@phunphunphun on Twitter just linked to this article about a monthly Ugly Crafts Night starting up at a library in Fort St. John, BC. What a great idea!
If you’re a librarian (or any other kind of programmer) and want to start something up at your branch, I’ve compiled some resources to help you get started.
I’m just so excited about this class! Usually, I have only an hour to teach my business-focused Mighty Ugly class, but Embrace the Ugly: How to Break Through What’s Holding You Back in Business is a full day. Online. For free during the live broadcast. You can participate from anywhere in the world! And if you can’t make it for the broadcast on February 10th, or if you can’t spend the whole day on the class, it’s just $29 to gain on-demand access to it.
This is one of my favourite classes to teach, because people get so, so much out of it. The whole point of Embrace the Ugly is to gather your wits and take a long, deep look at the thing(s) inside your brain that hold you back. These aren’t the business problems you already know how to address. These aren’t even the issues that give you butterflies in your stomach when you think about them. No. These are the issues that, if you let them, keep you awake at night because you know in the depths of your mind and body that they make you not good enough to succeed.
Which means that this class will be uncomfortable. It will be hard. By which I mean it will be hard. And at the end of it, you will have a list of things to do to address that deep dark ugly thing. And you will be certain that you are not as alone as you think you are, because you will have heard from many people who also have deep dark ugly things that hold them back in their businesses. You will have shined some light on that darkness, and it will feel good.
Here’s some more from the class description:
In this class you’ll learn about the concept of Mighty Ugly, a framework that celebrates the benefits of failure. Through interactive lessons, Kim will help you identify and embrace the ugly parts of your business – you’ll get help addressing what holds you back so you can shift “the problem”, and resolve it. You’ll learn tools that will help you:
- Overcome self-doubt as an entrepreneur
- Abolish professional perfectionism
- Dismiss your fear of failure
- Eliminate irksome business blocks
- Conquer procrastination
Kim will teach you exercises that will keep you creative even as you struggle with balancing your books, promoting your work, managing social media, or whatever else holds you back.
Embrace the Ugly: How to Break Through What’s Holding You Back in Business will empower you to confront the most personally challenging aspects of being a working creative. You’ll surface the problems that are unique to you and learn universal skills you can use to embrace and, ultimately, overcome them.
RSVP for the class today, and CreativeLive will remind you about it! The live broadcast will involve lots of opportunities to participate via chat, and more, and I’m excited to be able to have a big conversation that’s not limited by room size or location. And even if you can’t attend live on February 10th, all that conversation will be a part of the on-demand class you can access anytime after purchasing.
Have any questions about how this works? Ask away!
I hope to see you in class next month!
I’ll be in Ventura, CA, in early April, leading both a hands-on Mighty Ugly workshop and a business workshop called Embracing the Ugly Side of Your Business. Also, I’m just really excited to go to this conference for the first time; people rave about it!
I’ll be giving a talk on Sunday at 11:30am, and you should come to it! It’ll be a proper conversation, so bring tales and woes of mistakes and failure and making stuff anyway.
Here’s a video from last year’s event, to further convince you to come.
Last week I had the pleasure of being the first speaker in a new series at Vancouver gallery Hot Art Wet City. Chris, the gallery owner, recorded my talk and the ensuing conversation. Grab something to make and have a listen while you work:
This weekend is the 2nd annual Vancouver Mini Maker Faire, and we’ll be there!
Find us in the middle of the old Forum building at the PNE, set up for making ugly creatures.
The event runs from 10am-6pm both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at the door, and in advance for a couple bucks off.
We were featured on the VMMF website, too!
Hope to see you there.
Last year I was only able to run the Mighty Ugly crafting booth for a few hours each day of Vancouver Mini Maker Faire. But this year! Oh, this year I’m determined to have the ugly crafting going on the whole time.
To do that, I’m gonna need some help. That’s where you might come in.
If you’re jacked up by the idea of being a Maker but you’re not quite ready to show off your own project, come help me with Mighty Ugly! You’ll get to experience the event from the other side of the table yet still have loads of time to check out all the other amazing stuff as well.
Check out the form below, and submit it if you’d like to help be a part of something ugly and amazing and creative and wonderful.
We’re hosting a Make Something Ugly space at the One of a Kind Show in Vancouver!
These will be mini versions of our longer workshops – all the crafts fun, not so much the deeper thinking. We’ll be making wee ugly creatures that may (or may not at all) make for great stocking stuffers. A perfect break from your handmade holiday shopping! No crafts experience necessary
The workshops are free with admission to the show. Since space is limited, registration is required. Sign up today! And bring some friends. All the sessions are listed on our Upcoming Events page.