And She Looked Up Creative Hour

Recording this week's episode felt like a moving target! I recorded it on Feb 8th and the news moves so fast that it was hard to keep up. I'm sure you'll notice a few things in here that have since changed. Having said that, this week's episode was born out of the launch of a trade war Canadians didn't ask for. The threats of tariffs and, frankly, annexation, have made this a very scary time for all Canadians. But with things in so much flux I decided to make this a more general episode. I share some strategies creative entrepreneurs in the arts can employ to build resilience against global chaos as well as helping you have a clearer understanding of how any kind of tariff can impact your business. We'll go over the three keys you need to focus on in the back end of your business as well as the importance of adapting your  marketing tactics  and creating greater financial stability for yourself.This is a great episode for creatives who...⭐️  need to understand the potential impact of tariffs on their creative businesses ⭐️  need to review their pricing strategies for long term sustainability during a trade war⭐️  are looking for ways to stabilize their expenses and cost of materials⭐️  want to lean into values based marketing (and being Canadian) during this time⭐️  need to think about diversifying revenue and trying to ensure as much financial stability as possibleOTHER HELPFUL  EPISODES: EP154: Makers, Artists & Creatives: Here's How to Find Your CustomersEP110: Navigating Economic Uncertainty While Running a Creative BusinessEP098: Aligning Your Values with Your BusinessEP082: Budget & Hybring Pricing Models for CreativesEP081: Premium Pricing Models for Your Creative BusinessYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Winner of the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards for fiction, Susan Wadds, author of "What the Living Do", shares her inspiring journey from aspiring poet to published novelist. But we also discuss the power of community and connection in the creative process. Susan fosters safe communities for other creatives through her workshops and retreats while also creating additional revenue streams for herself and she shares with us just how she does that!This is a great episode for creatives who...⭐️ want to learn more about the value of creating safe spaces for other creatives in their niche ⭐️ want some insights on community-building among creatives ⭐️ are curious about the Amherst Writers and Artists method⭐️ are looking for practical advice for aspiring writers to pursue their passion⭐️ are curious about Susan and her novel "What the Living Do" This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: find Susan at writeyourwayin.ca, or on Instagram @deepamwadds, Facebook, YouTube, or SubstackWhat the Living Do on Indigo Amherst Writers and ArtistsCanadian Book Club AwardsYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeCanadian small business owners - including artists and makers - are facing the uncertainty of potential US tariffs in 2025. So what can we do? While we have no say in whether or not another country decides to levy tariffs against us, we do have the ability to prepare ourselves to weather what could turn out to be a few clouds on an otherwise pleasant day or a full on tornado that rips up the landscape. The truth is right now, we just don't know. But don't stick your head in the sand and wish it all away or ignore it until it happens. This is one instance where preparation is not only key, it's doable. This subscriber only episode looks at some proactive strategies that can help you shore up your creative business in the face of uncertainty. You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

As we close out 2024, Heather and Melissa reflect on the ups and downs of the past year and look ahead to what's coming in 2025. This episode highlights the core theme of finding joy amid challenges as we close out one year and being another.Here's a quick recap of what we get into!• Recap of 2024 and its unexpected challenges • Importance of joy in art and creativity • Personal growth through grief and creativity • Strategies for nurturing community and connection • Setting intentions for a vibrant 2025 • Encouragement to embrace personal projects and small victoriesThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and Buzzsprout.You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Award winning poet and writer Kim Fahner joins the show this week to share her creative journey and discuss the importance of forming a community of our peers. Forging nurturing and supportive connections with other creatives in a country as vast, and empty, as Canada can feel like a huge challenge - particularly for those in smaller or rural communities. We also discuss the copyright implications of AI for creators and why it's so important to support Canadian creatives and the businesses that support them more than ever.Kim is the author of multiple poetry books as well as her debut novel, The Donoghue Girl, released earlier this year. She is also the first vice-chair of The Writer's Union of Canada, a teacher and an editor for Consilience, an online journal that explores the spaces where the sciences and arts meet. This is a great episode for creatives who...⭐️ are looking to forge new connections with their peers⭐️ are considering mentoring or being mentored in the new year⭐️ have thought about publishing poetry or are curious about the small press community in Canada⭐️ are concerned about the copyright implications of AI and how it might impact our creativityThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: find Kim at kimfahner.com or on Instagram at @kimfahner or on X at @modernirishThe Donoghue GirlConsilience JournalThe Writer's Union of CanadaLatitude 46 PublishingTurnstone PressYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

