MYTHICAL AT HOME: LUNAR NEW YEAR

*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people

Happy Lunar New Year from the Mythical Games team! For those unfamiliar, Lunar New Year is a holiday originating in East and South East Asia and is celebrated worldwide. This year, we wanted to highlight a couple of the key team members who have brought The Year of The Tiger and last year’s Year of The Ox to the world of Blankos Block Party. We chatted with Wing Cho, Sr. Game Designer, and Mel Chang, Concept Artist, on the inspiration for both this and last year’s LNY-inspired Blankos and what the holiday means for them personally.

What inspired the creation of last year’s Lunar New Year Blanko accessories, and what role did you play in this year’s LNY Blankos?

Wing Cho: So, a couple of years ago, there was an episode on TV of Fresh Off the Boat, a sitcom featuring an Asian American family celebrating Lunar New Year.  That episode really made a huge impression on me because I had never seen anything like that on prime-time American TV before.  It was a big deal for me.  

So, when Blankos came out a little over a year ago, that moment in TV inspired me to push for something here to help celebrate the Year of the Ox in our game.  We didn't have the resources to do a major release last year, but having those few accessories was a nice way to acknowledge the holiday, especially to our players who celebrate.  

But it planted the seed to prep and do something more for this year’s Year of the Tiger!  This year, we have a whole Party Pass full of Lunar New Year-inspired Blankos and accessories, which seems fitting since I am also one of the people involved in setting up all Party Passes.

Can you share a little about how you and your family celebrate Lunar New Year?

WC: In our family, Lunar New Year has always been one of the biggest things we celebrate throughout the year, where we share a lot of great food, well wishes, and of course, lucky red envelopes with lucky money.  One of my favorite new traditions is everyone (mom, dad, siblings, cousins) plays games all night long, putting some of our lucky money on the line. It's my favorite

because I am often the one that comes up on top.  It must be because of my Year of the Dragon birthright!

What inspired the creation of this year’s Lunar New Year Blankos and accessories? What were some of your favorite parts to work on?

Mel Chang: This year is the year of the Tiger! In Chinese lore, those born in The Year of The Tiger are meant to be courageous and born leaders. They also crave attention and are known to be assertive. Thus, this year’s skins had to be extra bold!

Additionally, Lunar New Year is a loud and explosive celebration. It’s meant to be shared with both your family and your community. As we are launching this game in a multitude of countries, and as an Asian American, it’s a big priority to me to make sure everyone feels like they have a special invite to the party through the skins we release.

Tygra is inspired by both the street style and graffiti culture we embrace as well as the mark-making used through calligraphy and Chinese painting. Grand Master Jin is inspired by the ornate paper cut-out art hung on walls and windows of homes and stores each year, which depict the animal of the year and evoke happiness and good luck. Scarlet Crash is inspired by the dragon and lion dances that take place each year, this dragon features the patterning that appears on the pants of the dance costumes and flaunts an energetic design full of bold, clean, graphic shapes and a sharp aesthetic that contrasts Grand Master Jin’s rounder shape language. They also have little “fu” decorations on the backs of their feet. Fu means good luck and is a character typically hung upside down on doors to pour out good fortune on one’s own house every time you open and close the door. Similarly, Jin shakes out good luck on the party every time he stops his little feet around.

Finally, accessories are truly where I love to play. This is where we usually get to pepper in effects and some extra flair and personality. Here, I get to insert genuine parts of my nostalgia from both my American and Chinese upbringing. Jokes are less funny when they’re explained, though, so I'll let you all put the pieces together.

What importance does Lunar New Year have in your life?

MC: Celebrating Lunar New Year is one of my favorite things about being Chinese. It’s something that I do with my family and something that my family has always extended to everyone else who enters our home. My mom is a piano teacher, so we have all kinds of people from all backgrounds seeing how she uniquely decorates according to her personality and culture. She does all the traditional work of hanging red couplets that dictate blessings for our home and family on each side of our door. Still, she always sets out Chinese candy for her students and their parents to snack on and displays her complete collection of Chinese-themed Hello Kitty plushies that she would place on every other step of our main staircase.

Like many families, we also keep our Christmas tree up long past due. However, ours becomes a “Chinese New Year” tree and becomes redecorated with red couplet-themed ornaments, golden koi fish, and paper cranes. When it comes to family, we also go out for dinner and eat specific foods that may sound similar to “luck” or “prosperity,” ie. We eat lettuce-wrapped foods because the word for lettuce sounds like the word for prosperity in Cantonese. The word fish sounds like the word for “leftover” or “extras,” so we always eat fish so that you have “leftover” wealth. The whole point of this holiday is happiness, fun, money, luck, and exploring a sense of whimsy within your culture and language. However, my absolute favorite thing has always been watching lion dancers perform and fight in restaurants and shops!

We Are Mythical

Want to work with talented, creative teammates like Wing and Mel? Check out our Careers page for information on open roles we’re currently hiring for!

MYTHICAL AT HOME: JOSH FOREMAN ON "THE FOREMAN"

*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people

Josh Foreman, Sr. Level Designer here at Mythical Games, is quite the character. We mean that as a genuine compliment to his bright, enthusiastic, creative personality - and also quite literally!

If you’ve played Blankos Block Party, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the spikey quaffed character “The Foreman,” who helps facilitate building custom levels within the game. It’s hard to miss that “The Foreman” shares Josh’s last name (which coincidentally is also an apt name for someone who manages builders) as well as his signature hairdo.

Josh credits friends and fellow Mythical teammates Charles Beacham, Head Writer, and Rick Brown, Sr. Producer, for giving “The Foreman” Josh’s likeness. When asked if this character was essentially a self-insert into the game, he reassures the viewers of one of his YouTube videos that it was not his own doing. He shares, “In the game industry, it's a little gauche to kind of like insert yourself into the game but totally cool if your co-workers do it for you!”.

Beyond the obvious visual similarities between Josh and “The Foreman,” Josh is also a builder in his free time outside of work.

Josh jokingly describes himself as a ”manic-pixie dream boy YouTuber extraordinaire but by day a mild-mannered video game designer on a game called Blankos Block Party.” On his YouTube channel (and Twitch), he showcases himself creating all sorts of unique sculptures and other art.

One of his latest creations was fittingly a physical sculpture of “The Foreman.” He explains that “[he’s] just so excited about [his] day job that it's seeping into [his] night thing.”

He goes on to share, “… this is just a career highlight for me; I am loving my job right now, it's so fun. I love the game, I love the builder community that we've developed”.

Josh has meticulously documented the process for his online followers (an overview can be seen here), from perfecting the initial 3D printing to several iterations of priming and sanding to the final stages of painting. Through trial and error, Josh actually ended up with four final renditions of his sculpture.

So, where will these incredible figures end up living? Josh thinks it’s most fitting to give one medium-sized version each to the teammates who encouraged the creation of “The Foreman” in Blankos Block Party. He’ll also be running a giveaway to randomly select one individual from his mailing list to win a small “Foreman” of their very own.

The last one, of course, will sit behind Josh at his desk, viewable during all his future streams, which you can check out live on his Twitch or catch them later on YouTube.

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Mythical Games is full of incredibly talented, creative, passionate folks like Josh. Want to work with more people like that? Check out our Careers page for information on open roles we’re currently hiring for.

WE ARE MYTHICAL: KATE TAYLOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people

When Kate Taylor accepted the role of Creative Director at Mythical Games almost three years ago, not only was she excited to join the company but also for the adventure of moving from the UK to lush, mountainous Seattle, Washington. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Kate jokes “any excuse to chuck [herself] down a mountain in a semi-controlled manner; count [her] in.”

Her love of exploring and genuine curiosity about the world around her translates into her work at Mythical and her creative leadership expertise. We chatted with Kate to learn more about her story, career, and advice for aspiring Creatives in the games industry.

Q: What was your career path up until this point? What got you interested in art and design, and how did you know you wanted to work in games using those skills?

I studied Graphic Design at university, which really helped me appreciate all forms of Design, which has helped shape my approach to game development and all that it involves. After graduating, I moved into UI design, starting off at Codemasters in the UK, one of the oldest game developers in the UK; I feel so fortunate to have worked alongside an incredibly talented group of UI designers while at Codemasters.

Q: Why did you decide to join Mythical Games?

I was excited at the prospect of working on projects featuring new technology within the games industry, and I didn’t want to pass up the unique opportunity to be involved from near the beginning. It’s great to see just how much Mythical has grown over the last 12 months, which is crazy!

I get to work with some of the most passionate and talented people, so I consider myself to be very fortunate.

Q: How is Mythical Games different from other studios and companies you’ve worked for in the past?

Mythical is looking to be a major disruptor within the games industry, and being a part of that mission has been fascinating. With that, we are in a unique position to be forging the path of what Blockchain in gaming can look like; how we interpret external brands into Blankos is a really exciting part I enjoy.

Q: What are you most excited about at Mythical Games from both a cultural standpoint and from a games standpoint?

Pub trivia domination is number 1.

I would love to say I am pivotal to the team's success, but I'm more of a cheerleader with the occasional random moments of input on weird facts.

