Building Small Creative Business as a Medium to Know Myself More
I was told for many years, even from my own extended family, that when I said I wanted to make a small creative business means I want to make huge profit from it. Like I wasn't even starting, or even launching it yet I have already gotten unsolicited advice on how to grow until I am hiring other employees/staff. Remember, I wasn't even starting or launching yet!
I have always been hesitant by the fact that I want to make a huge profit from this small art business. It's more than just " I am just icky about it", but more like my body is telling me how it is not aligned with what I wanted, what my lifestyle I wanted to be.
Because let's be honest, when the art business is growing bigger that means in order to sustain that business there is a need of lifestyle change as well.
This is why, currently I am resonating so much on the fact of building small art business that is a way to know myself more, what I need, what I already have and what I can confidently amplify in myself without comparing myself to the others. Or even, putting others down.
This realization of course is not immediate, because it's been sitting in my thought for around one year and more. It started with the shift of how I did a workbook on how to make a Creative Entrepreneur/Business that I wanted, around the lifestyle I already have instead of "what could have happened if I was luckier". For many times, I thought I had to only sell fanarts that is popular, or make a furry/NSFW art if I wanted to make huge money of it. However I do think the sentiment kind of implied how it is "easy money" for those who do furry/NSFW art commissions when it is still, in fact a hard work and huge huge commitment to do. And also, the lifestyle of those artists within the genres are different from, say my lifestyle and what I like.
You are not just doing one art. You are going to do it for long-term, over and over. So when the intended lifestyle is not aligning, that's when I feel like I have to shift and listen to my body.
So instead of asking to myself "How is my small creative business is growing now?", now I am asking this question:
"How is my current small creative business aligned with my current season and my own body's needs"
The reason for this shift is that I am already doing my office day job that is already taking so much of my time, but at the same time provided me with consistent salary that is 'enough" for living below my means. Of course, 'enough' is different for others so I am not going to overexplain it so much. And the fact that I am doing my office day job for work, I might as well do what I wanted for my small creative business.
This is a blog post that has been sitting on my mind for a whole day, and I really hope that you really enjoy it. It might sound too 'ideal and fantasy', but by imagining the ideal life we wanted I do believe that's the direction where I can work towards something positive and hopeful regardless.
I'll see you on the next blog post!