To celebrate Women's History Month we've compiled candid stories from Creativebug artists about what it means to persevere. Watch how our leading ladies are conquering their fears, overcoming adversity, and paving the path forward for an equitable - and creative - future. Watch, get inspired, and start making with their classes here.

Are you ready to take the leap into becoming a professional artist? In this four-hour long course, author, artist and educator, Lisa Solomon, teaches you how to present yourself as an artist in the world. Commonly referred to as a “Professional Practices” college-level course, Lisa shares her decades of practical know-how in 15 bite-sized lessons. These classes will help you learn how to create your portfolio, make connections, exhibit, apply for shows, attend residencies, copyright your work, market yourself and so much more. Lisa tells it like is it with cautionary tales from the art and gallery world as well as inspiring stories from her own experience. The accompanying 80-page downloadable PDF is full of rich resources to set you on your path, including helpful samples and web references.

This class is not only a starting point for anyone who is ready to call themselves an artist, but also for working artists who could use some structure and guidance in growing their practice. By the end of this series, you will learn how to take yourself more seriously and see your business dreams come to life.

In this inspiring chat, renowned artist and art agent Lilla Rogers talks with Courtney about artistic style, finding your own voice, and staying motivated. This video originally appeared live on July 19, 2018.

Check out Lilla's classes Treasure Hunt Your Artistic Style and Treasure Hunt Your Writing Style!

The habit of keeping a sketchbook is an important exercise, whether you are deepening your artistic practice or starting a brand new one. In this series, Lisa Congdon delves into her personal practice, sharing techniques that she employs in her own mixed media sketchbook. Best of all, you won’t be limited to one medium. Lisa explores ways to incorporate pen, watercolor, collage, brush pens, and more, allowing you to play with techniques that go beyond your comfort zone. As Lisa tells you “Just let go of the fear and dive in.”

Jumpstart your artistic practice with six weeks of creativity exercises taught by Lisa Congdon. Using a variety of Lisa's favorite art supplies and tried-and-true processes, learn how to use Microns, oil sticks, paints and collage to take a fresh look at shape, line and color. These exercises allow you to "get loose" and enjoy the process without overthinking the outcome. You’ll also learn how to work with color, use collage to respond to your in-progress artwork, and go outside to gather inspiration from your surroundings. Unlike Lisa's other classes, this series focuses less on specific projects and dives deeply into the artistic process to help you develop your own creative voice.

Make sure to share your artwork in our class galleries and on Instagram #cbugbootcamp 

In this fun and energetic 10-day course, Lilla Rogers shows you how to find your authentic artistic style by making a multitude of tiny and huge discernments. From playful exercises to mark-making experiments, Lilla encourages you to approach art with an open mind and tune into what makes your heart beat faster. As an agent, author, and artist with decades in the illustration licensing business, Lilla knows how to sniff out style. At the end of this 10-day journey, you’ll have a better understanding of who you are as an artist and how you want to be seen by the world.
 

For this month-long daily drawing challenge, we’ve added a twist. Artist and educator Lisa Solomon shows how to use overhead light and everyday objects to cast interesting shadows onto paper, then draw around the shadows to create outlines. What you do within the outlines is where the real fun begins. Each day, Lisa shares a new idea filling outlined shapes with color and texture, using everything from pens and graphite to watercolors and highlighters. This technique is a great way to experiment with composition and keep your drawing practice loose. Simply start with a shadow and allow yourself to play within the lines. 
 

Create one-of-a-kind coin purses with this simple tutorial. Printmaker Jen Hewett shows you how to create custom stamps and print fabric with geometric designs. You will then learn how to assemble the bag by sewing the curved edges, adding a lining, and finishing with a decorative zipper pull.
 

Learn how one stitch can provide you with inspiration for a lifetime of creative practice. Using the running stitch as a base, mixed media artist Lisa Solomon shows you the Japanese tradition of sashiko stitching as well as a plethora of ideas for creative and practical use. You’ll learn how to work with traditional patterns (or make your own designs based on a grid layout) to make decorative pieces or mend and patch garments. No matter the method you choose, you’ll find that sashiko is a great way to slow down and stitch with intention, creating beauty from simplicity. 

Many people are familiar with acrylic paints, but acrylic mediums are a bit more mysterious. In this pro-series class, artist and educator Lisa Solomon provides a thorough lesson on how acrylic mediums can help you create everything from textured impasto surfaces to smooth resin-like finishes. You’ll learn all about the transparency, translucency and opacity of your paints, and how to combine them with acrylic mediums to create glazes that will add depth and dimension. Along the way, Lisa demonstrates how use a photo as an underpainting and build thin layers of color to create a finished piece. She'll also show you how to collage using matte and gloss gel medium, create resin effects with pouring medium, and work on glass to create acrylic “skins.” Learning about new materials has never been this fun or vibrant.

New to acrylic painting? Get started with Lisa's beginner's course! 

Jen Hewett walks you through the process of screen printing from start to finish, and then shares how to sew a clutch from your custom-printed fabric. You will learn how to make four different print designs on a screen and how to print your fabric using a variety of two-color print combinations. Once you’ve custom-printed your own fabric, take it to the sewing machine to construct a simple, bold clutch using a patchwork technique—a great way to showcase all of your fabric designs on one accessory.

Are you ready to dive back into your sketchbook? Lisa Congdon is back with even more mixed media exercises to explore within the pages of your sketchbook. Using an assortment of colorful mediums, Lisa guides you through the process of developing your own personal voice and style in this four-part course. You will learn the basics of creating well-balanced backgrounds as well as lessons on adding dimension with flowers, animal figures and abstract designs.

For this daily challenge, fine artist, illustrator and author Lisa Congdon embraces all things ink-y! Whether you like to create detailed drawings with Micron pens or paint lush washes with India inks, Lisa shows you how to explore a variety of themes and mediums every day for a whole month. Lisa’s teaching style will help you simplify shapes and objects, distilling their most graphic elements with your unique marks and strokes. As you work your way through the challenge, Lisa provides fun daily prompts, focusing on nature, silhouettes, flowers and faces, building more techniques. Be sure to post your creations on social media using #creativebug #CBinktober and #inktober!

This adorable handbag is the ultimate personalized accessory. Printmaker and surface designer, Jen Hewett, shows you how to create simple stamps and print custom fabric. She then shows you how easy it is to sew a tote using your hand-stamped fabric. French seams and riveted leather handles create a professional finishing touch. 

This is the class that started it all: our years-long fascination with Daily Practice classes. Featuring updated material and additional content, this is the perfect class to discover the transformative power of undertaking a big creative challenge. Every single day for a month, we challenge you to draw along with Lisa Congdon. Lisa has hand-picked 31 objects to draw, and demonstrates several ways to render each object using just your imagination. This creative exercise is designed to help you embrace wonkiness and imperfections, all while learning to see everything around you—be it bird or bikini—as artistic fodder.
 

Do you dream of turning your creative skills into a creative business? Not sure where to begin? This 5-part original series will start you on your path, covering everything you need to know to discover, build, and elevate your creative brand. Each episode features straight talk with creative rockstars including artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon, Christine Schmidt from Yellow Owl Workshop, fabric designer Heather Ross, Liesl and Todd Gibson of Oliver + S Sewing Patterns, and craft book publisher Melanie Falick. Each week, these inspiring creative mentors will cover a fundamental aspect of being a creative business owner: Identifying Your Brand, Business Nuts and Bolts, Licensing Artwork and Fabric, How to Publish a Book, and Maintaining Work-Life Balance. In addition to hours of valuable advice, this class comes with a 100-page PDF download filled with expert tips, bonus interviews and worksheets.