Woohoo! The Right-Brain Business Plan was mentioned in the August issue of Entrepreneur Magazine as an online business planning resource for creative companies. The article includes great tips on making a simple plan.

With the rise of the handmade movement, it’s exciting to see so many resources for crafters, makers, and creatives. This resource roundup is all about crafty, creative business, including some upcoming events/conferences and a couple of sites chock full of great information.

• CraftyCon – A conference created by crafters, for crafters. Come join the fun in Chicago this October! I’ll be speaking about the Right-Brain Business Plan.
• Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs – This gathering is taking place in Seattle in August. The schedule looks awesome and they even have time blocked out for cupcakes!
• The Creative Connection event in September was created by Nancy Soriano, former editor-in-chief of Country Living and Jo Packham of Where Women Create.
• unanimouscraft has tons of fun, helpful resources for indie business.
• Crafting an MBA is an informative site with business resources for crafters and makers.
• My latest Musepreneur column on the wishstudio is all about hiring help for your creative business.

Twelve-year-old Adora Svitak asks “When was the last time you were called childish?” at the start of her brilliant and charming TED Talk about what adults can learn from kids. Believe me, you’ll get a kick out of her valuable insights into the importance of childlike-wonder and wild creativity.

Here’s a great post by Michelle James about what the self-organizing principles of improv theater can teach us about business creativity.

This post from Entrepreneur the Arts offers some great tips into how artists can apply the same principles of imagination that they use in their creative process to their real world business challenges.

More right-brain resource goodness:

• Some silly fun from the Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course: “The Left-Brain Chill Pill” (see photo above) for calming the judging mind and enhancing right-brain creative intuition. Take with two deep breaths.
• An interesting post that asks is the traditional business world at war with creativity?
• A graphical look at the value of creativity in business
• An oldie but goody with a cool photo: Storyboards as a business plan.

Here are right-brain resources for creative entrepreneurs that I’ve come across recently:

• Despite a tough economy, the expert in the above CNN video says now is the best time to start your own business and that entrepreneurs are going to be leaders of social-economic change! Woohoo!
• Gotta love the straight-talk from Danielle LaPorte regarding No Bullshit Branding & The Sustainable Empire of You
• Some great tips from painters, sculptors, and more: Best Practices for Artists
• I’m enjoying Daniel Pink’s latest book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. If you missed his TED talk on this topic, check it out.

P.S. – The Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course starts next week. Finally get that business plan done and having fun doing it (the right-brain way!)

Every so often I’ll be sharing some of the cool, right-brain resources I’ve come across.  May these creative gems inspire and support you in your business (and your life!).

• I just got my hard copy of the Business Model Generation book today and can’t wait to dig into this well designed, visual, and innovative book. You can download a free excerpt at businessmodelgeneration.com.
• I mentioned Michael Margolis’ book Believe Me: A Storytelling Manifesto for Change-Makers and Innovators in a previous resource roundup. Michael recently made his entire book free! You can download it from his website.
• A great post on how routines, systems, and spontaneity feed into the creative process.
• For those of you who love mind maps, you’ll probably get a laugh out of this tongue-in-cheek version called “brainkrumping.“

Every so often I’ll be sharing some of the cool, right-brain resources I’ve come across. May these creative gems inspire and support you in your business (and your life!).

7th grade leadership curriculum from Flickr

1. I wish I had the above leadership curriculum in the seventh grade (heck even now, for that matter!). I love that this teacher’s brainstorm starts with “Creativity as Practice” followed by “Visual Thinking.”
2. In the article Reinventing the MBA: 4 Reasons to Mix Business With Design Thinking, discusses head of The Rotman School of Management Roger Martin’s concept of “design thinking,” the intersection of analytical thinking and intuitive thinking, and how it can create better business leaders. Includes a video of him being interviewed and a cool graphic recording of his talk.
3. Your left brain is vital to your business planning process. The trouble happens, however, when the overly logical and judging mind in comes in too early and rains on your creative brainstorming parade. Ever catch yourself being hijacked by your left brain and saying any of these all-too-familiar 50 phrases that kill creativity? That’s a cue to invite your right brain back to the party!
4. Could simple eye exercises boost your creativity? A new study in the scientific journal Brain & Cognition says so.

Every so often I’ll be sharing some of the cool, right-brain resources I’ve come across.  May these creative gems inspire and support you in your business (and your life!).

1. If you love the Right-Brain Business Plan, you’ll love Julie Stuart’s graphical Roadmap to Inspiration.
2. At the Creativity in Business Conference, I attended Michael Margolis‘ session on using storytelling to build your brand and business.  Michael generously offers an excerpt of his book Believe Me: A Storytelling Manifesto for Change-Makers and Innovators.  Download the PDF here.
3. On Twitter, I recently met Sheila McCann. She sent me a link to one of her Fishegg cartons which simply and humorously illustrates the difference between the left and right brain.
4. Artist and coach Michelle Rumney put together this brief and informative slideshow on Visual Tools for Coaches.