Has anyone ever told you that “you’ll never earn money like that”, or “it’s better to find a ‘proper’ job”? I’ve been on the receiving end of such comments multiple times! I chose to study Art History at uni. My parents were always supportive of whichever study I’d choose (thank you, mum and dad!), but I remember the laughs and sniggers of classmates (who all chose business economics) and even eyebrow raises from relatives, asking whether there was any work in that.
Basically, they all thought I was stupid to pick a subject that was destined to lead me to poverty.
Get a proper job…or be poor forever
“There is no money in the arts or creative industries”. It somehow sticks when you hear that message. It becomes a stubborn self belief, a condition that is hard to break. I settled for less. I worked in the ‘not-for-profit’- sector for years, a sector dependent on handouts, run by underpaid and overworked staff and chip-on-the-shoulder attitude. Well, there you have it.
I accepted the fact that pay was low, and that I should be grateful to even have a job in my industry. So even when I, years later, set up my own business and became a shop owner (in vintage furniture), I kept myself much smaller than I should have. Because deep down I believed that, as a creative, you don’t earn very much, and that “I wasn’t a real shop like the proper ones in the high street”. So I stuck to a tiny budget, didn’t feel brave or ‘business-y’ enough to take financial risks to grow, and I always over-delivered and undercharged. I was scared to dream too big.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved running my shop and had a fantastic four years doing it (I even won an award!), but the truth is, I barely covered my expenses with the sales I made, and earned just enough to pay for childcare. If it wasn’t for my husband’s support, I couldn’t have lived off the revenue of my shop alone back then. However, I now look at those years as a very big investment in my business skills, entrepreneurial experience and hands-on knowledge, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to grow in confidence and to figure it all out by myself.
I learned SO much. But the biggest lesson? I stayed too much in my comfort zone, and would have been capable of so much more, had I broken down those negative self-beliefs and got support from the start. I was exhausted doing it all alone.
Your path is yours and yours alone
Despite my money blocks, however, I have always worked in the arts and creative industries, and have always earned money doing what I love. And so: yes, there is 100% work in it, I am the living proof.
Besides that, if there are no jobs, you create your own. And yes, you can even have a creative business AND earn a very good income with it. Again, I am the living proof! It all depends on mindset, strategy, and skills. Oh, and the willingness to keep going.
YOU know who you are and what type of work will bring the best out of you. I would have died in a corporate environment. Small business and a creative environment, any time.
The one thing, however, I know was a leading factor in my success to always find work in my field, and how I launched my little vintage shop and got sales, was the fact that I am good at communicating. Communication is key.
Your message has to be CRYSTAL CLEAR. And you got to own it, and show up like the expert you are.
Connect, be visible and communicate clearly
Explaining your personal USP, making yourself visible, and making the right connections. You gotta be able to explain yourself and understand why people would buy from you.
And this is my message to you today: if you want to succeed and grow as a small business – or even find interesting creative jobs – you cannot sit back and wait until somebody accidentally finds you. I know, putting yourself out there for all to see can be scary. Fear of judgement, fear of failure, fear of a big fat ‘no’. I know this feeling well and it sucks!
But you have a dream, right? You don’t want to go (back) to a boring office job, work two side jobs to make ends meet, or depend on a partner to pay the bills. Believe me, you have so much more to give.
You have everything already inside you to make it happen. Your ideal client is out there waiting for you to become visible and help them. They just don’t know yet that you exist.
- Know your audience.
- Understand their desire and how you can help.
- Create fabulous offers.
- Have a crystal clear message.
- Spread your message in all the right places.
- Be yourself, be true to your values, and be authentic.
And keep going.
Don’t get a ‘proper’ job, create a ‘proper’ business, doing what you love.
