Most creative business owners love what they do. They get to create art and get paid for it. Then there are those that see it as a job. Something they do so they can afford to do the art they really love. You know who you are – fine artists doing graphic design, indie rockers playing weddings, interior designers styling houses, etc. I am not talking about free lancers. I am talking about actual business owners who believe that their creative business is a “sell-out” to the true artist that they are. Or somehow their creative business is just what they “do” and that their life happens outside the boundaries of business.
To those of you in this category: you can have many passions, your art transcends its medium and if you do not (or cannot) bring your joy to your creative business, not only will you not get to the “next level”, you are about to be swallowed by those that do. In the spirit of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, the only difference between you and your competitors is passion.
The world today has removed all barriers to technical proficiency. Information is available to anyone who seeks it. The cost of production has plummeted and will only get cheaper. Communication and marketing platforms are unbelievable (and universal) for telling your story. Assuming you have the talent to do the art you do for your clients, the only difference is whether you choose to be iconic. To be iconic, you have to be willing to put yourself and your creative business all the way out there – to stand for something. I just cannot see how you can do that if you do not have unbridled love for what you do and the art you create.
If you use your creative business as a means to an end, you are hiding. Perhaps it is your fear of success, fear of revealing yourself to your clients or your own self-judgment of your work as somehow not “art”. It does not matter. Without truly feeling the value of the art your creative business produces, you belittle its integrity to the clients that come to you (and pay you) for it. Yes, you might just be that good, but you will not be for long. Enthusiasm, in-your-belly desire and hunger to create is infectious and, at base, will be all that matters to your client.
There are many ways to make a living. You chose to be an artist. You can always unchoose it. But you cannot be half pregnant. Honor yourself and your creative business. In for a penny, in for a pound.
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I’m a custom wedding invitation designer working closely with brides and their families. I love what I do more than anything! It’s such a fun gift to be a creative person and an extraordinary treat to be creative on behalf of others. And I truly believe the in-your-belly enthusiasm is what sets me apart from the others! I’m amazed at how intuitive you are about creative businesses! I’m inspired by your insight. Thank you for your blog (: I appreciate it, from one creative person to another!
Sean–you asked me in Las Vegas if I was the best out there at what I do. I said, “I can be”, and truly believe it, as I have been there in the past. I have never pushed myself to go “all the way there”(another phrase of your) however–perhaps for fear of my own self judgement, as you say. I’m finally getting closer to being in that place and agree with you that the joy I am feeling is so worth it. Thank you for the wisdom you share. Your timing is impeccable!
Helen Keller once said, “Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.” It is, indeed for many of us, the very spark that drives us forward and, in doing so, keeps our minds alive. But God almighty, it takes courage and conviction to follow your joy and make a living out of it, especially if you are in the creative business…with clients…who are paying you for your joy…and want your joy to solve a problem for them. The fruits of your joy are put out there each and every day for evaluation, criticism and subjective scrutiny. Treat your joy as something valuable and precious that needs to be cultivated. Develop some thick skin to protect but not suffocate it. Make certain you have a support system to nurture it and care for it when it starts to breakdown. I find binge drinking sometimes helps as well. 😉 Thanks for sharing Sean.
As the poster for our business, I am someone who was saw what I was doing as a job and is now doing what he loves. I can say that it is like day and night. I had my creativity shackled and beaten down by the daily deadlines and pressure of newspaper and now I can work freely with a purpose to only be creative and I have the ability to work independently or with a group of other creative members. I so much prefer my work now.
Sean, this is a gem of a post. I’ve bookmarked it and have been thinking about it for weeks now. Yes, I am guilty of sometimes seeing my creative biz as a means to an end, instead of figuring out the passion that exists in it for me. It is the brain child of my creativity, it is the thing that allows me to live this creative life. I must respect it, nurture it, and help it grow.