Things I Have Learned Since Opening My Creative Arts Business

July was a learning month for sure. When I opened my creative business in January, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was signing up for. I knew I’d be teaching creative workshops, painting, and continue my writing, but I didn’t realize how many different hats I would be wearing, and how my creative mind can run wild. It’s stretched me in ways I never expected. It’s challenged my assumptions, forced me to learn new skills, and sometimes I had to remind myself why I chose this path in the first place. At first, things happened fast and were booming. That’s why I opened an LLC in the first place. It was exciting and I took on a lot of projects all at once. But it got overwhelming and left little space to work on the things I had set out to do initially. After wearing all those hats at once, I felt like a squirrel chasing my tail about three months in. It has challenged my boundaries, impulses, and logistics. And forced me to dig deep into my intentions long term. I wanted to share about the lessons I have learned so far.

Creating is only part of the job. There is so much that goes into running a business. Before this, I wrote in the morning and painted in the afternoons and thought wow, I am so disciplined!  But there are emails to answer, presentations and workshops to plan, supplies to order, products to photograph, inventory, videos to edit, content to make,  newsletters, website updates, learning, marketing, shipping, and countless other behind-the-scenes tasks. Creativity may be the heart of the business, but the business needs just as much attention as the creative aspects. If I let my creativity go wild, I know I am more the type of artist who can end up in the clouds completely ungrounded in the world. In the beginning, it was challenging to find a structure within my week that gave all of those jobs some time. I’ve learned that staying that path matters more than inspiration for me because ideas flow effortlessly and constantly. Ideas are my powerhouse. Discipline takes more of my efforts. As I become more structured, I realize how incredibly grounding that is for me. Sometimes big ideas arrive in huge bursts and that energy is so tempting to jump into because they are shiny, new, and so seductive. But sticking to the plan is more productive than chasing that new idea or taking on more work. They can all roll out with time and planning. So if you are a creative like me, make sure you find discipline. Even if it takes time to find your rhythms. But as soon as I can afford an assistant, I am hiring one immediately!

Recently, I had to cancel an event I was really excited about. My events take collaboration with others  so that not only impacted me, but someone I was in collaboration with. And frankly, it sucked to back out. But I had to stand grounded in my need to pause. Up until now, thought to action has served me very well. That trait has led me to a career I am excited about having. But now that things are happening,  that creative impulse can show its teeth. Since I do creative workshops, have a background in running retreats, and use my background in education all the time, it’s easy for me to throw a presentation together and bring it to a group of people. I have done it hundreds of times so it doesn’t intimidate me. But these events are no longer lessons for a bunch of high school students or a workshop in collaboration with others for my hour presentation amongst a whole weekend of them. I’m in a larger sphere now, and that takes a higher level of responsibility, planning, and accountability. And I want to give my work that integrity. Sometimes that means time and discussions that haven’t played out yet. Although my past self wanted it all to happen a lot quicker, I can see how the gradual growth is so much more healthy because I am growing with it. Imagine all your growing pains happening at once?  You would probably break. I know I would. This has been my biggest hurdle so far because it impacted another person’s time. . Although canceling was uncomfortable, it grew me and my work in ways that brought more clarity to the future and to another book I am working on. I trust business owners I want to work with are learning and growing too so ultimately, we are in this together.

This next one seems like a contradiction to the above but it isn’t. Here, I am talking about the process and product, not the responsibility of bigger ideas.Therefore, begin before everything feels perfect. I can get caught up in perfectionism. Just ask my husband. In fact, my computer has hundreds of poems, articles, essays, etc that aren’t published or that I feel aren’t finished because once it is published, it’s out there. Only this year I have begun learning about the submission process and just going for it. And I should have probably began that in eighth grade when I had the best writing teacher on the planet who made me fall in absolute love with poetry.  So my own advice needs to be applied to my work too. My website is a huge work in progress. But adding new things a little at a time is far better than saving it all for a perfect alignment. You can’t improve something that doesn’t exist in the first place. There are paintings I’d approach differently now, and writing is no different.  Waiting for perfection begets more waiting. Progress is a compound effect of doing, correcting, and doing more. One interaction, meeting, or event isn’t going to make or break you. But it will add to the benefit of showing up because most days don’t feel like you are getting anywhere. Trust that you are. One of my largest classes was one that I thought went the worst. But the next one was still well-attended even by some of the people who were at the larger event.

