The Professional Creative

Bonnie Christine
  • 5.0 (2)
  • DESIGN
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
The Professional Creative

Have you ever dreamed of having a mentor with years of success to guide you through your creative business journey? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into The Professional Creative podcast with your host, Bonnie Christine. With over 13 years of experience as an artist, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Bonnie brings genuine warmth and actionable advice to your journey as a creative professional. Tune in each week to get inspired and discover how the days of struggling to succeed as a creative are over. Each episode is designed to help you GROW no matter what phase of the journey you’re on. From overcoming creative challenges to learning how to promote your work, you’ll learn how to take your passion to the next level and see SUCCESS. If you’re an aspiring professional creative or already on the entrepreneurial journey, you’ll hear about the latest marketing trends, best business practices, and inside tips from a longtime designer—all to help you grow your business like a boss! Welcome to The Professional Creative podcast.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    185: How to Pursue Big Dreams: Ask Yourself These 5 Questions

    In this episode, I’m sharing a fresh perspective to kickstart your creative journey and tackle those big dreams you've been holding close. Together, we’ll explore how to make your goals feel actionable and achievable by asking five pivotal questions. Big dreams often feel overwhelming, but the key to pursuing them lies in breaking them down into meaningful, manageable steps. I share my personal story of taking small, consistent actions toward my dream of becoming a fabric designer, turning a once-daunting idea into a thriving career. Along the way, I highlight the importance of connecting with supportive individuals, making consistent progress, and creating an environment that fosters creativity and focus. Here are the five key questions I pose to help you fine-tune your vision and ignite action: Who can I look to for support? Big dreams thrive with encouragement, accountability, and mentorship. Surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you. What can I commit to? Consistency matters more than intensity. Even 15 minutes a day can snowball into significant progress. Where will I cultivate this dream? Set up a space and routines that make showing up for your dream easy and inspiring. What is my why? Anchor yourself with purpose, and let your bigger vision carry you through challenging moments. Am I ready to let go of perfection? Embrace mistakes as part of the journey and let experimentation fuel your growth. I also share a special invitation to my free event, Pattern Week, where I’ll teach you how to create a repeating pattern in just five days. Whether it’s designing your first fabric or completing a long-held creative project, this event is all about turning dreams into tangible results. As we embark on this new year, let’s embrace the power of small steps, intentionality, and a belief in the value of our dreams. 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/185 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    29 min

  2. 7 JAN

    184: Kickstart Your Creativity with Pattern Week for Free

    Happy New Year, my friends! In this special episode, I’m inviting you to join me for an exciting free event—Pattern Week—happening January 9th through 15th. Whether you’re an experienced designer or just beginning your creative journey, this event is designed to make pattern design approachable and fun. Across five live lessons and Q&A sessions, I’ll guide you step-by-step through creating a repeating pattern in Adobe Illustrator, incorporating your sketches, found objects, or even children’s artwork. By the end of the week, you’ll have your very own design on a tangible product, such as fabric, wallpaper, or stationery. Pattern Week is all about simplifying the process, building confidence, and connecting with a vibrant community of creatives from around the globe. This event is especially close to my heart because I remember how overwhelming it was to start my journey in pattern design without a guide. It took me two years to figure out what I’ll be teaching you in just five days. And the best part? There are no strings attached—this event is 100% free. We’re also giving away over $4,000 in prizes, bonus cheat sheets, and resources to help you every step of the way. If you’re ready to experience the magic of pattern design and bring your creative dreams to life, join us at bonniechristine.com/patternweek. Your creativity is worth pursuing, and I can’t wait to see what you create. Let’s make this year your most inspired yet! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/184 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    6 min

  3. 19/12/2024

    183: Lessons from 2024: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What’s Next for 2025

    As we close out 2024, I’m sharing a deep reflection on the lessons learned this year and how those insights are shaping our strategy for 2025. This process of reviewing "what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next" has become an essential ritual for me — and it’s one I encourage you to try as well. In this episode, I walk you through the highlights of my own year-end review, with ideas you can apply to your creative business. 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/183 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    17 min

  4. 17/12/2024

    182: From Reflection to Results: My Step-by-Step Year-End Review Process

    In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how I prepare for Stu McLaren’s annual “Ideas for 2025” event, but even more than that, I’m walking you through the process I use to review my entire year. This reflection practice has become one of the most impactful parts of my year, helping me close out the current season with clarity and step into the next one with intention. If you’re ready to learn how to thoughtfully reflect on your wins, challenges, and key lessons from 2024 — and use that insight to shape your 2025 — this episode will guide you step-by-step. Whether you’re running a creative business, managing a team, or growing as an entrepreneur, this process will help you extract meaningful lessons, amplify your wins, and create a clear path forward. 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/182 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    16 min

