Once a year, I take one creative entrepreneur's idea and walk it all the way from a what if to a real thing: mapped, branded, and out in the world. This is the second annual Foundry Fellowship, and it's free, because knowing you don't have to hold an idea alone is a severely underrated form of love.
Go from someday to this season.
CALLING ALL CREATIVES
In my dreamiest dreams, this is a grant-funded experience that allows me to support multiple artists at an intimate level throughout the year. But the smallest version of the idea that still feels magical (aka the "minimum viable magic" version) is working with one artist, completely free of charge.
There's no catch or end-of-experience pitch, just six months of my best creative energy put toward you and your inspired idea.
About the Fellowship
Applications open August 10 and close August 30. The process consists of two rounds: this application and a casual video conversation.
In the application, tell me about the idea you've been dreaming up — what it is, where you're stuck, and what you hope for. It's sixteen questions, including a few housekeeping items. Every application is read by me, no AI involved.
I will select 5 applications to be shared with a curated team of creatives made up of past clients and colleagues.
From there, we'll select 3 applicants to meet with me for a 15-20 minute conversation to get to know each other and make sure this is the right move for your idea in this season. The Fellow will be announced at the end of September.
THE EXPERIENCE
THE process
The 2026 Foundry Fellow will walk through the entire Creative Cartography process with me and receive:
DESIGN
- A three-hour intensive to walk through the Foundry Map and get clarity on what this idea is for and what it'll actually take
- Tiny Brand™ kit, the visual identity that makes the idea feel real
NAVIGATE
- Six months of access to The Studio membership for co-working, feedback, and solidarity that helps your idea keep moving, especially when it gets hard
- A seat in the next seasonal Artist Residency (3 months), so you can build the idea in a committed space of fellow creatives and get real-time feedback on your work
INTEGRATE
- A full debrief session at the end of the six months to name what worked, what's still left, and where you're going next
- A tiny gift sent to your door to celebrate :)
ARE YOU THE 2026 FELLOW?
If you're doing work you care about and are missing clarity and direction, visuals you feel psyched about, and/or a creative community to rally around your work, you'll be a perfect fit.
Open to creative entrepreneurs in all disciplines, such as service-based business, product-based businesses, coaching & consulting, writers, visual artists, musicians, makers & craftspeople, etc.
"I was in this purgatory — I knew where I had been, I knew where I wanted to go, but I didn't understand how to get to that next level, or even assess my own strengths and weaknesses. It was really nice to feel like I had another set of eyes on my situation, helping me along the way, guiding and navigating me through a very stressful time in my small business."
Aly Brooks of The Concrete Boutique received the first Foundry Fellowship in 2025. She's a concrete artisan out of Jacksonville, Florida, and I immediately fell in love with her drive, excitement, and passion for her work. Together, we completed a Tiny Brand, got started on her website, worked on packaging designs, and laughed entirely too much together on Monday night co-working and residency calls in The Studio.
I asked her to reflect on the experience, and here's what she said:
Meet the 2025 Foundry Fellow
She sent me a few of her pieces throughout our time together — to test out packaging, of course — and they have treasured spots in my studio.
To follow Aly and her concrete artisan journey, head over to Instagram:
I'm Karla, a fellow big dreamer — violinist, creative director, amateur illustrator, mostly decent writer — and an idea-mapping-obsessed wannabe cheesemonger. I've spent the last five years building The Inspired Foundry into a trusted space and creative haven where artists & entrepreneurs find support for the (often overlooked) messy middle and inspiration to keep doing their best work.
Do you also believe good questions and good bread can fix almost anything? If so, we should probably be friends. Glad you're here.