With Black Friday coming up quickly and market season in full swing, should you discount your creative work? There's a time and a place for discounts. This week we go over the pros and cons of offering or granting discounts and why it is SO crucial to price your work properly in order to have more marketing flexibility in your businessThis is a great episode for creatives who...⭐️ don't know how to respond when a customer or potential customer asks for a discount⭐️ aren't sure if discounting devalues their work⭐️ don't feel they have the room in their pricing to offer discounts⭐️ aren't sure how much it costs them to secure a new customer⭐️ are looking for ways to foster loyalty among their customer baseThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: EP172: How to Increase Your Average Order Value and Books Revenue in Your Creative BusinessYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showSupport the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeThanks to Patreon supporter Sonia for this month's question. Sonia would like to get her cards and other products into local stores and was looking for some wholesale tips! You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

If you need a good dose of hope and inspiration this week, then Episode 177 is for you. Canadian writer and author Beka Shane Denter joins the show to talk about her latest book, Bloom Across Canada - an inspirational collection of conversations with 50 diverse women and non-binary creatives entrepreneurs from all across Canada.  Beka shares how a pandemic, her nomadic life and a career as a features and content writer helped inform her decision to embark on bringing the "Bloom" series to life and, how this book in particular, is a love letter to Canada.This is a great episode for creatives who...⭐️ need a little boost of encouragement to take on those big, dream projects⭐️ want to be a more effective storyteller in their work⭐️ need some real talk and encouragement about not taking no for an answer⭐️ are searching for community for themselves and for their work⭐️ need a good dose of hope right nowThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: bekashanedenter.comBloom Across Canada - where to buyHeritage House Publishing@beka_shane_denter on InstagramFind Beka on LinkedIn You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeGetting it in under the wire this month! A little behind the scenes with my fluffy new studio intern and then getting into some words about making strategic investments in our creative businesses and how taking very calculated financial risks in our business can really pay off. Some things to think about over the next few months while you noodle around plans for 2025!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

In this week's regular season episode, Melissa and Heather explore the transformative power of intentional rituals in our creative practices. Rituals are different from habits. And, there's real science behind them and how they affect our brains. They can help shape our creative mindset, help us achieve a state of flow, quite our inner critic and much more! Do you have a particular ritual or rituals you perform in your creative practice? Share it with us on our Instagram account or our YouTube channel!This is a great episode for creatives who... ⭐️ struggle with settling into creative work ⭐️ need help with focus in their creative practice ⭐️ find it challenging to quiet their inner voice and criticThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode169: Creating and Recreating Our Own Creative Process You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

For Week 13 of Prep for the Holidays we're talking about how to accept payments at your holiday events, markets and pop-ups. You're going to need a payment processor! And if you've already got one, you've probably had at least one freakout moment with your payment processor hardware or software. So, let's talk about what you'll need and a quick checklist of what double (triple, quadruple) check before each market so you can avoid those panic inducing moments of wonky tech and instead, focus on market customers!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