  5. 12/12/2024

    181: The Art of Fabric Design: My Proven 30-Day Workflow

    In this episode, I share the complete breakdown of my 30-day workflow for designing a fabric collection—from the spark of inspiration to the final product. This topic is particularly special to me as I recently released a new fabric collection, A Year in Petals, a heartfelt project inspired by the flowers I grew in my own garden. Whether you're a seasoned designer or dreaming of starting your fabric design journey, this episode is packed with actionable insights, tips, and inspiration to guide your creative process. We'll discuss: Tips for clearing mental and physical space to foster creativity The five-step process for establishing the foundation of a collection, including telling its story, brainstorming 50 descriptive words, and creating thumbnail sketches Breaking down patterns into hero, coordinate, and blender categories Digitizing and refining artwork to create motifs using tools like Adobe Illustrator Final steps: scaling, formatting, and preparing the collection for submission or production I also highlight how these skills translate beyond fabric design to other creative ventures, such as gift wrap, wallpaper, and more. 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/181 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    21 min

  6. 05/12/2024

    180: Mastering Meta Ads for Creative Entrepreneurs with Laura Ball

    I am so excited to welcome Laura Ball to The Professional Creative, everyone! Laura is an expert in media advertising who has helped clients achieve impressive results through strategic ad campaigns, and she joins me for this conversation to discuss digital advertising, specifically Meta (Facebook) ads, and how they can be leveraged as a powerful tool for creative entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. Join us as Laura shares her background in marketing and communications and how she discovered Facebook advertising through a course by Amy Porterfield (whom, as some of you might recall, I have had on the show before). She explains her passion for results-driven marketing and the ability to target specific audiences, which led her to specialize in helping creative, impact-driven entrepreneurs amplify their reach. Our conversation covers various aspects of running successful ad campaigns, including the evolution of targeting on Meta platforms, the benefits of ongoing ads versus launch-focused campaigns, and the key data points to track for effective decision-making. Laura stresses the need to have a clear strategy in place before launching ads and also provides practical advice for those new to running ads, such as securing your business account, setting up proper tracking, and determining a realistic budget to start with! Laura also shares information about her coaching and ad management services for those interested in working with her directly. Tune in for some incredibly valuable insights and guidance for creative entrepreneurs looking to leverage the power of digital advertising to grow their businesses! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/180 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    45 min

  7. 21/11/2024

    179: My Favorite Things - Holiday Edition

    If there is one thing that you know about me, it’s that I absolutely love my favorite things! Every year, I host a Favorite Things Party where my friends and I exchange our beloved finds from the year. It’s a fun way to discover new must-haves and share what we’ve been loving, and it has really become one of my favorite holiday traditions! This year, I thought, “Why not share my personal list of favorite things with you?” I hope that you will join me as I dive into all the goodies that have made my life a little brighter and cozier - from lifestyle must-haves to a couple of game-changing business tools to some perfect gift ideas for the holidays! Whether you are looking for gift inspiration, self-care upgrades, or just want to hear about what’s made my year special, I have you covered, so join me for this fun, festive chat, and don’t forget to tell me YOUR favorite things this year! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/179 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    20 min

  8. 14/11/2024

    178: Come Create With Me

    It’s Bonnie Christine here, friends, and in this episode, I am bringing you an episode that just might spark a whole new creative journey for you! Imagine holding something that YOU designed - fabric, gift wrap, or wallpaper - and feeling that thrill of seeing your creativity come to life! I share all about my Start Simple mini-class series, a free, no-experience-required introduction to surface pattern design. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just curious about creative expression, these mini-classes are designed to be a fun, stress-free gateway into this vibrant world! I walk you through the essentials of creating your own patterns, from sketching and scanning found objects to tracing in Adobe Illustrator, and finally, ordering a tangible piece of your artwork. You can choose from fabric, gift wrap, or wallpaper design, and each mini-class is under an hour, making it perfect for busy schedules. Plus, I share tips for creating custom color palettes, building seamless patterns, and avoiding common mistakes when exporting files. You don’t need any fancy skills or even a background in art, just a curiosity to try something new. Also, here’s a little nudge from me: invite a friend, a family member, or your kids to join! Sharing this journey could make it even more fun. These classes are not only a chance to create something beautiful but also an invitation to play and reconnect with your creativity, so if you’re ready to dive into the world of pattern design, head over to bonniechristine.com/startsimple! I can’t wait to see what you create, and, as always, remember, there's room for you! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/178 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    12 min
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Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Have you ever dreamed of having a mentor with years of success to guide you through your creative business journey? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into The Professional Creative podcast with your host, Bonnie Christine. With over 13 years of experience as an artist, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Bonnie brings genuine warmth and actionable advice to your journey as a creative professional. Tune in each week to get inspired and discover how the days of struggling to succeed as a creative are over. Each episode is designed to help you GROW no matter what phase of the journey you’re on. From overcoming creative challenges to learning how to promote your work, you’ll learn how to take your passion to the next level and see SUCCESS. If you’re an aspiring professional creative or already on the entrepreneurial journey, you’ll hear about the latest marketing trends, best business practices, and inside tips from a longtime designer—all to help you grow your business like a boss! Welcome to The Professional Creative podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Bonnie Christine
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Bonnie Christine
  • Show Website
    The Professional Creative

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