I talk a lot about “creative work” on this blog, but what does that really mean? I guess I can loosely describe it as “anything that has to do with making things or getting those things out into the world.”
In that sense, for me as a writer, creative work would be…
That’s just the actual creative part, though. There’s also:
- Submitting to publishers
- Marketing and getting my writing out into the world
- Handling finances and taxes
- Building an awesome author website
- Researching how to be a better writer and author (which for me involves a lot of reading, talking to people, and listening to podcasts)
The things on the first list are purely about creation: the act of making art. The things on the second list, though, are more about helping that art reach people and getting money from the art I’ve already made or will make. Together, these two things form a kind of author business, where I can write things and get paid for them.
Which brings me to the question in the title of this post: Do you treat your creative work like a business?
If the Answer is No…
Then great! The act of creation—when people get an idea in their minds, and then make it real—is incredibly exciting, and worth doing all on its own. Creating is fun, and you can feel a sense of achievement when you turn an idea into a reality. Maybe you even share that work with your friends or post it online for whoever happens to see it, and that makes you feel good.
Keep doing exactly that, and enjoy doing what you you love.
If the Answer is “Kind of” or “I’m Not Sure”…
Then you might want to think about what you’d like your creative work to be. When you read the “No” paragraph above, did it resonate with you? Or do you want to be doing more than just the creation you’re already doing? Does the “Yes” paragraph below feel more relevant? Or do both have their advantages and disadvantages?
The good news is that you don’t have to make this decision right away, and you can always go back and forth at different points in your life! It is worth thinking about, though, so that you can use your time effectively to either get more of your work out into the world, or spend more time on the actual creation.
If the Answer is “I’d Like to Be”…
Then think about the reasons you’re not treating your creative work like a business. Do you not have enough time? Are you not sure where to begin? Does the whole process feel so intimidating that you can’t imagine actually doing it? Or have you done some things to plan a creative work business but you ran up against obstacles, even if those obstacles just involved running out of steam?
If this fits your situation, don’t despair! You have the right mindset, but you should try to identify what’s holding you back, whether it’s lack of time, lack of confidence, or not being sure about the best way to proceed. Identifying your enemy is the first step to overcoming it!
If the Answer is “Yes”…
Then this is also great! You may not be exactly where you want to be yet, but you have a mindset for turning your creative work into bill-paying money, even if it’s only part-time or a supplement to another source of income. You take steps to get your work out there, build a platform, and get people interested in what you do. You’ve figured out a way to profit from your creative work (or to do so in the future!) even if it’s a small amount, and even if most of your work is available freely.
Remember too: most businesses (except the ones that are financed by multimillionaires) start out small. So even if you’re not making money from your creative work yet, you might be planning ways to do so in the future, or even just researching how this might work. If you’re just starting out, look for established people in your field that came from similar situations to yours, and see what how they did it. Think about which ideas work for you, and which feel manageable. Look to people in other creative fields too, and keep moving forward.
Remember too, if at any point the answer to this question changes, you can always go back to the “No” answer and keep being creative for enjoyment and because it brings you personal fulfillment. The choice is always yours.
Final Thoughts
In writing this post, I want to stress that not everyone wants to make money from their creative work, and that’s OK! But some people do, and they want more time to make more of the creative work they love doing without having to spend a lot of time at a Day Job. Or, maybe they just want to reach more people, and financial/business thinking is part of finding that bigger reach.
In the end, I think a lot of people fall into those in-between categories, where they’re either not sure what they want, or they hold back for reasons that may or may not be clear to them. For this group, I REALLY recommend taking a step back and assessing your priorities so you can understand your goal and start working toward it. By knowing what you want, you can present yourself more clearly and be more honest with people, which will help you in the long run no matter what you choose.