The #1 Thing I Wish I'd Accepted Early in My Career

This week I'm digging into the idea that YOUR ART IS A BUSINESS. 

… Gross, I know.  It gave me the creeps for a long time. I didn't want my creative expression corrupted by capitalism!

However, after years of panic and anxiety about money, I now wish I'd accepted this idea, rather than run from it, early in my career. 

It was a slow burn for me.  But now I understand "your art is a business" doesn't mean that you have to forgo your heart's desire and limit yourself to creating commercially viable work.

It means thinking of yourself as a business person -- an entrepreneur.

And since your art is your business, your art is a viable way for you to earn your living.  And you deserve to earn a living.

Like any business, it requires investments (time/money) along the way, especially when you're starting out, or making a transition in your work.

Here are my top 3 recommendations to help you embrace your metaphorical power suit:

1. Educate yourself about money, instead of being afraid of it
READ: Jen Sincero's book, 'You Are a Badass at Making Money'. It's direct, friendly and filled with excellent advice to help you sniff out and bash down your negative relationship with money, so you can begin to earn.

2.  Consider yourself an entrepreneur
LISTEN TO: Jenna Kutcher's 'Goal Digger' Podcast. She began as a wedding photographer in small-town USA and now runs a multi-million dollar biz educating female entrepreneurs. Some eps are more useful than others, but great for shifting how you view yourself in relation to your work.

3. Get help from experts
If applying for grants and fundraising makes your skin crawl, seek help from organisations whose mission is to help you out with those things!
REACH OUT TO: Arts Admin in the UK or Generator in Canada. Get on their mailing lists, look at their services, enjoy their free resources.

I hope these recommendations are as valuable to you as they've been to me.

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