In this week's regular season episode, classically trained fashion designer Rebecca Rowe joins the show to talk about how she pivoted her business (and how a disaster pushed her to embrace that pivot full force!) from a designer to a stylist who helps other women find confidence in their wardrobe. And then, she took on what, at first glance, appeared to be a surprising collaboration to expand her business even further. Take a listen and it will all make sense! Rebecca shares her top tips for connecting and collaborating with other businesses and for having a successful business pivot. This is a great episode for creatives who... ⭐️ are looking to collaborate but don't know where to start - or who to collaborate with ⭐️ need a little help thinking outside of the box when it comes to collaborations ⭐️ would like to pivot their business but are afraid of starting fresh or upsetting existing clients or customers This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Rebecca on Instagram rebeccarowe.ca  Rebecca on LinkedIn  Finding Your Fit with Rebecca & Jenn EP 48: How to Make $100 in Your Creative Business TodayYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeSorry for the late episode but here I am! I've been thinking a lot about long-form video (think YouTube) the last six months or so. Mostly why I think it could be important for creatives in this age of AI, IP theft and the need to double down on showing the human behind the work. I know... I just heard you all groan collectively. But take a listen, and hear me out! NOTE: I accidentally said that Instagram was shutting down shops part way through the episode. I meant Etsy (I hadn't had my caffeine yet when I recorded!).You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

It's Week 12 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series and it's time for us to prep all our online shop for the holiday rush. Whether you sell on Etsy, eBay, your own website or any other online platform, there a few things you'll want to make sure are in tip top shape before shoppers land!We're going to talk about photography - especially for key products - SEO, titles and descriptions, telling the story of your business and products, emphasizing the "handmade" aspect of your business, shipping info and most importantly, double checking and testing to make sure users have a pleasant, frustration-free shopping experience!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

In this week's regular season episode we're covering the powerful impact that increasing Average Order Value (AOV) can have on your bottom line with 15 ideas for you to try in your creative business.I share my own experiences as an illustrator who significantly increased my AOV and sales by learning to bundle items and offer bulk discounts - among other tactics . You'll learn how this simple shift can transform your business, no matter what you sell or what creative services you offer. It also happens to be kinda fun!This is a great episode for creatives who...are looking for strategies to increase their AOV online and and in personare struggling to draw new customers but need to boost revenueThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode172: Increase Your Average Order Value and Boost Revenue In Your Creative Business You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

For Week 11 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series, I'm focusing on market booths! Now is the time to start planning this year's booth, buying or making any display items you might need, thinking through your signage, ordering business cards, deciding how to coax people to sign up for your email list so you can build a long term relationship with them and... figuring out strategies to encourage higher average order values!A little advance planning and prep can make a huge difference come market day and help you build long term relationships with customers that last long after the market it over!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

In Week 10 of our Prep for the Holidays series we're talking about planning and preparing your holiday promotions now, to reduce stress later! There's lots of actionable tips to plan all your holiday promotions - including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day - well in advance. I'll also share some tips on how to craft deals that not only capture attention but also ensure you remain profitable during the busiest time of the year. And why it's important to value your work - you don't HAVE to run promotions!Whether you're selling products or creating content, this episode is packed with invaluable insights to ensure your holiday season is both smooth and profitable.This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

In the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather jump into the deep end to talk about creating our creative process. When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? Have you mixed things up lately? Moved your desk? Painted outside?  Tried to find a way to make a dreaded task more fun?Sometimes, we get into a rut, or a comfortable groove that doesn't push us forward. Or we procrastinate over parts of bigger projects because the process is... well... gross. So here's your reminder that we, as creatives, get to CREATE - or RECREATE our own creative process!This is a great episode for creatives who...are feeling stuckneed a fresh starthave trouble finishing projectsprocrastinate over certain tasksfeel overwhelm when they walk past their creating spaceThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode169: Creating and Recreating Our Own Creative Process You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

It's Week #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series! To make sure you're on top of all your key deadlines and dates this holiday season, start by working backwards from December 31st. I'll walk you through key dates to make note of and how to ensure you've got enough time for making, marketing, selling and shipping!Whether you're an artist, maker, or creative service provider, this episode is jam-packed with strategies to keep you organized and ahead of the game. Let's make this holiday season not only manageable but also wildly successful for your creative business!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeSeptember is one of my favourite months of the year - it has always felt like the "real" new year to me! This is when my creative energy tends to come roaring back after the heat of summer and when I'm wanting to learn or try new things. It's also when I tend to re-engage with my business after a few months of taking things easy... so let's talk about some ways to take advantage of September energy in our businesses and filling our creative wells!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

