If you are an artist seeking to develop your unique style and want to share it with the world I don’t need to tell you how an artist community creates a fast-lane to artistic growth and success.

You know how a sense of belonging and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other artists doing the work helps you stay accountable for your art.

You understand the value of feedback from peers and mentors, which is a necessary ingredient to build your skill and develop your unique voice.

You’ve also heard that quote by Jim Rohn where he says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” You know to improve your art game, you need a community to level up.

What you might NOT know is there is a secret about following through on your art goals (hint: it has nothing to do with finding more time).

Community is a key ingredient to following through on your art goals and can help you:

Proudly Call Yourself ARTIST

There is a reason so many still call themselves beginners or worry about being self-taught when they use the word artist. What if you could stop worrying about labels and focus more on making your art?

Use A Proven Formula to Find Your Voice

There is a formula experts use to build their expertise, and you can apply this formula to create the art life you’ve always wanted. Community is absolutely integral to your success.

Define Success

You deserve to meet your own artistic goals and dreams, not the Instagram curated version of your peers. Community forces you to articulate those goals and dreams and really ask yourself: is this what I want for my art?

While all of this may feel obvious, the question becomes where can you find the RIGHT kind of community? That’s tough.

Maybe you feel like a beginner, and calling yourself an artist is relatively new. You still aren’t sure about your style or creative voice. You want some guidance, encouragement, and opportunity for reflection all from someone who has been there before you. And you know a creative community will help you get there.

Here is why so many artists abandon their somewhat secret hope to be more skillful and have a distinct style:

They don’t have a step-by-step formula guiding them through the creative process.

They have no idea how to find their voice or if they will ever realize their goal. They begin to wonder if it’s only “God-given” and that their effort is in vain.

Why does this stop artists from even starting their art?

When you believe in the myth of talent, and that it is something you are born with, or without, it doesn’t leave much room for you to grow.

It also makes sharing your art with peers a competition: who has more talent than me? It becomes a game of comparison of artists with style, and artists without. And that is a scary place from which to start sharing your art.

Luckily, there is a formula to build your skill and find your unique voice. And you can find the right kind of peers, a safe space to be vulnerable and share all the wins and losses around your art.

You can also ask REAL questions and get honest answers.

But first you should avoid the 4 false beliefs artists have when trying to develop their style:

Getting organized means you have more time and freedom to make the art YOU want to create.

Of course, there is the question of HOW to get organized. There are so many systems out there you could spend hours researching the merits of each one.

Or you could learn a few strategies that help you keep focused and prioritized on the things that most matter to you, so you can get back into your studio and make more art.

Our personality types and artist processes are all different. And this means we also fit into different categories of accountability.

Some people MUST have a community to thrive. Others need to understand WHY they are doing what they do.

Knowing your personality type and how it impacts your creative process will not only help you follow through on your goals, it will help you create systems to reach the goals you really care about.

In order to develop a unique voice you have to explore art that interests you and most students start out by copying artwork by other people.

This is the very beginning of finding your voice and an important step to developing the confidence to start trying out your own ideas!

The key to finding your artist voice is to make sure you understand the source of your inspiration.

Research by Anders Ericsson breaks down a specific formula used by people across all disciplines to improve their skill and become expert in everything from golf to art. One of those necessary ingredients is feedback.

In order to grow, you need feedback from artists who are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you AND from mentors who are ahead of you on your path to artistic success.

And feedback isn’t pointing out only the things wrong with your art: it’s INFORMATION.

You need to learn how to sift through feedback and identify what is most valuable and informative to your creative process, and what feedback to discard.

I’m going to let you in on a secret.

Artists, of all mediums, have been using a similar formula to find their unique voice for ages.

As much as we like to claim to be free-spirited and guided by intuition, it’s a system that can guide you to your voice and let you confidently call yourself artist.

(Of course, this system has room to bend and break some rules. We ARE artists after all 😉 )

Absolutely key to this formula is your community, a sisterhood or family of artists who learn together.

It provides a critique setting that offers meaningful feedback and support.