From a Blankos Block Party point of view, I’m so excited to see how our existing and new players respond to the updates we’re rolling out over the next two months. We have some really exciting partnerships we’re working on for Q1 of next year as well; my lips are sealed for now, though.

I’m in a really exciting position to work with insanely talented people both within Mythical’s art team, our developer TKG and the external artists we partner with to create our awesome Blanko designs in-game. I love working with Vinyl toy artists as they continue to challenge us on what we can do within the game; working with Kronk has been a great example of this as he continues to push us further with every new design he provides.

Q: How would you describe your leadership and communication style?

My leadership style is forever evolving as I continue to learn here at Mythical. I sincerely value the trust I have in my team members, their skills, and their areas of expertise, but also, for them to have that same level of confidence in me and my leadership is incredibly important.

Q: What advice do you have for new grads looking to get into games from a Creative standpoint? Any specific portfolio advice?

“Fail Forwards” would be my number one piece of advice; I pinched this from this article as it deeply resonated with me.

To be truthful, I’m working hard on this one personally; it’s counterintuitive to accept failure as a positive. But I truly believe the results of adopting this mindset can be such a simple yet powerful tool to help free you in the creative process and continue to grow both professionally and personally. Quite literally, failing forwards on a mountain bike might result in a few bumps and scratches, but hey, it's all part of the progression.

Q: Given that advice, what advice would your current self give yourself five years ago?

Take the leap and lean in!

You may not have all the answers or even know you have it in you to do that task or job. But putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations and challenging yourself results in growth, and you’ll inevitably surprise yourself if shit hits the fan….fail forwards ;)

Q: What is your favorite game, and why?

I’m drawn to a more conceptual style of game that pushes the definition of what a game can be. This is why I think it's important to keep an eye on all elements of design, Illustration, graphic design, and branding.

A perfect example of this is one of my favorite games being Gris. The challenge to interpret Conrad Roset’s illustrations into a compelling game without losing the feeling of his original illustrations and to not only do it so well but add a number of extra layers and depth to the experience is immense.

The result is a one-of-a-kind game that stands out as a piece of art, in my opinion.

We Are Mythical, Are You?

Are you excited about the prospect of working with Kate and other talented, adventurous, kind people? Take a look at our Careers Page for the latest open roles, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date on all the latest Mythical Games news!

WE ARE MYTHICAL: ADRIENNE “RIZZO” DANIEL, LEAD PRODUCER

*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people

Adrienne “Rizzo” Daniel, Lead Producer at Mythical Games, has made an enormous impact on games in her almost three years here and more than fifteen years in the industry. On top of being an incredibly skilled and experienced Producer, Rizzo is also a proud Mom (to two awesome kids) and wife, cat-snuggler, fantasy reader, and Lego builder extraordinaire.

Rizzo has tons of insight and experiences to share from her tenure at Mythical and the games industry in general. We sat down with Rizzo to dive into her career, and what makes Mythical Games special.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a great Producer?

Producers are like train conductors. We keep it moving, on the right track, and at the right speed. Many things go into this — people management, organization, and prioritization, the ability to identify and mitigate risk, problem-solving, keeping an eye on quality, etc. What I think makes a great producer, though, is one that listens, observes, and actions. Great producers listen to their people and the community, observe the game and quality, and act through phases.

Q: What was your career path up until this point? What got you interested in Game Production?

Like many in the industry, I grew up playing games. I enjoyed every game I could get my hands on, and I didn’t grow out of it.

In college, I studied computer science and briefly medicine. My interest always fell back to games. In early 2005 I finally stepped into my first game publisher as a QA tester and was in awe of the culture and being surrounded by something I loved. I worked my way into production testing at developers and eventually landed as a Producer at one. In production, I’m able to work on so many facets of the game and all the departments that work together to create amazing experiences.

Q: Why did you decide to join Mythical Games?

Mythical Games appeared on my radar at a time when I was very interested in doing something different. I worked with the same company for over a decade and on first-person shooters for most of it. Blankos Block Party, a game with UGC and working with blockchain, seemed very interesting and exciting. I jumped at the opportunity.

Q: After working at Mythical Games for almost three years, how would you say it’s different from other studios and companies you’ve worked for in the past?

The culture and people from every level are REAL. We listen to each other and have honest conversations with each other from every level. Not only that but we are heard from at every level. We can ask big, difficult questions to our executive team; we can agree or disagree and discuss. We feel the momentum of the company and love where it is going.

This has been one of the best experiences of my career. The people we work with daily care about each other and want to see everyone succeed as well as the game(s) and platform. I’m excited to come in every day because of the people I work with.

Q: What’s been your favorite part of working on Blankos Block Party?

Blankos Block Party is such a fun game, and I believe in where it’s headed. To the moon, haha! I love so many things about the game; the UGC element, the art style, and the music. I love it all!

The game has been so fun and such a departure from the ones I’ve worked on in the past. It feels different and drives community creativity and input. On a daily basis, I can’t wait to see what the community has created, and am excited to build more features and create more content that excites them.

Q: If you could give yourself from five years ago advice, what would it be?

Wow, five years ago, I was in such a different place in so many ways. I lived in a different state, and worked for a different company on a different game; I didn’t have kids yet. I would probably say take a breath and play some games; it gets better.

Q: What is your favorite game, and why?

Limbo. I’m primarily into platforming and environmental puzzles. This game blew me away on so many levels — intuitive controls, simple yet stunning art style, simple and intuitive UI, teaching and reinforcement mechanics; it told a story through visuals and audio and feel; I must have played it 100 times or more. It’s a go-to for me when I want to replay something great!

We Are Mythical, Are You?

Are you excited about the prospect of working with Rizzo and other talented, interesting, kind people? Take a look at our Careers Page for the latest open roles, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date on all the latest Mythical Games news!

WE ARE MYTHICAL: LAURA ULMER, SR. DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT

*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people

Laura Ulmer, Sr. Director of Product at Mythical Games, is not only a lover of video games and studying product experiences (more on that later), but it would be more than fair to say that they are a Renaissance Person of sorts. From distilling spirits and writing fiction to playing wood flute and painting, their breadth of skill and interest is fascinating, to say the least. We would also be remiss not to mention that they train their cats to perform circus tricks. Seriously.

So what’s Laura’s story, and why did they end up joining Mythical Games? We sat down to chat with them about just that, as well as their thoughts on leadership and what matters to them most.

Q: What made you decide to join Mythical Games?

Culture, Opportunity, and Mission.

Mythical Games presented me with the opportunity to truly lead and be supported. As a woman in tech, I have seen it all, from obviously horrible things to the backchannel “ol’ boys club” quietly governing my scope, authority, and empowerment.  

Given that I had people close to me already working at Mythical Games for nearly a year, I already had an inside perspective about the authenticity of their dedication to diverse perspectives and true inclusivity. In short, it is real. The leadership team is focused and serious about physiological safety and trust and has built that into their core values.

Yes, there are ‘career goals’ I have that Mythical Games offers me the chance to achieve. Still, more importantly, they are offering me the responsibility of stewarding a constructive, accountable, and inclusive culture. As a product leader, I don’t believe there is any other way to deliver incredible results. Teams need information, safety, freedom of action, and open inclusion in order to meet our customers in the market with what they want and need.

If you are seeking refuge from a toxic environment and are dedicated to doing your best work in kind and inclusive collaboration with other amazingly talented people, talk to us.

Q: What was your career path up until this point, and what got you interested in Product?

Ha! It was an accident.  I started my product career as an Associate Product Manager at Big Fish Games (BFG).  I actually didn’t know anything about the product management discipline.  I had lost my role at Washington Mutual in the 2008 crash, where I had been in the Technology Leadership Program run by the office of the CTO. It was rotational, so I was able to cover a wide breadth of banking tech in those two years.

Big Fish let me in, and I fell in love. Talented folks there introduced me to what it means to focus deeply on your customers, ask questions, test, leverage communities, and care about nailing the jobs that the product needs to do for the customers.

Every role I’ve taken after that has led me on a path of discovery and a study of failure patterns and how to observe customers. That’s right, failure patterns and observing them. Ways of leading and listening to people, creating processes, and using tools that have led to poor business results.  Here’s the implicitly communicated lie that those who hustle and get on panels will often propagate: “Success is natural if you are not succeeding; you’re a loser and don’t have what it takes to lead big things.”  

The bottom line is if you have no way to observe your customers and talk to them, and you are not studying what produces failure in the things you’re working on, then you are not learning what needs to be delivered or how to deliver it to build a successful product business.  

Talking about the roles I’ve held that led me here is far less interesting than spending time on the learnings I’ve gotten from all the failures I’ve witnessed and been part of. It helped me understand what kind of product leader I am, what my values as a leader are, and how to build my job box of skills and create successes that landed me an invitation to come deliver on the promise of the Mythical Platform.

Q: In your opinion, what is the difference between leadership and management?

The concept of “management” focuses on using authority to organize and control the execution process and the people involved.  It has nothing to do with leadership, in my opinion. I’ve worked for a lot of managers, but of all those, I can count on one hand how many of them I felt were leaders.

The distinction happens for me in two dimensions. Leaders are not always in management positions and don’t need authority or power over others; instead, they influence others through trusting relationships.

