Finally, a business plan I can relate to

Despite my very tight budget I couldn’t resist the urge last week, to buy some books. I bought two books by Grand Food Pubah Michael Pollan. You know; “eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” and one by Michael Bernard Beckwith about spiritual liberation.

The one that I wanted to talk to you about is called The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam. I learned about it through a healing arts site. Lisa calls the book “a DIY visual guidebook for making business ideas real”.

I fell in love with this book at first sight. Although I already have the usual boring all text and statistics business plan I needed something else. The business plan I have is strictly for presenting to business people if I ever need to ask for money for a grant or something. I never refer to it for myself, although I must admit it needs updating.

But what about something for me? Lately, my art, writing and my business plans have been coming together in weird chimeras. They refuse to stay in their boundaries. They have more directions than The Pointed Man in that movie The Point. I have always thought of art journaling as a hobby, but it’s not the direction I want to go in if I want to boost my sales. Who buys other people’s art journals?

As for my ideas and business plans, I’ve got notebooks full. Enter, this book. Rather than have me write more notebooks full of lists, likes, wants, dislikes etc. this book instructs me to create mandalas and vision boards.

I have created mandalas, vision boards and journals but not as a business tool. This book takes me step by step and gives me all sorts of insights to keep moving me forward.

There are many more books and sites on making visual journals but this book in my opinion is the one you need if you are thinking of your art as a business. In fact, if you want to know more, check out The Creative Entrepreneur website.

Happy journaling