As 2017 dawns, we can’t stop thinking about the concept of unfolding. Like many of you, we’re anxious to see how the year evolves, but we also can’t wait to see how this time unfolds for each of you, both professionally and personally. We can tell you without any reservation that Alt Summit is unfolding like the most perfect gift reveal. Truly, we’re giddy with all the surprises we have in store for you. Keep your eye out for newsletters!
First, we want to introduce you to more amazing sponsors!
THE HOME DEPOT
The Home Depot is a resource for all things DIY, but did you know they sell beautiful home decor too? They are excited to connect and share all of the great partnership opportunities they have for talented creators and makers at Alt Summit. See what they’re up to by following them @homedepot on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
MUNCHKIN
We love Munchkin for continually developing innovative, modern, and credible products for babies and children. They are experts in making parents’ lives easier and more enjoyable by thinking of “the little things.” From feeding to bath time, Munchkin is powered by a NEVER-ENDING PASSION to find relevant, functional, and clever solutions for living a carefree and happy life. Check out their latest innovations on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.
WORKMAN AND FLOW
Have you heard of Flow? The gorgeous Dutch magazine that celebrates creativity, imperfection and taking time for life’s little pleasures? It’s a new Alt Team obsession. And we’re so excited that they have partnered with Workman Publishing to produce, publish, and distribute a range of books and calendars. The first products are scheduled to release in 2017 and are being introduced for the first time(!) at ALT 2017.
Workman and Flow would like to team up with members of the Alt community to announce this amazing partnership. If you’re interested (whether you’re attending Alt or not), reach out to Selina Meere. And there’s more! The founders and creative directors of Flow, Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst will be at Alt! This is your chance to pitch your work in person – illustrations, articles, paper based activities, mindful art and other ideas. Meetings will happen during the conference at the Saguaro Thursday, Feb. 2 and can be scheduled by emailing Selina Meere.
Second, we want to leave you with another inspiring Alt Chatter to think on.
This week’s topic? Unfolding and evolving. We asked three Alt Alum, “How do you think you have evolved as a blogger and a business person?”
Julia Fain, Tag & Tibby
I started out writing a casual blog with an emphasis on my vintage etsy shop. Since then, I’ve closed shop and integrated vintage touches into my Tag & Tibby brand. Most of my friends comment that my photography has improved – mostly from trial and error! I try to see each blog post as a magazine article. I’m picky about quality and, to be honest, shiver a bit at blog posts from 2+ years ago. I should probably reshoot those!
Nanette Wong
Looking back at the five years I’ve been blogging, I’ve become a lot better at saying no and giving myself value. I think a lot of bloggers say yes to everything, especially when you first start off and that can lead to compromising yourself or your authenticity or lead to burn out. Cheesy as it may sound, it’s important to always stay true to your goals and know your worth. I did a lot for free or very low pay in the beginning and it was harmful for all parties involved. For me, I was overworked. Because of that, I couldn’t deliver my best and that wasn’t great for the people I worked with. Fortunately, nothing happened that was too devastating, but I definitely had a come-to-Jesus moment where I had to reevaluate everything I was doing and learn to say no to certain things!
Mallory Whitfield, Miss Malaprop
I started my first creative business in 2004 and launched Miss Malaprop in 2006. I’ve changed a ton over the last 12 years, as anyone would in that much time. My knowledge and personal brand have both evolved, but my core mission of supporting independent artists and makers who want to make the world a better place remains the same. I’m lucky that I had the foresight to choose a brand name that would allow me to shift and evolve over time.
