I've learned a couple of things about creative businesses:
1) Never fall too much in love with what you create.
Though your clients may like what you do, they don't see, hear, feel like you.
At the end of the day, if they're paying, they'll want certain things their way.
2) Your work is worth what you think it's worth.
But if potential clients cannot or will not pay that, you have a problem. And you may be tempted to lower your prices.
This depends on you. If you're okay with it, and won't begrudge the lowered amount, then don't let anyone tell you that it's wrong to do so.
3) It will take time for you to be "discovered".
And it will help tremendously if you put yourself out there.
Some creatives may think that they will be sellouts if they go into the "debased" world of marketing, wheeling and dealing instead of coming up with new ideas and art.
But the only person who can truly represent what you do is you. And nobody will know what you're doing, no matter how good it is, if nobody ever sees or hears about it.
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If you're not willing to do the non-creative work or change the way you deal with potential clients, it will be better to keep your creative activities a personal interest or hobby.
That way, you continue to enjoy it for what it is, and never have to worry about "making money" out of it.
And that's fine, too.
A Meeting With Interesting Minds and Intriguing Methods
A couple of days ago, I had a face-to-face meeting with someone I met at a face-to-face networking event.
We discussed an initiative that he first mentioned in passing during that networking event - to bring business education to a number of Asian countries.
That in itself may not sound novel, but the method model with which he wants to do it is.
And I got to briefly meet a couple of his business partners, who have very interesting backgrounds and ways of thinking about things.
So does the person with whom I arranged the meeting.
I'll be doing some hard ideation and connecting in the coming days, to come up with something to contribute to this initiative.
Thinking back, this incident was a stark reminder to me that this is all different, with new ways of thinking, and of doing things.
Just look at my first sentence. 2 years ago, I wouldn't have had to add "face-to-face" to that sentence. Twice.
It's a new world out there. And I'm gearing up to meet it.
Collaborate? You Keep Using That Word. I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means.
"Let's collaborate!"
Every time I hear someone say this to me now, I feel a certain aversion towards that person.
That person may have been genuinely looking for a win-win situation, but the word 'collaborate' has now taken on A LOT of negative connotations.
And I don't think it's mainly the fault of the entrepreneurs (esp. solopreneurs) and small business owners that this is now an iffy word.
I'd put the blame on the large organisations and companies, a number of which clearly take the word to mean "unpaid now, likely forever".
I can't speak for everyone, and perhaps I'm just cynical, but I really hope that this word disappears from the language of business sooner rather than later.
Should I Start A New Instagram Account for Professional Purposes?
Over the past 2 years or so, I’ve been actively taking pictures while I’m at school workshops and other public events. Of course I have older pictures, but I never took them with specific purposes in mind.
I believe I have gathered enough to start putting them together into an online portfolio of my work.
Most of the major topics that I cover have been photographed to some degree (some more than others, of course, due to differences in frequency).
So, of course, the next step is to decide what platform I should make the portfolio on.
Since it’s mainly pictorial, I thought about using Instagram.
The reason I don’t use my personal account is that I’d prefer to reserve it for my truly personal life and interests - namely food, travel, and photography.
As such, I’ve registered another Instagram account and I plan to start posting soon.
It’s definitely going to be slow-going, but I figured it’s worth a shot.
After all, it’s better to put up a short blog post than none at all.
Let’s get started soon!
