Creative Business Spark

Show Notes

In this practical episode, I share my own struggles with creative confidence, including my confession about collecting beautiful sketchbooks I'm afraid to use. I explore why real creative confidence isn't the absence of doubt but the willingness to create despite it, especially as we move into the introspective months of late fall and early winter. Through vulnerable storytelling and actionable strategies, I reveal how to move past the inner critic's commentary and trust your artistic voice enough to begin creating meaningful work, whether for personal expression or holiday gifts.

What You'll Learn

Show Notes

In this inspiring episode, Anne shares the remarkable transformation story of Maria Ahl-Zanier, a Swedish watercolor artist who built a thriving multi-stream business from her grandparents converted general store. Through Maria's journey from struggling artist to successful entrepreneur running MAZart, Anne demystifies the concept of masterminds and reveals how strategic education and community can transform any creative business. Whether you're just starting out or ready to scale beyond trading time for money, this episode provides a clear roadmap for building sustainable, profitable creative enterprises through the power of mastermind collaboration.

What You'll Learn

Show Notes

In this inspiring episode, we celebrate the graduation of Pattern Design Academy students who transformed from complete beginners into confident pattern designers in just nine weeks. Listen to powerful insights about the mindset shifts that separate struggling creatives from thriving ones. And what comes next for creatives ready to turn their passion into profit. Whether you're just starting your creative journey or looking to scale your existing business, this episode offers valuable lessons about courage, growth, and the power of taking one step at a time.

What You'll Learn

Show Notes:

Ready to turn your creativity into revenue this holiday season? In this episode, I walk you through a simple checklist to prepare your creative business for Black Friday—without overwhelm. From picking the right promo to prepping your products, you’ll walk away with clarity, inspiration, and a plan you can start today.

What You’ll Learn:

Show Notes:

Craft fairs can be a fantastic way to get your art out into the world—especially during the busy holiday season. In this episode, I share the story of my first craft fair (spoiler alert: it was a big success!) and walk through some key things to keep in mind as you prepare for your own. From product planning to pricing to collecting emails, this is your roadmap to making craft fairs work for you.

What You’ll Learn:

Why craft fairs are ideal for the holiday season

What produ...

Show Notes:
Have you ever lost track of your surface pattern designs or spent way too much time searching for that one Illustrator file? I’ve been there. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the exact 5-part system I use to organize my design files so everything stays clear, consistent, and easy to find. Whether you’re just starting out or feeling buried in a sea of files, this episode will help you bring order to the chaos.

What You’ll Learn:

Show Notes:
In this episode, I share why your old sketchbooks might be the best source of new inspiration. And how revisiting them helped shape the branding for Anne’s Atelier. Learn how to rediscover your early ideas, bring them to life with fresh eyes, and save time in your creative process.

What You’ll Learn:

Show Notes:

In this episode, I’m walking you through how to get your artwork licensing-ready this fall. And why the timing matters more than you think. We’ll talk about how the art licensing timeline works, what to include in your portfolio, and five steps you can take this week to start pitching your work with confidence.

You’ll learn:

Show Notes:

This episode shines a light on something truly special: the SAGE Designers—a collective of women from my advanced programs who’ve come together to support each other, create themed collections, and grow their surface design businesses. We’ll explore how they work, the power of collaboration, and why this model might just inspire your next creative leap.

What You’ll Learn:

Show Notes:

In this episode, I’m sharing the top 3 business tools I rely on every week. These platforms keep my business running smoothly behind the scenes. And help me balance my time between running the business and creating new designs.

Whether you're just starting or scaling your creative business, these tools can make your life easier and less stressful. 

Here’s what we cover:

Show Notes:
After a slower summer, it’s completely normal to feel a little out of sync with your creative goals. But here’s the good news: fall is one of the best times to reset and reignite your momentum. In this episode, I’ll walk you through why now is such a powerful window for creatives, and how you can get back into the flow without the overwhelm.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Show Notes:
Starting something new can be scary—especially when you’ve been thinking about it for years. In this episode, I’m sharing what finally nudged me to launch The Creative Business Spark, how I used my existing tools to keep things simple, and why short-form episodes have been a surprising hit.

I also talk about the power of repurposing content and why “just starting” is often the hardest (and most important!) part. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to take action on a big idea, I hope this encourages you to move forward...

