For the second summer, I will be hosting the 'Creative Girls' Tribe,' which is a camp for young women that are serious makers in visual arts and crafts. While we do a lot of making, we also spend time learning the business side of art. I created this highly unique summer art camp experience for many reasons.

First, I was a crafty child. I was happiest being left alone to create. I was fortunate enough to have parents that encouraged and supported my creative endeavors. My father was a small business owner and the entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well in my home. However, back in the late 80s/early 90s, growing up to be an 'entrepreneur' was not something that young people were encouraged to do. Times have changed since then and more and more young people are self employed or have a side hustle (or two) in addition to their day jobs.

I found this meme the other day and it is what inspired this post.

I wanted to inspire young women to believe in their Creative Self and have the confidence to show, talk about and sell their artwork. This is how the 'Creative Girls' Tribe' was born. After last summer's launch, I learned LOADS. The young women wanted less structure and more time to engage what we eventually called, Free Art, which was time to just create whatever they wanted to work on in their sketchbooks. We also added something we call the 'Sharing Circle.' This encouraged the young women to show, talk about and gain confidence in their art. It allowed the Artist Campers to go home and continue to work on their art after camp hours. By the end of the week, the young women were eager to share their artwork with one another.

While I have TONS of NEW projects for this years Tribe experience, we will continue to spend a small amount of time each day on the business side of being a working artist. Some of my local artist friends will be stopping by the studio to share their experiences and art forms with the women as well. We will discuss the importance of surrounding ourselves with people that are supportive and encouraging of our creative pursuits and how to distance ourselves from influences that hinder our creative processes.

Want to learn more about the Tribe? Information, schedule, rates and registration are available here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bimburbooks