mind wanders too much sometimes.

In my on and off-time I also love visiting contemporary art museums/galleries, taking photographs, hanging out at coffee shops, having real conversations with people (small talk makes me tired), and reading a million blogs.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I'm not a pick one place kind of person. I'd like to have the freedom to move about - not constantly, but I don't see myself as being tied to one place. This is my fourth time to live in Seattle! :) I would love to spend a huge chunk of time in Europe so I could take short trips to places I've already visited and loved and those I have yet to see. I'd probably make Hamburg my home base because one of my dear friends lives there. I could see myself living in Portland or San Francisco for a while. I'd like to spend a few weeks a year in NYC. I'm a nomad. :)

If you could eat at only one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I hate you. (editor's note: we made an exception--three restaurants!)
Breakfast - Wild Mountain Cafe
Lunch - Uneeda Burger
Dinner - Serious Pie

What's your dream job, besides what you are doing now?
Novel writer

You get to organize a dinner party, who is there?
Sofia Coppola, Andy Warhol, Judy Blume, Wonder Woman, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Loralei Gilmore

Thanks, Melanie! Happy Friday, everyone!