Finding and Sharing Inspiration with Peggy Dean
We recently had the pleasure of chatting with our friend Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters. Sheβs 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 weβre dealing with and navigating. Quarantine and pandemic aside, if youβre feeling uninspired, her advice is for you.
On Staying Inspired:
Creativity and productivity definitely have their ebbs and flows, and itβs a natural human reaction to feel stagnant during tough times. When you want to take action but youβre feeling stuck, Peggy suggested pivoting, a word we use a lot around here. Channel your energy onto a different goal, something thatβll still be beneficial, and might help you get out of your block. Donβt stop making, donβt 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 usefulβ¦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! Thereβs also so much value for educators on Skillshare beyond generating income; thereβs a sense of community and a comfort in creating alongside other makers.
So many of Peggyβs classes have stemmed from documenting while she learns. And if youβre worried the platform is too saturated, or that youβre not good enough to teach anythingβ¦think again! It doesnβt matter if youβre the bestβthere is always someone who can learn from you, whatever stage youβre at. You have a unique voice and your own way of teaching. Embrace what makes you YOU! And donβt forgetβto 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.
βIt doesn't matter if you're the best, you can just start.β
Another thing we talked about when learning a new skill, pivoting, or just finding other ways to be creative - you donβt have to monetize it! Sign up for a pottery class, have a βcrafternoonβ, try a DIY project or a new recipeβanything thatβll 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.
βI donβt need your YESβ.
The initial rejections didnβt phase Peggy. Instead she told us βI got even more motivated because I was like 'I have been putting so much workβI have already exerted so much energyβI don't need your yes." Peggy turned those βnoβsβ into fuel; she didnβt need anyone elseβs βyesβ 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, itβll come back to you ten fold.
We loved chatting with Peggy! Check out the full interview over on our IGTV (part one | part two).
Peggyβs 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.