Feb 7, 2024
The Art and Business of Being Creative: Balancing Passion and Practicality to Fuel your Creative Career
Jane Clauss takes a deeper dive into creativity not only as a hobby but how to turn it into a successful business. She chats with Sean Low, the founder of The Business of Being Creative, to help creatives navigate and succeed in the business of being creative.
Check out these featured highlights from the conversation:
2:17 – 5:10 Creativity defined.
Sean defined creativity as "getting lost in the sauce" - embracing not knowing and discovery through the creative process. He emphasizes maintaining artistic integrity while creating work for clients and finding the balance between your vision and their needs.
5:00 -11:00 Creativity, artistry, and business for creative professionals.
Sean shares how he found his path in consulting creatives through helping Preston Bailey and learning from Vincent Wolf. This exposed him to different creative processes and now he can help you with your creative business.
11:02 - 15:31 Prioritizing joy in the creative business.
Sean emphasizes that prioritizing joy in the creative business is learning how it can be your compass. Sean give tips on how to understand your needs and how to price your work properly to avoid that creative burnout.
15:00 – 17:00 Common mistakes creatives make in business.
Sean talks about the difference between being too greedy and self sustaining. Don't how you could get crushed if you're not careful.
And then, Sean gives us common mistakes people make when starting a creative business; are you a butterfly or a catepillar?
17:20 - 20:31 Starting a creative business.
Sean talks about knowing when it's time to take a side hustle to a full-time job by using positive client feedback and feeling confident in your process. Sean shares his insight on the importance of validation in the design process.
20:01 - 21:52 Defining creative business culture and DNA.
Sean explains how to discover and define your unique business DNA and explains that by knowing your authentic DNA you can better establish a clear business culture. By feeling confident in your DNA you can use that as a way to stand out in a crowd of competition.
25:00 - 31:00 Creativity, business, and self-expression.
Sean supports the idea od redefining the norm while staying flexible - he uses a slinky toy as an example. Sean talks thru the stages of the creative process.
32:00 - 37:00 Wrapping it all up in a smart creative bow!
Sean shares that his main goal when mentoring clients is for them to be able to think "what would Sean do?" when facing business challenges.
Sean Low is a master when it comes to mentoring creative businesses. He provides invaluable insights into balancing creativity, artistry and business. Sean emphasizes embracing uncertainty and curiosity in the creative process, while also understanding your needs and value as a creative to sustain a joyful business practice over the long run. You’ll be left with thought-provoking perspectives to contemplate as you evolve your own creative path.
Sean's parting message, "Be better tomorrow than you are today and get paid for it."