✨ Show Notes:

In this episode, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at The Creative Business Blueprint LIVE, my recent 3-day virtual event designed for creative women ready to build a business, even if they are starting from scratch. 

You’ll hear what worked, what I'll do differently next time, and practical lessons you can apply to your own business journey.

We’ll cover:
✅ The small details that made attendees feel seen and supported 
✅ How flexibility kept the event engaging
✅ The key tools, like my Playbook and math spreadsheet, that helped attendees g...

✨ Show Notes:

In this episode, I’m sharing a framework I love. One that helps me, and I think will  help you, show up fully for both our art and our business.

It’s inspired by Brendon Burchard’s research on high performance, but I’m putting a creative spin on it to help you apply it directly to your journey as a maker, artist, or creative business owner.

We’ll explore:
✅ The 5 drivers that help you stay focused, confident, and on track
✅ Why mindset matters most (and my personal story of rebuilding aft...

💡 Show Notes

In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest challenges creative entrepreneurs face: how to balance your own creative practice with the demands of running a business. If you’ve ever felt like your art is getting crowded out by admin tasks, launches, or endless to-dos, this conversation is for you. I share my personal journey, the lessons I’ve learned (and am still learning!), and four practical strategies that help me nurture both sides of my creative business.

📝 In This Episode You’ll Learn

Why balancing creativity and business feels hard (a...

💡 Show Notes

In this episode, I invite you to pause, reflect, and reimagine what’s possible for the rest of 2025. If you’ve been feeling behind or discouraged about your progress so far this year, this is your chance to reset. I’ll share practical strategies to help you refocus, set meaningful goals, and create a plan that supports your creative business journey for the next six months.

📝 In This Episode You’ll Learn

Why July is the perfect time to refresh your goals

How to reflect on the first half of the year wit...

Show Notes:

In this special Independence Day-inspired episode, I explore what creative freedom really means, and how you can claim more of it in your business and life. Whether you’re building a full-time business, a side hustle, or simply nurturing your creative practice, this conversation will help you reflect on how you’re using your time, energy, and focus to build the life you want.

📝 In This Episode You’ll Learn

What creative freedom looks like in practice, not just in theory

Why freedom is built through intentional choices, not by accide...

Show Notes:
Growth as a creative entrepreneur doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from doing things differently. In today’s episode, I’m talking about the messy, in-between space that so many of us find ourselves in as we evolve. You're not a beginner anymore, but you're also not quite where you want to be—and that can be frustrating.

I’ll share what real evolution looks like in your creative business, why going it alone often leads to staying stuck and self-doubt, and how the right kind of mastermind support can help you step fully in...

Show Notes:

What Is a Mastermind—And Why It Might Be the Support You’ve Been Missing

If you’ve been building your creative business on your own—juggling all the roles and second-guessing every decision—this episode is for you.

I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful support systems I’ve ever experienced: the mastermind.

We’ll talk about:

Show Notes:

In this episode, I’m walking you through 10 powerful ways to set yourself up for success at a live virtual event—specifically, The Creative Business Blueprint LIVE, coming up June 24–26.

This isn’t your average Zoom call. It’s an interactive, high-energy, implementation-focused workshop designed to help you go from confusion to clarity about your creative business.

Whether you’ve already grabbed your ticket (yay!) or you’re still deciding, this episode will help you prepare for the kind of transformation that only happens when you show up with intention.

📝 What You’...

Show Notes:

Inside a 3-Day Virtual Event (and Why It Might Change Everything)

Have you ever wondered what actually happens at a 3-day live virtual event—and if it’s really worth your time?

In this episode of The Creative Business Spark, I’m pulling back the curtain on The Creative Business Blueprint LIVE, my upcoming 3-day immersive event designed to help you build or grow your creative business with clarity, confidence, and momentum.

You’ll learn what to expect each day, why there are no replays, and how this event is diffe...

Show Notes

🎧 You’re Invited: Join Me Live This June!

I'm thrilled to officially invite you to The Creative Business Blueprint LIVE, a 3-day virtual experience designed to help you finally start—or scale—the creative business you’ve been dreaming about.

