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Creative Business Spark: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Anne LaFollette
Need help navigating through life after getting laid off from your job or as you approach retirement? Join Anne La Follette, former corporate Vice President, who reinvented herself in her late 50s after getting laid off from a job she loved. Becoming a successful creative entrepreneur from scratch was no easy feat. Anne brings her “can do” attitude and warm heart to support you in achieving your creative dreams at any age. Tune in for practical, step by step advice, whether you’re just dipping your toes into the entrepreneurial waters or you’ve got an established creative business that needs some “spark”. Welcome the The Creative Business Spark podcast where: It’s Never Too Late To Create®.
Latest Episodes
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- 5 days ago10 min
E78 Why Ordering a Sample is so Satisfying
SHOW NOTES: There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing a pattern you designed on a product you can actually hold in your hands! In this episode of Creative Business Spark, I'm sharing why ordering a sample of your artwork can be such an exciting and encouraging experience. From my morning coffee mugs to the Christmas wrapping paper I love designing, we'll explore how your creative ideas can become beautiful, useful products. I'll also share a little about my craft fair days, why simple everyday products were some of my most popular items, and how holding your own designs can give you the confidence to keep creating. 👉 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: ✨ Why seeing your artwork on a real product feels so different from seeing it on a computer screen ✨ How coffee mugs and wrapping paper became some of my most popular products at craft fairs ✨ Why the everyday products you already love are wonderful places to start ✨ What a printed sample can reveal about color, motif scale, and spacing ✨ Why you don't need a complicated product assortment or lots of inventory to begin ✨ How ordering just one sample can encourage you to keep creating ➡️ KEY RESOURCES & LINKS: Explore my surface pattern designs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- 1 weeks ago12 min
E77 One Theme, Many Designs
SHOW NOTES: What if one repeating pattern could inspire an entire collection of designs that look beautiful together? In this episode of Creative Business Spark, I'm using Halloween as a playful example to introduce you to the magic of coordinating surface pattern collections. We'll explore how shared colors, related motifs, and a balance of bold and simple patterns can help different designs feel like they belong together. I'll also share examples from my own Halloween artwork and a little creative exercise you can try without having to create a whole new collection! 👉 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: ✨ What a coordinating pattern collection is and why different designs can look beautiful together ✨ How to turn one Halloween-inspired pattern into three related design ideas ✨ Why a shared color palette can bring an entire collection together ✨ Why not every pattern needs to be the star—and how simple coordinates give bolder designs room to shine ✨ How to give your existing artwork new life with different color combinations ✨ A simple creative exercise to help you imagine your first three coordinating patterns ➡️ KEY RESOURCES & LINKS: Explore my Halloween-inspired repeating patterns and design Reels on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ Watch one of my Halloween pattern design Reels: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj1AYXujMNC/ 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- 2 weeks ago11 min
E76 Create From A Moment
SHOW NOTES: Have you ever stared at a blank page and wondered what to draw? Sometimes all you need is a theme to get your creative imagination going! In this episode of Creative Business Spark, I'm using Halloween as an example of how one occasion can inspire dozens of surface pattern designs. From playful pumpkins and black cats to unexpected color combinations, we'll explore how your personal style turns familiar motifs into original artwork. I'll also share how I've approached my own Halloween patterns and why one little doodle can lead to so many possibilities. 👉 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: ✨ Why choosing a theme can make it easier to find creative inspiration ✨ How Halloween offers endless possibilities for motifs, from friendly ghosts to spooky silhouettes ✨ Why your personal artistic style makes familiar subjects uniquely yours ✨ How experimenting with unexpected color palettes can completely change a design's mood ✨ How one simple motif can become the starting point for a repeating pattern—and eventually inspire a coordinating collection ➡️ KEY RESOURCES & LINKS: Watch my Halloween pattern designs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ Halloween design Reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj1AYXujMNC/ 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- 3 weeks ago6 min
E75 Why I'm Not Very Good At Taking A Break
SHOW NOTES: I’m not very good at taking a break. After a big project or launch, my first instinct is usually to dive straight into the numbers, figure out what worked, and start thinking about the next thing. In this episode, I’m sharing why slowing down doesn’t come naturally to me, what actually helps me reset, and why I’m starting to think that rest doesn’t always mean doing nothing. Sometimes it simply means creating enough distance from your normal routine to come back to yourself. 👉 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✨ Why my first instinct after a big project is to analyze everything instead of rest ✨ How the rhythm of running an online business can make it hard to ever feel truly finished ✨ Why unused massage gift certificates have become a funny reminder that I need to slow down ✨ How travel—especially Paris—helps me step out of my normal pace and reset ✨ Why I’m beginning to think rest is less about doing nothing and more about creating space 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- Oct 5, 20269 min
