Skip to content
Camera Pinterest Phone-alt Envelope
Search
  • HOME
  • ABOUT NICOLE
  • CLUB
  • CAMP
  • EVENTS
  • PODCAST
  • BLOG
  • HOME
  • ABOUT NICOLE
  • CLUB
  • CAMP
  • EVENTS
  • PODCAST
  • BLOG
7 Ways To Jumpstart Your Creative Business With Social Media
Business Tips

7 Ways To Jumpstart Your Creative Business With Social Media

ByCaitlin Bacher August 21, 2015September 3, 2015

If you have been running your creative business for more than a year, then you already know that there is an ebb and flow to sales. Summer in particular is a natural time for many creative biz owners to see…

Read More 7 Ways To Jumpstart Your Creative Business With Social MediaContinue

How to handle social media copycats
Business Tips

How to handle social media copycats

ByCaitlin Bacher May 22, 2015August 1, 2015

We have all been there before. You may be scrolling through your Instagram feed and suddenly notice that your photo has been used without your permission. Or maybe you notice that one of your followers is now advertising a product…

Read More How to handle social media copycatsContinue

The five things I wish I knew when I started my creative business
Business Tips

The five things I wish I knew when I started my creative business

ByCaitlin Bacher April 16, 2015August 1, 2015

This year at Craftcation one of the most talked about panels was Confessions Of An Entrepreneur, moderated by Tiffany Han. Unfortunately, I was taking a nap in my hotel room and missed the whole thing. Boo. Luckily, one of the…

Read More The five things I wish I knew when I started my creative businessContinue

How to Stop Comparing Yourself To Others On Social Media
Business Tips

How to Stop Comparing Yourself To Others On Social Media

ByCaitlin Bacher March 19, 2015March 13, 2015

Let’s have some real talk about social media. If you aren’t careful, you could spend all your time staring at other people’s accounts and feeling like crap about yourself. This is no good for you or your business. As a social media…

Read More How to Stop Comparing Yourself To Others On Social MediaContinue

Networking for Introverts: 6 Ways To Work A Room
Business Tips

Networking for Introverts: 6 Ways To Work A Room

ByCaitlin Bacher February 19, 2015February 26, 2015

Editor’s Note: Remember Caitlin’s awesome series on How to grow your business with Instagram? We loved it as much as you did which is why we invited her to be a regular contributor on the Dear Handmade Life blog! Look…

Read More Networking for Introverts: 6 Ways To Work A RoomContinue

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part Three
Business Tips

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part Three

ByCaitlin Bacher January 22, 2015January 23, 2015

Editor’s Note: We’re super happy to welcome Caitlin Bacher of Little Farm Media to Dear Handmade Life for her three-part series on how creative entrepreneurs can use Instagram to grow their businesses. Caitlin is breaking it down into three categories:…

Read More Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part ThreeContinue

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part Two
Business Tips

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part Two

ByCaitlin Bacher January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

Editor’s Note: We’re super happy to welcome Caitlin Bacher of Little Farm Media to Dear Handmade Life for her three part series on how creative entrepreneurs can use Instagram to grow their businesses. Caitlin is breaking it down into three…

Read More Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part TwoContinue

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part One
Business Tips

Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part One

ByCaitlin Bacher January 9, 2015January 4, 2015

Editor’s Note: We’re super happy to welcome Caitlin Bacher of Little Farm Media to Dear Handmade Life for her three part series on how creative entrepreneurs can use Instagram to grow their businesses. Caitlin is breaking it down into three…

Read More Instagram Tips for Creative Businesses: Part OneContinue

Camera Pinterest Phone-alt Envelope

get started

  • MEET NICOLE
  • Podcast
  • MEDIA
  • CAMP
  • CLUB
  • IN-PERSON EVENTS
  • BLOG

instagram

You ever feel like if people knew the whole you, t You ever feel like if people knew the whole you, they might think less of you?
Yeah. Me too.

But here’s the thing—I’m sharing anyway. Because my discomfort isn’t as important as the possibility that you’ll read this and feel a little less alone.

👉 I was so afraid of flying that I said no to a free trip to Hawaii. The fear didn’t magically disappear—but I stopped letting it make my decisions for me.

👉 I avoided OCD meds for years, thinking I should just “tough it out.” When I finally started them, it didn’t make me weak—it gave me the space to live fully again.

👉 I’ve cried in my car after a craft show where I sold literally nothing. I kept going. Some shows were still a bust, but others were my best ever.

👉 I weigh more than I ever have, even when I was pregnant. My worth is not my weight—but I still have to remind myself of that.

👉 I’ve been untrue to myself just so people would like me. I’m getting better at catching it and choosing what’s right for me, even if it means disappointing someone else.

👉 I love to sing, but I suck at it. And I still sing anyway—because the joy of making art, even if it’s an out-of-tune song, is in the process, not the product.

Here’s the truth: Being a creative isn’t all wins, inspiration, and perfect Instagram squares. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and full of lessons you only learn the hard way.

