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When Your Confidence Takes a Vacation Without You
Business Tips

When Your Confidence Takes a Vacation Without You

ByNicole Stevenson May 29, 2025May 30, 2025

 Last month, I got on a plane by myself and flew to Seattle. That might not sound like a big deal—but for me, it was huge. For decades, flying meant months of therapy, a tightly clutched Xanax, and white-knuckling every…

Read More When Your Confidence Takes a Vacation Without YouContinue

Why We Keep Making (Even When Everything Sucks)
Business Tips

Why We Keep Making (Even When Everything Sucks)

ByNicole Stevenson March 4, 2025March 4, 2025

 Let’s put the cards on the table: This year has been a doozy, and we’re only two months into it. I know I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed. I know I’m not the only one who wants to spend the…

Read More Why We Keep Making (Even When Everything Sucks)Continue

How Teaching Kids crafts transformed my creative business
Business Tips

How Teaching Kids crafts transformed my creative business

ByNicole Stevenson February 2, 2025February 3, 2025

you’ve built something amazing… ….a creative business fueled by your passion and talent. But have you ever wondered how your creativity could inspire the next generation? Or how sharing it with kids could unlock new opportunities for your business and…

Read More How Teaching Kids crafts transformed my creative businessContinue

FEAR TO FORWARD MOTION: WHY I’M REDEFINING DEAR HANDMADE LIFE
Business Tips

FEAR TO FORWARD MOTION: WHY I’M REDEFINING DEAR HANDMADE LIFE

ByNicole Stevenson November 26, 2024November 26, 2024

I have some pretty big news to share with you . . . but before I jump in, I’d like to explain the why behind it.   I’m writing this blog at the kitchen table in the house where my…

Read More FEAR TO FORWARD MOTION: WHY I’M REDEFINING DEAR HANDMADE LIFEContinue

HOW TO HAVE & DO IT ALL! (JUST KIDDING, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE)
Business Tips

HOW TO HAVE & DO IT ALL! (JUST KIDDING, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE)

ByNicole Stevenson October 1, 2024October 2, 2024

i’ve moved almost 20 times… You’d think I’d be an expert by now, but most of those moves happened before I turned 32. I’ve lived in the same place for 13 years—longer than I’ve ever called anywhere home. Tonight, I’m…

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HOW TO NAVIGATE THE MESSY MIDDLE
Business Tips

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE MESSY MIDDLE

ByNicole Stevenson August 21, 2024August 21, 2024

“Show your scars, not your wounds”. . . … a business coach told me as she explained how to share your transformation to inspire your community. Smart, I thought. Let everyone see how turbulent things were. Give them a path…

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HOW SITTING STILL AT THE BEACH CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER ARTIST
Business Tips

HOW SITTING STILL AT THE BEACH CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER ARTIST

ByNicole Stevenson July 8, 2024July 11, 2024

i’ve never been great at sitting still . . . As a kid, I didn’t just watch TV but created choreographed dance numbers to theme songs like Three’s Company. While others played in the schoolyard, I crafted tissue box houses…

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DO THIS WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOUR ART
Business Tips

DO THIS WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOUR ART

ByNicole Stevenson June 12, 2024June 12, 2024

over the years of being a creative, i’ve built up a thick skin… …OK, maybe just a little thicker than when I was getting started. But I did this as a way of protecting my self-worth – and the value…

Read More DO THIS WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOUR ARTContinue

my #1 tip for creatives just starting out
Business Tips

my #1 tip for creatives just starting out

ByNicole Stevenson May 20, 2024May 20, 2024

I was interviewed for a podcast today and the host asked…. “What advice do you have for someone who’s just starting out working towards their creative dream?”   I said, “Do it scared. Don’t wait until you’re ready or until…

Read More my #1 tip for creatives just starting outContinue

how breaking my rules is helping me get my goals in 2024
Business Tips

how breaking my rules is helping me get my goals in 2024

ByNicole Stevenson February 20, 2024

I have a confession to make… For the first time in maybe ever, I didn’t set specific goals for the new year in January. I KNOW! I preach so much about setting clear actionable goals and here I am, it’s…

Read More how breaking my rules is helping me get my goals in 2024Continue

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I almost didn’t post this because… yikes. My I almost didn’t post this because… yikes. 

