Finding and Sharing Inspiration with Peggy Dean
We recently had the pleasure of chatting with our friend Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters. She’s an artist, author, and educator, and just a pure joy to talk to.
When we spoke, it was at the beginning of a global pandemic. It has been hard to stay inspired lately, and Peggy recognized that we all (always) have things we’re dealing with and navigating. Quarantine and pandemic aside, if you’re feeling uninspired, her advice is for you.
On Staying Inspired:
Creativity and productivity definitely have their ebbs and flows, and it’s a natural human reaction to feel stagnant during tough times. When you want to take action but you’re feeling stuck, Peggy suggested pivoting, a word we use a lot around here. Channel your energy onto a different goal, something that’ll still be beneficial, and might help you get out of your block. Don’t stop making, don’t ignore your goals, but do something ELSE. It can fill you in a new way that can prompt your creativity and your fire.
For example, Peggy recently picked up a new skill (embroidery), and then decided to teach a class on it ! It sparked her creativity, kept her mind busy, channeled her creativity into something useful…and she learned so much that she decided to share it with a new class on Skillshare !
On Skillshare as a Community & Revenue Stream:
We all LOVE Skillshare around here! Peggy shared with us how this platform has been such a great learning resource for her as well as a revenue stream! There’s also so much value for educators on Skillshare beyond generating income; there’s a sense of community and a comfort in creating alongside other makers.
So many of Peggy’s classes have stemmed from documenting while she learns. And if you’re worried the platform is too saturated, or that you’re not good enough to teach anything…think again! It doesn’t matter if you’re the best—there is always someone who can learn from you, whatever stage you’re at. You have a unique voice and your own way of teaching. Embrace what makes you YOU! And don’t forget—to make the platform a consistent revenue source, you have to have the drive to consistently share and put your class out there in front of people.
“It doesn't matter if you're the best, you can just start.”
Another thing we talked about when learning a new skill, pivoting, or just finding other ways to be creative - you don’t have to monetize it! Sign up for a pottery class, have a “crafternoon”, try a DIY project or a new recipe—anything that’ll get your creative juices flowing! Sometimes just doing something creative for the JOY of it is what we need to get out of a dry spell or combat burnout.
Peggy suggests trying something like Crafters Box. Crafters Box literally shows up at your doorstep with everything you need to try a new craft and makes it super easy to experiment and build new creative skills.
On Self Publishing and Pursuing Passion Projects:
On top of everything else, Peggy has written a few books (check them out here). After receiving a few rejections from publishers for her first book, she decided to self publish instead. She reminds us that sometimes you just have to make things happen for yourself.
“I don’t need your YES”.
The initial rejections didn’t phase Peggy. Instead she told us “I got even more motivated because I was like 'I have been putting so much work—I have already exerted so much energy—I don't need your yes." Peggy turned those “no’s” into fuel; she didn’t need anyone else’s “yes” to make her goal a reality. Her hard work paid off, and those same publishers later reached back out, asking to be involved with her next projects! She had the tools to keep self publishing, but eventually found a great partnership for future books thanks to her own hard work and dedication.
Peggy is a firm believer that if you put your heart and soul into something, it’ll come back to you ten fold.
We loved chatting with Peggy! Check out the full interview over on our IGTV (part one | part two).
Peggy’s membership site, The Flock, is a full of resources, an amazing community, and accountability.
For more conversations about monetizing your artwork, feedback and resources, join our free online community of artists just like you.