Maybe it’s the ability to create stunning works of art or an innate capacity for coming up with novel solutions to issues. There are a lot of reasons to respect creative people. But despite all the advantages of this extraordinary talent and aptitude, there are also significant drawbacks.
Most people are unaware of a harsh reality about earning a living doing what you love: If you’re not careful, following your passion could lead to poverty.
With all of our discussion about meaning, purpose, four-hour workweeks, and lifestyle design, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that people need to pay their bills, keep the lights on, and put food on their tables.
Let’s get to know about the hard truths that emerging artists need to face while shaping their creative career
1. There has to be a market demand.
If your passion does not intersect with a market need that people are ready to pay for, you will not become wealthy or make a life from it. It is just a bizarre idea to develop something, to invest time, effort and funds into something that has no market demand or value.
Having said that, if you detest what you’re doing but there is a market need, it’s unlikely that you will get wealthy either. But there are various rich professionals who hate their jobs on a daily basis.
2. You have to create value of your work
If you want to get paid for what you’re creating so passionately then it has to have value for other people. Creating and realizing the worth of your work will help you determine the price that you’re going to ask for it.
Value that satisfies a market needs to fall into 3 main categories: entertainment, education and service.
Entertainment may be one of the most profitable methods to create value, but it is also one of the most difficult. If you want to make a living from it, your creative endeavour need an audience.
You can’t just create whatever you want in a vacuum while expecting money to appear in your bank account. The possibility that your creation will bring in money is essentially non-existent if there is no market for it.
Providing services through your work is the best way to make money out of your passion.
Whether you entertain, educate, or serve, it’s going to take time to get paid to do the work you love. Start planting seeds today for who you want to eventually become.
3. Cultivate a money-positive mindset.
Although many people aspire to leave their jobs in order to follow their passions, doing so without any means of support is comparable to base jumping without a parachute and being shocked that you perish.
Determine your actual spending and create a financial runway. You should always know how many more month you can survive if you don’t make any money from your artworks.
Another approach is to work at a job that helps you to build transferable skills.
Create language that represents a prosperous financial mindset to draw in more of what you desire.
Your mental bandwidth for creative and entrepreneurial efforts will be hijacked if you’re concerned about how to put a roof over your head, food on the table, and the lights on.
4. The Absence of Acknowledgment & Objectivity
Usually undetectable to the human eye, the underlying structures of successful creative solutions. It can be difficult to understand from the outside how much knowledge and experience it takes to succeed as a creative worker.
When compared to other professions that may require abilities like extroversion or information retention, highly creative vocations are not as highly appreciated.
The lack of objective truth is the main issue in the creative world. A solution is interpreted by creative professionals based on pertinent knowledge, intuition, and personal preferences, which can readily be manipulated by the subjective judgments and views of others.
5. Treat your situation as a learning habit & develop professional habits.
If you can’t leave your current situation, look for any chance you can to improve yourself. Give yourself an education that far exceeds the one you received in school.
Even failures teaches one a lot. Consider every mistake you make as a level on the journey of becoming a perfect professional.
It is the behaviours that separate amateurs from professionals. Don’t wait until you’re a professional to start developing professional habits.
It’s important to be ready for opportunity when it comes. Professionals view their time as their most valuable resource. They set up their lives for deep work and devote at least a modest portion of each day to activities that enrich their lives.
People who are creative view the world and information substantially differently than the majority of people. They are unique and remarkable because of this.
Additionally, it is what constantly imagines what is and what might be, which tears at their entire being. And being aware that any of our beliefs must first be accepted by uninformed individuals for them to be true.
6. Focus on evolving, not originality.
Even if you believe your idea is unique, it’s likely that someone else has previously thought of it or implemented it. To ensure that no one can keep up, aim to constantly evolve.
Instead than trying to be “unique,” focus on growth and evolution. Only time can bring about evolution. In order to truly achieve your goals, emphasise performing the work consistently throughout time.
The charm of creativity is created there.
Therefore, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of creating something entirely new, simply begin.
7. Exposure as well as relationship with clients, both are important.
Interaction with potential clients and then following up with them is crucial. Mostly clients ask for something, express their interest and then ghost you. Everyone’s attention span is constantly bombarded, so don’t take unresponsiveness personal.
Instead of getting discouraged, create a follow-through process when you need to continue connecting with a potential client.
Also, businesses usually ask artists to display their work and offer to increase their exposure, but they refuse to pay for the work’s rental.
If this occurs to you (which is unavoidable at some point), you will know that they aren’t the suitable customer.
Saying “yes” or “no” to possibilities is lot simpler when you know who you want to work with. Say no to anything that isn’t what you desire before expending energy and money on something that won’t yield much in return.
Alternately, you might do the opposite by explaining to the client how you collaborate with others to see if there is a chance to work together.
Ask for what you want rather than accepting what you can.
8. The failure points for all creatives
They can’t endure the poverty: It’s not easy living under unideal circumstances when you’re unable to make a living out of your passion and have no second source of income. Many people quit at this stage. And to be honest there’s nothing wrong with that. If your dream is making you hate your life, perhaps it’s not the most worthwhile dream.
They can’t develop the skills: In a world with this much noise, the quality of your work matters. Becoming skilled at what you do isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.
They can’t evolve and adapt: You must learn to change and adapt as you get to the later stages of a creative profession and you start working for other people (such as publishers, websites, etc.). Many of the things that helped you get where you are now won’t still be effective.
9. Accepting, it’s not linear
As the saying goes, ‘Man plans, God laughs’. Your career is not always going to be doing well. It is going to have its ups & downs.
However, this isn’t a reason to give up; rather, it’s a recognition that you’ll need to be adaptable, face significant barriers head-on, and aim to enjoy as much of the journey as you can.
It involves being open to change, accepting of it, and eager to recognise when something isn’t working for you and then alter it. The process of analysis, evaluation, and action never ends!
Failure is not the end. It’s a lesson for your future self. If you’re experiencing failure right now, just know, you’ll get through it. You’ll be stronger after it. Be willing to accept the situation and learn from it. And when you fail, ask yourself what the problem is and how can I resolve it one by one.
10. No Shortcuts
There are absolutely no shortcuts to a great creative career. Being consistent, patient and believing in yourself is a must in this line of work.
All the above mentioned difficulties will cross your path but it is totally up to you about how you let them affect you. One should not easily give up and their possible best to launch start their career. It all adds up. Nothing is a waste of time.
You haven’t made it until you finally get paid for doing something you enjoy. In actuality, the task has only just begun. The stakes have increased. All of a sudden, your work is not just about you. Editors, agents, business associates, and clients all rely on you. People tend to forget that creative success is an eternal game because of the myth of the “I’ve made it” moment.
Whether you’re up for it or not is the real question!