…and just like that (insert fingers snapping here), it was our final day together. We started our day a little later, enjoyed a hot breakfast, and set our sights on learning more about The Business Side of Art.

The Saturday Salon
We were quite excited to extend the length of our retreat by one day to add both an opportunity for more depth to our offerings as well as ensure that folks who wanted time to enjoy the town of Surf City (and/or the beach) had a chance to do so before we all headed our separate ways on Sunday.
Michelle opened our first ever Saturday Salon with a look at establishing an online presence. She highlighted the services of Squarespace for web-site hosting, providing our guests with an in depth look at the various ways to illuminate one’s work online and offering tips and tricks for taking photos of finished work.
Integrating an online presence with an online sales portal can dramatically increase one’s reach. Michelle shared her experiences with Square (not affiliated with Squarespace) as both an ideal payment portal (for in person/festival sales and online payments) as well as a means to add direct sales to a website. With a Square account, one can set up a free online store page through their service.
After a healthy round of Q&A, Penny offered some insight on sourcing goods and materials for keeping creativity going. Guests were provided with a handy reference guide that featured all of the suppliers that we used in gearing up for our Studio Sessions at this event.
Note: because TECHNOLOGY, and we were all a bit tired from too many late nights, and (perhaps) the wee-est bit distracted by our surroundings - or, at the very least, a little “all of the above,” we managed to conduct our very first Saturday Salon without taking a single photo (insert face-palm emoji here). In lieu of that, we have included some favorites from our most lovely time by the sea.

Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead
Before we called the business of the day complete, we took a moment to look ahead to next year. While there are a few variables that remain unknown, we know that we are committed to providing this respite from the everyday again. The Class of 2023 has already signed on to be the majority of The Class of 2024! When we announce the final details of Seaside Sessions 2024, we will only have 4 spaces available. We will, of course, offer a waiting list. The most important thing is this: we will continue to offer creative experiences curated for women by women, and we revel in the thought of a full year to prepare just the right combination of mixed media magic for our new class of Creative Explorers to discover. Following a lovely and free afternoon, we feasted on lovingly handmade lasagna as our farewell dinner.

That’s all for now! We’ll be posting the Studio Sessions for Seaside Sessions 2024 soon. As always: be kind, live out loud, and never miss the chance to add a bit of beauty to the world with your art!
Until next time,
~ Penny & Michelle