Hey First name / friends!

 

I've got a couple fun (free) art licensing value bombs for ya today, including a free event I'm speaking at  – The Profitable Artist's Summit! (More on this in a bit)

 

But first, here's the big update about the donation match for impactful animal welfare organization I volunteer with, Hand to Paw Thailand…

 

WE DID IT. 🎉🎉🎉

 

This community raised over $5,000 and with my donation match, that's over $10,000 going towards this organization. 🥹

 

As of last week, we had fully funded a mass spay day in Thailand. But I kept the donation match going through May 31st, and I'm thrilled to announce that with the latest donations, we're now able to fully fund a second spay event. One for dogs and one for cats! That's up to 300 animals sterilized and living a better, safer, healthier life because of YOU.

 

I am so genuinely moved by the love & generosity you've shown toward Hand to Paw Thailand. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 💛

 

The next spay event is coming up soon, and I'll be sure to share more of the behind the scenes on Instagram!

 

I'm thrilled to share that I'm speaking at The Profitable Artist Summit this year! I'll be hosting a live Q&A and I'd love to have you there.

 

This FREE 3-day event brings together artists, illustrators, surface designers, educators, and industry experts for practical sessions designed to help artists build profitable creative businesses.

 

The coolest part is that the focus of this year's summit is on Skills That Sell – meaning each talk will be filled with practical strategies and tutorials – no fluff 😄

 

The speaker lineup this year is preeettttyyyy incredible and I'm honored to be included!

 

I'm hosting a LIVE Q&A session and it's happening Thursday, June 12th at 7:30pm Eastern time! Click here to sign up and join my Q&A!

 

You'll also hear from 20+ working artists who will share a behind-the-scenes look at how they have created a profitable art business and how you can do the same!

 

The Summit will cover profitable strategies and skills that sell. Here are some of the fun talks you can look forward to:

…and soooo much more!

This second value bomb is a fun one. It's the art licensing foundation I wish I'd had when I first started out (yours, free!) 🎁

 

When I was starting out in licensing, I would've given anything for someone to just… tell me how it actually works. I was totally flying blind and figuring it out as I went. 

 

So I put together a free foundational prep course with all the stuff I wish I had learned earlier in my career. It's called Art Licensing Insiders, and it's a free prep course I'll send straight to your inbox. Part one lays the foundational skills you need to get started in licensing. Part two is where it gets juicy: the raw, unfiltered stories and lessons from my last 10 years in this business. The deals, the negotiations, the expensive mistakes, the things I usually only share with my students. No gatekeeping. 😉

 

Whether you're a new artist curious about making a living or you're already deep in it, this is one of the best ways to get a real, behind-the-curtain look at how the business actually works.

 

To get it? Just hop on the waitlist for The Art of Collections (my 6-month licensing mentorship program, which opens again this August — yay! 🎉). 

 

The second you're on the list, you're officially an Insider and you'll get the prep course dripped out weekly in your inbox on Thursdays. Whether you plan to join the program or not, this is a fantastic resource for learning the ropes of licensing! 

This week's challenge is a surprising trend that I drew years ago, but has totally taken off as an obscure, niche, hot trend – Axolotls!

 

You may be thinking, “Umm, did a cat just walk over your keyboard? What IS that?!”

 

I first heard of axolotls when I was traveling in Mexico. Here are a couple interesting facts about these funky-looking amphibians:

 

1. Regeneration Abilities: Axolotls have remarkable regenerative abilities. They can regenerate not only their limbs but also their jaws, spinal cord, and even parts of their brain! This makes them a subject of great interest in the field of regenerative medicine.

 

3. Axolotls are native to only one place in the world: Xochimilco Lake in Mexico City. Unfortunately, their habitat is under threat due to urbanization, pollution, and invasive species. As a result, axolotls are classified as critically endangered in the wild, though they are commonly bred in captivity for research and as pets.

 

These have been popping up everywhere over the past few years, specifically in kids' products, so I thought this would be a fun and unique challenge for this week. 

 

I can't wait to see your axolotls! Make sure to share using the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq and tag me @catcoq in the post (not just the caption) so I can see what you make! I can't wait to see your take on this prompt! ✨

 

Here are a few of the amazing submissions from our last challenge! 

 

Make sure to click on the photos to see each artist on Instagram and give them some love! When we help each other grow, we all rise : )

 

Have a fabulous week!