welcome to my workshop

good morning! am so happy to have you here.

for the past few years blogging & businessing have been bubbling in my blood. as a work-at-home mama who lives far away from family, i've found blogging to be not only a way to simply keep in touch but it has become (surprisingly) a lot more than that. in my opinion, opening up to blogland is similar to subscribing to a crate of creativity which arrives on the doorstep every day. the blog is my peep hole to the outside world, a chance to make new friends, a push to think outside the box, a place to display bits of the person i am and the person i hope to be. it brings about new design clients, exciting opportunities, daily writing practice, and continues to be a fun way to document the ordinary. it is a place to play around with designs for myself, build a name for my brand, keeps my addiction to paper and crafting (literally) still on the table, and–in reading a plethora of other blogs–is an endless supply of inspiration and eye-candy.

the concept for this workshop has been brewing for awhile. i'm about to burst. you see, le blogging is one of my favorite subjects. however blogging about blogging is much easier than talking about blogging. because, assuming you didn't get lost on your way, you are the exact right audience to discuss blogging with. you are here and ready and in the game already. no need to explain the rules, define or defend blogging. ever been in one of those conversations?! they are never fun. so as we start this workshop i hope you will join the fun, take it all in and learn from the experts. hopefully i'll touch on a subject that you wonder about, have opinions on or are simply intrigued by. prepare yourselves for a boatload of blogginess. my main goal is to answer the common questions i receive frequently about running my shop, keeping my head above water and maintaining my space online. and in classic marta style, i am going to do my best to pump you up to believe in yourself, believe in your business, and believe in your passion.

a few notes.
• please refrain from copying and pasting any part of the workshop onto your own blog without my permission (unless you are a contributer in an expert panel). a lot of effort has gone into creating this free workshop and your respect for my copyright is appreciated. posting links to my blog, of course, is always welcome. if you'd like to save these ideas for your files, i am putting the finishing touches on a coordinating workbook that will be ready-to-print (and ready to highlight, mark up and refer to) for your very own blog & business binder. for now, just kick back and enjoy. merci.

• to keep the comments coming (and to keep you on your toes), i have temporarily changed my rss feed setting to partial. this way–if you read my blog in a reader–you'll have to come all the way over here to my actual blog to read the posts in their entirety and participate in the workshop. i realize in making this choice, i am weeding out the weak. still i hope hope hope you'll chime in and be uninhibited in sharing your ideas and advice so it feels more like a classroom atmosphere. each day i will post in the morning and again in the afternoon. (all of the posts for any given day will be posted by 5:00 pm mountain time.) for further incentive to join the conversation, i am giving out freebies at the end of the week. a handful of random commenters will win something from the mini mart.

here we go. tip #1. people go gaga for giveaways. tip #2. when it comes to your online shop, do not be ashamed of the shameless plug.