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Running a Business

why blogging isn’t dead

I realize this statement might be hollow coming from a blogger, but I hope you’ll hear me out on this. My perspective on why blogging isn’t dead is much more objective than you might imagine. In fact, I’m quite pragmatic for a creative person. I can detach myself from the fact that I’m a blogger by profession and look at it from the perspective of an entrepreneur. I’m also realistic about how the internet landscape has changed over the past 15 years and how social media has altered the way we ingest content. This post is coming out of several conversations I’ve had with other business owners over the years, one as recently as last week, and I decided it was time to put all my thoughts on this issue in a blog post. I’ve always struggled with what to put on my business card since I’ve worn a lot

August 19, 2024 40 Comments

Art

royalty-free artist reference photos site launch

I’ve been working on a new project behind the scenes for a few months and now, we’re ready to officially launch! I am so excited to introduce you to my new site… www.artistreferencephotos.com One of the greatest frustrations I’ve experienced as a growing artist is finding reference photos for the things I want to paint that I might not see daily. My readers and Instagram followers have generously shared photos with me when I put the call out, but not every artist has a generous audience as a resource to tap into when specific photos are needed. Yes, artists can search for images online, but there are restrictions even on “free” photo-sharing websites and things can get sticky if you want to license your work for reproduction and sale. I found in all of my online searches that there isn’t a website that is truly a royalty-free reference photo library

June 6, 2024 16 Comments

a slice of life

April 2024 Creative Retreat Takeaways

I’m so glad I was finally able to get away for a Creative Retreat last week. It’s been over four years since the last one, so it was way overdue! I had my first Creative Retreat in 2018 and it was a special experience. Other than blog conferences, I had never taken time away from home and work specifically for creative and professional growth, study, rest, and rejuvenation. In early 2018, we had just moved to Minnesota, I was transitioning my business from furniture refinishing and selling antiques to whatever was next, and I had some big things to think about and questions about the future of my creative work to answer. I came home with clarity and a renewed enthusiasm for my work. Since then, I’ve taken a few Creative Retreats and learned that I need about one a year to clear the cobwebs, brainstorm, and gain a bit

May 10, 2024 12 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

antique shoe cart reproduction & inspiration

Over the years, I have bought and sold more antique “shoe carts” than I can properly remember. These antique shelves on wheels are called shoe carts because they were often used in shoe factories to transport shoes around the factory. I have found carts that are all different shapes and sizes and made in different styles. Some have spindles making the “shelves” instead of a board (like the first shelf.) I always preferred the ones that had solid shelves (or could be adapted with boards) so they were more versatile. I’ve mostly used these antique shoe carts for retail display or storage in my old studio in PA, but I did use one or two in my home over the years in my kitchen and home office. When I was an antique dealer, I bought and sold a lot of ironstone, so these carts were fantastic for displaying stacks of

February 13, 2024 8 Comments

Antiques

Lucketts Spring Market 2023

I feel like I’m going home in a way! The Lucketts Spring Market was a big event in my business for almost a decade and it’s so fun to be back. I’m just going as a shopper on VIP day, which is a lot less work than being a vendor! In case you have never heard of Lucketts or you need a refresh (or just some interesting backstory about gritty entrepreneurs), let’s rewind. The Old Lucketts Store is an antique/home decor/everything store that probably never should’ve been a success. It is an 1800s general store/boarding house in a one-stoplight town on a pokey two-lane road in the farms and vineyards of Loudon County, Virginia that will never, ever get foot traffic. At the time the old building became an antique store in 1996, Loudoun County was still mostly cornfields. It wasn’t the bustling DC suburb that is one of the

May 11, 2023 13 Comments

a slice of life

walking again

“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” – Henry David Thoreau As some of you know, I broke my foot back in May. While it was a frustrating inconvenience during packing and a move, over time, I found the greatest loss for me was not being able to go on my daily walks. Yes, it’s exercise and working towards a 10,000-step goal. Yes, it’s taking Sebastian out, enjoying the sunshine, and getting some fresh air. But, it has become an important part of my creative process over the years. And I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I was able to start going out on long walks again. I’m slow (we’re talking a sad 25-minute-mile), but I am walking again and it feels amazing. I use my time walking mostly to listen to audiobooks and podcasts about creativity, creative work,

January 10, 2023 29 Comments

Photography

my DSLR camera gear & tips | creative business

This week, I was asked to give recommendations for a “real camera” and lenses. As I started answering the question, I decided digging up an old post I wrote about my camera gear and sharing that link would be a more thorough answer, but then I saw that post was 11 years old! Yeah, I need to write an updated post sharing about my camera gear, why I have each piece of kit, how I use it and offer some tips when you’re shopping for a DSLR camera and using it to shoot interiors and products. To start off, let me say that I shoot Nikon, so those are the products I will recommend. I know many people prefer Canon, so if that’s your preference, you can find comparable camera bodies and lenses. Both brands are excellent and it really does come down to preference. It is nice to

August 25, 2022 13 Comments

my business story

feels like home book launch team

Thank you so much for all of the enthusiasm and support for my new book, ! Writing a book is such a long process and you never know how it will be received, but the feedback I’ve been hearing on the sneak peeks and previews have been so positive and encouraging. I can’t wait until the physical book ships out to all of those who order it! For those who have preordered the book and are super-excited about it, I’d like to invite you into something really special – The Feels Like Home Launch Book Team! Since I’ve never launched a launch team before and you may have never been on a launch team (or heard of one), let’s do a little Q&A. I’ll answer the questions I think you’ll have and then I’ll answer them, too. You can just sit back and read! So, basically, just like usual. What

August 19, 2021 7 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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