Creatives on Camera: Artists and Crafters Using Video to Teach, Sell and Inspire Online

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In this solo episode, I walk you through the real results of our first Workshop Pre-Sell Challenge at the Academy for Virtual Teaching. If you have ever delayed teaching because your course “isn’t ready yet,” this is your invitation to do things differently. I share what actually happened when a group of creative teachers launched their workshops before building a single lesson. We talk about market testing, momentum, student feedback, tiny daily tasks, and the magic of building inside a supportive cohort. If you want a smarter, more joyful way to launch your next workshop, this debrief will give you clarity and confidence.

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This episode brings back the radiant and powerful Lisa Woolfork, founder of Black Women Stitch and host of Stitch Please Podcast. We move beyond her origin story (go listen to Part 1!) and step into the how, the structure behind her community-centered creative business. Lisa shares how she built a mission-driven model using Patreon, why she intentionally rejects hustle culture, and why sustainable systems (not burnout) fuel her work. We also talk tech: starting with a phone, simple gear, accessible workflows, and learning one step at a time. This conversation is intimate, energizing, grounding, and a masterclass in aligning your values with your business.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Anastasia Williams, founder of the Fiber Business Collective, to talk about what really sustains creative entrepreneurs: community, collaboration, and connection. Anastasia shares how her membership grew from a simple Slack group into a thriving hub for fiber artists, makers, and small business owners. We talk honestly about the realities of running a creative business, the pivots, the loneliness, the identity shifts, and the power of being surrounded by people who understand your world. If you're building something you love and you’re tired of doing it alone, this episode will help you rethink how support, transparency, and shared values can change everything.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

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• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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In this episode, I sit down with quilting educator and YouTuber Beth Ann Williams, who has built a thriving online teaching business by doing something many creatives are afraid to do: learn in public.

When chronic illness made travel impossible, Beth Ann shifted from in-person workshops to Zoom classes… and eventually discovered that YouTube was the most sustainable, scalable path for her creativity and her income. We talk honestly about letting go of perfection, showing up on camera before you feel ready, and using YouTube as a long-term platform to reach more students without burning out. Beth Ann shares what she’s learned about building community on YouTube, what analytics actually matter, and why this platform gives creatives more freedom than any social feed ever could.

She’ll also be teaching a brand-new YouTube for Creatives course with the Academy for Virtual Teaching in early 2026; sign up for our newsletter so you hear about it when it comes out.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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Some artists teach. Some artists build community. But Kimberley Pierce Cartwright does both with a depth of soul that you can feel the moment she starts speaking.

In this episode, Kimberley shares her remarkable journey, from sewing childhood dolls on a treadle machine with no electricity to becoming a textile artist, teacher, ceramic artist, conference founder, and creative force in her community. We talk about what it means to begin before you’re “ready,” how imperfect studios still serve thousands, and why showing up with love matters more than having the perfect equipment. Kimberley walks us through building the Kindred Spirits Quilt Conference, how she went from a raw warehouse space to a full convention center, and why bravery always begins with one small step. Her story is honest, funny, deeply human, and an incredible reminder that you don’t need perfection to make a powerful impact.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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This week, I’m talking with Alicia Díaz-Blevins, a fluid-art instructor, creative wellness mentor, and business consultant who turned her decades of corporate leadership experience into something beautiful, helping busy professionals decompress and reconnect with joy through art.

Alicia shares how painting became her sanctuary during years of high-pressure corporate work, and how she now blends mindfulness, breathwork, and creative play to help her students feel calmer, grounded, and restored. She walks us through how she teaches online with multi-camera setups, how she niches to high-achieving professionals, and why your voice (not your resume) is what draws students to you. If you’ve ever wondered whether your art could do more (heal more, reach more, transform more), Alicia’s story is your reminder that creativity is a powerful tool for emotional well-being.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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Some conversations stay with you long after the recording stops, and this one with Claudia Squio is absolutely that kind of episode.

Claudia is the founder of ColorWay Arts, an online school and creative business built around Cartonnage, the beautiful art of crafting fabric-covered boxes, books, and heirloom pieces that hold memory, meaning, and love. But the real story here isn’t only about craft. It’s about starting over in a new country, learning a new language, finding joy in creativity, building a business without meaning to, facing burnout, navigating deep personal healing, and finding a way back to yourself. Her wisdom is so honest, so generous, and so full of heart. And it’s a powerful reminder that our businesses can support us (not consume us) when we align with our values, trust our intuition, and allow ourselves to be human. You’re going to love this one.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

Fan Mail? Feedback? Suggestions?

What happens when living your truth means losing the community you thought was yours?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I sit down with Lisa Woolfork, founder of Black Women Stitch and host of the Stitch Please podcast, to discuss courage, integrity, and the cost of standing firmly by your values. Lisa shares her story of navigating racism in creative spaces, the heartbreak of rejection, and the freedom that followed when she chose to stop “auditioning her humanity” to belong. We talk about what it means to align your art, business, and voice with your values (even when it’s uncomfortable) and how creativity becomes a form of resistance, healing, and connection.

Lisa will return in a future episode to talk more about her sewing and community work, including the transformative impact of Black Women Stitch and Stitch Please. So stay tuned!

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

Fan Mail? Feedback? Suggestions?

This week on Creatives on Camera, I talk with Marcela Strasdas, a vibrant painter and art educator from Victoria, BC, whose creative journey proves that you don’t need perfection, you just need to start. Marcela shares how she built her first online course “one sticky note at a time,” testing her ideas in a backyard class before moving online. We discuss how to overcome tech fears, embrace imperfection, and cultivate confidence in front of the camera. Her story is full of practical advice for artists who want to teach online, from simple setups to authentic connections that keep students coming back. If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do this,” or felt stuck by tech or perfectionism, this episode will remind you that action, no matter how small, is what creates success.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

Fan Mail? Feedback? Suggestions?

Sometimes, life delivers the most powerful lessons in unexpected ways. My guest, Marianne Gargour, knows this intimately. A professional artist and certified life coach, Marianne transformed her cancer journey into a creative calling, helping others use art, mindfulness, and conversation to move from stress and overwhelm into joy and connection.

In this episode, Marianne shares her story of going from a fine artist focused on skill and performance to a creative mentor helping others embrace art as a tool for healing. We talk about building a coaching business with creativity at its core, listening deeply to your audience, hiring help before burnout hits, and trusting the slow, organic process of growth. Marianne reminds us that creativity doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be true, and that you don’t have to be good at art, because art itself is good for you.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!

You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!

• Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
• Instagram
• Facebook

>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!