You’ve realized you want to be in an environment with other artists who don’t see one another as competition, but as friends and peers who raise each other up.

What They Say…

I’ve taken my 13 years of experience teaching in and outside of classrooms and being an art examiner for a prestigious program called the I.B.,

getting my work exhibited in galleries and museums including The Smithsonian and The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts,

my extensive personal research into creative process and the science of expertise,

and channeled it into a 6 month program that offers community support, workshops and feedback to help you meet your own artistic goals and dreams.

The Circle isn’t an online course. It’s a 6 month exploration into your creative process.

It helps you create systems and structures to develop your unique voice as well as create strategies to reach for even larger art goals and dreams.

I outline the research into personality, accountability, and expertise to help you develop a system tailored to YOU and your art to go for your goals and ACT on them.

After these 6 months, you will:

  • blossom into an artist who fully understands her unique creative process
  • have clear structures in place that keep you organized and in your art studio on a regular basis
  • be working towards a series of artwork that speaks straight from your heart.

The Circle is unique in that it:

Focuses on Feedback:

in The Circle we focus on giving and receiving quality feedback to guide your creative process. I walk you through how to give and receive feedback to create the best art you can create.

Doesn’t teach you how to make art:

while the program shares formulas and systems to help you create, I don’t tell you what or how to create. I want you to make the art you feel called to create. (Don’t worry, if you aren’t sure what that looks like for you, I help you figure it out!)

Workshop content is varied:

recorded workshops include interviews with experts, activities from other artists and how-to videos all aimed to help you reach your unique artist goals.

Here’s what it all looks like:

-why keeping an art inventory is helpful and how it will help you make more art

-How to photograph and keep track of your art

-the easiest way to prioritize art in your day with a simple technique designed to reduce overwhelm and keep your eyes on the prize

-printable resources to help you get started sharing (and even selling) your art

-did you know your personality type impacts why and how you create? We talk with author David B. Goldstein about personality typing and creative process.

-when to return to your childhood to source your inspiration and how to mine your childhood for fresh creative ideas

-a step-by-step system for digging into your inspiration as an artist and how to use this information to create your own unique art

-why intuition is an important and integral part of creative process and 10 ways to connect to your intuition

-the truth behind selling out or being influenced by other artists or even the art market (hint: you don’t have to give up your voice or style to make art to show or sell)

-group and individual accountability

-the difference between feedback and art criticism

-when to ask for feedback on your art

-who to ask for feedback on your art

-8 considerations for giving and receiving feedback

-multiple opportunities for individual and group critique

-a safe environment to start sharing and asking for feedback on your art

-7 Questions to ask yourself to refine and improve your own art

-the answer to the always difficult question: is it finished?

-when to start applying for grants to exhibitions, or residencies

-the #1 consideration I make when choosing which art competitions to enter

-how to find the resources and support to build your website

-understanding and choosing multiple income streams

-the truth about crowdsourcing in spaces like Patreon (there’s no such thing as quick and easy money)

-how to create systems and prioritize art tasks that get you closer to your goals

-multiple opportunities for individual and group feedback on your goals

-group and individual accountability

-the secret to connecting with a community of people who support and celebrate your art

-sneaky ways to show your audience and community how much you care

-how promoting your art is a form of storytelling

-a 7 day step-by-step guide to creating an endless variety of stories for your blog, email list, or Instagram feed

-the secret to using key words (hint: it’s the best way to be found on the internet)

-the secret about rejection (hint: stop thinking it’s something to avoid!)

 

Course Map for The Circle:

To ensure your mastermind experience is comprehensive and thorough you’ll get access to:

Recorded workshops:

  • Watch anytime, anywhere and at your own pace on a private membership website.
  • Content is designed to complement your time in the studio and is released over the course of 6 months to keep you focused on creating and avoid content overwhelm.
  • Workshops are short and digestible with clear action steps and demonstrations.
  • Many are accompanied with worksheets to help you take immediate action on and for your art.