For Task #8 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist I'm putting the focus on getting your holiday market applications in - for makers, artists and creative service providers (yes, there's room for you, too!). While it may be too late to apply to some of the bigger craft and maker markets in major urban centres, there's no shortage of opportunities in smaller, local markets. I'm sharing tips for finding those smaller markets because there's a LOT of them and they're looking to fill their vendor rosters now!  Plus, these smaller, community markets can be a great way for newer sellers to get some experience and gain some confidenceOh... and those big markets that are already full? They often host spring markets and now is the time to research those market application deadlines!Past episodes you may want to listen to:EP080: Get Ready for Craft Market Season with Louisa Hrennikoff of Luli Designs JewelryThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

We're up to Task #7 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist for creatives. If you want to broaden your reach and get new eyes on your work this holiday season, it might be time to pitch yourself for holiday gift guides! Like a lot of holiday season prep, this is an early bird task - in fact, you might be too late for print magazines! But there's still lots of time for on-line publications and blogs, local newspapers and online influencers - all of whom publish gift guides of must have holiday gifts! Tune in to learn more about using this strategy to attract a broader audience during the busiest shopping season of the year!Past episodes you may want to listen to:EP24: Pitching Tips for Creative BusinessesEP33: Why You Need a Media Kit for Your Creative Small BusinessEP26: How to Work with Influencers and Brand Ambassadors For Your Creative Small BusinessThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

We're up to Task #6 in our Prep For the Holidays checklist for creatives. This week, we're working on early marketing tasks with two powerful platforms that need time to reach their full potential. We're talking about blogging and Pinterest - and why starting these two tasks early is crucial for a successful holiday campaign.Don't limit your potential this holiday season - build your community, increase visibility, and drive traffic to your products by working ahead. Get ready to create a thriving online presence and make this holiday season your most successful yet!Mentioned in this episode:Simple Pin Media and The Simple Pin Podcastwordpress.com wordpress.orgblogger.comAnd She Looked Up Episode 135: Blogging to Drive Traffic (and Build SEO) For Your Creative BusinessThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Getting featured in print & digital gift guides, getting accepted into big holiday craft markets or selling your items in small boutiques for Christmas all require a lot of advance prep work - that happens way earlier than we think! This is where prepping mockups and samples of whatever it is you create can help you get a jump on things! You might not be ready to go into full production mode yet but having a few things prepped and photographed means you have something to show your work when asked! Now you can apply for markets, investigate additional PR or marketing opportunities and get your product into shops! Tune in and gear up for a successful holiday season.This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

You know what you're going to be making and selling for the holiday season - but do you know how you're going to package it up for selling and shipping?In this week's Prep for the Holiday's episode, Melissa walks you through the process of figuring out your delivery systems. If you're a creative services provider or content creator, you still need to get your "product" into the hands or in front of the eyeballs of your customer. If you're a maker or artist, you need to package your product for markets, wholesale platforms like Fair and your Etsy shop or website. And then, you have to pack it up for shipping via Canada Post or a courier.We discuss the difference between packaging materials and shipping materials as well as some places to start sourcing out your supplies - including environmentally responsible options. If you act now, you have time to order samples and make informed decisions before ordering larger quantities!Tune in and gear up for a successful holiday season.This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeHave you struggled with creative burnout or creative block? What's the difference? I've been struggling with a big old case of creative block recently - but I'm not burnt out. In fact I've felt quite energized! But I just couldn't get my butt in the chair to draw - even though I really wanted to! Here's how I'm getting through it - with a little help from my friends!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Are you ready to streamline your holiday prep and crush the busiest selling season of the year? In this week's Prep for the Holidays episode, Melissa helps you get your supply game on point so you can focus on what you do best—creating amazing products your customers will love! Let's break down the essential steps for securing raw materials, supplies, and packaging, as well as securing your creative collaborators to ensure you're not scrambling last minute. Now's the time to stock up on paint, paper, jewellery fastenings, yarn  - whatever it is you use to make - to replacing broken tools and booking your designer. I'll guide you through maintaining a robust inventory to keep your creating smooth and stress-free - and save you money!Tune in and gear up for a successful holiday season.This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

