Unless you've been under a rock, you might have noticed some changes around here. We changed up the blog to make it a lot more streamline and simple in order to prep for an even bigger change coming later this year. It's a bit premature to be sharing this yet, but soon Fresh Rag will be moving more toward a "magazine" type collection of stories, all revolving around our mantra: Make Art, Create Value, Get Paid. In the meantime, I'm looking to audition a few new faces to share their experience, wisdom and opinions with the Fresh Rag readers. If you're an artist that wants to talk about the process of getting your art into the hands of dealers, or if you're a graphic designer that likes to share techniques for creating compelling marketing materials, or if you're a crafter that has a winning technique for engaging people on Facebook; those ideas and plenty more are what we're looking too add to the mix. The Fresh Rag readers, both current and future want your voice; they … [Read more...]

Today is an incredibly busy day, but I figured I would take a few moments to share a quote I ran across. I hope this refreshing outlook helps put some perspective on whatever you might be struggling with. We're all in this together. "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve the beauty." - Maya Angelou If you know someone who could benefit from this pick-me-up, share this link with them.   … [Read more...]

One of our friends and favorite artists, Karin Bruckner, forwarded me an article posted in the New York Times some years ago about the reality of handmade business owners who "quit their day job". The article talks with several Etsy artisans about the amount of work they endure in order to pursue their dream of being their own boss doing something they love. It's a common concern amongst Etsians I've met; how do you maintain a viable art or craft business while balancing any lifestyle normalcy when you must work your ass off just to stay afloat. I've heard many stories about Etsy sellers who love what they do but kill themselves to do it. The work is not scalable, and in traditional interpretations, never will be. How do these artists and artisans think they will feel about their shops in 10 years or 20, when they may be making a decent living, but they despise the work as much as the corporate career they left behind to be a creative entrepreneur? I do not have the answer to … [Read more...]

Wednesday was a massively successful day in the life of Dave and Fresh Rag, so I'm here to shout something from the rooftop. I am a consultant & coach for creative entrepreneurs, specializing in marketing, branding and media. This is no longer what I want to do. This IS what I do.  I had my first consultation with a real client for the first time since I put myself out there for others, and it was the most amazing moment of my modern life. I know that sounds like a pretty astounding and bold statement, especially considering the other things I've witnessed (birth of my son being one). Perhaps I should clarify that this is the most amazing thing to happen to me professionally in a very, very long time, and it solidifies what I've been thinking for awhile now. As my friend Kat said, "You're so ready, you don't even know you're ready". I don't have my systems in place yet. I'm still a bit off from calling this an official business, but I am opening myself up for … [Read more...]