If you’re a creative who’s tired of feeling like you have to do it all perfectly—or alone—Craftcation is your place.

#craftersofinstagram #smallbusinessowner #craftcation #makersgonnamake #smallbusiness #creative #creativeentrepreneur
I’ve started making the rounds to the shops you I’ve started making the rounds to the shops you all suggested in Part 1, and my latest stop was @lafinchfabrics_new—right in the same space as @sewinglablosalamitos.

Feel free to keep the recommendations coming in the comments!

Losing @joann_stores was a blow for a lot of us… but it’s also pushed me to hunt down some amazing alternatives—many of them independent, family-owned, and brimming with creative magic. 

My list is growing fast, but I’m always up for an adventure. What hidden gem should I put on my map next? Tag your favorite fabric store so I can add it to my route!

#fabricshopping #fabric #fabricstore #craftsupplies #smallbusinesssupport #makersofinstagram #craftersofinstagram
Here’s the truth: You’re not broken. You’ve Here’s the truth:
You’re not broken.
You’ve just been trying to build something real without the right support.

That’s why I created The Club—a monthly membership for creative business owners (especially neurospicy ones) who want real tools, kind community, and space to grow without the hustle-pressure.

Inside, you’ll get:
✨ Monthly expert-led business class
✨ Group mentorship/coaching with me
✨ Co-working sessions
✨ Crafty Hour (yep—fun is part of the work)
📚 100+ replays of biz classes & mentorship calls
💬 24/7 support in a private community

🚨 Doors open September 10–15 only—then we close until 2026.

🎉 Join the waitlist now & get a two-week trial for just $1 when we open. Cancel anytime.

👇 Drop MENTOR and I’ll DM the waitlist link, or CLUB for a behind-the-scenes tour.

#creativementor #creative #smallbusinesslove #creativebusiness #craftersofinstagram #makercommunity
I’ve always been a keeper of things. Not just r I’ve always been a keeper of things.

Not just receipts or fabric scraps I swear I’ll use someday—but real, sentimental, arguably ridiculous things.

Like the plastic fork the boy I had a crush on in eighth grade used to eat chocolate cake. He missed the trash. I “accidentally” dropped something, picked it up… and kept it. For years.

So it’s not shocking that when I unearthed a 1940s saltines tin from the back of a closet, it was full of friendship bracelets, DIY punk flyers from when Sublime and No Doubt played suburban backyards… and a typewritten bucket list from—let’s be generous—20 years ago.

Some items were magical:
🍷 Drinking wine in the Paris bar where Edith Piaf once got rowdy.
🚤 Sailing with a drunk paraplegic captain 
👗 Making a dress from scratch… and actually wearing it.

Others? Not so much.
🐎 Horseback riding (sweaty helmet + watching a horse poop in front of you = not romantic).
🛼 Roller skating all day (stood for 60 seconds, sat down like an elderly giraffe).

The real surprise wasn’t what I’d done—it was realizing which “someday” dreams I didn’t even want anymore… and which ones I’m finally starting now.

💌 This is just part of the story. You can read the full essay on my blog (link in bio).

And if you don’t want to miss these monthly essays—stories about creativity, imperfection, and the weird, wonderful mess of making—make sure you’re on my newsletter list. That’s where they land first. COMMENT NicolesNews and we’ll get you signed up. 

#creativelife #creativesmallbusiness #creativementor #craftersofinstagram #makersofinstagram
You don’t need to “get your act together” be You don’t need to “get your act together” before joining.
You just need to want support that actually gets you.

The Club is my monthly membership for creative business owners—especially neurospicy ones. Inside, you’ll find real tools, a kind community, and space to grow at your own pace.

Plus:
Monthly:
- Expert-taught business class
- Mentorship group coaching session
- Co-working session
- Crafty Hour hangout
AND...
- A library of of 50 business classes taught by experts & 50 mentorship sessions
- A 24/7 community to lean on get advice
& MORE!

Comment MENTOR and I’ll DM you a link to join the waiting list or CLUB for a tour. 

🚨 Doors open September 10–15 only—then we close until 2026.

Want in? Join the waitlist now and be first to hear when we open.

✨ For the first 48 hours = get a two week trial for only $1! Cancel anytime.

#makersofinstagram #craftersofinstagram #smallbusinesssupport #smallbusinessowner #craftbusinessowner #creativeentrepreneur
Should I be... Flattered? Confused? Deeply seen? A Should I be... Flattered? Confused? Deeply seen? All of the above.

But seriously—if you know me, who would you say I give off?

Better yet...
Ask ChatGPT what your vibe is—and drop it in the comments.

#misspiggy #brenebrown #amysedaris #vibecheck #vibes

© DEAR HANDMADE LIFE 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS SITE USES AFFILIATE LINKS. WE DISCLOSE ALL SPONSORED POSTS BY NAMING THE SPONSOR IN THE POST.

Scroll to top

from our studio... to yours

Get our mostly monthly emails featuring event updates, secret deals, pep talks and inspiration to make every day awesome.