It's really hard to get a jump on the busy holiday season if you don't actually know what you're going to be making and selling! So in Episode 2 of our Prep for the Holiday series, Melissa walks you through figuring out what you're going to be putting your focus on - whether you're an artist, maker, creative services provider or a content creator. What will you make? What will you create? When will you sell it and who will you sell it to? Product development is where it all starts!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Episode 1 in our new minisode series - Prep For the Holidays - is all about email. It's time to work on growing and warming up your email newsletter list before the holiday selling season! Kickstart your holiday sales strategy with actionable email marketing tips and suggestions to get you going. Don't have an email list? We tell you how to get started - you don't even need a website! We'll also talk about re-engaging a cold list and practical steps to maintain and grow an established email list.This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

What if you could seamlessly prepare for the holiday rush without the stress? That's where our special "Prep for the Holidays" mini-sode series comes in! Melissa is here to provide you with a straightforward, actionable game plan so that come November & December you put all your focus on selling, shipping, and customer service. Whether you're an artist gearing up for markets, a photographer offering family portraits, or a content creator maximizing Q4 traffic, this series is your ultimate checklist!Each episode, ranging from 5 to 10 minutes, is designed to align with your holiday preparation timeline, ensuring you tackle each task at the right moment. Mark your calendars for the week of July 8th and join me as we kick off this indispensable guide to a stress-free, successful holiday season. Let's make Q4 your most profitable yet!You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeThe main podcast is on hiatus for the summer but I'll be launching a minisode series in July to help everyone prep for the holidays! In the meantime, here's what I love to listen to and watch to keep my creative juices and entrepreneurial/marketing brain feeling inspired through the summer months (plus a few things that are purely for entertainment!I'll be emailing Buzzsprout supporters a list of all the podcast and YT channels I mention in this episode!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

With the Season 5 finale, Melissa and Heather talk about rest and why it's so critical for self-employed creatives.  What does rest look like (no it's not sleep - but that's critical too!)? It's not a "one size fits all" concept. It may be a two week vacation but what if a "leave the house" vacation isn't possible? We dig deep into ways we can ensure rest is part of our creative cycle - whether you're an introvert, extrovert, parent, caregiver, managing multiple roles, financially strapped or somebody who needs movement or somebody who needs stillness. And we talk about how switching our mindset towards everyday chores we don't like can actually turn them into moments of restoration for our brains!This is a great episode for creatives who...are tired or feeling burnt outknow they need rest but don't know how to make it happendon't find typical "restful" activities particularly restorativeare looking for ways to incorporate small moments of rest into each dayneed a longer breakneed permission to ask for rest when they need it (here's your permission!)This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode158: Leaning into Rest and Why it's so Important for Working Creatives You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the Show.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeNothing fancy here this month - just the three biggest, solid anti-procrastination strategies that work for me. The key there being "for me". They might not be new to you, they may not work for everyone, but, I'm hoping that one of these strategies might be something you can adapt and use for yourself!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Canadian photographer, recipe developer and blogger Heidi Richter joins me to talk about her work as both a commercial and editorial food and nature photographer.  We discuss her early steps as a self-taught photographer who wanted to take better photos of her first child all the way through to earning a coveted spot on Nikon's annual creator team - as well as the challenges of being a small, creative business owner, juggling multiple roles, mom guilt, creative burnout and why we need to be both assertive, human and adaptable in an age of technological change and generative AI.  This is a great episode for creatives who...are challenged with mom guiltworry about the advent of AI - particularly for visual creatorsneed help putting themselves and their work out theredeal with imposter syndromeare struggling with (or has struggled with) creative burnout and has a hard time saying noThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode157 Creative Canadian: Photographer Heidi Richter You can find Heidi at thesimplegreen.com (her blog) or heidirichter.com  (her portfolio) as well as on Instagram (@the_simple_green), Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

