Why Being Creative Does Not Mean You Will Be Successful. Poor me! its not how my life should be.

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How can someome so creative succeed alone?

Im happy I STAND and walk and talk for something and support talented people in the creative industry. I hope artistheat.com is gonna be my new success and the brand for the whole creative industry. For now its on hold. Im out of money, i need a focus and I really a partner for all these online magazines (some like to call it blogs though). Artistheat.com is also for crime prevention and helping people cause i am a Criminologist (have a bachelor  from the University). I want to give people a voice, a stage, been seen and haerd and I think these are important reasons for preventing crime. But not written about these reasons yet..at least not yet by criminologist. 

Spread the voice, spread the support, spread the stage, spread the money and let everyone shine. Give people a reason to live and do something with their lives. Give them a voice. Let them be heard! Poeple want to be somebody.

Brilliant ideas for brands(online magazines aka blogs), but running like 3  brands alone (see my Dutch brands lifeofanartist.nl,and my most successful one carrieretijd.nl). Its crazy but true. I would love to have a manager like Kris Jenner, and bosses owner like Emma Grede,Jens Grede or Andrew Stanleick (the owner behind Kylie Jenner successful brand Kylie Cosmetics). I would like to have a manager thats helps me with my brands, not found yet. I am really struggling for the last year. Not getting a breakthough,

Creativity is a beautiful gift or is it a curse?  I work and forever try, but I’m cursed, so never mind.The ability to generate novel ideas, connect disparate concepts, and envision new possibilities is precious. However, simply being creative does not necessarily lead to success. While creativity is essential for achievement, many other factors come into play when trying to “make it” in creative fields. This blog post will explore the complex relationship between creativity and success and why the former does not guarantee the latter.

The Allure of Creativity

It’s easy to see why creativity is so alluring. Creative people have qualities that many admire and aspire to have themselves:

  • Originality

Creative people come up with ideas and solutions that are unique and inventive. They can produce fresh work, stand out from the crowd, and advance a field.

  • Imagination

Creative individuals can dream up ideas, concepts, and scenarios that are novel and engaging. They can transport audiences to fantastical worlds and mindspaces.

  • Expression

Creatives have a talent for self-expression, conveying emotions, meanings, and messages through their chosen medium. Their work resonates on a personal level.

  • Vision

Creative people are often forward-thinking, able to envision possibilities that are not yet reality. The status quo does not constrain them.

With such abilities, it’s understandable why many assume that high creativity equals high potential for success. However, this assumption overlooks many subtleties of how creative professions operate in the real world.

The Messy Path to Success

While strong creative chops are a great starting point, they do not directly lead down a straight path to success. Many factors beyond creativity determine whether someone can “make it” in creative fields. A few major ones:

  1. Business Savvy

You need just as much business sense as creative talent to succeed in creative professions. You must understand how to market, promote, sell, and distribute creative work. You need more than creativity to help your work find an audience or make money. You need entrepreneurial skills.

  1. Work Ethic

Producing great creative work takes immense discipline and effort. It’s labor intensive. Being prolific, reliable, consistent, and efficient is critical. Many successful creatives work extremely hard. You can’t just rely on inspiration. You have to be able to put your head down and grind when necessary.

  1. Resources

From equipment to software to education, creative careers require resources. Many creative fields are expensive to break into. Access to the right tools, technology, training, and materials is necessary to produce competitive creative work, regardless of your talent.

  1. Connections

Like any profession, success in creative industries relies heavily on who you know. It would be best to connect with companies and industry influencers to get your foot in the door. You will need more than raw talent to get noticed. It would be best if you networked extensively.

  1. Luck

Unfortunately, no matter how talented you are or how hard you work, external factors like luck play a role. Timing, chance encounters, platform algorithms, and public whims can make or break careers. Success isn’t just based on skill – randomness plays a role too.

