Branding Yourself as a Creative – May 2, 2024

Register Here

In-Person Event, 6 PM to 7:30 PM

Create Appalachia’s Kingsport Center for Art & Technology, 225 W Center Street

Come join us for this evening workshop designed to help you brand yourself as a creative. Kelly Porter, design educator and Associate Professor of Graphic Design at East Tennessee State University, will walk you through the process of defining your brand and creating consistency that will differentiate you and attract your target audience. You’ll be learning the process that experts go through, such as establishing your brand voice, creating a compelling brand story, using color theory and typographic choices to express your brand’s personality, best practices in design, and building brand assets for marketing yourself. Additionally, Kelly will walk you through her favorite free and affordable design resources including Canva.

I NSTRUCTOR BIO: Kelly Porter is an associate professor of graphic design at East Tennessee State University. In addition to her 8 years of teaching, she has also worked for 11 years as a designer and design researcher for Ryobi Power Tools, The B.B. King Museum, Mississippi Blues Trail, and Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. Professor Porter has presented at UCDA, CAA, SECAC, and Pop Culture Association conferences and she is published in the International Journal of Signage and Wayfinding. She received her MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a BFA in Graphic Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi.

DONATIONS ARE REQUESTED BUT NOT REQUIRED. We’re a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and we reinvest all money collected from fees and donations back into serving creatives in our region. The suggested donation for this class is $10-$20. We’d appreciate a donation of what you feel you can afford. If you can’t donate right now, then choose the free ticket option. We completely understand. Please join us anyhow!

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Create Appalachia strives to make the Appalachian Highlands a better place to live and work by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship centered around the arts and creativity. We work to sustain an environment that will generate new businesses, provide jobs in arts-based businesses, and highlight the important role that creativity plays in the region’s economic vitality.

The Arts@Work Series supports entrepreneurial and self-employed artists and makers who wish to develop their professional business skills. Topics include introductions to business strategy, marketing, communication and promotion, pricing, and client relations. The 2023-2024 Arts@Work series was curated to meet the particular needs of small creative businesses.

The Tennessee Arts Commission provided funding for this class through an Arts Build Community grant. Their generosity makes it possible for us to present this class with no admission charge.

Questions? Need more information? Email katie@createappalachia.org.