How To Embrace The Business Side Of Being Creative?

Acknowledge your creative ability but don’t neglect the fact that you want to profit and prosper from your creative business. A lot of us have been programmed to look at the two as different. But, if you do not have your personal or business expenses together you will be stressed out. You will not be in a proper mental state to create. And, honestly, you will start to question your ability to create and people’s lack of response to your projects.

For some creatives, business and art don't mix. Whether this is intentional, due to bad experiences, or lack of experience, we’re not sure. But, what we’ve learned along the way is that you cannot sustain a career in the creative industry if you do not learn how to reframe your mind around business and art.

You have to build a foundation and put the right systems in place so you can devote more time and energy to creating. Most importantly, learn how to focus on what you are good at so that you can use your innate strengths to build your business. You also have to be honest with yourself and decide whether or not you truly want to turn your art into a business.

When Skye was a freelance hairstylist operating her boutique natural hair salon she struggled a lot with her identity and the business. While Skye enjoyed doing hair she quickly realized that she could not deal with the politics of the salon and being forced to create work she was not truly passionate about. It was also very difficult to stop because at one time Skye was making 4K a month as a solo entrepreneur. But, when life happened and Skye had to decide between doing hair or re-starting her fashion publicist career, She decided to let go of the hair business.

What was once a way of making money simply became a hobby that she did occasionally. A skill she says she reserves for friends and families that only appreciate her work. Skye observed her energy start to shift when she realigned her focus and made a decision. It was not an easy journey but it’s absolutely possible.

You can do this too by:

Taking a look at your calendar. Choose a day and schedule 30 minutes to answer the following questions.

a. Take an honest look at your attitude toward your art or creative outlet. Do you truly view your creative work as a business, or think of yourself as an amateur?

b. Do you truly want to make money from your art or would you prefer it to be just a hobby? If you said yes, to the second question then it’s time to make a decision:

1. Will your creative business take care of you, or will you take care of it?

c. Is there a point where you see your creative business being self-sustaining?

The goal is to look at your business deals as an extension of the things you create. When you learn how to navigate the commercial side of your art you can negotiate better, set realistic goals, and make the time you invest worth it. It’s also totally okay to shift focus. It’s not enough to just love what you do. You have to ask yourself if it’s truly worth investing your all into or if it should just be a hobby.

Are you considering quitting your day job to pursue your passion?

Not everyone should quit their day job. But if you've been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and are thinking about leaving, you should read this first.