Name: Shelly Massey
Company Name: Massey LLC
Website and Blog: http://aweebitwarped.blogspot.com

Note from Jenn: Shelly’s doodles and whimsical artwork bring a smile to my face. I love how 3-dimensional many of her pieces are and how they have such character. It was so exciting to have Shelly in a previous e-Course and to see that she’s now set to teach workshops at at least three art retreats this year, including Artfest in April! Go, Shelly! How inspiring to see you reach these goals and more. (All photos courtesy of Shelly Massey.)

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I am a mixed media artist and now an art workshop instructor!  What makes my work and my business unique is my take on what art should be (FUN!) and how I decided to start this business in the first place.  I earned my degree in design, but I left school with so much fear of the unknown and of failure that I didn’t even try to pursue a design job.  After years of creating art but not really sharing it beyond my family and friends, I attended my first art retreat in the spring of 2010. I was so inspired by the classroom experience and the other encouraging attendees that I left with a passion for creating that I had never felt before.  I wanted to teach at art retreats, and I wanted to try to make that happen regardless of all my past fears.  I wanted to figure out how to make this dream happen as a full time job, not just a hobby.  That’s when I found out about the Right-Brain Business™ Plan.  It was absolutely the right plan for me at just the right time.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan™ helped you?

For the first time ever, I documented my goals.  The class turned an intimidating task (a chore even!) into a fun one that put my creative skills to work.  Documenting my goals and putting my dreams into a fun visual made it more real to me – more attainable.  I used the visualization of my goals to remind me of what I wanted.  Reviewing it often helped me stay on the path and to keep forging ahead.

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?

As a result of the researching my competition as part of creating the business plan, I found out about the other art retreats where artists teach.  I decided to apply to teach at other retreats, and now I’m teaching at not just my original goal of one art retreat, but definitely three and maybe even five in 2011!

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

I try to completely trust my gut.  When my instincts are in charge, the art feels easier, more natural.  When I fight my instincts and let my head and worries get in the way, it feels like a struggle just to get any art created.

What’s your vision for your business?

To provide a fun, inspiring, generous and encouraging art workshop experience where participants leave my class feeling like they’ve found treasure – the treasure of the art they create during class and the treasure of the memories and friends they discovered during the process.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Go for it!  Don’t let fear get in the way of realizing your dreams.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I’m very thankful to Jenn and her staff for all the guidance and support throughout the Right-Brain Business Plan™ course.  Even when I wasn’t completing my exact class assignments while I was in the crunch of creating art workshop proposals, Jenn encouraged me with her kind and wise words and helped me realize that I was living my plan.  I used that encouragement, continued drawing on what I learned in the class, and applied the knowledge towards realizing my goals.  I’m happy to say that a piece of my current successes can be attributed to Jenn and the Right-Brain Business Plan™ class!

Creative Resources

Click here for more information about Shelly Massey

Click here for Right-Brain Business Plan™ e-Course and here to pre-order the book The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success.