E74 I Don't Always Try To Figure It Out Alone
SHOW NOTES: If there’s something I really want to get good at, I usually don’t try to figure out every single part of it by myself. In this episode, I’m sharing three very different learning experiences—from tennis, to becoming fluent in French, to building an online business—that taught me the value of learning from people who already know the path. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stop wandering, find the right teacher, and let them help you move forward faster. 👉 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✨ Why practicing with someone better than you can help you find the rhythm you can’t reach on your own ✨ What learning French through total immersion taught me about making progress quickly ✨ Why I chose to learn online business from Amy Porterfield instead of piecing everything together myself ✨ What I mean when I talk about “cutting a check for speed” ✨ Why being capable of figuring something out yourself doesn’t mean you always have to 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- Sep 28, 20266 min
E73 Confidence Comes After You Begin
SHOW NOTES: If you’ve been waiting to feel more confident before you start something creative, this episode is for you. I’m sharing why confidence usually doesn’t come first—it grows from the small pieces of evidence you collect when you try, learn, make mistakes, and keep going. You don’t have to feel completely ready. Sometimes you just need enough courage to take the very next step. 👉 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✨ Why confidence often comes after you begin—not before ✨ How small creative wins become evidence that you really can do this ✨ Why giving yourself permission to be a beginner changes everything ✨ How one first step can turn something intimidating into something familiar ✨ Why you don’t need a ten-year plan—you just need the courage for the next step 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- Sep 21, 202614 min
E72 What You'll Experience During Doodles Coaching Week
SHOW NOTES: If you’ve been curious about surface pattern design but still aren’t quite sure what a repeating pattern is—or what it would actually feel like to learn how to make one—this episode is for you. I’m showing you exactly what you can expect inside Doodles Coaching Week, from the short live lessons and same-day replays to the step-by-step written guides and community support. I learned Adobe Illustrator myself in my late 50s, so I know how overwhelming it can look when you first open it. That’s exactly why I’ve designed this experience to make learning feel clear, supported and doable. 👉 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✨ What a repeating pattern is and how surface pattern design works ✨ Why you do not need to learn everything in Adobe Illustrator to create your first pattern ✨ How the short live lessons and same-day replays make it easier to learn on your own schedule ✨ Why every core lesson includes a written step-by-step guide with screenshots ✨ How live support and community help you keep going when something doesn’t work the first time ✨ What you can expect to create during Doodles Coaching Week ➡️ KEY RESOURCES & LINKS: Join Doodles Coaching Week for just $37. 🌸https://members.artwithanne.com/doodles 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
- Sep 14, 202611 min
E71 What Happens After You Create Your First Repeating Pattern
SHOW NOTES: Your first repeating pattern doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. In fact, that’s not really the point. In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when you take that first tiny step into surface pattern design, even if you have no idea where to start and technology feels intimidating. Your first pattern is proof that you can learn something new, take it one baby step at a time, and do something that once felt completely out of reach. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your own designs on fabric but wondered whether Illustrator might be too hard, this episode is for you. 👉 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✨ What surface pattern design actually means if the term is new to you ✨ Why your first repeating pattern does not need to be a masterpiece ✨ Why learning only the Illustrator tools you need at the beginning can make the process feel much more manageable ✨ How one small creative success can give you real evidence that you are capable ✨ Why you do not need to know where your creative journey is going before you begin ➡️ KEY RESOURCES & LINKS: Doodles Coaching Week:https://members.artwithanne.com/doodles 📌 CONNECT WITH ME: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelafolletteart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelafolletteart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnneLaFollette1
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About Creative Business Spark
Need help navigating through life after getting laid off from your job or as you approach retirement? Join Anne La Follette, former corporate Vice President, who reinvented herself in her late 50s after getting laid off from a job she loved. Becoming a successful creative entrepreneur from scratch was no easy feat. Anne brings her “can do” attitude and warm heart to support you in achieving your creative dreams at any age. Tune in for practical, step by step advice, whether you’re just dipping your toes into the entrepreneurial waters or you’ve got an established creative business that needs some “spark”. Welcome the The Creative Business Spark podcast where: It’s Never Too Late To Create®.
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