The And She Looked Up Podcast

Winner of the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards for fiction, Susan Wadds, author of "What the Living Do", shares her inspiring journey from aspiring poet to published novelist. But we also discuss the power of community and connection in the creative process. Susan fosters safe communities for other creatives through her workshops and retreats while also creating additional revenue streams for herself and she shares with us ...

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Canadian small business owners - including artists and makers - are facing the uncertainty of potential US tariffs in 2025. So what can we do? 

While we have no say in whether or not another country decides to levy tariffs against us, we do have the ability to prepare ourselves to weather what could turn out to be a few clouds on an otherwise pleasant day or a full on tornado that rips up the landsca...

As we close out 2024, Heather and Melissa reflect on the ups and downs of the past year and look ahead to what's coming in 2025. This episode highlights the core theme of finding joy amid challenges as we close out one year and being another.

Here's a quick recap of what we get into!

• Recap of 2024 and its unexpected challenges 
• Importance of joy in art and creativity 
• Personal growth throug...

Award winning poet and writer Kim Fahner joins the show this week to share her creative journey and discuss the importance of forming a community of our peers. Forging nurturing and supportive connections with other creatives in a country as vast, and empty, as Canada can feel like a huge challenge - particularly for those in smaller or rural communities. We also discuss the copyright implications of AI for creators and why it&apos...

With Black Friday coming up quickly and market season in full swing, should you discount your creative work? There's a time and a place for discounts. This week we go over the pros and cons of offering or granting discounts and why it is SO crucial to price your work properly in order to have more marketing flexibility in your business

This is a great episode for creatives who...
⭐️ don't know how to respond ...

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Thanks to Patreon supporter Sonia for this month's question. Sonia would like to get her cards and other products into local stores and was looking for some wholesale tips! 

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Ea...

If you need a good dose of hope and inspiration this week, then Episode 177 is for you. Canadian writer and author Beka Shane Denter joins the show to talk about her latest book, Bloom Across Canada - an inspirational collection of conversations with 50 diverse women and non-binary creatives entrepreneurs from all across Canada. 

Beka shares how a pandemic, her nomadic life and a career as a features and content writer he...

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Getting it in under the wire this month! A little behind the scenes with my fluffy new studio intern and then getting into some words about making strategic investments in our creative businesses and how taking very calculated financial risks in our business can really pay off. Some things to think about over the next few months while you noodle around plans for 2025!

You can connect with the podcast on:

• ...

In this week's regular season episode, Melissa and Heather explore the transformative power of intentional rituals in our creative practices. Rituals are different from habits. And, there's real science behind them and how they affect our brains. They can help shape our creative mindset, help us achieve a state of flow, quite our inner critic and much more!

Do you have a particular ritual or rituals you perform ...

For Week 13 of Prep for the Holidays we're talking about how to accept payments at your holiday events, markets and pop-ups. You're going to need a payment processor! And if you've already got one, you've probably had at least one freakout moment with your payment processor hardware or software. 

So, let's talk about what you'll need and a quick checklist of what double (triple, quadruple) che...

In this week's regular season episode, classically trained fashion designer Rebecca Rowe joins the show to talk about how she pivoted her business (and how a disaster pushed her to embrace that pivot full force!) from a designer to a stylist who helps other women find confidence in their wardrobe. And then, she took on what, at first glance, appeared to be a surprising collaboration to expand her business even further. Take a ...

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Sorry for the late episode but here I am! I've been thinking a lot about long-form video (think YouTube) the last six months or so. Mostly why I think it could be important for creatives in this age of AI, IP theft and the need to double down on showing the human behind the work. I know... I just heard you all groan collectively. But take a listen, and hear me out! 
NOTE: I accidentally said that Ins...

It's Week 12 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series and it's time for us to prep all our online shop for the holiday rush. Whether you sell on Etsy, eBay, your own website or any other online platform, there a few things you'll want to make sure are in tip top shape before shoppers land!

We're going to talk about photography - especially for key products - SEO, titles and descriptions, telling the...

In this week's regular season episode we're covering the powerful impact that increasing Average Order Value (AOV) can have on your bottom line with 15 ideas for you to try in your creative business.

I share my own experiences as an illustrator who significantly increased my AOV and sales by learning to bundle items and offer bulk discounts - among other tactics . You’ll learn how this simple shift can transform ...

For Week 11 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series, I'm focusing on market booths!

Now is the time to start planning this year's booth, buying or making any display items you might need, thinking through your signage, ordering business cards, deciding how to coax people to sign up for your email list so you can build a long term relationship with them and... figuring out strategies to encourage higher aver...

In Week 10 of our Prep for the Holidays series we're talking about planning and preparing your holiday promotions now, to reduce stress later! There's lots of actionable tips to plan all your holiday promotions - including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day - well in advance. I'll also share some tips on how to craft deals that not only capture attention but also ensure you remain profitable during the busies...

In the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather jump into the deep end to talk about creating our creative process. When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? Have you mixed things up lately? Moved your desk? Painted outside?  Tried to find a way to make a dreaded task more fun?

Sometimes, we get into a rut, or a comfortable groove that doesn't push us forward. Or we procrastinate ...

It's Week #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series! To make sure you're on top of all your key deadlines and dates this holiday season, start by working backwards from December 31st. I'll walk you through key dates to make note of and how to ensure you've got enough time for making, marketing, selling and shipping!

Whether you’re an artist, maker, or creative service provider, this episode is jam-packed w...

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September is one of my favourite months of the year - it has always felt like the "real" new year to me! This is when my creative energy tends to come roaring back after the heat of summer and when I'm wanting to learn or try new things. It's also when I tend to re-engage with my business after a few months of taking things easy... so let's talk about some ways to take advantage of Se...