World-Famous Writer Kari Chapin

Grown-Up Gigs AND Great Giveaway Craftonista/World-Famous Writer Kari Chapin Thats Kari! I stole this pic from her website. If youre a crafter, chances are youve heard of the amazeballs Kari Chapin, author of The Handmade Marketplace. As if the #1 Craft book of the Year (ranked by Amazon!) wasnt enough, shes now offering a brand spankin new e-course, Fresh Start. I was able to get to know Kari better when she participated in The Declaration of You this October, and I think shes gonna have one heck of an e-course of her own! Read on to learn how she got to be a craftonista/world-famous writer find out how you can win your very own spot in Fresh Start, whichll help ya with goal-setting, organization, time management motivation! Rock! What did you wanna be when you grew up? I wanted to be so many things when I was growing up! I think having so many varied interests as a kid, made it kind of hard on me as I grew older, because I couldn’t really settle on one thing. Now I look back on that and can see it differently, but in my early 20’s it was pretty confusing. However, the short list of things I wanted to be when I grew up goes a little like this: Solid Gold Dancer (I heard that the dancers had to be able to weave in and out of ladders and I was bummed that we had no ladder for me to practice with) Dancer on American Bandstand and/or Soul Train (I designed several outfits for this, which I asked my grandmother to make for me) Academy Award Winning Actress Archeologist (This is after I read a story in the 4th grade called Dog of Pompeii) Librarian Artist Journalist Furniture designer Vintage store owner (I planned on selling all kinds of vintage items, while playing records and making coffee. This was during my Pretty In Pink phase) Of course, while I never became any of these things, looking back over this list, I can see where parts of all of these interests have incorporated themselves into what I do now and other jobs I’ve held as an adult. How did you discover that craftonista (I just made that word up. Im keeping it!) / writer was gonna be your grown-up career? I just decided one day. I really, really love the craft community. Once I discovered craft blogs and then Etsy hit the scene, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, but I didn’t know exactly how for awhile. I mean, I’ve always loved making things, and I often sold them, but I knew that I didn’t want to make and sell crafts for my living. I spent a lot of time working while I was at my day job, thinking about how I could make a positive contribution to the community I was in love with. Much time passed. I was onto another job, one I was actually happy with, working as a buyer for a home goods store. I was trying to stock more and more handmade items, and as a result, I spent a lot of time sending long emails to makers and designers, teaching them how to work with people like me. From this came a sort of collection of lengthly emails, that were th e basis of The Handmade Marketplace. When I lost that awesome job, due to the economy tanking, I took stock of my life. The job I had lost had been my most favorite and I knew that if I was EVER going to have a career that made me happy, I would have to create it myself. Viola! Enter writing about what I knew best, and a way to be a part of the community I hold so dear. Whats your favorite part of being a craftonista/world-famous writer (and no, Im not taking it back! Its true! Youre Amazons #1!)? Oh, this is a tough one! There are so many parts of what I do now that are so wonderful.   I love that I made my one of my big dreams come true. I love that I have actually helped people. I love that people responded to me in such a positive way. I love that I was able to provide people with something they needed and want. I love that I can work from anywhere at any time. I love that doing what I love has enabled me to do other things I love, like traveling and meeting people.   I guess all the parts are my favorite parts! Im so excited for your first e-course, Fresh Start! I think I remember you mentioning that its something you needed to do for your business, and then realized it would make a helpful e-course for the rest of us! Youre covering a lot of ground, with weeks devoted to goals/intentions, business organization, time management, and motivation. Such great stuff! What are you most excited about in regards to the course? I love working with people! I’m really looking forward to making one-on-one connections with the participants working with them to clarify their creative business goals and dreams. I can’t wait to meet them and get to know them. I have lots of good stuff planned! If you could have your present self give your pre-writer/craftonista self one piece of advice, what would it be? Stop talking about it and just do it already. As if those nuggest of wisdom above aint enough, Karis gonna give away one of the spots in Fresh Start to a commenter right here! Its a quick giveaway because the e-course starts this Sunday, but you have until 11:59p Eastern tonight to leave a comment saying whatever the heck you want to be entered! Ill pick the winner via Random.org will post it tomorrow morning. Good luck everyone!