Nurturing Creativity
A Guide to Building Your Artist Residency and Cultivating Creative Community

Are you an artist, creative, or community-builder dreaming of starting your own artist residency or creative program? Cultivating Creativity is a practical and inspiring guidebook that helps you turn that dream into a sustainable reality.

Drawing from her real-world experience founding The Verdancy Project, a multidisciplinary, nature-based artist residency in the Pacific Northwest, artist and creative entrepreneur Shannon Amidon offers step-by-step guidance, heartfelt insights, and stories from the field.

This book covers everything you need to know about:

• Developing your vision and mission

• Creating sustainable and inclusive programs

• Funding, budgeting, and structuring your residency

• Building creative community and partnerships

• Maintaining your own creative practice while leading others

Nurturing Creativity goes beyond logistics, it’s a book about connection, generosity, and the courage to create something bigger than yourself.

Perfect for readers interested in: artist residencies • creative entrepreneurship • community arts • DIY art spaces • creative leadership • and art business guides for artists.

Coming April 21, 2026