The right message doesn’t just get likes. It grabs hearts.
How does a quiet little Instagram account about a 1970s ranch go from a handful of likes to 28,000 followers in eight months? No influencer tricks, no perfect lighting, just honest words that struck a chord. Joy Sarnacke of Paper Plain shares what that story teaches us about writing messages that grab hearts, and why the last thing you should do is write.
What 1776 Knew About Going It Alone
Tomorrow, America turns 250. And here's what we tend to get wrong about July 4, 1776: it wasn't a victory. Not yet.
What happened that day was something braver — a group of scrappy underdogs looked at impossible odds and decided their best chance wasn't going it alone.
The Commoditization of Creativity
As AI continues to reshape the creative industry, many freelancers are discovering that technical skill alone is no longer enough to stand out. In this month's blog, FCC member Emily Stokes explores why the future belongs not to those who execute better, but to those who think better—and why community may be one of the most valuable assets a creative can have in an era of rapid change.
I wear a lot of black.
There’s a quiet pressure in creative work to be everything. To prove range. To flex across styles. But the best creatives aren’t the ones who chase every opportunity… they’re the ones who learn their voice, trust it, and refine it over time. Your preferences aren’t limitations. They’re clues.
Betting on Franklin
What do Paypal, grunge music, and 1930’s novelists have in common? The answer is the same reason we’re choosing to build our creative businesses in Franklin.
Speakers show you the destination. Peers help you figure out tomorrow.
The stage inspires. The roundtable solves problems. It’s easy to feel energized after hearing someone share their success story. But the real breakthroughs often happen in conversations with peers who are navigating the same decisions you are — in real time.
The Hidden Cost of Creative Freedom
Working from home and running a creative business can feel like freedom. Flexible schedules, autonomy, and the ability to shape your days around your life.
But there’s a quieter side to that freedom that many creatives don’t talk about enough: loneliness.
I recently read a Creative Boom article about the “loneliness paradox” of remote work, and it sparked some honest reflection about creative independence, isolation, and why community matters more than we realize.
If you’ve ever closed your laptop at the end of a productive day and still felt strangely disconnected, this might resonate.