And lastly, leaders act first from a place of generosity when assessing people’s intent, without losing sight of possible harmful intentions that show up from patterns. They choose courage over comfort and sit for the difficult conversations, that if done well increase understanding, build trust, and create shared meaning.

Q: Given that, what’s YOUR leadership style?

That’s an interesting question, and that answer depends on the demands and constraints of the situation. In my opinion, there isn’t a one-style-fits-all style of leading.

That said, I center responses to situations in my values; growth and courage with a healthy portion of curiosity.  My commitment is that every person I work with will have the opportunity to grow and feel safe choosing courage over what is easy or comfortable during work and collaboration.

Q: If you could give yourself from five years ago advice, what would it be?

If you want to become an influential leader in your organization, focus on building authentic trust, especially when you struggle for common ground.  If you find that you are working for people you find insufferable, toxic, abusive, and incompetent in a culture that enables them; chances are you don’t want to be a leader there or an employee for any longer than it takes to build a path out.  

Discover and write down your values, then seek a workplace that matches those values and aligns with your interests; don’t wait or equivocate.

Q: What’s your favorite game and why?

This is a topic close to my heart because I only recently came back to video games after decades away. I grew up with an Atari, then a Nintendo console. I was a back-seat gamer during high school but was rarely invited to join in. When I was, it was an extremely uncomfortable experience.

I had always played casual mobile games, but I didn’t come back to console until about two years ago because my partner is a Producer, and more than that, games are a part of him. I gave in to facing the steep learning curve of developing the fine motor and hand-eye coordination required to play today’s console games. So for me, returning to gaming is a love story about moving through resistance and past bad experiences out of a desire to connect.

To my partner’s credit, he is an incredible teacher and conscientious ‘curriculum’ builder. So he intently set about picking games that would build me up and that we could play together and, in the process, shared his love of design, world-building, and story. In doing so, he taught me about fun, feel, and the magic of well-told stories in beautiful worlds. All that being said, here are some of my favorites:

• Stardew Valley - We built our ‘dream home and farm’!

• Unraveled Two - I experienced dopamine delight and satisfaction in beating a co-op puzzle platform game.

• It Takes Two - A year and 160+ hours of play later, we played "It Takes Two" and beat it.  That game is incredibly designed.

• The Last of Us 2 - Empathy for your enemy, what a powerful story.

We Are Mythical, Are You?

Are you excited about the prospect of working with Laura and other talented, interesting, kind people? Take a look at our Careers Page for the latest open roles, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date on all the latest Mythical Games news!

WE ARE MYTHICAL: STOYAN STOYANOV

*Note: This article was originally published on Blankos.com – 1/17/2021

Stoyan Stoyanov is no stranger to hitting the ground running–metaphorically and literally–when it comes to exciting if not sometimes nebulous new ventures. You probably wouldn’t assume on first meeting him that he’s a long-distance motorcycling enthusiast, with a 10,000-mile road trip under his belt. That love of treading less-traveled paths directly translates into his excitement around pioneering emerging tech as Mythical Game’s Vice President of Marketplace.

Stoyan’s career has revolved around marketplaces for over ten years, initially starting by trading options and futures across a range of asset classes and geographies. After taking those hands-on learnings from traditional financial markets, he moved to the world of live event ticketing, where he oversaw Marketplace Dynamics and Pricing at StubHub.

WHY MYTHICAL?

On top of being a gamer himself (Street Fighter II and Planescape: Torment being two of his nostalgic favorites), Stoyan was immediately interested in the very real problems that Mythical is setting out to solve. He shares that “Users feel connected and invested in the items that they acquire in digital environments – Mythical is working to enable true ownership, transferability, and interoperability of digital assets.” Not only does he feel that the technology needed to make this a reality is finally here, but that the team of people working to make it a reality is an incredible team to work with.

He elaborates that “Mythical possesses a deep skillset across AAA game development, free-to-play, Blockchain, Marketplace, and Economics (among others). Putting those together within an agile team that can prototype rapidly is rare”. Stoyan consistently highlights how the brilliant individuals and overall company culture truly make his experience at Mythical great.

“We see life as broader than the professional setting and objectives. A lot of companies claim that as a core value but fall short. This is the first place where I have seen laser-focused execution, paired with complete radio silence in the evenings and over the weekend. For me, as a father of two young boys, this makes all the difference in the world.”

TEAM + LEADERSHIP

As a leader, Stoyan seeks to bring that same energy and care to how he manages his team. He’s a firm believer in trusting the experts you bring onto your team and having the ability to check your ego.

For folks that he hires on to the team, he reiterates the importance of having the ability to question one’s own expertise pragmatically. He looks for individuals who respect opposing points of view but also embrace conflict as a problem-solving tool. It’s crucial that they know how to properly trade off delivery speed with quality of output.

When asked how he measures success:

“Success is tangible value to the customer, delivered in a sustainable way while leveraging and improving one’s competitive strengths. It is worth infinitely more if delivered in a culture where every team member has the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.”

Stoyan’s team is organized following the pillars of Mythical’s Marketplace Products and Services Suite. Part of the team focused on the Consumer product – Marketplace, another part of the group is focused on Enterprise products and services – the Mythical Platform, and both are powered by our Intelligence engine – a set of platform services that set our solution apart.

As of the publishing of this blog, Stoyan is looking to hire a leader on the Platform Product side and a Quant Researcher to support the Intelligence engine.

What’s the draw for joining in one of these positions?

Stoyan explains, “The nature of the problems we are solving is such that we operate in an environment of high ambiguity and constant exploration. At Mythical, true owners and problem solvers are empowered to make decisions, see the impact of their work, and learn by doing”.

ARE YOU MYTHICAL?

If you're interested in joining Stoyan and the rest of the team here at Mythical Games, be sure to check out our Careers Page for the most up-to-date openings. Follow Mythical Games on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for updates and news.

Wendy Porter on Running a Successful Online Business and Giving Back →

*Note: This article was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 7/28/2020

As part of our series highlighting successful, inspirational, and just downright awesome CourseCraft creators, we virtually sat down with Wendy Porter, a Business Coach and Social Media expert with 15 years of experience in her field creating, running, and operating multi-million dollar businesses. In addition to being a top creator here on CourseCraft, Wendy also runs Crowned For Success, and is a contributing writer for Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Bossbabe, and serves on the Forbes Coaches Council.

Join us as we learn what makes Wendy tick, what drives her professionally, and why she utilizes CourseCraft to bring her heart-centered business online.

Wendy Porter has been a business-minded leader from a very young age, and like many ambitious women, she was often unfairly labeled as “bossy”, where men are more commonly afforded the words “entrepreneurial” or “self-assured” to describe their go-getter attitudes. Forming a dance crew at 10-years-old and charging neighborhood kids for her shows was nothing short of entrepreneurial in our opinion.

It’s no surprise then, that her number one inspiration for how to run her business and achieve her goals has always been Oprah Winfrey. Wendy explains exactly what it is about Oprah that inspires her in her own life:

She’s just an incredible human being that has such a big heart and a great soul. She has accomplished so much in her life and has overcome so much hardship. She works at being the best version of herself every single day. Where most people get comfortable with the status quo.

Just as her idol Oprah is known as a philanthropic force worldwide, Wendy also places an emphasis on making sure her business consistently practices giving back to the community.

Wendy makes a point that her business is a heart-centered one. What does that mean exactly? She explains that to her, “it means giving back and paying it forward”.

We give 10% of our proceeds to non-profits that specialize in equality, women’s and girls' education, and domestic violence awareness. We are actually building our own non-profit as we speak. We give scholarships for every single course we have. And we also have a “pay it forward fund” where we give a percentage of all of the sales from our most popular program and let those funds accumulate and then pay them out to our clients who may be in need of them. We’ve given funds to clients who have experienced hardships around the holidays, who have a child and needed help with burial expenses, who lost a spouse and needed help or who’ve lost a job due to COVID and needed some temporary help with rent. Having a heart-centered business means putting people’s hearts first before profits.

You do not need to be ruthless or completely selfish to become successful, and Wendy is an excellent example of that fact. She firmly believes that “Sales doesn’t have to slimy or scary.” Her love of people not only makes her great at what she does, but it encourages her every day to be an ethical businesswoman, that puts those people first.

Wendy’s favorite part of bringing her business online is that she is able to see a direct impact of her teaching on people's lives, through the frequent comments she receives from her students. She shares that “it’s the most rewarding feeling to know that a course that you created can have such a profound impact on someone’s life.”

Making the transition to online courses wasn’t initially all smooth sailing. Wendy describes her self as “very tech-challenged”, and needed to find an easy way to get her content out there. When she finally tried out CourseCraft she was relieved by its simplicity.

While it’s simple, it’s beautiful and professional in appearance. I tried using Kajabi and Teachable and other systems and I was left feeling frustrated and it was just too cumbersome to learn. Which meant it was too time-consuming. Coursecraft is fast and easy to use!

Bringing her business online has dramatically impacted Wendy’s quality of life. Before, she was rarely able to see her three kids and was regularly working 12 hour days. Now, with the freedom to work from anywhere, she has the opportunity to take family beach vacations.

Now that Wendy is a master at online courses and managing her online business, we asked her what her number one piece of advice is for others looking to follow her suit.

