“On the business side, blogs are designed to help promote creative wares or services, and if done well, they can be an invaluable business tool.  Those who blog for business live creatively; their businesses, their personal lives, and friendships are all approached through their creative spirit and it shows in their blogs.  Whether they promote products and services through their sidebar links or talk about business in every post, their blogs are beautiful and inspiring.”

-Tara Frey, Blogging for Bliss

I just finished reading Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal:  A Guide for Crafters, Artists and Creatives by Tara Frey, and highly recommend it.  Frey covers everything from what to write about, how to choose a blogging platforms, how to customize your blog’s look, ways to increase traffic, and the basics of blogvertising.

In addition to all kinds of fantastic practical information, she also has profiles of over 50 bloggers, many whose blogs help them promote their creative businesses like:

• a stitch in dye
• Curious Sofa Diaries
• Naughty Secretary Club
• Sommer Designs
• Teresa Sheeley
• Twisted Sister

Whether you are a new, or experienced blogger, I think you’ll find something practical and/or inspiring in Blogging for Bliss to help you take your creative business blog to the next level.

You can learn more about Blogging for Bliss and Tara Frey on her blog, tara frey {typing out loud}.

My name is Jessica Haynie and I’ll be blogging here about cultural entrepreneurs that I come across in my adventures and travels. Every weekend I’m on the road, mostly finding the next best places to hike and climb. But, you might also find me checking out jewelry at Zuni Pueblo or watching the Mountain Film Festival in Taos. In the following weeks, as I hop around to my favorite areas to explore, I will introduce you to cultural entrepreneurs-the visionary leaders who bring us great cultural experiences. Across New Mexico these cultural entrepreneurs offer us “cultural adventures” and open up new worlds for us to trek through.

1. Advertise shows, exhibitions, and festivals like William Baker did on in his blog post, Mudfire Exhibit.

2. Share photos and reflections from shows like Jen Mecca does in her post, Blowing Rock Photos on her blog, Jen Mecca’s Pottery Blog.

3. Show your creative process like Gary Rith did in his post, John Makes My Day, on his blog, Gary Rith Pottery Blog.  He also posted photos from a day in his studio and a video interview of him in his studio in the blog’s sidebar.

4. Share photos of new work like Vicki Hartman did in her post, More New Work on her blog, These 2 Words, and Steven Colby did in his post, 4 New Mugs on his blog, Steven Colby: Potter.

5. Promote your online store like Matt Grimitt did in his post, More Etsy Pots on his blog, Slipware Pottery.

6 Announce sales like Emily Murphy did in her post, Pottery Clearance Sale on her blog Potter Blog: Emily Murphy.

7. Build community with other potters like Doug Fitch of Devonshire Pottery who recently wrote a post about connecting face-to-face with “My Lovely Blogging Chums,” pottery bloggers Ron Philbeck, Ang, Hannah McAndrew, Andrew Douglas, and Paul Jessop

For more pottery blog inspiration, click through the blog rolls and blog lists in the sidebars of Jen Mecca’s Pottery Blog, Ron Philbeck Pottery’s blog, and Pottery Blog: Emily Murphy.

Image credit: Pottery with Malin by Christian Kjellström

Britt Bravo also blogs for Have Fun * Do Good, BlogHer, and WE Volunteer. She is a Big Vision Consultant.

When we were looking around for folks to add to our blog roll, we found a lot of people who are writing about social entrepreneurship, but not a lot who are writing about cultural entrepreneurship.

We need your help!  Let us know who is blogging about cultural entrepreneurship in the comments.

Below is a quick round-up of the bloggers we’ve found so far:

Creative Economy on Australian Policy Online
A Cultural Policy Blog by Ben Eltham
Social & Cultural Entrepreneur by Lotta Lekvall and Olav Unsgaard
Lab for Culture Blogs on LabforCulture.org
Magna Kultura Foundation blog by Dickie Aguado

In addition to writing about what we know about cultural entrepreneurs and cultural enterprises, we also want to shine a light on what you know, so let us know who we should be reading.

Image credit: Screenshot of Social & Cultural Entrepreneur by Lotta Lekvall and Olav Unsgaard