Written by: Harley Morgan
[@LegendaryHandM – IG & Twitter]
It’s no time like the present than to join the wave that is entrepreneurship! Whether part time or full time, the concept of working for self is always right! In all of our pursuits to being wealthy, rich and famous, we’ve heard that the formula included having multiple streams of income; well, entrepreneurship is the conduit that breeds just that! As I define it, a REAL working definition of entrepreneurship would be the journey of starting a business with the willingness to risk loss in order to make money. You make the rules…you conjure up the idea…you make the decisions…you take a chance…you win or lose…you repeat. It’s not made for everyone; it’s made for the open minded, the resilient and most definitely, the creative.
The CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR, is a fairly new concept and quit possibly the most in demand. With so many emerging business ventures, the creative entrepreneur typically finds a way into a venture by being, well, creative. As a creative, I know from first hand experience that, since we don’t have traditional ventures and businesses, we often have to have forward thinking, an understanding of multiple industry insights and uncanny marketing prowess, to get consumers to engage. To consistently be creative is a huge task…isn’t it? ABSOLUTELY!
The digital space is like the “Creative’s Battlegrounds”! Everywhere you turn, there’s something slated to be “New” – a product, content, and service, the list goes on. It’s always a race. The thought of having to “one up” the competition for consumer attention can be scary and overwhelming. Many encounter stress and poor quality work attempting to keep up with competitors simply by trying to produce creativity that is not always there. But, you’re a creative. What do you mean “not always there”?? That’s exactly what I mean…we don’t decide when we become creative. It’s a spirit.
Please, keep reading, I promise, this is not turning into a spiritual conversation. As an entrepreneur in the Creative Arts, I am here to share that you have to be moved to be creative. Viewing your competition’s content/new product/concept will NOT spark creativity. It will encourage frustration, fatigue and burnout. Trust me, you can’t sit at your laptop after you’ve had your coffee and say “OK, let me do something creative from 9 – 11” – NOPE! This spirit will come to you when you need it, like a vision. You may have thought of a couple of things here and there, but the creative spirit, in due time, will bind all of your thoughts together when the time is right.
To all of my entrepreneurs out there – novice, intermediate and advanced, do not let the work and progress of others deter you from your goals. You and your mental well-being are worthy of all of the success that’s due to you. Don’t force creativity; that has a way of decreasing the value of your work. In those non-peak moments, handle some administrative or organizational tasks, make connections on social media, and/or do some industry research. When the spirit hits you and peak hours start, nothing else matters! You’ve got to ride that wave while it’s there!
Happy Creating!
Photo Cred: @ccbloomphotodesign
Models: Yarral Spragley, Treasure Henderson for www.roetheagency.com
Thank you for your insight and encouragement. Since the first time I met you Harley you’ve had not only a creative spirit but a humble one. Keep the blogs coming!!!
Very Well Spoken. Entrepreneurship is Hard but if you stay Focus, commit to complete, Stay consistent, and Push yourself your Business and Creativity will Grow. Do Let NO One discourage you or your passion.
Oh! This is so spot on as we all fight to constantly reinvent ourselves and our businesses every day ! We have to also take the time to smell the roses ! It is so easy to be in grand mode so much that we stunt that creative side of our self. Some of my best payoffs came to me when I was just enjoying life!
I can completely relate to this. As a creative entrepreneur, myself, I’ve often found it difficult to swing between periods of creativity and mundanity. It has taken me a while to learn how to relax during off-peak times and not try to force my way through the less exciting phases of the entrepreneurial process. Great article.