Start before you’re ready! We often want to start when we THINK we have everything together but that can quickly turn into excuses to never start at all because we let fear and self-sabotage take over. When you start before you’re ready, you get rid of the excuses. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to start

So what’s next for Wendy Porter? She’s working on her second book, continuing to build her non-profit, and continuing to provide inspiration to women all over the world through her e-courses.

You can check out Wendy’s CourseCraft courses, find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you’re looking to share tips and chat with fellow online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Free Resources to Help Create & Market Your Online Course →

*Note: This article was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 7/7/2020

As an independent educational business owner, you’re always looking for ways to grow your customer base and make your courses more useful, polished, and engaging. You’ve gotten scrappy with what you readily have at your disposal, but now you’re looking to take things to the next level in terms of quality!

The issue is that so many of the resources that larger companies or teaching institutions use to make professional looking e-courses cost an arm, leg, and your firstborn child. Visual components aside, a big chunk of marketing-tools are primarily marketed to enterprise clients, which comes with insane price tags and complex onboarding.

But, worry, not!

We compiled some of the best FREE tools and resources for upping your online course game! CourseCraft (*cough* another tremendous free resource *cough*) does not at the time of this blog publishing have any paid partnerships with these companies, so don’t worry about this being a #sponcon situation.

Even if you’re a wildly creative person, it’s reasonable not to be a digital design whiz, or feel super comfortable using tools like Photoshop, especially if you’re sticking to a tight (or non-existent) budget!

Unless you’re creating an online course that’s composed entirely of text–which I would actively discourage–you’ll most likely need to create visual assets. These can include lesson headers, diagrams, social media graphics, and tons of other opportunities to spice up your course and it’s promotion.

Design Tools

A few commonly used, free, graphic design platforms include Canva (which I used to create these lovely blog sub-headers), Adobe Spark Post, and Pixlr. While these tools also have paid premium versions, you’d be surprised at just how much you can create with the basic free editions.

If you’re struggling to select a color palette for any of your designs, another useful tool is Pigment! Not only does Pigment generate pleasing-to-the-eye color combinations endlessly, but it also provides Hex codes to use in any of the design platforms listed above.

Stock Photos

If you’re looking for quality, free, stock photos to add to your course, two of my personal favorites are Unsplash (see this blog’s featured image!) and Pexels. These two sites stand out for their diverse, inclusive, and high-quality photos that don’t appear so overtly “stock-y.” Just remember to always give proper credit to the photographers for the work you use!

Photo Editing

Maybe you have your own photos, but you’re looking to punch them up! Photo editing software doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and there are several reliable free choices out there for both desktop and mobile.

Pixlr is a great free online photo editor that offers several features that expensive tools also boast. If you’re looking for something more along the lines of adding pre-curated filters to images, A Color Story is a fun and easy-to-use option.

Adding video to your course is a great idea, but making sure your video is high-quality, the correct file size and dimensions are essential. The issue is, you most likely don’t have access to a professional film crew or a degree in video editing. Luckily, there are some intuitive, useful free tools available to use online.

If you’ve recorded a video that’s file size is way too large, or maybe it’s doing something weird like appearing upside down, Handbrake is the software to use! A particularly useful option within Handbrake is to optimize for the web, which will allow your online course content to be viewed seamlessly within most browsers.

While your computer may come with a basic editing program such as iMovie, if you need more professional features without the associated price, Lightworks is a great option that’s popular amongst YouTubers.

So you’ve created your online course, and it’s looking great! Now what? Market your course to grow your potential customer base, creatively engage them, and gain access to more students! There are tons of ways to do this and several free tools to help you along the way.

E-mail Marketing

One of the more “traditional” forms of digital marketing is also a simple and very effective way to promote your online course. E-mail marketing is a great way to not only convert your leads to actual course customers but also to keep current students up to date!

Mailchimp is a favorite, especially for beginners, due to its intuitive interface and free version that gives small businesses most of the bells and whistles they need to get started. If you’re already (or planning to) use CourseCraft for building your online course, you can integrate Mailchimp or your other preferred e-mail marketing tool using Zapier (see here to learn how).

Social Media

Social media serves as a direct connection between you and your potential (and current) customers, which creates a natural channel to market your course. If you’re new to using social channels specifically for your business, this blog gives a rundown of helpful tips for beginners.

If you choose to make social media a substantial part of your marketing strategy, a scheduling tool is a must! Two platforms that have useful free versions are Buffer and Later. Being able to schedule a week’s worth of content in one day will free your time up to actively engage with your audience, and practice social listening.

Blogging

If you’re a course creator, you should definitely have a blog. Not only do blogs bring traffic to your course, and help you grow your audience, but they can also work as a space to test your future course ideas out!

As you might be able to tell, Medium is my current go-to free blogging platform, but there are several others that might better suit your specific needs such a WordPress and Blogger.

Regardless of what platform you choose to use, what really matters is what you’re actually writing. No matter how skilled a writer you are, we can all use a little help in punching up our wording and correcting obscure grammar mistakes. Grammarly is an awesome free browser extension that not only helps with its namesake but also has features that help make sure you’re writing in the right voice for your audience.

The bottom line is: you don’t need to be a millionaire in order to professionally market your small online education business. With the right tools, continued learning, and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, you’ll be an expert marketer in no time. Once you find the right workflow for YOU, you’ll be able to spend more energy on doing what you really love: teaching.

If you’re looking to share tips and chat with fellow online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How to Remotely Connect with Your Creative Community →

*Note: This article was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 6/16/2020

Businesses and other public spaces are slowly opening-up, but as we navigate the world during this ongoing pandemic, many of us are still steering clear of crowded spaces for the safety of our communities, families, and self.

It can be easy to feel disconnected from your creative communities when the standard ways to connect like gallery openings, open studios, and other in-person art-centric events are no longer feasible. So much creative work benefits and grows from collaborating, sharing, and face-to-face communication.

So how do you stay connected to other creatives in a time when we’re all reimagining how to be together physically?

Thankfully, folks are getting (and have been) creative in how they…stay creative!

In this post, we’ll share resources and ideas for how you can remotely connect with your creative community while staying home.

Talks Centered Around Creativity

Conferences are most likely not going to go on as planned, or at least in the same fashion, for a while. If you’re missing learning from industry expert keynote speakers, there’s an abundance of content online to satiate that need. Chances are, your favorite creative conference has archived speeches from previous events, but there’s also tons of creativity-specific TED Talks, as well a frequently updated content from Creative Mornings.

Creativity Podcasts

In addition to their more formal talks, Creative Mornings also hosts a podcast that will be sure to keep you up to date on all things creative. In general, podcasts are a great way to inject a bit of creative conversation into your everyday routine. A few other recommendations to get you started are Creative Pep Talk, Song Exploder, The Create Unknown, and The Coffe &Convos Podcast. Make sure to look around for voices and topics that resonate with you personally, but these are definitely great places to start.

Forums and Groups

Maybe what you’re really missing is actually interacting with your fellow creatives. A simple way to scratch that itch is to join forums and groups where you can discuss projects, techniques, and more!

Facebook offers an intuitive way to search for open groups that pertain to your specific creative interests, like CourseCraft’s group dedicated to online course creators. Try to be as granular in your search as possible, to find groups that you’ll actually mesh with. You’d be surprised what strange and amazing overlap is out there!

Digital Studio Tours

It can be inspiring to see where and how artists you admire work. In the past, in-person studio tours offered a glimpse into the creative life of local artists in your community. While that particular practice is off the table for the time-being, creative institutions like New York’s Whitney Museum are offering the digital equivalent that can be viewed from home. Take a peek into your favorite artists’ studios and get inspired for your own space!

Find New Creatives to Be Inspired By

Broadening the creative works that you ingest will always have a positive effect on your own creative process and viewpoint. There are so many incredibly talented artists out there, it’s impossible to know about all of them, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying!

Instagram has become a veritable hub for artists of all levels. Searching using art-centric hashtags, and following artists that excite you is an easy way to add more artists to your knowledge bank. Online art portfolio showcases such as Behance, Dribble, and People of Craft are also great places to scroll through and get lost in exceptional artwork.

Teach a Creative Course on CourseCraft

Creating your own e-course is an awesome way to share your creative process, generate additional income, and most importantly: connect with the larger creative community! If you’re interested in teaching painting, drawing, silk-screening, or any other creative skill, but aren’t sure where to start, here’s a helpful guide. Teaching others a creative skill you're proud of is a great way to help and connect with creatives from around the world.

You don’t need to let physical distance get in the way of remaining connected to those around you. Don’t be afraid to reach out (virtually) to your creative communities to continue to collaborate, critique, and be inspired.

If you’re looking to share tips and chat with fellow online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Simple Social Media Tips to Help Your Pages Shine →

*Note: This article was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 5/6/2020

The majority of us use some sort of social media, at least occasionally, in our personal lives. While sharing your photos, events, or just your thoughts with friends and family has become pretty intuitive, utilizing social media for business purposes is a whole other ball of wax. It can seem a bit daunting to work towards your goals with constant changes to best practices and how the various algorithms prioritize social content. 