No this is not a real estate episode! Today we're talking about the dangers of building your business on the backs of other businesses - namely social media platforms and marketplaces - like Etsy.  These are platforms where the customers and users are not yours, where you can be removed at any time and where algorithms are created to support the platform's goals - not yours.So what can you do to build your business on solid footing. It's time to take ownership of your business and build assets that are yours.  Here's how!This is a great episode for anyone who:is struggling with social media algorithmsis worried about losing their accounts or shopsdoesn't know how to diversify or build an audience that's theirswants more control over their business and their sales dataThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode156: Rent or Own: The Dangers of Building a Creative Business on Rented LandYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the Show.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodePlay is an important part of a creative practice and creating for a living. It's also hard work (that doesn't sound right, does it? But it is!). Collaboration can be a form of play for creatives and has it's own set of benefits aside from play. Collaboration and play (together or separately) can have a huge influence on keeping our creative well filled and burn out at bay. And that's what I'm talking about this month!Episodes mentioned in this episode:The Creative Penn: The Hard Joy of Writing EP 65: The Jealous Creative - Confronting the Ugly EmotionYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Alexandra Newbould is an artist whose work you know. As a Toronto based freelance courtroom sketch artist and fashion and architecture illustrator, her work has appeared all across North America on newscasts, in newspapers and print, online and in brand marketing campaigns. She joins the show this week to talk about the challenges and rewards of being a freelance illustrator, tattoo artist and, her newest venture,  working as an event artist who captures special moments in people's lives.  We talk about about the pressure of working in the courtroom and its impact on her work, how she has built a very successful business with minimal social media presence, the importance of in person networking and building connections, how delivering good work is its own networking tool and finding the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity.This is a great episode for creatives who...struggle with how to network offline - Alex has done some interesting things to get noticed!wonder if it's possible to be successful without social mediahave an inner battle happening between creating art from a place deep inside them and creating art for commercial purposeshave always wondered about the world of courtroom sketch artists This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode155: Illustrator and Courtroom Sketch Artist Alexandra NewbouldYou can find Alexandra at alexandranewbould.com or on Instagram @alexandranewbould or @sketchmelikethisYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

You're an artist or a creative or a maker.  You've made or created the thing, you're selling the creative services. You've put it on social media and your website or Etsy. But nobody has bought it. So how the heck are you supposed to find your customers?? Melissa and Heather do a deep dive into how to find your people - and how to sell to them without it being weird or uncomfortable - even if you're an introvert or shy (or both)!  This is an episode full of practical tips but be warned - there's no quick fix!This is a great episode for creatives who...are struggling to find paying customers or clientsdon't know where to look to find their people - we've got lots of ideas!struggle with selling - we'll show you how to soft sell instead of hard sell!get caught up in their heads when it comes to putting themselves out there - let's talk about mindset!are afraid of niching down - it makes it so much easier to know who your people are when you domight know what they are... but aren't sure what they're not (it'll make sense)This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode154: Makers & Artists: Here's How to Find Your Customers You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

