For the past few weeks I have been taking a course by Monica Lee called Smart Creative Style. I met Monica about 3 years ago at The Creative Connection Event. I was drawn to her friendly “girlfriend” style, her sincerity and ability to talk to almost anyone! Since then she has started the blog and video interview series over at Smart Creative Women. You might remember when she interviewed me a while back. Her latest venture is the eCourse, Smart Creative Style. It has been so enlightening for me, and although I’m not finished with every lesson, I thought I would take a moment and share part of the journey with you.

 

 an excerpt of my “color and fonts” board

As you know, I recently redesigned my website, blog layout, colors, logo, etc. It was a long over-due refresh, after blogging for what will be 8 years this May. When your blog evolves into a business and you evolve into an author and things are constantly changing and growing, it’s hard to keep up with yourself! I felt like it was time to step back and take a look at where I’d been and where I want to go. Getting the website done helped me look back by having all of my work organized and accessible. I’ve generated a lot of content over the years!

 

an excerpt of my “nature style” board

Now, looking forward…not so easy, right? There are things I’d like to do for my business, for the blog and for myself. But what things are right for me and my brand? That’s where Smart Creative Style comes in to play. The course is the perfect balance between defining the visual and philosophical aspects of your business and honing in on the marketing and business aspects to support your vision.

 

 My first compilation board

The coolest part about the weekly assignments is that they got me thinking about things in a different way. Part of the class was spent creating “mood” boards using Pinterest. We began with themes that were unrelated to our products or businesses, like “nature” or “interiors”. Classmates share by posting links to their Pinterest boards over in the class’s private Facebook page. At some point we each compile images from our own boards to create our personal style board. It is surprisingly challenging! Sometimes it’s easier to see someone else’s style than it is to see your own. It is fascinating to witness what emerges.

 

My second compilation board

I ended up with 2 compilation boards, above. My images, although I love each one, somehow separated themselves into 2 groups. I have a bright bold patterned board and a rich, earthy textured board. I love looking at them! And, going forward, these boards will help me keep me in check as I navigate new ideas, products and imagery for my work. They are pure inspiration!

Of course there’s so much more than that! This is just scratching the surface and the course has loads of business-y content to go along with the visual exercises. I still need to sit down and take some good notes from the lessons. There’s so much to learn but it’s delivered in an absorbable way. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

This was the second session of Smart Creative Style. If you’d like to read some testimonials, you can check them out on the SCS site. Monica will be offering the course again next fall if you are interested! And by the way, I’m not being compensated in any way for writing about my experience. I just found it valuable and wanted to share it with those who might be interested.

Follow me on Pinterest! Visit my page to see all of my boards marked “SCS” for this course.