If you're craving clarity, momentum, and a proven roadmap to follow, this event is for you. And it’s happening soon: June 24–26 on Zoom.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through exactly what to expect from this hands-on, interactive event, and why I believe it’s one of the most powerful e...

Show Notes.

🎧 What Freedom Looks Like For Me...

When you see someone who’s built a thriving creative business, it’s easy to assume the path was smooth. But behind every success story is a chapter of uncertainty, reinvention—and a whole lot of courage.

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my own journey, from being laid off in my late 50s to building a business that gives me time, money, and location freedom. You’ll hear what I didn’t have (a list, a strategy, any tech skills!)—and th...

Show Notes:

🎧 The 3 Tools I Use to Run My Creative Business (Without the Overwhelm)

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not techie enough to do this,” you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not wrong to feel overwhelmed. In this episode, I’m answering one of the questions I get all the time:

 “Anne, what tech do you actually use to run your business?”

You’ll hear how I went from duct-taping tools together (and feeling totally over it) to simplifying everything with a setup that’s seamless and saves me hours each week.

Show Notes:
You’ve heard all six steps of my framework—but now it’s time to put it into action. In this special bonus episode, I’m inviting you to join me for my signature 3-day live virtual event The Creative Business Blueprint LIVE!

This is your chance to dive deeper into the exact framework I’ve been teaching on the podcast—and experience it LIVE with me and a powerful group of creative women just like you. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to scale, this immersive event will help you finally turn your creat...

Show Notes:

You’ve built the offer. You’ve launched it. But now comes the part that truly sets your business apart—how you deliver it. In this final episode of my six-part framework for building a creative business, we’re talking about product and service delivery techniques—and why this stage matters more than you might think.

Creating a thoughtful, memorable experience for your audience doesn’t just build loyalty—it turns first-time buyers into raving fans. I’m sharing stories from my very first membership launch, how I made each member feel personally welcomed, and th...

Show Notes:
You’ve built your offer—now what? It’s time to release it into the world! In this fifth episode of my six-part framework for building a creative business, we’re diving into the art and strategy of launching.

Whether you're releasing your first product, course, or membership, launching is more than just hitting “publish.” It’s about creating momentum, building anticipation, and turning your offer into an exciting event your audience can’t wait to be part of. I’ll share how I learned to launch by investing in two game-changing programs—and how those early less...

Show Notes:
In part four of my six-part framework for building a creative business, we’re tackling something exciting and essential: how to create compelling offers.

Whether you’re selling physical products, digital courses, memberships, or services, your offer needs to be more than just “nice”—it needs to be clear, irresistible, and aligned with your customer’s needs. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the mindset and strategy behind crafting offers that feel like they were made just for your audience—plus I’ll share how I started with just a few handmade products at craft...

Show Notes:
Welcome to part three of my six-part framework for building a successful creative business! In this episode, we're talking about something absolutely essential—building your audience.

It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how beautiful your work is—if no one knows about it, it can’t grow into a business. But here’s the good news: you don’t need a fancy website or big marketing budget to start attracting the right people. I’m sharing how I began with a simple one-page PDF, why your email list is your most valuable asset...

Show Notes:
In this episode, we’re diving into the second part of my six-part framework for building a thriving creative business: understanding exactly who you’re trying to reach. If you’ve ever felt unsure about who your product or service is really for, this conversation is for you.

I’ll walk you through the process of identifying your ideal customer—not just by age or income, but by digging into their dreams, struggles, and values. You’ll hear how I defined my own ideal customer when I was starting out, and how that clarity helped me cr...

Show Notes:

Have you ever felt like you're doing all the things—but your creative business just isn’t growing? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the biggest reasons creatives feel stuck: they’re building without a strategy. I share how losing my corporate job at 58 led me to start from scratch, build a business I love, and why getting crystal clear on strategy changed everything.

Whether you're just starting or pivoting your business, this episode will help you lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth—without the overwhelm.

Wha...

Show Notes:

Are you ready to turn your creativity into a thriving business—but unsure where to start?

I’ve created a special 6-part podcast series just for you, breaking down the exact framework I used to build a successful creative business from scratch in my 50s (after getting laid off!). Whether you're dreaming about your first offer or ready to launch something new, this series will give you the clarity, confidence, and strategy to move forward.

Each episode walks you through one step in my proven process—with practical tips, personal stories, and a...