Creative Business: Learn More.

For the last two months or so - every Tuesday on indieBerries, I have started posting a new blog series for the indieBusiness. You know... business and blogging tips and advice for anyone in a creative/indie business. This Tuesday, I wanted to share something slightly more "off-centre" from an actual specific creative-business topic - but something that is perhaps the reason I came to start this blog series in the first place.

I have always LOVED school. Give me a pen, a piece of paper and something to write down and I will be in my element. Granted - it could just be the pen and paper that gives me that feeling - but I have always loved learning. I completed my PGCE in a year, whilst working a full time job in Korea, just because "I felt like studying". I did an online Harvard course on Teaching for Understanding because it just seemed like a good idea. I have done a spinning instructors course and two emergency first response courses not because I necessarily think I'm going to be the next Jane Fonda or subway-emergency-lockdown hero. (oh please don't ever let me get trapped in a subway-emergency-lockdown) I've done these things because I LOVE LEARNING.

DANG guys. I have even been to a balloon-animal-making workshop. And that is NOT a lie. I can balloon-animal-the-shizz-out-of-you - (I will be honest though, my speciality is the snake).

Anywhoo, what I have come to know, is that blogging, social media networking and especially creative business owning requires a LOT of learning. And here is the thing: you will NEVER know enough and you can ALWAYS know more.

On Saturday I attended the most awesome bloggers workshop hosted by Nuffnang UK. There were four bloggers there to share their insights, knowledge and blogging experiences:

Rosalilium || Tigerlilly Quinn || Red Ted Art || Love Chic Living

What I loved about this workshop was I felt it was a really authentic and genuine knowledge sharing afternoon. In fact, even some of the speakers were asking questions to the other speakers - which to me, was completely awesome - because even as "the speakers" or the ones "in the authority" they have positioned themselves as still wanting, able and needing to learn more from the experiences, successes and stories of their peers and others. I believe that from anyone who is to be successful in a small creative business, there should always be a strong desire to DO MORE, LEARN MORE, KNOW MORE, GROW MORE.

So anyway, that's a long winded way of saying - That is why I started this blog series: to share my experiences along the journey of my own creative business start up in the hopes that it will inspire or encourage you to learn more. There is still so much to learn and still so much more knowledge that we can use to help us in our creative businesses and blogging. Here is a little list of potentially useful links from other bloggers/websites around the web - delve in!

A LIST OF LEARNING-USEFUL LINKS FOR THE CREATIVE BUSINESS OWNER/BLOGGER:

• If you are starting an Etsy store check out their blog, and participate in their community forums.
• Lynda is an amazing website that you can literally learn just about anything from!
• Pugly Pixel has an awesome selection of CSS and HTML tutorials as well as a cool photoshop e-course
• For more "inspired-type" things check out The Creative Boom - also really handy tips!
• Nicole's classes offer a bunch of free tutorials that are photoshop, light room and illustrator based.
• Nadia van der Mescht runs creative business workshops in South Africa.
• Fanchimp is a cool blog aimed at Etsy Sellers.
• Elizabeth is launching the Big Blogging Bootcamp early next year.
• There was a recent collaboration with a bunch of South African bloggers - you can see the series wrap up on CityGirl searching.
• Red Lemon Club is awesome for creative entrepreneurs. Really.
• Kat's Green room shares great blogging tips
• The blog shop offers photoshop classes.
• Pikaland has a stock of really useful posts from creative business owners and illustrators
• I also post useful articles and blogposts to my Creative Business Pinterest Board.

Ok, I think that's enough information for now - to blow your brains out! Check back next Tuesday for some more business-creative links and things! Happy Learning y'all!


PS. These pictures in this post, have really nothing to do with anything - but I took them when I was still living in South Korea - they have been hanging out on my computer and I liked them so thought I would whack them up!

Above: This is probably something wildly inappropriate.... whatevs.

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PPS - We are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel with regards to the new indieBerries.com site build! eeek! In the mean time, I have slowly started re-stocking my Etsy Store - go check it out! :)