My old newsletters? Embarrassing. Fonts all over the place, no real flow, just me throwing words at the wall.

But here’s the thing: if I had waited until they were perfect, I never would’ve sent a single one. And those “imperfect” emails? They still got me sales, built relationships, and kept my business alive.

✨ Done is better than perfect.

If you’ve been putting off email because you don’t know where to start (or you’re secretly cringing at your own “before” version), I’ve got you. My workshop Emails Over Algorithms will help you build lists that feel good, write newsletters people actually want to open, and finally stop stressing over perfection.

📅 Wed, Sept 10 at 10am PT

 📍 Online, live with me

Want in? Comment EmailLove and I’ll send you the RSVP link.

With support from @constantcontact #partner #sponsored

#emailmarketingtips #emailmarketing #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinesssupport #creative #creativeentrepreneur
🚨 This is why your business advice keeps failin 🚨 This is why your business advice keeps failing you…

When you try to follow biz tips that weren’t made for your brain, you:
❌ Burn out
❌ Procrastinate
❌ Start thinking you’re the problem

You’re not. The problem is one-size-fits-all advice that ignores how you actually work, think, and create.

That’s why I built The Club — a space where creative business owners (especially the multi-passionate, neurodivergent, and “I don’t fit the mold” types) get support, accountability, and tools that actually work for them.

📅 Doors to The Club are ONLY open September 10–15. Let’s grow your business in a way that works for your brain.

The Club is my online membership that helps creative business owners grow with skills, support, and accountability—without burning out, through:
50+ on-demand workshops & mentorship replays
4 live monthly Zoom sessions (business class, mentorship, crafty hour, co-working)
Goal-planning tools & accountability
A supportive creative community that gets you

💬 Comment CLUB to take a tour and MENTOR to join the waiting list. 

#Mentor #creativeentrepreneur #makercommunity #crafterofinstagram
How many clues did it take you to guess that it is How many clues did it take you to guess that it is @crystalcovestatepark? 

Here’s the thing: as a creative, a parent, and a business owner, I’m constantly juggling All. The. Things. Which means free time—or time just for fun—usually ends up last on my list. Relatable? 

This summer, I made a conscious effort to flip that script. To say yes to fun, even when my to-do list wasn’t “done.” To remember that rest, play, and being outside aren’t just nice extras—they’re fuel for my creativity and my sanity.

It’s a lesson I have to relearn every year: your business and your art will be better when you give yourself the time and space to live your life.

That’s part of what we create at Craftcation—a week where you can step away from your everyday life, breathe, connect, and create with zero guilt and a whole lot of joy.

📅 Craftcation 2026 is April 8–12 in Ventura, CA.
🎟️ Want the details? Comment...
“CRAFTY” for info OR “TICKET” for a link to register (and take advantage of our payment plan).
✨ Two weeks in The Club for $1. ✨
 Yep, that’s the deal if you hop in during the first 48 hours when doors open Sept 10–15. Cancel anytime.

The Club is my monthly membership for creative business owners (especially my fellow neurospicy folks) who want tools, community, and support without the hustle-culture stress. 

Inside you’ll get:
Monthly expert-led biz class
Group mentorship coaching
Co-working sessions
Crafty Hour hangouts
50+ biz classes + 50+ mentorship replays waiting in the library
24/7 community to lean on for advice, feedback + pep talks

🚨 Doors close Sept 15 and won’t reopen until 2026.

Comment MENTOR for the waitlist link or CLUB for a tour. 💛

#creative #crafter #craftbusiness #creativebusiness #mentor
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

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