Part 4:
As I’m traveling along my new career path, there are some definite growing pains and mindset shifts that I’ve been forced to address. And I wanted to stop here and just bring out a very critical point about the successful creative entrepreneur. There’s the artistic (or creative) side to this individual as well as a laser-focused business mindset. Both aspects are fundamentally important and must function cooperatively in order to generate favorable results for the person who desires to run a profitable creative business.
With this understanding in mind, I truly had to step into a mindset that creating content would be my life’s work going forward and that I’d be 100% responsible for whether my efforts failed or succeeded. I had to dispel the notion that my ability to create was somehow devalued because I desired to earn income while doing it.
Furthermore, I had to choose a realistic lens in which to view how people should function in meeting their daily needs. And through my lenses, I’m well aware that most people in life have to work. They have to make an income to provide for their basic and discretionary needs as well as for the needs of those they support. So, I wholeheartedly choose to view my life-long profession as a process of “earning” a living doing what I creatively love.
Therefore, I see the importance of acknowledging a vital business element that creative entrepreneurs must be willing to bring to the table. The business side says to take that artistic (creative) thing that you do or make and bring it to the attention of others. Sounds reasonable, don’t you think? After all, a content creator’s main mission should involve delivering content to those for whom it can benefit.
However, I’m becoming increasingly aware that getting my content out into the world requires a business mindset about the marketing and promotional efforts used to get my words into the hands of those who can use them the most. Otherwise, I’ve got a repetitive misfire going on, where I’m providing value to the wind. And those who could use my offerings don’t even know they exist.
Yes, taking on a new career path required that I make some life-altering mindset shifts. As an entrepreneur, I’d no longer be governed by someone else’s rules. I’d have to establish my own. I’d be responsible for acquiring the necessary tools I needed to be a successful boss lady, because there’d no longer be an employer who’d provide those resources for me.
And if you know my history, you might think that working for myself would be right up my alley, since my educational background is in business administration. But, no. While receiving higher education is quite valuable (in my personal opinion) and can prepare you for the real world in some ways, there are other things that schooling is inept in preparing you for. Some knowledge and experience is gained by sheer will, perseverance, hard work, trial-and-error, and a willingness to learn and grow from the mistakes made.
I was in new territory that my college degrees didn’t equip me for. This fact meant that I would need to do a lot of self-study and research, since I didn’t have any textbooks to guide me. And, I certainly didn’t have a neatly-packaged Entrepreneur’s Orientation Guide to introduce me to the policies, guidelines, benefits, rewards, and challenges for the self-employed. Needless to say, researching has never been my strong suit and continues to give me some of those growing pains I previously mentioned.
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