Maybe you’ve been running a Facebook page to promote your e-course, or an Instagram account to sell your artwork and haven’t been seeing the engagement numbers or audience growth that you’d like to. Even if you’re totally new to this, here are a few tips that will help your social media channels shine and reach more customers for your small business simply and organically.

Determine Your Intended Audience 

First things first, you’ll need to decide who your audience is going to be. This will determine how you’ll personalize pretty much every element of your social media plan. It’s useful to think about your audience as actual people you might interact with in the real world. Jot notes down on age, location, and interest demographics of the folks you’ll be targeting with your social media posts. For example, if you’re an online course creator who’s looking to sell your course to beginner creatives your notes could look something like:

Age: 25+

Location(s): North America, United Kingdom

Gender(s): All

Language(s): English

Interests: Art, Painting, Pen & Ink, Continued Learning, Poetry

Feel free to make a few audience profiles, but it’s in your best interests to have them have foundational similarities so that you can market to a consistent audience. Keep your core audience in mind when determining hashtags, imagery, and the voice you use in your posts.

Use Hashtags In a Smart and Consistent Way

You’ve probably seen some Instagram influencers bombard their followers with upwards of 30 hashtags including generic ones such as “#Instagood” and the like. While that technically is within the limit numbers-wise, it’s generally a good idea to stick between 5 and 11 relevant hashtags per Instagram post, and a maximum of three for Facebook or Twitter. This prevents your content from being viewed as spam and also forces you to really think about the right hashtags for each post. 

The first hashtag on every post should be one that you create for you and only you. Make sure to search already created hashtags to make sure your is actually unique. For most people, this tag will be your name (#JaneDoe) or your business name (#CourseCraft), but feel free to experiment with what feels right for your personal brand. Following your own branded hashtag, you should only use hashtags that apply to both your content and the audience you’re trying to reach. Also, try to avoid “top” hashtags where your content will get totally drowned out in the noise of millions of other posts. For example, Instead of using #DogsOfInstagram to promote your pet portrait business, consider using #DogPaintingArt and #DogPaintings.

Another tip that will help your posts look more polished is properly spacing the hashtags from the body copy, specifically on Instagram where a higher number of hashtags are par for the course. There are a few ways you can do this, but the goal is to leave three to five blank lines before you list off your carefully selected hashtags. This effectively “hides” the hashtags from view on your audience’s timelines unless “...more” is clicked. One way to do this is to utilize the Notes app on your phone or computer to type your caption, type a dot, click return or enter, and repeat until you have the proper amount of space, and then include your hashtags. You’ll then want to copy and paste this all into Instagram before publishing. An easier way to do this involves using a third-party tool to schedule and post your content, which I highly recommend. 

Use a Social Media Scheduling Tool

Utilizing a social media scheduling tool allows you to plan ahead, spend less time posting day-to-day, manage multiple channels at once, and more. There are several great free options out there such as Buffer and Later, as well as paid tools that offer more advanced social listening tools and analytics such as Sprout Social. 

The time of day, as well as the day of the week that your posts go live, will have a direct impact on the number of people who will be able to see it! While each page will have different “peak” times, this page offers good predictions broken down by industry and platform. Consistently posting, and at the right times will do wonders for putting your content in front of more people. With the time you save by using one of these tools, you’ll be able to dedicate more time to actually engaging with your audience on a more personal level.

Engage with Your Audience Directly 

No amount of bells and whistles will replace actually interacting on a human level. While it may seem obvious, responding to questions, “liking” others’ posts, and highlighting others through your page is a great way to build a solid social media presence. Being responsive and taking interest in your audience will increase affinity for your business and will help you build trust over time. Here are a few simple ways to increase your engagement:

• Post “Stories” on Instagram using Polls, Q&A, and other widgets

• Tag other relevant creators and businesses in your posts

• Respond to every comment you receive

• Ask questions of or suggestions from your audience

No matter how you choose to engage, take time to interact on a one to one basis with folks interested in your brand or product.

Try Things Out, Play Around, and Learn from Your Past Self

The nature of social media is constantly changing, so be flexible and continue to learn about the latest best practices will be your best bet for running successful pages. Taking advantage of the analytics offered through your chosen scheduling app, or the ones provided natively, can offer insight into what’s working and what’s not. At the end of each month, take a look to see what sorts of posts are connecting with your audience. This can inspire you to try something new, or lean into a type of content even more. Don’t be afraid to tread untested waters, as something that works for one person or brand may not be the best strategy for you! 

If you’re looking to share tips and chat with fellow online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jan H Croteau on Teaching Art Online →

As part of our series highlighting successful, inspirational, and just downright awesome CourseCraft creators, we virtually sat down with artist, writer, and teacher Jan H Croteau.

Join us as we learn about what inspires Jan in her work, and why she chooses to take on the sometimes daunting, but important, task of teaching art to others through her online courses.

What’s your earliest memory of creating art, and what role has art played in your life since then?

When I was six years old, I got a box of deluxe crayons and a roll of white craft paper from my parents for my birthday.

I remember rolling out the paper on the floor of my bedroom, laying down on it, and tracing an outline of my body.

I filled in that outline with a bright shining sunrise over mountains and rainbows across the sky and rivers running down my arms with flowers everywhere.

Years later I looked back at that point in my development and realized that was the moment I knew I was an artist and that resistance was futile.

Photo Credit: Jan H Croteau

Who are some of your biggest inspirations professionally and creatively?

When I was a senior in high school, I fell in love with the work of Georgia O’Keefe, Lee Miller, Zora Hurston, Ella Fitzgerald, and Helen Frankenthaler. Quite a cast of diverse artists, but this was back in the 1960s when most women artists were not being recognized for their creative work, and so, I really treasured them.

Also, my mother was an entrepreneur who started her own businesses and successfully ran them from 1960 through 2010. She was a great inspiration for me.

What’s inspired you to teach others your creative skills?

I have been a teacher my entire adult life. I love to teach creativity because I’ve witnessed so many transformations that students of all ages make in their lives when they learn to value their own creative genius.

Our creativity is our power and without utilizing that part of ourselves we are missing the meaning in our lives.

My belief is that we are here to create, but many people have forgotten that, so I’m here to remind the ones who have forgotten.

Photo Credit: Jan H Croteau

What was the catalyst for you bringing your business online?

I knew it was time to go online for a few years before I took the plunge, in 2015 I retired from a non-profit Shakespeare Theater Company I had founded 20 years earlier. It was difficult to leave the company, but I wanted to get back to painting and sculpting, so I made the transition from theater director to online entrepreneur.

I took Marie Forleo’s B-School in 2015. Soon after I built my own online gallery, started a weekly newsletter called ArtWord Sunday News and ran a blog. I also started teaching courses and workshops after building a new art studio.

My classes were full, my life was exceptionally wonderful because I had just the right amount of teaching-time balanced with art-and-writing-time.

And then in March 2020, everything changed… for everyone in the world.

It only took me a few days to realize that if this was the End-Times, well, what did I want to contribute?

I started sending what I called The ArtWord Creativity Prompt every morning to anyone who wanted it for free. That email grew into a lovely community of creatives online. And then it hit me, I needed to do online classes.

What were some challenges you faced in the process of starting your business, and also bringing it online?

The technical part was very challenging. Building my own website, figuring out Mail-Chimp, starting Instagram, getting established on Facebook as an artist… those things kept me climbing up and oftentimes stumbling down the learning curve.

What’s your favorite aspect of teaching online courses?

I LOVE teaching online!

I wanted to do it for a while, but the technical part was too daunting. And then I came across CourseCraft.

That was a happy day for me because CourseCraft lets you start for free so you can get a feel for how easy it is to navigate the site and build your course.

With the pandemic, I can’t teach safely in my studio…and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure about online teaching, but I am so happy I did it.

All the participants in my course have been great and I so enjoy our back and forth through the comments and our emails.

What are your favorite parts about using CourseCraft?

I cannot say enough good about CourseCraft.

The way it’s set up makes it so easy to work with.

CourseCraft customer service is outstanding.

Sara and Ryan’s instructional videos are so clear and clean and to the point.

Using CourseCraft opens up yet another stream of income for anyone who wants to teach whatever they know…cooking, public speaking, tap dancing…anything!

I have recommended CourseCraft to other artists in hopes that they too will find a way to generate another income stream during the pandemic, but also to know how wonderful it is to make positive learning experiences available to everyone.

What advice do you have for women looking to start their own business?

Please… get started now.

Women are passionate creators and this world needs you now more than ever.

Examine your stumbling blocks and then turn each block into a stepping stone.

Here’s a suggestion: Make a list.

On the left side, list all the things you see as liabilities of why you can’t start an online business.

Now, on the right-side turn those supposed liabilities into their complete opposite… i.e. turn it into an asset.

For example:

· “ I have no money”, can be turned into… I don’t need money to start an online business. I can invest as I go.

· “I have no time”, can be turned into… I always have the time for what’s important.

· “ I have no ideas”, can be turned into… I can contribute to making life better for someone else by helping them to solve a problem. (Here’s where you get to insert what problem you’d like to solve.)

I cannot emphasize this enough, the world NEEDS Women Entrepreneurs!

We will change the world by changing our own economic reality.

