Plan. Plan. Plan. Planning and organization are needed all throughout your creative process to make sure you’re headed in the right direction with your creative efforts. So, today's episode is geared toward giving you some practical tips on how to go about the planning phase for your creative journey. It also provides you with a framework (process outline) strategy that can help to formally build up your plan. You can't afford to skip this step, so tune in.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

So, let's talk about the "input" you get from those who are the closest to you -- those in your very own household. Now, you may be in a position where you're not getting much input directly (in the form of your family helping you with the actual business); but the indirect help can almost be just as important at times. As a matter of fact, that indirect help can come in the form of:

All of the direct and indirect help your household provides to you is essential in cultivating a healthy creative environment.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

You can find the Degrees of Maternity Teachers Pay Teachers store here.

In this 6th episode of the "Creative Entrepreneurship Basics" series, I continue the discussion about the importance of understanding that the destination our creative endeavors take has a lot to do with who comes along with us on our creative journeys. As creators, we should never travel alone in our quest for creative progress. And the input we receive from our accountability partners and those we serve are of paramount importance. If we, as creators, ask for others' input; then, we'd better make sure to provide a means in which people can provide that input, such as in surveys that pose questions to our audience. Click here to see a survey that I posed to my readers at the Degrees of Maternity blog and to those who are a part of my email list. And of course, your input is also welcomed -- ALWAYS.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

In this 5th episode of the "Creative Entrepreneurship Basics" series, I stress the importance of understanding that the destination our creative endeavors take has a lot to do with who comes along with us on our creative journeys. As creators, we should never travel alone in our quest for creative progress. And the input we receive from our accountability partners and those we serve are of paramount importance. Their involvement in our creative process can mean the difference between receiving THE BIG FAIL or THE PASSING MARK during our creative travels.  

In this continuation episode, I discuss the importance of having balance in your overall well-being, defined as the healthy functioning of the body, mind, and spirit. I pose some questions to help you self-inventory and identify those areas of your life that you’re neglecting and those areas that you’re micromanaging. That way, you can objectively determine the happy medium that can help create a sustainable middle ground for quality living.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

There are the same 24 hours allotted to us each and every day. But, how we choose to spend that time determines whether or not we live each day to its most positive potential. Many times, our days are spent on destructive habits that could lead to the shortening of the number of 24-hour periods we're able to enjoy in this life. As a matter of fact, balance is essential for longevity. Check out this episode that provides a "reality check" reminder that "Your Life is More Than Your Blog".

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

As a creative entrepreneur, here's a glimpse of what your main objective should consist of: finding solutions to real-life problems. In other words, I can call it a successful creative journey, when the road I'm travelling on allows me to recognize a real need of real people in real life and then seek to do something real to make an impact toward that need.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

In this episode, I simply discuss the call to action I'm inwardly being drawn to as a creative entrepreneur at Degrees of Maternity. And the call is real, folks. It became increasingly apparent to me that I needed to stop and take a look around at the world in which I'm living in. And while I was analyzing this world and the people within it, I noted the fact that the real people in it have real needs. There are real problems that need real solutions. And what better way to spend my time as a creative than to rise to the challenge of seeking solutions to those problems and providing those solutions to those who need them. And so, a new creative entrepreneurship journey begins.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

As a creative entrepreneur, your main objective should be to meet the real-life need(s) of real-life people out in the world. And once you’ve identified that need (those needs) needing fulfillment, it’s important to find out the characteristics of the person with the need(s). Some of the questions that you’ll want to answer in order to identify some of “your person’s” characteristics are as follows:

1) What are the demographics of your person?

2) What are the purchasing habits of your person?

3) Who is your person buying for?

4) Where does your person hang out?

In other words, you’ll need to do a little market research. Start with the questions above and you’ll soon begin to acquaint yourself with your target customer.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.

This episode is a continuation of the original episode with the same name. I discuss what blogging work might look like for the content creator who is new to the blogosphere or the content creator who's lost his or her way on the road to blogging success (forgetting what real blog work entails). I go into some detail on the following work-related categories: content creation & distribution, human resources management, information technology, marketing, public relations, and visual artistry.

Transcripts of the episodes are found at the Degrees of Maternity blog.