I'm going back into the archives this week because it's been a bit of madness around here this month (in a good way!). This is a replay of EP 128 from last year where Heather and I asked past guests and audience member to share some words of wisdom that they've learned through being working creatives and/or running their own businesses. And they did not disappoint! It's an inspiriing episode with some fabulous nuggets from some exceptional women. One of my favourite quotes that I remind myself of over and over again came directly out of this episode!You can find the original show notes right here (with links to all of the episodes these women appeared on)Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeI have a great podcast recommendation for you this week that also tied into three big things I've had on my "to talk about" list: marketing goals, the line between positivity and negativity and gatekeeping creativity. Hope you all enjoy!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Best selling Canadian independent fantasy romance novelist Demi Winters joins us in this episode of the show to talk about all things relating to being a self-published fiction author - including the release of her new book, her writing process,  world building, Book Tok and building community around her work, seeking help to take her work to the next level, balancing a private life with a public author persona and how she's running her independent author business.... as a business! (she even has an Etsy shop centered around her work!). And, as has been a bit of an accidental theme this season, we also talk about two major career pivots she's taken to arrive at author (she has a PhD in the sciences and is a former food blogger!) This is a great episode for creatives who...are curious about the self-publishing industryhave wondered about ways to add interesting revenue streams to their businesslove hearing about the writing processes of othersis trying to draw boundaries around their work and personal lives - while still growing a community of raving fans on social media would like to start a fiction writing career and isn't sure where to start!This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode152: Creative Canadian: Author Demi Winters You can find Demi at demiwinters.com and on Instagram and TikTok as @demiwinterwrites. You can also visit her Etsy Shop.You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeThis was such a tough episode to record! I've had it swirling in my head for months and I did multiple takes at recording it (it's why I'm so late with it!). It's still a bit rambly but I think I got there in the end. AI does freak me out but it piques my curiosity at the same time. And I've learned that it doesn't make me replaceable - but I have had to adjust how I serve my customers and clients and that's what I talk about in this episode - how to double down on being a human creative with a business.You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Gail Taylor left behind a successful career as an investment advisor to go all in with music - in her 50s! Now, as a Canadian songwriter, author, keynote speaker and entrepreneur, she's a passionate advocate for the power of music to inspire change.  Her new book, Curve Balls, is coming to shelves soon thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $10K.In this episode, Gail shares her remarkable story and her tips for using Kickstarter. We talk about her journey from her early years using drugs as a form of escape, to becoming a successful investment advisor and then her pivot to music. She shares the behind the scenes of the Nashville music industry, how she uses music to help others, and the ins and outs of launching a creative project on Kickstarter.This is a great episode for creatives who...feel a big change is out of reachare curious about getting their own music madehave thought about using crowd-funding to launch their own creative projectsare always curious for ways they can turn their creativity into multiple revenue streamswould like to use their creative skills to foster positive change for othersThis episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and BuzzsproutFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode151: Creative Canadian: Songwriter and Author Gail Taylor You can find Gail at gailtaylormusic.com as well as @gailtaylormusic on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

This week, Melissa and Heather do a brief recap of what they did in their creative businesses in 2023 and what they are focusing on for 2024. But at the heart of the episode we get into the trends we're paying attention to in our creative businesses - including a very frank (and possibly surprising?) discussion about generative AI and how we feel about it. 2024 has the potential to be a huge year of change for a lot of working creatives - whether we like it or not!This is a great episode for creatives who...like to hear about what others are working on in their creative businesses (because we're both nosy parkers lol)are wondering what they need to focus on or be aware of in 2024are feeling very nervous and unsettled by the use of AIThis episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode150: Trends We're Paying Attention to in Our Creative Businesses in 2024 You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showSupport the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Transformational Coach Geneviève Retzlaff joins the show this week as part of our short January series on staying optimistic and energized in a month that can be dull, cold and dreary. In this episode, Gen is here to help us lean into change in order to have fulfilling creative careers and lives. Whether you're thinking of leaving a traditional career to start a creative business or, you want to ramp up a side business or, you've already got a creative business but it's just not lighting your fire anymore, Gen helps us through the roadblocks we tend to put in place for ourselves!This is a great episode for creatives who...are feeling change is in the works but are feeling fear and resistanceneed strategies and tools to help them embrace changestruggle with self-awareness (which is needed to embrace change)need help instigating change even though they may not be in a position to make the leap right noware the bottleneck that stands in their waywould like to learn how strategic planning, goal setting and hiring help can all help you set change in motion This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode149: Leaning into Change for Creative Fulfillment with Geneviève Retzlaff You can find Geneviève at genevieveretzlaff.com and grow-better-together.com. You can also connect with her on Instagram at @genretzlaff_career_coaching, or @grow_better_together, on  Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTubeYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Inspirational speaker and certified life coach Sara Fisher joins the show this week to talk about the Law of Vibration and how we can use it to foster both personal growth and growth in our creative practices.We all start January off with the best of intentions but when the winter blues set in, it can be easy to get sidetracked and and feel like nothing has changed and nothing is moving forward. Enter Sara and her fresh perspective to self-development. We talk about the Law of Vibration, the Law of Attraction and manifestation -  and how they all work together. And just as importantly we talk about why you still need to do the work in order to grow and create change in your business.This is a great episode for creatives who:are curious about the Law of Attraction and manifestation want to learn more about the Law of Vibration and why understanding how it works is critical to the Law of Attraction and manifestationneed help forming new habits (and breaking habits that are not helpful)struggle with imposter syndrome and comparison-itiswould like to learn how to reframe situations in order to foster growthneed help quieting the ego and learning to embrace mistakesTune in to learn more!This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode148: The Law of Vibration and Your Creative Practice with Sara FisherYou can connect with Sara Fisher on Instagram at @vibinhighclubYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeThe year is 365 days long (366 this year because it's a leap year!). Here's your reminder that a year is a marathon. You don't have to sprint out the gate in January and do all the things or make all the changes - because guess what? That's not realistically feasible - and it's also not sustainable.  Let's talk about embracing your natural rhythms, your business's slow and busy periods and why you need to make it a priority to check in with your data regularly!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