  1. Mental Health

Producing creative work often involves constant critique, rejection, and isolation. Handling the psychological tolls of creative careers is challenging. Without resilience, mental health support, and coping strategies, the pressures can compromise your ability to succeed.

  1. Collaboration Skills

Most creative projects – from film to architecture – require collaborating with others. It would be best to work well on a team, listen, communicate, check your ego, and ensure your vision aligns with collaborators. Creativity must coexist with cooperation.

  1. Criticism Handling

All creative work elicits critique and feedback. To succeed, it would be best to have thick skin, an open mind, and the ability to parse helpful feedback from uninformed opinions. You can’t let criticism paralyze you. Constructive feedback is critical for creative growth.

  1. Problem-Solving Skills

The creative process inevitably involves roadblocks. It would be best to have strong problem-solving abilities to tackle constant challenges, from creative blocks to production issues. Raw talent means little without the grit to push through problems.

  1. Flexibility

The path to success is always dynamic. It would be best if you adapted as opportunities arise. Successful creatives mould their vision to capitalize on trends, platforms, and changing tastes. They evolve to meet the moment rather than stubbornly cling to rigid ideas.

As you can see, many complex factors beyond creativity enable creative success. Let’s explore them in more detail.

Developing Business Savvy

Creativity and business may seem at odds, but you need both to thrive in creative careers. More than pure creative talent is required – you need to operate with the savvy of an entrepreneur. This means mastering skills like:

  • Marketing: Promoting your work effectively online and off. Developing a brand identity. Utilizing social media. Maximizing reach.
  • Monetization: Figuring out how to generate revenue from your work through sales, licensing, subscriptions, or other models. Establishing lucrative income streams.
  • Distribution: Getting your work in the hands of your audience, understanding digital/physical distribution channels, and using intermediaries or doing DIY.
  • Audience Building: Identifying and connecting with your ideal audience. Engaging with fans. Providing value and building community. Analyzing metrics.
  • Business Operations: Handling budgets, bookkeeping, taxes, accounting, contracts, legal issues, inventory, supply chain logistics, and more operational details.
  • Sales: Being able to close deals, pitch clients effectively, network professionally, and sell yourself and your work. You have to advocate for yourself.
  • Technology: Optimizing online platforms, tools, apps, software, and emerging technologies to further your creative career and adapting as innovation progresses.

These business skills only come naturally to some creatives – but they are essential for transforming creativity into a viable career. You may need to educate yourself, find mentors, or hire professionals to handle the business side. But you can’t neglect it.

Putting in the Work

Beyond creativity and business savvy, succeeding in creative careers takes immense work. Contrary to romanticized stereotypes, successful creatives aren’t just struck by sudden inspiration. They work relentlessly and tackle the craft by:

  • Establishing a Consistent Workflow: Set regular work schedules, create daily rituals, and discipline yourself even when inspiration lags. Show up day in, day out.
  • Practising Persistently: Keep doing work – constantly practicing and refining your skills. Creativity is like a muscle. It requires training and activity to grow and thrive.
  • Seeking Feedback: Share works in progress, solicit outside perspectives, and actively apply feedback to improve. Be humble, and don’t rely solely on your subjective taste.
  • Handling Rejection: Prepare mentally for rejection and criticism. Don’t take it personally. Let it motivate rather than discourage you. Withstand repeated ‘no’s on the road to ‘yes’.
  • Managing Time: Structure your schedule and stay focused during work sessions. Avoid burnout but maintain momentum. Work smartly and efficiently rather than in frantic sprints.
  • Collaborating: Find compatriots and fellow creatives who challenge and inspire you. Brainstorm, exchange ideas, and build on each other’s work. Don’t isolate.
  • Promoting Your Work: Consistently showcase and share your work on online platforms, industry events, competitions, etc. Broaden your reach. Stay active.
  • Learning Constantly: Read, take classes, stay curious, and expose yourself to new ideas, methods, and domains beyond your comfort zone. Never stop learning.