Pivot. I started this business thinking painting your birthday flower for tweens would be the event that I did the most. Guess how many of these parties I did? Two. Only two.  Although they were fun and everyone liked them, I didn’t like the uncertainty of showing up to someone’s house not knowing if I would have room for a painting project. Also, I don’t love teaching kids. I am more serious than animated. And with kids, I feel like I have to be performative. Adults are my jam and it’s important to know what you want to do but sometimes it is more important to know what you don’t want to do because the energy you bring to something matters. I lucked out with my first two being a success. But kids are unpredictable and so are new spaces.  And if something is draining your energy, then move on, change it, or rethink how you can do it in a different way. I learned a lot from them, but I brought those lessons to a local library program instead and it went well. I would never have had the content to teach to the library had I not done my initial idea. So nothing was lost but more was gained simply by pivoting.

Next, timing matters but nothing is a loss. Not every month is a good month to hold a workshop. I will probably never hold an event in June again. Kids are transitioning out of school, graduation parties are everywhere, summer is starting, new rhythms are being established, and parents are pulling their hair out wondering what the heck they’re going to do with the kids all summer. I gave seats away for my June workshop, but it ended up being a great class. When the time came to prep for the event, even I was like, “why did I do this on the last day of school?” But I took the laid back energy into class and it ended up being one of my favorite classes so far. It was smaller but that laid back energy helped me let go and just have fun with the attendees. I was more present and it was actually one of the better workshops I had.The lower signup count made me less uptight and reminded me how to have fun with it all. Timing of events are important but when you get it wrong, other things just might go right. I am bringing that energy into my next class. Loosing money is always an education, never a loss. Well, unless you really mess up. But that lesson is usually learned in more dramatic ways and in other realms like relationship trust or transformation by the fires of hell. At least it was for me.

Which leads me to my next lesson. People buy artwork through connecting. There are millions of artists far better than I will ever be.  The other day, I saw a video of a guy painting street art through a stringed puppet.We all know AI can do what takes me months in about two minutes. But in the world of AI and big amazing content, I find we are all looking for something a little deeper than a pretty picture or a perfect article. Authenticity and connection goes a long way. There is so much beauty and learning in the process of creating. And I am finding people (myself included) want to create in community because creating is a way to connect us in this fragmented world. I have a painting in my dining room by a well-known artist. And although I love his work, the story behind it is far more valuable to me than having an original from a master painter. My commissions have become whole stories and relationships I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Trust your strengths. The truth is, I do not have the mind of an entrepreneur. I have the heart of an artist and soul of a writer. Business does not come naturally to me, creativity does. I used to say I will never be successful because I care too much. I have given away more of my time, work, and energy than I would ever want to see on a ledger. But that outlook is heavy and brings on an energy of exploitation. With boundaries and trusting calculations cannot be measured, trust that your way of being will play itself out. Good intentions have attracted others who participate in the higher good of things and that’s priceless.  Be yourself, know your weaknesses but lead with your strengths.

Speaking of boundaries, as opportunities have increased, so has the need to protect my time. I am still learning this. Just the other day I saw a job opportunity that was so enticing because it was something I have been wanting to learn about. There’s that impulse control again. Although a more consistent paycheck has its perks and I love to learn new things,  I had to stop myself. Not every opportunity is the right fit. Not every idea needs to be explored immediately. Not every phone call needs to be answered during sacred writing time. Even though conversations with my besties keep me sane. Learning to say no is so important. I said yes to every commission at first and now I have so many people in line for commissions it kind of took over my year. Overwhelm slows me down because I start that ruminating cycle where your mind spins but you don’t know where to begin. So, the last four commission asks,  I said no to. Once I am done with my list, I can adjust the system people use to submit a call for commissions, raise my prices, and only choose projects I can  fit into my schedule plan. When we begin, we feel like we have to say yes to every project. But as we get going, we can begin to choose. That’s growth. So if you are overwhelmed, figure out what is taking your energy and adjust your boundaries.