Community:

  • Get to know and connect with fellow artists in a private Facebook Group and in the private website community. Post your art to the group or website and ONLY artists in the group will see it.
  • Get feedback on your works in progress from Carrie (that’s me) and your peers.
  • Ask questions about and share takeaways from the workshops.
  • And most importantly: enjoy a space where people hear you and keep you accountable to your goals. It’s safe to be vulnerable and share the real wins and losses that come from making art.

Individualized Feedback:

  • Not only is there a community space where you can ask for help, I offer a monthly 1 hour question and answer session each month (two for GOLD level) via a webinar.
  • I can share and draw on digital images of your artwork to offer feedback, brainstorm additional ideas for new art or even review your website or social media postings.
  • Feedback is absolutely integral to success as a creative and you need it to happen with someone who has been there before you AND can offer support with a compassionate and understanding voice.
  • (Here’s a link to feedback videos that are similar to what you can get inside The Circle).

Course Map for The Circle GOLD:

What would it be worth to you if you could:

→ start making art with your unique artist voice
→ create a series of unique artworks to exhibit or sell
→ meet and work alongside other makers striving towards similar goals
→ create a regular habit of making art that would help you have a happier, healthier life
→ feel confident and proud to call yourself artist in front of friends, family and strangers
→ begin to think about your art in new ways: develop strategies to sell art or fund more art making, raise money for charity or begin to build an income

That’s what I’m offering you today.

Join The Circle today and get access to: private membership site full of recorded workshops, worksheets, interviews, a private Facebook group, live Q&A calls, weekly emails to guide your journey, mentorship and peer community.

  • Discover your unique artist voice and your own definition of artistic success and start taking action on it.
  • Uncover tools to help you not only set the right goals for yourself, but how to stay organized and actually follow through on them.
  • Create and use your habit of regular making to work towards a series or portfolio of art.
  • Become part of the most caring and supportive group of artists I know.

The Circle

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $44 USD

Monthly for 6 months

The Circle GOLD

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $68 USD

Monthly for 6 months

Questions? I’ve got answers. Email: Carrie@ArtistStrong.com

Why should you join The Circle today?

You’ve been trying to do it all on your own. Maybe you’ve taken some other courses that teach you how to make art like other artists. But now you are ready to:

  1. Investigate and discover YOUR unique voice. You feel called to do more. Something bigger is on the horizon for your art and you are ready to listen to that inner voice asking to be heard.
  2. Uncover a system that helps you make your best art, on your own terms. You are tired of looking at how other artists are growing and discovering and succeeding and you want to find your own way.

The Circle opens once a year for registration. Yes, you could always wait one more year, but if you keep waiting for the “right” time: when will you ever prioritize your art?

 

You can start to find your voice and how you wish to share your art with the world if you join The Circle today.

The Circle

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $44 USD

Monthly for 6 months

The Circle GOLD

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $68 USD

Monthly for 6 months

Questions? I’ve got answers. Email: Carrie@ArtistStrong.com

45 Day Money Back Guarantee

If after 45 days you’ve given The Circle your all and aren’t satisfied you can receive a full refund. Once you demonstrate evidence of your labor of all content discussed and covered up to that date (Mar 5, 2019) I am happy to return your investment. I want you to grow and learn and discover. If you don’t feel The Circle is right for you let us part ways with peace and respect. You can see the full refund policy here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I pay in installments?

Yes, you can pay for your 6 month mastermind monthly. When you sign up, you do commit to payment for the entire 6 month program. If you miss a monthly payment, you can lose access to the content offered in the program until you make your next payment.

What if I change my mind?

If after 45 days you’ve given The Circle your all and aren’t satisfied you can receive a full refund. Once you demonstrate evidence of your labor of all content discussed and covered up to that date (Mar 5, 2018) I am happy to return your investment. I want you to grow and learn and discover. If you don’t feel The Circle is right for you let us part ways with peace and respect.

How do I know The Circle is for me?

If you are committed to upleveling your art, you will commit time and effort to your art and your goals. You have 6 months of guided support to get you there. But in the end, The Circle will only be as good as the effort you put into it. Be ready to focus on making art, talking about art and sharing art. If you are struggling financially and it is difficult to pay your bills I recommend you wait to invest in this program.

