Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Working in Creative

Yes! You're ready to make the leap and start your journey into the creative working world. Whether you've just recently graduated, shifting careers, or been working in the field for a while now, the hard work has only just begun. If you are anything like me, you'll be your own worse enemy before even getting started. From the relentless second-guessing (should I be doing this? will I make enough to support myself?) to the self-doubt (how do I know if I am good enough?), trust me, I've been there, my friend.

After ten years of flirting with the idea and dipping my toes in here and there, I'm finally making my dive into setting up a side business. So whether you are on the same adventure or working on a different path, here are all the things I wish I knew at the start of my creative career that I am finally starting to "get."

Imposter syndrome is real (and never really goes away).

I know, right off the bat, the biggest doozy of all the creative hurdles. However, it is vital to get this one out of the way. For me, this has been the immovable mountain to genuinely enjoying what I love to do. The best thing I can recommend is just doing the work; make the art; launch the website; you're already better than those who aren't doing anything at all.

Comparison IS the thief of joy.

Social media is no friend to any of us when it comes to this concept. I, still, CONSTANTLY fall into Teddy Roosevelt's “comparison is the thief of joy” trap. Comparing the beginning of my creative journey with the middle of someone else's is not only demoralizing, but it prevented me from taking even the slightest lean into trying anything at all.

For me, I can snap myself out of the comparison spiral with a bit of help from science-based research. Psychology Today has discovered why comparisons get us so down and what we can do about it:

1. Recognize you're not comparing apples to apples. Someone else's year 25 is not the same as your year one. Only compare yourself to your peers.

2. Use any comparison to enlighten your next steps. Identify how the person you admire so much got to where they are now—take a class, make a lot of mistakes, whatever they did, if they can do it, so can you. Not sure how they got there? In today's digital world, it's as simple as sending a DM or email. Not only will they probably be flattered by your asking, but you may also make a new connection or gain a new mentor.

3. Focus on your growth and the positive progress you've made (no matter how minor). Choose to celebrate each small achievement. Making a list of ideas on your phone, creating a business account on Instagram, whatever it is, you are one step closer than you were before.

It's not only okay to branch out; it's encouraged.

Throughout my career, I've been haunted by the figure of speech, "Jack of all trades is a master of none." But did you know that's only part of the quote? The original goes like this, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

For a long time, I felt that if I was "a photographer," I should stay focused on honing and improving my photography skills—that it was not advisable to deviate into "unrelated" fields. In truth, when it comes to creativity, nothing is unrelated. Everything influences our perspective and thereby enhances our creativity. So go ahead, learn HTML and CSS, dive into marketing, take a pottery class. Having a diverse set of skills, influences, and backgrounds to pull from will only make you a better artist.

You need to get started.

Take, for instance, this first blog post. When I sat down to start drafting it, I didn't know if it would be anything I would even want to use. Getting over the "blank page" stage and getting something going is the key to getting it done. I've noticed that while I am drafting something, I often visualize a sculptor working with clay. I think of the artist kneading the materials over and over again. It starts from something so unrecognizable until it slowly takes shape and finally becomes a work of art. My creative process is very much the same. Just get started and refine and improve as the juices get flowing.

If you feel like your work looks terrible, that's a good thing.

You're a creative person. It's why you were drawn to the field in the first place. The mere fact that you recognize areas for improvement is critical to growing and getting better. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I heard upon graduating college was, and I am paraphrasing here, "you suck, you know you suck, and what you do about it will make all the difference."

#gettingstarted #creative #businesswoman