Looking back it's fairly easy to see how the thousands of baby steps, handful of leaps, and myriad of detours all fit together like stepping stones to form the creative life I lead today. However, as a child a young adult, I didn't seem to exhibit a single creative tendency. More...

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I have so many ideas that it's hard to know which to choose to pursue. I realize that some are just small ideas that I need to explore to get to the next big idea. More...

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Adapted from Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss and Change by Ronald Alexander, PhD. More...

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Our culture’s overemphasis on fame and great success often turns people away from their creative inclinations, because they feel that if they can’t reach a professional goal with their writing, singing, or painting endeavors, they shouldn’t bother. More...

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January means snow angels and snowmen. Now I just need some snow. Good thing we’re heading to Utah soon to catch a few flakes. But today we’ve got some really fun crafty snowmen to feature created by you over at the M&T Spotlight. **Next week: I’ll be featuring your crafts, recipes, and tutorials leading up [...]

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I’m taking the next few Fridays to spotlight my amazing contributors. Next up on the list is Lindsey of Cafe Johnsonia who contributes twice a month to our Recipes page. Oh, how I wish I had an ounce of cooking and/or photography skills that Lindsey possesses! Really. I LOVE her recipes and her photos. They [...]

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Using food as a way to entertain is one thing, but using it as the entertainment is completely different. The kids will have a blast and it's a great way to encourage involvement and interaction without being competitive. More...

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I love facebook. It’s fun to share photos of my kids, let Mom and Dad know what we’re up to since we moved to Seattle, and keep in touch with new and old friends (don’t say you haven’t spied on your jr. high crush!) I also manage a facebook page for Make and Takes. A [...]

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One of the best ways to grow your business is to grow your community...including your fellow artisans, your readers on your blog, your followers on Twitter, your fans on Facebook, and of course your customers.Here are 5 things you can do to grow your community:1. Create a Facebook Fan Page for your business, large or small, a fan page is a great way to connect to your customers and attract new customers who use Facebook!2. Add links to your blog posts to useful outside resources...this is great way to share good information with your readers and also showcase other community leaders.3. Share Information to grow your community!  Sharing useful information that can help your followers doesn't have to be just about what you're selling...anything relevant to them and their interests is a great way to attract new followers and potential customers.4. Promote yourself and others! Promotion is a very important part of growing your business so promote your work and ask others to help. This could be a post on your blog, a message on your Facebook wall, an ad on a fellow artisan's blog, an email to your subscribers, and ask your friends and family for their support too!  And, don't forget to do the same for others...remember, what goes around comes around.5. Comment on your fellow artisan blogs.  We all have read some great posts from our fellow artisans, so let them know by acknowledging their effort with a comment.  Commenting on blogs helps the author build credibility and it gives them more reasons to research and share good information.  Also, by commenting, you are seen by their readers and that means the potential for new members to your community.What do you do to expand your reach and grow your community? Main image courtesy of Genista

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Download and print ImagiNet #1.

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