Do I need to use the FB Group?

You are under no obligation to participate in the FB Group, but it does act as a classroom where you can develop relationships with other artists and get feedback on your art.

Where do I find all of the lessons?

All workshop content is included in a membership site. You will receive a link to the site with a unique username and password to watch your tutorials.

I’m not entirely confident of calling myself an artist yet, is The Circle still good for me?

Yes! My experience in teaching was working specifically with many students who had little art experience but by the end of their time with me began to see and develop a unique artist style. If you want to develop your art and be able to discover your style to build a portfolio, The Circle is a great place to begin.

Having found the Soul Brush Sessions with Artist Strong to be inspiring and supportive, it was natural for me to join Artist Strong’s The Circle in its inaugural launch. I knew from experience that Carrie would be supportive of artists like myself who were ready to move forward and grow their art business.

She has made it her mission to help artists, who had aspirations beyond the current stage of their development, get from here to there. Joining The Circle was the best thing I could do for myself as an artist in 2016. She has shared her knowledge, but more so, she has helped me to grow, to embrace new experiences, to see that it’s okay to ask for help when you truly need it and that giving others the opportunity to be encouraging can be a blessing in itself.

Lynn Radford

Piney Creek Acres Curiosities

Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic talks about all of the artists she has met looking for permission to begin finding their voice and making the art their heart calls them to make.

 

You don’t have to be more skillful.

You don’t have to have better art materials.

And you certainly don’t need an art degree to make good art.

 

It’s time to make yourself that permission slip Gilbert tells us to make. And find a system that will help you aim for and reach the goals you have for your art.

I have learned a lot, have so much fun, and really appreciate the guidance Carrie has given me to find my niche, clients, and place in the art world. It is indeed a special experience to be a part of The Circle.

Cheryl Erickson

Cheryl's Workshop

When I joined The Circle, I had been following Artist Strong for quite a while, attending the workshops and reading the blog; I liked Carrie’s style of teaching. So when Carrie talked about The Circle during a workshop, I jumped at the chance. I was at a point in my art career where I knew something needed to change, but not quite what.

Since I joined The Circle, I’ve gained a lot of clarity into what my strengths are, and where I want to take my art. I’ve also learned a lot about running an art business, both from Carrie and the other members. The feedback and support in The Circle has been awesome, and I would recommend joining to anyone.

Linda Ursin

Strange Bird

The Circle

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $44 USD

Monthly for 6 months

The Circle GOLD

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $68 USD

Monthly for 6 months

AND a 45 Day Money Back Guarantee

Questions? I’ve got answers. Email: Carrie@ArtistStrong.com

The Circle is Perfect for You If…

If you catch yourself thinking ‘that’s me!’ to any of these scenarios, it’s time to commit to your art and register for The Circle:

– You’ve taken art classes that show you how to create in the style of other artists, and are beginning to feel like you need a new challenge.

– You have a hard time finishing the other online classes you’ve signed up for and want a space to keep you accountable to the goals you set for yourself.

– You feel nervous describing yourself as an artist to friends, family or strangers. You aren’t sure what they will ask you about your art and so you avoid talking about it.

– You have no idea how to take quality photographs of your art, nor how to set up things like a Redbubble account nor a Patreon account as a means to start selling or promoting your art.

– You feel stuck for ideas when it comes to sharing and talking about your art: you want to share better stories that get people asking questions about and sharing your art.

– You want to apply to show your art in exhibitions, but you don’t even know where to start looking.

– You’ve sold a few artworks here and there, but have no idea how to go about building consistent income from your work.

If any of these sound like you, I really look forward to getting to know you and your art.

True community isn’t just a group of people with a common cause, it’s a sisterhood that lifts you up.

 

Enroll in The Circle today

The Circle

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $44 USD

Monthly for 6 months

The Circle GOLD

Try it for $1 for the first month.

 

Decide to stay –> Pay $68 USD

Monthly for 6 months

Questions? I’ve got answers. Email: Carrie@ArtistStrong.com