quick note: i receive so many emails asking me to share the details on how to start a creative business. although i share all the specific how to’s in my ebook series, i’d like to share my general thoughts on how we can begin to step into the creative lives we’ve always imagined – whether you are interested in starting/expanding a creative biz or not. because it’s really about dreaming big and listening to our own unique callings, no matter what those dreams and callings may be.
so, over the course of this week, i will highlight a few excerpts from my ebooks – thoughts that i share in the opening chapters before getting too specific on the ins and outs of the how to’s. i hope you get inspired!
As you think about your inspiration/passion/commitment, and before we dive into the more practical tips and strategies, I’d love it if you start thinking about your goals. Although I’ve never had a formal business plan (because each time I considered the idea of writing a business plan, I got stuck and paralyzed in fear and complication), I’ve always had goals (even if they scared me silly). Goals like: open up an Etsy shop, supplement my part-time job income with art sales enough to pay our bills, and expand my blog audience. Later in this ebook, I share concrete strategies on how to prioritize and actualize your goals but for now I just want you to consider what your immediate and long–term goals are. Write them down in a journal. Share them with your friends, on your blogs, wherever you feel comfortable. Setting small and/or big goals now while we’re in the throws of really listening to our true inspiration/passion/commitment will help us keep our goals intentional and aligned with those very inspirations/passions/commitments along the way. That way, when all sorts of options and opportunities are thrown your way, you can look back on your goals to make sure you’re saying yes to opportunities that truly align themselves with our goals.
I made the mistake once of saying yes to a teaching opportunity (long ago) that wasn’t really fulfilling. In the end I realized that it was because I said yes to something (teaching at a huge event) that wasn’t really in sync with my goals (teaching at small/intimate events) that I had set for myself long ago – instead, I got sucked into something that wasn’t really in tune with the vision I had for a creative biz. As a result, I got a bit off track. Why? Because one decision + opportunity leads to the next and there’s potential to wake up down the road and wonder “how’d I get here?…this isn’t the vision I had for my life” when we keep saying yes to things that aren’t in line with our goals. So yes, set those goals now as best you can and as you work your way through this ebook. That way, when doors start to open and opportunities come your way, you’ll have a roadmap that YOU created to help guide you in your decision–making. Remember, align your goals with your true inspiration/passion/commitment, and you can’t go wrong.
up next: a few things to consider (questions, prompts, ideas) when it comes to all of this.
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