This whole running a creative business thing sometimes feels like a never-ending work in progress… that we’re never ‘finished’. But is this a bad thing?
Let me give you a little tip.
You will never finish.
You will never be done and you will never reach perfection.
But this is ok! It is more than ok because no one ever does. You, your life, relationships and your creative biz are all works in progress.
It really is all about the journey. This is why you need to enjoy every moment of your creative career. The downs are as important as the ups and the goals once reached will leave the space for more goals.
Your biz is forever evolving and this is a wonderful part of being your own boss. Watching your business grow and evolve is rewarding.
Here are a few things to consider when it comes to this evolution in order to truly embrace and understand the rewards of your business.
1. Reflection
Take a moment to remember when you first started.
Did you really think you would be where you are now? Are you surprised by what you have achieved? I certainly hope you are.
It is so easy to get caught up in the every day challenges that we face as creative business owners that we forget to stand back and really check our progress.
2. Exploration
You are not lost. You are never lost. You are exploring, discovering and learning.
If you find yourself somewhere unexpected or unplanned it means you are forging a new and exciting track in your business. This is an important idea to remember. Walk forward with confidence and trust the natural path your creative business leads you on.
3. Expectation
There is a constant pressure felt by creative people to please others.
You obviously want to please people. Your family, friends and customers are all very important – but you need to remember you are doing this for yourself.
Expectation can sometimes be a burden. If at any point you feel you cannot deliver as expected you need to be honest with yourself. Your life is here to be lived by you. If you need a holiday, take it. If you don’t want to undertake a commission, don’t. You need your business to work for you and not the other way around.
Use your brain here to weigh up options instead of becoming a slave to the expectations of others.
4. Possibility
As a creative business owner you will have a mind buzzing with ideas.
A whole bunch of possibilities will be there, always.
This is a wonderful thing! You can choose which possibilities to make realities, which ones to discard, and which ones to hold on to for later.
Do not try and do everything at once – but know you have the freedom to work with all possibilities and you have the ability to create more along the way.
If you write a list of everything you need to do to succeed in your creative biz, and you ticked them off one by one until you got to the end would you have a perfect business?
No. By the time you finish that list there would be an entirely new list!
It may be more precise, it may be more thorough but it still won’t get you to the finish line. Just ticking off tasks is no way to enjoy your business.