Business is symbiotic. Teaching has made me a better artist but peoples feedback has made me better all around.  Explaining techniques to others forces me to slow down and understand my own process more deeply. People ask questions that I never considered asking. Watching someone discover what they’re capable of is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. Input and perspectives from the people you serve is invaluable for improvements. I was using real pictures and objects as references for my sip and paint events. One woman suggested I use my simplified art for examples instead of real objects. Although I made my students practice drawing from real life when I was teaching at a public school, that can be intimidating in a two hour date night that is supposed to be for fun. What is good for one setting isn’t always beneficial for another. We tend to project our experience on what we are doing, so listen to other people’s input, apply it, and grow.

Community is everything. One of the greatest surprises has been the kindness of other artists, writers, customers, and students. Since it is my first year in this, I have made a lot of mistakes and I have already made a lot of changes from those mistakes. Since my commissions are backed with all these other tasks that need attention, I reached out to those in line for a commissions and every single one of them said they are in no hurry and they understand. Creative work can feel solitary and I was alone in it for years. It doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavor. Building a business has opened me up to the best kind of people. Every encouraging comment, workshop attendee, newsletter subscriber, and person who chooses to support a small business reminds me that creativity is something that connects us. And it is so much better when shared.

Speaking of community, I initially thought most of my work would be done online through social media and online events between raising the girls. However, my local community has kept me so busy that my website page “online courses coming soon” will probably be like that for the rest of the year. And maybe into the next. Use the power of the internet, but don’t underestimate your local community. After covid, we became disconnected and everything began happening online.But I still believe a shared space is the most powerful way to connect. People are finally beginning to emerge again. So go engage with your local community. There are beautiful people everywhere and intimate settings are powerful places.

Imposter Syndrome is a real thing and good friends are good remedies for it. I admit, I wasn’t going to launch, “The Alchemy of Memoir” until it was a published essay. But, I talked to a few friends about it and they all said similar things. I will quote one of my besties though. She said, “Kate! You have a masters degree in education and have been through more shit than most people go through in a life time. You have submerged yourself in this endeavor for years. You are (insert the f bomb with an -ing) qualified!” And she’s right. Although I had to pause this year’s launch, I don’t have to wait for one single thing to define my credibility in something. That essay is turning into a second book instead (pivot). I am rubbing shoulders with some successful people lately, but I am human and can get intimidated around that. When I took a writing course, there was a woman who was a neuroscientist of some sort  in her seventies writing a memoir about what she had to fight through to be respected in her field. Another was a doctor who had thousands of followers and was already a huge success and just wanted to write a book to add to her already successful career. Then there was me, a girl who had cancer and made every mistake under the sun and somehow was in that room. It was intimidating but every path is different. My friend reminded me that I have died a thousand deaths and am still choosing to live. And I trust must count for something. We learn so much from each other. Stories should be shared. And good friends are there to remind us of ours.

Allow mistakes. I’m still very much a beginner when it comes to running a business, and I’m sure there are plenty more lessons waiting for me. The creative process is mostly editing.That’s why art stores sell shelves of erasers. Business is similar. Correcting and adjusting is part of the process.

Stepping into your work is stepping into your power. Sharing ideas, experiences, and knowledge with others is a muscle we should all build.  It can inspire others to step into their power too.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported this journey so far. Following along, attending workshops, purchasing artwork, sharing my work with others, forgiving my mishaps, and encouraging me to keep going holds me up on the hard days. I hope we continue to show up for one another in our collective creation.