You are more powerful than you can possibly imagine! All you need is a computer and access to the internet, the rest is up to your imagination and creativity.

Can you please highlight one of your favorite courses that are currently open for enrollment?

My course is called Sketchbooking with Watercolor and Ink. I really love teaching this course because it’s not only about drawing and painting, but also, the importance of recording your life in sketchbooks. Especially at this time in history.

Imagine finding a book your grandmother left to you that had paintings and stories in it. You would treasure it, I’m sure.

I know my sketchbooks will out-live me and I want my descendants to know what it was like to live through these times and what it was that I so loved about this world.

What’s next for you and your business?

I have big plans.

I plan to create several courses using CourseCraft. The first ones will be sketch-booking including the fundamentals of drawing and painting so anyone who wants to learn art can do so and get good results.

Then I will move on to what I called my “Spirit-Art Courses” that I taught in my studio before the pandemic. In these courses, students will gain greater access to their intuition by using art as a channel to open the door to their inner lives.

I hope to convert all of this into a membership site full of courses that kicks everyone’s creativity into high gear because …as I say at the end of my ArtWord Sunday Newsletter each week…

“You create your life every day, so make it into a masterpiece!”

Looking to keep up with Jan and her work? Check out her website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for the latest news and updates.

4 Ways to Exercise Your Creativity While Staying Home →

*Note: This blog was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 4/15/2020

Creativity is a muscle that needs to be worked out!

You’ve seen tons of articles popping up lately suggesting at-home workouts, now that we’re all staying inside for the foreseeable future. While physical health is no doubt especially important at a time like this, there are other parts of our being that need a daily “workout” as well if we’re going to remain balanced and mentally healthy during this period of isolation.

Creativity can feel like a vague concept and is often referred to as a skill for a lack of a better word. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle Ph.D. shares that “creativity scholars can get technical and say that it actually involves abilities, mindsets, personality traits, and self-regulation strategies, as well as a set of conditions in our environments.” Another helpful way to view it as a muscle, that needs to routinely be exercised to get stronger. The longer and more consistently you utilize your creativity, the easier it will be to make art, write, or create pretty much anything else that requires an element of creativity in the future.

Think of these tips as a sort of a “creative muscle” workout plan, that can all be done from the safety of your own home.

Break Your Everyday Routine

Living a wide array of experiences creates a larger pool of inspiration to draw from. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t mix up your daily routine!

Do you listen to the same podcast every morning while you make yourself breakfast or while you’re getting your kids ready in the morning? Try switching it up to something you haven’t heard before, it could even be a creativity-centric podcast to get your gears turning as you start your day.

Do you read the same online media every day? Let yourself wander down information rabbit holes about things that have always interested you, but you haven’t previously taken the time to learn about. One good way to start that process is to use your phone’s Notes app to write down keywords, phrases, or the like that pique your interest as you go throughout the day. Wikipedia is often a good place to get the ball rolling.

Changing your daily routine can spark inspiration in unexpected ways, so even if it’s in one or two small ways, try to step outside (metaphorically speaking, of course) of your pre-trodden paths.

Keep Track of Your Inspirations

So what do you do with your newfound inspiration? Keeping track of it in a consistent way can provide a treasure trove of ideas the next time you’re feeling stuck, and even the act of collecting it all in one place can flex that creativity muscle.

There are tons of ways to do this, so try a few out to see what meshes the best with your lifestyle. For some, creating a physical, tactile, way to visualize what inspires them. This can include collage, creative bullet-journaling, or a number of other forms that you can actually hold in your hands. For others, a digital format such as Pinterest, Trello, or Wordpress provides a convenient way to track all of your sources of information.

Whatever way you choose to organize your thoughts, the most important element is what you actually put in it! Make sure to stretch the limits of basic ideas that you like within your own medium of work. For example, if you’re a visual artist, aside from works from other visual artists that inspire you, collect music, fabric, sculpture, the written word and anything else that creates a spark!

Collaborate With Your Household

Bouncing ideas off of and collaborating with other creatives is a great way to grow your own skills, but in the current state of things being in the same room as people outside of your household to make art is off the table.

If you’re fortunate enough to be staying home with a house full of artists like yourself, then the options for ways to works with are virtually endless, but for the rest of us, it might seem less feasible. Luckily there are simple prompts that you can work on with your roommate, spouse, kids, whoever you’re home with!

One classic example has you and your art partner take turns adding to a drawing without seeing what was created before it. While the name of the game, “Exquisite Corpse” may seem a bit dark, it’s fun for all ages and can be played with any medium (pens, paint, crayons, etc) you already have around the house.

Create Constraints to Push Yourself into Different Points of View

Making something harder for yourself may seem counterproductive, but placing restrictions around your work can force you to work from a different point of view. Approaching your art from a variety of perspectives can increase your breadth of work, and serves as a fun challenge while you’re bored at home.

For example, allowing yourself to only use two colors in your next painting so that you hone-in your focus on other factors such as shape, texture, and composition. Following along with a “drawing a day” prompt list (think #Inktober and the like on Instagram) can also force you to work in different styles or on subjects you hadn’t previously given a shot. Play around with making creative boundaries such as time spent, medium used, or subject to see what you’re capable of.

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you should give up on your creative endeavors!

For many of us, creating is an essential part of maintaining our mental health. While we’re all doing our part and staying home, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world. When possible, try to take time to “workout” your creative muscle even if it’s just jotting down a few notes of inspiration, or playing a fun drawing game with your child. Stay healthy, stay safe, and keep creating.

If you’re looking to share and chat with fellow creative online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

3 Tips for Teaching An Art Class →

*Note: This blog was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 3/12/2020

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up” — Pablo Picasso

When you’re a kid playing with paint or a box of crayons for the first time, there isn’t any element of self-consciousness getting in your way. It’s just you and your supplies huddled away into your own imagination, losing track of time and the world around you. As we get older, a myriad of factors begin to creep in, making the act of creating art so much more frustrating. Anxiety around perfectionism, imposter syndrome, creative blocks, and even just day-to-day responsibilities monopolizing your time can interfere in creating art as an adult.

CourseCraft Co-Founder, artist, author, and mother Sara Funduk shares that when her son was born, she was nervous she had let her creative side “dry up”. She felt like she “had no time to paint and [she] definitely didn’t have time for all the setup and cleanup work that went with it”. Luckily, she finally found some time in her daily grind to start painting again and that reignited her creative spark.

So how do we as a society help foster creativity well past childhood, re-engage busy creatives, and even help some adults to create art for the first time?

Art classes!

That’s where you come in.

Creatives no longer have to attend formal art schools to have fulfilling careers, so people are more frequently seeking individual classes to strengthen their skills or simply dip their toes into art-making. Whether you’re running an online art course or teaching one in-person for your local community, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re teaching a class geared at beginner artists.

1. It all starts with genuine, consistent, encouragement…

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have “natural-born” talent to be an artist. In fact, there’s evidence against the idea that that concept of natural talent even exists. Still, this myth persists and often leads to people repeating familiar lines like “I’m not an artist” or “I’m not creative”. The truth of the matter is, more than anything else it takes practice to become a better artist. Encouraging students to be gentler with themselves, continuing to practice every day, and to actively fight off preconceived notions of what an artist is or is not, is a crucial part of any course. Without that initial push, it can be hard for beginners to feel confident enough to experiment and push their limits.

2. But it’s also absolutely necessary to give solid technical instruction

Artist and author of “The Everything Guide to Drawing” Helen South, shares the pitfalls of not focusing on basic techniques from the get-go. She explains that “traditionally, teaching art emphasized self-expression and avoided skill building for fear of cramping creativity. However, basic skills can be enjoyable to work on, and having strong skills allows students to more fully express their original idea.” It’s important to find a balance between encouraging students’ creativity and actually showing them how to hone their craft.

3. Learning to give and receive artistic critique is a critical tool for growth

It can be tempting to steer clear of formal critique when students are first starting, out of fear it might discourage them. In reality, learning the important skill of both giving and receiving artistic critique is foundational for continued growth. With proper structure (several templates are offered online), and repetition, a critique can give direction to artists and encourage their creative skills to flourish!

Artist Marc Holmes recognizes that sometimes during traditional in-person art courses getting one-on-one time between students and teachers can be difficult because of the size of classes. He highlights that “online classes give tutors the opportunity to give critiques and answer questions by email. This gives them time to compose solid answers, offer useful links, and sometimes even do a sketch by way of example.”

The therapeutic benefits of creating art are well documented, but the barrier to entry for many adults, especially ones who have no previous experience, can feel overwhelming. Taking the time and effort to help people discover their creatives sides can have a real effect on the world around you. Babita Shamji, mother of three raves about the personal progress she’s made through taking art classes as an adult. She shares that “It has opened up emotional doors, given [her] confidence. Sometimes, [she] looks at the canvas and wonders how [she] made that.”

Feel ready to start your own art e-course for beginners? CourseCraft provides a free, intuitive way to share your knowledge with people all over the world and help them lead a more creative life, learn more here. You can also follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What to Know Before Your Next Phone Interview →

*Note: This blog was originally posted to Medium for re-factor – 3/10/2020

Phone screenings can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t regularly chat on the phone as part of your career. Understanding their purpose, as well as being well prepared from doing your research, does a lot to bolster your confidence as a candidate. Feeling at ease will allow hiring managers to get a sense of who you actually are and what you’ve accomplished, rather than just hearing your nerves personified.