The creative journey takes dedication, organization, tenacity, and labor. Success is not just about lightning bolts of inspiration. It’s about showing up consistently and putting in the sweat.

Accessing Resources

Producing quality creative work often demands access to ample resources. Assessing the help you need and obtaining it is crucial.

  • Tools: From DSLR cameras to music production software to fabrication machinery, creative careers require domain-specific tools, often costly. Budget for and obtain the critical tools for your field.
  • Materials: Whether it’s paint, recording equipment, textiles, metal, or more – stock up on the supplies vital for your projects. Buy in bulk when possible. Don’t let scarcity limit you.
  • Education: Take classes at local colleges if possible. Attend conferences and workshops to stay on the cutting edge. Stay plugged into your field’s evolving knowledge base.
  • Funding: Producing ambitious creative work requires funding. Apply for grants, crowdfunding online, take side gigs, or gain investors/patrons. Get creative about financing.
  • Space: Find creative spaces conducive to your work. This may mean renting a studio, establishing a maker space in your basement, or creating inspiring outdoor areas.
  • Mentorship: Reach out to seasoned creatives and learn from their experience. See if a skilled veteran would be willing to advise you as you build your career.
  • Collaborators: Partner with people whose skills complement yours. Align yourself with talented allies who enable you to accomplish more together. Assemble your creative team.
  • Online Platforms: Utilize platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Etsy, Spotify, etc., tailored to empowering and monetizing creative work. Optimize and leverage them.

With resourcefulness and some hustle, you can obtain the necessary resources to transform raw creativity into high-quality, career-building work. Don’t let scarcity lead to creative stagnation. Seek out resources.

Building Your Network

They say, “It’s who you know” for a reason. In creative industries, connections are hugely meaningful to getting your foot in the door and elevating your career. Successful creatives strategically build networks by:

  • Going to Events: Attend conferences, seminars, meetings, showcases, and any events related to your industry. Introduce yourself, mingle, and make contacts.
  • Taking Informational Meetings: Set up coffees and video calls with established creatives to pick their brains for advice. Convert these into steady mentorships if possible.
  • Collaborating: Partner with other emerging creatives. Collaborate on projects to expand each other’s networks. Help promote each other’s work.
  • Joining Organizations: Become a member of professional groups, societies, guilds, academies, co-ops, unions, or other organized networks within your field.
  • Volunteering Strategically: Offer your skills and services for causes that will expose you to critical people and expand your industry network.
  • Being Referral-Worthy: Produce work so vital that your growing network actively refers you for opportunities. Build a reputation for excellence.
  • Following Up: After meeting contacts, follow up regularly with updates on your work. Organize coffees to continue the relationship. Don’t just ask for favors.
  • Helping Others: Share opportunities and assist others in your network. Be known for your generosity. Success is not a zero-sum game.
  • Optimizing Online Presence: Be active on social media and professional platforms tailored to your field. Develop an impressive online portfolio and contacts.

A vibrant professional network unlocks vital opportunities. But focus on cultivating authentic relationships rather than just extracting value. Your network will incubate your success.

In conclusion, while creative talent provides a strong starting point, many additional factors determine who ultimately succeeds in creative fields. It requires hustle, savvy, mental health, connections, resources, problem-solving skills, thick skin, flexibility, and sometimes luck. Success is not inherent to creativity.

Creativity gives you an advantage, and there are enough examples of geniuses achieving fame to make it attainable. However, behind every creative success story are years of grit, failure, evolution, and balancing creativity with practicality. It could be more straightforward.

The path is not linear, specific, or easy. But for those willing to complement their creativity with business acumen, work ethic, resourcefulness, networking, mental resilience, openness to criticism, flexibility, and perseverance, it is possible to turn raw talent into fruitful careers.

 

mandy b.
mandy b.https://iammandyb.com
Founder, owner, writer Iammandyb.com & artistheat.com (coming up this summer)
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