Hello and welcome to The Creative Flock!
A supportive and inspiring space for artists, illustrators, creatives and dreamers.
Welcome to The Creative Flock! It’s lovely to have you here!
I’m Emma, an illustrator and artist living in rural Northamptonshire, UK with my husband and energetic 9 year old!
Creatively I’m inspired by strange and spooky fiction, folklore, anything with dark magic, the natural world, birds and woodland animals. I’m an avid sketchbook-er and collector of objects and ephemera that help inspire my work.
I’m also passionate about children’s books. If I'm not reading or reviewing a children’s book, I’m thinking up ideas on creating my own, and I work with a charity to organise children’s book events and author visits to local schools.1
Why I set up The Creative Flock:
I set up this membership as a way to foster a creative community and inspire others, whilst working on my own creative practice with more clarity and intention.
I’ve been sharing my processes and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram and in my seasonal newsletter for some time now, and whilst I still enjoy using these platforms and they have their benefits, for me, there are too many ads and algorithms getting in the way, and they lack the ability to make deeper connections.
Enter Substack…
What I've discovered on Substack is a vibrant, creative community and the sparks of connection I've been seeking. I love the energy here and it’s a delight to share many, meaningful conversations with my members who join from all over the world.
How this membership supports my own creative practice:
I believe that being part of a community is so important in creative development, joining online spaces and supporting other artists on platforms such as Substack, as well as Patreon, has had a transformational effect and helped me create work that is authentic and true to my creative voice.
Through The Creative Flock, I want to give back to the community, share my passion for drawing and illustration and provide a source of inspiration and encouragement to you.
By becoming a paid member, you will help support the creation of new illustration work and book projects and help me take my practice further. Being a free subscriber is also valued, by simply commenting or liking my posts or joining in with the community chat, you’re providing me with encouragement to keep creating and sharing, thank you. 😊
What to expect in the membership:
I set monthly themes to the membership which allows me to dive deeper into a subject, sharing process and development through video, written posts and live, online sessions. Each month I open up the ‘Creative Chat’ thread for paid members, where you can share work-in-progress, creative wins or anything else from your creative practice that you would like to share with the community.
When you subscribe to The Creative Flock you’ll be joining a supportive and inspiring space for artists, illustrators, creatives and dreamers. The Flock is open to anyone, at any stage in their creative journey.
Subscription options:
Free Subscriber:
Free subscribers will get access to some content, plus links and resources to help keep you inspired:
X2 posts a month - One post to announce the new theme at the beginning of each month and an end-of-the-month round-up post.
Occasional bonus posts.
Join x2 Co-sketching sessions a month.
Access to the first 6 weeks of content in The Creative Flock and the occasional archived posts I open up to all subscribers.
Be part of the community in the subscriber-only chat space. Each Friday I invite you to share ‘good stuff from your week’.
Updates on special offers I'm running in my Substack such as free trials or discounts.
10% discount at Deep Deep Light Watercolour and Cult Pens
You can upgrade your subscription at any time.
Paid Subscriber
As a paid subscriber, you have access to all the full membership:
Take your creative practice to the next level and join us as we dive deeper into the monthly theme. Expect up to x4 posts a month, a mixture of written and video posts.
Gain full insight into my creative world as I share my processes and thoughts that go on behind-the-scenes.
Receive regular support and encouragement from me and the community with your own creative practice during our weekly check-ins in the paid members chat space.
Join me and members on live drawing sessions via zoom with all reference images supplied.
Watch pre-recorded video posts and drawing sessions on replay at your leisure.
Join x2 Co-sketching sessions a month.
Access to special offers in my print shop.
15% discount at Deep Deep Light Watercolour and 10% discount at Cult Pens
You will have access to the full archive of content.
Subscriptions are £8.50 a month or £75 a year. The yearly option is 26% cheaper than paying monthly, working out at just £6.25 a month.
If you choose the monthly subscription you can dip in-and-out out of the membership whenever it suits you. When you rejoin you’ll have access to the full archive of paid content to enjoy.
I offer a number of free subscriptions each month to students and anyone who is in need of this space but can’t take on the financial commitment. Please drop me a line if this is something you need, all requests will be held in confidence - contact@emmacarpendale.co.uk
If you would like all the paid subscription benefits plus the opportunity to support my work further, there is also a Founding Member option to pledge between £85 - £185
Subscriptions can be gifted too! They make a unique birthday or Christmas gift for that creative person in your life who you struggle to buy for as they already have all the books and art materials!
A note to end on..
This is a space for those who like to take the scenic route in life.
This membership welcomes everyone, but if you enjoy a slow, gentle pace, you’ll feel right at home.
I won’t be dropping daily content, filling your inbox with messages or asking you to draw every week. There’ll be plenty of live session replays to catch up on if you need a bit of a challenge and I’ll happily share ways to extend your practice to members who wish to take it further.
The ‘Chat’ space is an optional way to connect with members of The Flock if you wish to.
There’s no pressure to have your camera on during the live sessions, talk or share what you’ve created. However, if you fancy chatting while you draw, then I’m always happy to oblige 🙂
In the spirit of ‘slow-pace’, The Creative Flock will take roost at certain times of the year, so I can spend quality time with my family, rest and devote efforts to creative projects. I would encourage you to use this opportunity as a reset too.
I’ll notify members of any interruptions to membership and payments will be paused during that time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I feel like The Creative Flock has found its perfect home here and I'm thrilled to welcome you to the membership.
I work with a local branch of children’s book charity - The Federation of Children’s Book Groups, who work on a local and national level, with schools, families and individuals to bring children and books together and promote a love of reading https://fcbg.org.uk
Photo of me in this post was taken by friend and talented photographer Caroline Bates, she mostly does baby and family photography, but made an exception for me :) carolinejoanne.com
Hey Emma, I just wondered whether you could check something for me please? I just upgraded to a paid subscription but it doesn't seem to have worked on my app. Does it show me as a paid member on your end? 🤔 Xx