When thinking about the day-to-day of creative entrepreneurs, it’s easy to break it down to the title: the creative component (the creation of the product) and the entrepreneurial component (the administration of the product). However, there is much more to being successful as a creative entrepreneur than making awesome artwork and keeping your books in order. When running a business, there are so many tasks, big and small, that it can be overwhelming and blur the lines between creating and managing production. So, your friends at PATTERN have compiled a list of habits that can either make or break your career, with help from Ryan Hunley and Leah Tribbett, who are both successful Indianapolis-based creative entrepreneurs.
Passion
This one may seem obvious, but it goes without saying that you need to be passionate about what you are producing. Passion fuels you and gives you the energy to push past obstacles (which there are plenty of!) Having passion allows you to be more creative as you are always looking for different ways to achieve your goals.
Without passion, you will lose steam, and tasks that could be considered simple begin to feel impossible. Being a creative entrepreneur is already an uphill battle, so why make it harder on yourself by centering on things that are void of passion?
Persistence
Every creative is familiar with the big scary word “REJECTION,” and as a creative entrepreneur, rejection is inevitable. Unavoidably, there will be people who won’t want to spotlight, buy, or even encourage what you produce. The rejection will be uncomfortable, but it is what you do afterwards that will make or break your career. When you are faced with rejection or other obstacles, it is important to persevere and try again. Persistence is to stand tall and not back down in the face of adversity, to actively fight for your products and brand. When it comes to being persistent and overcoming hardships, owner of Second Street Creative and director of CreativeMornings in Indianapolis, Ryan Hunley, condemns attempting to take shortcuts.
“I think a major rut we fall into is lying to ourselves that there is some book, or class, or conversation that will make it all make sense…that if I just follow these 37 Steps that I read in a Twitter thread written by some grifter that has never worked in the industry, everything will become easier. I think the truth is there is just inherent tension in being a creative entrepreneur and the sooner we accept and learn to love its messiness the sooner we can get back to work.”
Adaptable
In a world where trends can change month to month, it is important to get in the habit of being adaptable. When the tides change, so do you, or else you will fall behind your competition. If you are struggling to make adaptability a habit, Hunley advises to keep an air of mystery about your work.
“Oversaturating the market and becoming known as the person that does the thing can certainly be lucrative short term. But, things come and go, and I’m in it for a whole career. So, I would rather people know me as a brand storyteller instead of a more specific style, medium, or practice that could easily fall out of favor in the future.”
If you don’t make it a habit to be adaptable, you risk your product becoming irrelevant and the survival of your business is put on the line.
Structure
Organization and structure are habits that can greatly impact your career. Owner of Leah Trib Productions, Leah Tribbett, agrees. “When it comes to owning my own business, going with whichever way the wind blows doesn’t bode well for a successful company. I quickly learned that building structure and routine were pivotal to my business (and sanity).” When the lines between the creative and administrative side become blurred, having organization and structure can help clear away some of that brain fog and even provide routines that can relieve stress. One way that Hunley suggests implementing structure is through space.
“I would like to become more disciplined about doing administrative work in certain spaces and production work in a different space. This helps my mind switch between the perspectives required to do these very different types of work.”
Focus
It is easy to be distracted by competition and the unsolicited advice that your support system gives you. These distractions can manifest as obstacles or as an impossible fork in the road, and it can be challenging to move past them. However, focusing on your passion and your goals can help to minimize distractions. When it comes to habits that can break your career, Tribbett says to steer clear of the comparison game in the creative field.
“A colleague once told me never to compare my ‘chapter 3 to someone else’s chapter 20.’ This notion has always helped me remember that each individual is on their own journey and all are at different stages, utilizing different resources and tools along the way. It’s a reminder to simply hone in on your current chapter and what makes your craft unique.”
Networking
Networking is not just for our friends in cubicles. It actually plays a great role in being successful as a creative entrepreneur! It provides opportunities that you didn’t know were possible, and helps to foster a community which is important to have in order to succeed. When it comes to networking, Hunley recommends breaking the habit of seeking out similarity.
“I found myself in groups of folks a lot like me in the early days. But, this leads to redundancy—not growth. Now, I am constantly trying to surround myself with people who are not so similar to me. I make it a point to seek out folks who work in different fields with different methods and different motivations. This keeps me inspired and outside the echo chamber.”
Tribbett similarly advocates for a diversity of perspectives in order to step up your game as a creative entrepreneur.
“I try to expose myself to other creatives’ work and various mediums of art. I think it’s important to keep your channel open to all forms of art and keep an eye out for what moves you.”
If you are interested in finding places for creatives to network, I strongly recommend reading 8 Indianapolis Networking Resources for Creatives!