With so many of this season's guests asking me off air whether or not they should start a podcast and how to get started, I thought it might be time to do an episode on the ins and outs of podcasting for a creative business. So today, with 140+ episodes under my belt, I take a deep dive into the pros and cons of podcasting for creatives, and how to get started if 2024 is the year you give it a go!This is a great episode for creatives who:have been thinking about starting a podcastare wondering about the pros and cons of podcastingwant to know how much work it can bewant to know what to look out for and consider before getting startedwant to know what they need to actually get startedare curious about the different styles of podcastingwant some interviewing tipsTune in to find out everything you need to know about starting a podcast in 2024!This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode147: Starting a Podcast for Your Creative BusinessYou can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Subscriber-only episodeIt's the end of the year and that inevitably leads to a lot of podcasts and blog posts on reflection, planning and goal setting. I know that as creatives, a lot of us get very uncomfortable with making concrete plans or setting solid goals because... what if we fail? But planning is what allows us to build a business that reflects our values and the life we want to lead. Because as small business owners, our businesses are intertwined with our lives.  Planning gives us the opportunity to be intentional with how our life and our business come together - something that doesn't happen in a private sector or government job setting. So let's talk about that in this month's subscriber only episode!You can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

We've all thought about how great it would be to have a piece of content go viral on social media. There's that whisper deep down that if we could just get a million eyeballs on our business, everything would change - for the better. But what really happens when you go viral? And are you - and your creative business - actually prepared for it if it happens? Melissa and Heather dive into "going viral" and share two very different case studies!This is a great episode for creatives who:wonder what makes content go viralwonder what actually happens when a video or post goes viral - does it change everything?want to make sure they're prepared if content does go viralwonder if you need viral content for your business to succeedWe tackle all of these concerns and more! Tune in to find out how!This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:Episode146: So You Think You're Ready to Go Viral?You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

This week, healthy aging advocate Zanna Reza joins the show to talk about shaking up the system so we can grow older on our own terms. In a world where getting older (at any age) can come with a lot of stereotyping and discrimination, we talk about why we, as women, need to own our age - and the wisdom we've earned every day. In this conversation we discuss the importance of staying passionate, curious and creative at every stage in life - and why all humans need to feel a sense of purpose at any age!Zannat Reza is a healthy aging advocate and the Director of the Future of Aging social impact team at SE Health, a not-for-profit, home health social enterprise.This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs IllustrationsThis is a great episodes for creatives who:struggle with appreciating the wisdom they've accumulated - and sharing it with the worldwho worry it's too late to try the next thingneed a confidence boost are afraid of showing up as their true selves - especially as they get olderdread the next milestone birthday - be it 30, 40, 50 and beyond.are afraid to own their ageFor a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit the full show notes at:Episode 145: Own Your Age and Your Wisdom with Zannat RezaYou can learn more about the work Zannat does at SE Health's Future of Aging website or through her podcast, The Future Age. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.Support the showYou can connect with the podcast on: Instagram at @andshelookedup Facebook YouTube Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp For a list of all available episodes, please visit:And She Looked Up Creative Hour PodcastEach week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.