Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice
A Digital Apprenticeship with Lisa Sonora Beam, author of The Creative Entrepreneur

What It Is:

It's writing, it’s work-in-progress, it’s thought experiments, it’s what I’m reading that inspires me and what I see in the world that gives me hope.

It’s the raw edge of creation, where ideas and passion and excitement intersect with doubt and fear.

It’s about my dreams and ideas, and how I work toward making them real. It’s about the rougher edge of creativity, where the destructive tendencies are rooted and how I wrestle with those, too.

It's how I deal with money, in a crazy economy as a single, self-employed artist based in one of the most expensive places in the U.S.

It’s how I crave belonging and connection and community, and yet am by nature a hermit, a true introvert, who is shy and prone to isolation.

It’s my living experiment with art-making, economics, marketing, and how the intersection of all that makes thriving as a working artist possible in the 21st century.

How It Works:
Twice a month you receive an email containing excerpts from whatever I'm working on in the moment, nicely spell-checked and edited for clarity.

This email is meant to be a rich savory experience that you can enjoy with a cup of tea or your beverage of choice in a leisurely way.

When you subscribe, you are sent the current issue. You are free to come and go, subscribe and unsubscribe as you please. There are no archives. You start the journey whenever you subscribe. This project may end at any time.

Much of what I've learned about creativity—and being able to thrive as a self-employed artist for more than 20 years—comes from watching and learning from people who were already doing what I wanted to do.

More than any kind of formal education, there is a particular kind of learning that you get by "apprenticing", by being in the studio and watching someone work. By learning about their lifestyle and how they manage the details and still get their work done.

The Sketchbook is the email version of my own creative practice.  You get to virtually peer over my shoulder as I work. It's the next best thing to getting to hang out in the studio together.

While there are some opportunities to come and work with me in person, I didn't want geography and travel and the associated time and expense to be limiting factors. And while there are online courses, too, the focus of all of my teaching is on the content of the course and the experience of the students, not on my personal process.

Here is where you get insight into my own private creative practice.

You get to ask questions, interact and share your own insights - if you are so moved.

Who Subscribes and Why:
True Fans

You are a fan of my book, The Creative Entrepreneur, and you want the opportunity to look over the shoulder of a published author to see how she works.

Creative Entrepreneurs / Artists

You value learning that helps you take away ideas you can use to support own work and grow your own business.

Benefactors / Collectors

You are a generous soul who buys art and appreciates the opportunity to financially support artists whose work you want to see flourish.

Friends / Family

You care about me and want to support my work, even when you aren't sure what I'm up to.

Introductory Offer

Get Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice / Digital Apprenticeship for just $20
For a limited time, you can get access for just $20 monthly. When you subscribe now, your subscription will stay at the introductory $20 rate, even when the price increases. It's easy to unsubscribe and cancel at any time.