What is the actual purpose of a phone screening?

While there may be some differences from hiring-manger to hiring-manger in regards to exactly what they are screening for, in general, it comes down to:

• Does this candidate show a genuine interest in our product/company?

• Can this candidate speak in detail about their professional experience and specific accomplishments?

• Will that experience be relevant to the position being filled?

• Will this candidate be a good fit culturally?

The best ways to make sure you hit all these points on your call with the hiring manager is to do your research, practice your professional “elevator pitch”, and to know what questions to ask. We’ll go over tips for the other elements of a successful phone screening, but today will focus on what information you should know prior to hopping on the call.

Do your research.

Hiring managers can be turned-off pretty quickly if they feel a candidate knows nothing about them, the product, or the company. You can easily avoid this faux-pas by looking into the following topics:

Product

Who are their customers/audience, what is their market fit, what problem are they trying to solve?

Funding

Are they at the pre-seed level of funding, or are they making moves for an IPO on the horizon? How long is the current company funding runway?

Competitors

Once you understand the product, it’s easier to search for who their competitors are in the same space. Bonus points if you know how they differentiate themselves from the pack.

Messaging

How do they describe themselves? The company website and blog are good places to look at.

Office Details

Knowing where the office is (or if they are remote) is a simple detail that can prevent confusion later on when it comes to commute.

Hiring Manager

You can find most hiring managers’ titles and previous work experience via LinkedIn. Try to also find any relevant personal connections. Did you go to the same school, have you volunteered with the same organization, etc?

If there’s an area that you aren’t readily able to learn about the company through your research, that will provide inspiration for questions to ask the hiring manager when the time comes. Giving an earnest shot at doing your own exploration will give you an advantage against similarly experienced candidates who are interviewing for the same role.

One last crucial piece of advice on the research phase of phone screen prep from re-factor Founder, Matt Hoffman:

“Never cram for a phone interview. Get your research done ahead of time and spend the time just before the phone call doing something you like or that gives you energy. Listen to a song you like. Take a walk. Whatever it is you do to get in a good headspace.”

In our next blog, we’ll be highlighting how to create your own professional elevator pitch, which is another essential part of the phone screening process. Have questions about your upcoming phone screening as a software dev? Feel free to reach out to contact@re-factor.co, we’re always happy to help.

Recruiting isn’t rocket science, but it takes common sense and good intentions to do it well. We ‘remake’ engineering recruiting by focusing on Candidate Experience: we vet and test a curated roster of opportunities, coach folks through the interview timeline, offer our candidates tools to make a thoughtful decision on offers, and help negotiate those offers, too!

www.re-factor.co

Your Online Course Post-Launch Checklist →

*Note: This blog was originally posted to Medium for CourseCraft – 3/10/2020

An online course can be a big project, but if you really want your course to be successful the work you put in after launch can be just as important as the course creation process itself.

In a lot of ways, an online course is a set-it-and-forget-it product. The promise of passive income is why a lot of course creators get into this in the first place. But there are a few things you need to do after your launch to ensure the success of your e-course.

This short video walk-through shows you ways to incorporate the following into your checklist:

Interact and engage with your students

• How to actually reach them

Use analytics and course stats to inform your marketing strategy

• How to make data-influenced changes

Keep promoting, even after your course launches

• Why post-launch promotion is just as important as pre-launch

Learn from past courses to make your next one even better!

• How to make the most of your past experiences

Looking for more ways to improve e-course? CourseCraft provides an “E-course Creation Toolkit” playlist on YouTube full of useful tips and tricks that span through creation, marketing, and customization.

If you’re looking to share and chat with fellow online course creators, be sure to join our Creative Online Course Makers Facebook group. Make sure to follow CourseCraft news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How to Defeat Your Creative Imposter Syndrome →

*Note: This blog was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 2/13/20

Chances are, you’ve heard a friend or loved one question if they are “good enough” to be in their current position, career or otherwise. They might even feel like they’ve inadvertently pulled a fast one on their employer. You reassure them of their skill and worthiness without a second thought.

Then why is it so hard to be that reassuring friend, to yourself?

What is imposter syndrome and who does it affect?

Oxford Dictionary describes Imposter Syndrome as “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” This feeling is so common that according to one Psychology Today study, it’s estimated that around 70% of people have experienced this at one point in their life.

Artists, designers, and people in other creative industries are unfortunately prone to feeling this way even more often. Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on Imposter Syndrome notes that “The nature of creative work makes everyone more vulnerable to feeling inadequate and even more so if you are not classically trained.”

Additionally, women creatives may feel additional pressure and uncertainty. It’s theorized that this is because girls are often socialized to be more risk-averse than boys during childhood. Cara Maksimow, LCSW shares that “in careers that are more male-dominated, women feel isolated and begin to doubt themselves and their ability to be where they are — despite the evidence that they deserve to be there.”

What are some ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome?

So if female creatives are especially prone to these feelings, how can we combat them in order to feel a sense of belonging and deserved success?

1. Accept help and connect with people you respect in your field.

Connecting with creative mentors and peers you respect will help you understand that you’re not alone in feeling like an imposter. Dr. Jason Eckerman shares that “part of what makes impostor syndrome so powerful is the feeling that we’re not able to talk about it without exposing ourselves as being a fraud.”

Sharing those feelings and learning how others deal with their own insecurities can be tremendously helpful, even if it can initially feel scary. Successful serial entrepreneur Nathalie Molina Niño “used to think power was about outcomes and getting shit done, but [she doesn’t] think that is the case anymore,” she explains. “Power comes from allowing yourself to be supported.”

2. Write down and acknowledge your accomplishments in a real way.

Think of this as your personal resume, solely for the purpose of reminding you of all that you’ve done and what growth you’ve been through creatively. Take time to list your previous projects, partnerships, and jobs, as well as more general points of strength and success.

Make sure to keep this updated, and look back on this list when you’re feeling a pang of imposter syndrome. Seeing these things written out can help serve as a concrete affirmation, and help you fight self-doubt.

3. Work towards taming your perfectionism and stopping constant comparison.

Easier said than done, but comparing yourself to others is a losing game. It’s impossible to really know what luck, privileges, or simply more time has lead to your favorite artists’ success. Holding yourself to a perfect standard that may not even be possible, will only increase feelings of being “not good enough”.

Freelance graphic designer Lauren Koste reminds us that “ You are not perfect. Those brilliant creatives you follow on Instagram aren’t perfect. Perfection isn’t a thing”!

You’re not alone in feeling this way and you can overcome it!

The number one thing to remember is that most people feel this way at one point or another in their life, especially women in creative jobs. It’s perfectly normal, and there’s nothing wrong with you!

Imposter Syndrome, when not worked on, can be a roadblock to future successes. Surround yourself with supportive mentors and peers, keep track of your wins, and work every day on being kinder to yourself. You are the origin of your own success, celebrate it!

Scout Expedition Co Offers a Designing Immersive Environments Workshop (Now Coming to LA!) →

*Note: This review was originally published on Haunting.net – 1/19/2018

The below Scout Expedition Co Designing Immersive Environments workshop will be remounted in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 28th via a partnership with us! For more information and tickets, please visit scoutworkshop.eventbrite.com.

Nestled in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, a group of strangers huddles together in a dimly lit basement. I scramble to cut out photos of children’s faces and paste them on the concrete wall. The man next to me furiously scribbles various ransom notes and throws them onto the ground. Time is running out.

On Saturday, November 4th, two of the most prominent immersive designers (with the generous help of San Francisco’s Rathskeller Club) hosted a class of twenty people. This class, entitled Designing Immersive Environments (or DIE for short), offered a blend of theory, practical advice, and hands-on experience.

Photo Credit: John “Seg” Seggerson

 Jarrett Lantz and Jeff Leinenveber of Scout Expedition Co., the hosts of the seven-hour class, have deep roots in immersive set design. After experiencing their gateway drug, Punch Drunk’s Sleep No More, Jarrett and Jeff were hooked on immersive theater. They quickly found themselves attending every experience they could, becoming increasingly enamored with the magical word they had stepped in to. While the duo had previously worked together on both long-running immersive horror theater piece Delusion and with Third Rail Projects on a number of experiences, Scout Expedition Co. fully came to fruition with their award-winning project, The Nest.

The Nest, inspired by the stories buried within items from estate sales and narratively-driven video games, invited guests into a storage locker to entwine themselves in the intimate life story of a deceased woman. This was all accomplished through interactions with her personal belongings—with the notable absence of any tangible actors. This played to Scout Expedition’s strengths, as they paid painstakingly close attention to the emotional effect of the space, from lighting to the smallest possible item. The environment itself became the star of The Nest’s narrative, with guests acting as conduits of emotion and narrative progression, which allowed Scout to forget about rules of interaction and focus purely on the story.

Photo Credit: John “Seg” Seggerson

 Leveraging the knowledge and expertise they gained from these various projects, Lantz and Leinenveber wanted to share their knowledge with the immersive community. Focusing on their creative process and lessons they’ve learned, the workshop begins with a practical discussion of their design process, how to effectively utilize props and lighting, and an in-depth look at the psychology of space.

This all culminates in getting your hands dirty: working with a team of five to create your very own immersive space using the principals discussed in the class. We were provided some bare essentials (tape, pens, paper, etc) and were also able to select a few items from Jarrett and Jeff’s treasure trove of odds and ends that they had brought up from LA. Each team was assigned a theme (ours was Little Red Riding Hood) and allowed to choose a location based on the list provided to us. Creating a film noir that was Little Red Riding Hood themed, out of trash bags and tape was challenging but provided a kinesthetic application to the previous lessons—solidifying the ideas into my mind. We were then given the chance to explore each group’s environment, followed by a discussion of each lead by Lantz and Leinenveber.

Photo Credit: Katherine O’Harrow

A truly unique and hyper-specialized course, this workshop was perfect for those interested in immersive set design and essential for creators who are or will be producing experiential work. Don’t miss your chance to learn about immersive set design from experts in the subject and connect with your local immersive community at the same time.

Special thanks to both Scout Expedition Co., as well as Rathskeller Club for bringing together creative minds within the immersive theater space, and encouraging others to create engaging and unique work. Follow Scout Expedition Co. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest updates on their upcoming work.

For more information on this workshop, as well as tickets for the upcoming Los Angeles remount, please visit scoutworkshop.eventbrite.com!!

“Stay on The Line” Recalls Tragedies from The Near and Distant Past →

*Note: This blog was originally published on Haunting.net – 11/11/2018

The woman in front of me faces a blurry projection on the hotel room wall and starts an odd dance-like movement that instinctually makes me shiver. She rocks back onto her heels, and onto the tips of her toes. She looks behind her, turns around as if looking for something, and then returns to her twisted waltz. These movements, while intensely strange, ring familiar in my mind. It’s not until the projection on the wall focuses in on a building marked with a sign reading Cecil Hotel that I piece together why I may have seen these exact movements before. Stay on the Line. 

 Stay on The Line includes an unsettling, yet somehow tender, remembrance of Elisa Lam. In February of 2013, her body was mysteriously found decomposing in a water tank at the Cecil Hotel – renamed Stay on Main after being unable to shake the infamy of her death, as well as other unsavory moments in its history. Elisa Lam was last seen alive in video surveillance footage of her making these very strange movements in the hotel’s elevator, stepping in and out as the door unexplainably remained open for the several-minute duration of her frantic movements.

Stay on The Line is a single-guest immersive experience based in Chicago, which has returned after a sold-out first-year run last Halloween. This year they’ve done it once again; tickets sold out within the first few days.

Whitney Currier, Nicole Faust and Emily Sharp return with nine new storylines built for a single guest to experience, two stories per visit. This year, they invite guests to step into a hotel room at The Martin (a performance space located in West Town in the WOW district of Chicago) and experience two back-to-back storylines inspired by the wild and private world of hotels and what can go on behind closed doors.

With a fairly sparse environment and zero artifices, the team behind Stay on The Line manages to inspire awe and create palpable tension, with precise movement, emotive body language, and thoughtful story. The two narratives that I experienced were STAY ON MAIN (the new title for the hotel post-death of Elisa Lam) and DEAD GIRLS DON’T LAUGH, a story inspired by the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and the death of Grace E. Magro, another woman who met her end at the Cecil Hotel/Stay on Main.

 Both experiences took me on a journey through wonder, anxiety and fear, all in a span of 20 minutes. While this year’s run has sold out, be sure to keep an eye out for more works from these very talented actors. And, of course, grab tickets to Stay on The Line’s remount next Halloween season.

For more information on events at The Martin Chicago, visit their website.

Epic Immersive’s Infernal Motel Offers a Descent in to a Surreal Afterlife →

*Note: This review was originally published on Haunting.net – 1/10/2018

“I need something from you.

It just might change a man’s life.

I have arranged for you to stay at an exclusive underground resort…”

I’m handed an aged enveloped, sealed by a red wax; but what’s inside is far more interesting. Within, I find a mysterious letter and a small slip of paper that reveals itself to be a useful, if not ominous, map of the seven levels of hell as described in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.

It’s an odd feeling, to be excited to descend into hell; but, as an ecstatic bellhop in a 1930’s uniform leads me down the street and asks me about my stay, I grow more eager to check-in to The Infernal Motel. I swipe my keycard, adorned by the word Envy, into the card reader and begin my voyage into the unknown.

Alika Spencer-Koknar as “Beatrice” – Photo Credit: Tyler Heibeck / The Rathskeller Club

Director Steven M. Boyle helms an extremely talented cast and crew in this immersive production of Epic Immersive and Rathskeller Club’s The Infernal Motel. From wise-cracked jokes to truly sentimental moments, this show elicits a wide range of emotions from guests while they traverse a surreal realm. Much like a dream, parts of this production feel strange and mysterious, while others make one feel comfortable and oddly at home.

The immersive set design of The Infernal Motel successfully imparts a sense of wonder through clever abstraction. Environment designer Jackie Moy juxtaposes objects from various time periods (think a dusty SNES game console next to an oil lamp) to create the sense that you are existing within a memory, and not within any given year. Everything seems to fit perfectly in the environment, but nothing quite makes sense, which sets an unsettling tone for the experience. In conjunction with the beautiful space that almost acts as a member of the cast itself, Sound Designer Andrew Lowe creates an audio element that seamlessly follows guests through the story and solidifies the more emotional aspects of the show in the audience’s memory.

Max Koknar as “Dante” – Photo Credit: Tyler Heibeck / The Rathskeller Club

 While the gorgeously detailed environment is a definite highlight of the production, it is the cast that truly makes this experience memorable. In particular, Bora “Max” Koknar’s Dante Alighieri brings a frantic energy that at once is both simultaneously disarming and comforting. At times, he is a caricature reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter, while at others, he is a sympathetic friend sharing some very real hopes and fears with his guests. The supporting cast does double (sometimes triple) duty by each playing multiple characters. While this makes sense in the context of the narrative, one would be advised to brush-up on at least a high-level synopsis of the source-material, Dante’s Inferno. While by no means a direct translation of the famous novel, without this context, the show may read more disorienting than mysterious.

A note on ticket selection: for my initial foray into this show, I chose to check-in to the Envy suite. From what I could gather from speaking to others who attended the show, each of the four suites (Lust, Greed, Gluttony, and Envy) offer unique elements to the overall narrative. As someone who is claustrophobic, it was advised that I select the Envy suite option, and I’m very glad I did. If you’re someone with similar phobias or have slight mobility constraints I would recommend this option as well. Envy is also one of two options (the other being Lust) that allows you to go through the experience with one other individual by your side, the other suites are individual experiences.

Dana Soliman, Photo Credit: Tyler Heibeck / The Rathskeller Club

Checking-in to The Infernal Motel is a truly unique experience that has the power to make guests forget where they are, and at times who they are. I’m personally crossing my fingers for another extension to the show’s run, for a chance to explore additional suites and get lost in the in-between once again. For more information and tickets to San Francisco’s Infernal Motel please see here. Learn more about Epic Immersive here, and catch them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.

Birch House’s Cursed Brings True Emotion to An American Tragedy →

*Note: This review was originally posted on Haunting.net – 11/7/2018

I stand in the darkness with my fellow women, our hands rigidly interlocked. The tension in the room feels thick, as we wait for what’s to come. Suddenly, there are audible gasps as a loud thud comes from the ceiling above, interrupting our moment of silence. There can be no mistaking the eerie sound: the spirits have answered our call, but what they actually had to say–none of us could be prepared for. Blood-curdling screams, and then we’re in communication with something dark, something sinister, something Cursed.

Birch House’s Cursed: An American Tragedy brings something truly unique to the Chicago immersive theater scene, and is just as good as both New York and Los Angeles productions. Effortlessly moving between shocking wartime violence, intimate moments between lovers, and unnerving occult practices, the cast of Cursed brings the highest level of acting to a truly immersive experience written by director Lauren N. Fields and Production Designer Janie Killips.

Cursed is an immersive epic that explores the story of a family curse shown through three different generations during times of war. The audience can choose to follow various family members within the three different time periods: The Civil War, World War I, and World War II.

The location alone, a large mansion in Chicago with numerous hidden nooks and crannies, adds so much to the experience itself, that it’s easy to become fully absorbed in the intricacies of each individual performance. The creaky floorboards, dimly lit bedrooms, and icy cold basement lends themselves as perfect backdrops to both terrifying a baptism and quiet, final goodbyes.

Each member of the family tree, and those woven into its branches by something other than blood, gives a vibrant performance capable of making even the most skeptical guest shed a tear. The story delves into grief and loss in both a genuinely respectful and realistic way. During the course of the experience, real connections are made, and that is a true testament to the Birch House team.

 While there are several paths one could take during the show, Cursed does a better job than most at being able to construct a solid storyline no matter where you find yourself exploring. There’s a great balance of wanting to come back again to learn more, without being completely lost during the first go-around.

If you’re in the Chicago area, do yourself a favor and attend Cursed before its run ends November 17, 2018. Tickets are available for purchase here.