Comments on: Are You Trapped in the ‘Creativity v Cash’ Dilemma?

By: Breaking Through Your Creative Blocks | artbizness

Breaking Through Your Creative Blocks | artbizness — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:52:13 +0000

[...] Creative Block #4 – Creativity v Cash [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:23:33 +0000

Thanks for the great comments, sorry for the delay responding, I’ve been buried in producing our Entrepreneur course.

@ Stacey –

Be secret and exult,
Because of all things known,
That is most difficult.

(W.B. Yeats)

@ Dan – Interesting, although I’d hope he found some creative satisfaction in his screenwriting. In my case, I don’t think I enjoy any writing as much as poetry, but I do love writing blog posts, e-books, courses etc. as well.

@ Adrian – “I am not that big a fan of distinguishing between creatives and others.” Me neither.

@ Jeffrey – Excellent point. Tony calls it the hierarchy of the successfully self-employed.

@ Jeff – my pleasure! Plenty more to come…

@ Steve – I know the feeling, I find client work refreshing after writing, and vice-versa.

By: Steve Coleman

Steve Coleman — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:01:21 +0000

I solved this problem by splitting my two creative loves; design and photography. I work in my design business three days per week and that pays for my second love, landscape photography. In design I can be the very commercial business person and not get too upset by what clients want, and two days a week I can be my own client and do my own thing.

By: Jeff Dolan

Jeff Dolan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:14:34 +0000

I agree with Jeffrey Tang. Most of us start off at #1 and attempt to move to #3. This is a great series Mark! Thanks so much for sharing.

By: Jeffrey Tang

Jeffrey Tang — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:02:40 +0000

I think these three points are actually steps in the development of a creative entrepreneur. First, you learn to build the foundation of your passion while holding down a day job. Next, you begin to translate that foundation into a (typically small) income. Finally, you integrate the creative and the revenue-producing areas of your life, taking charge or collaborating on all the aspects of a true business built around your creative passion.

By: Adrian Munday

Adrian Munday — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:51:26 +0000

Let’s also remember the ‘non-creatives’ who face exactly the same issue. In fact, I am not that big a fan of distinguishing between creatives and others. Main point for me is self-determination really… Great post though.

By: Dan Thornton

Dan Thornton — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:12:44 +0000

Ironically, I’ve just been re-reading Adventures in the Screen Trade, in which William Goldman discusses the same thing in the life of a screenwriter (He wrote Butch and Sundance, A Bridge Too Far, The Princess Bride amongst others)…

He actually started as a novelist and fell into screenwriting, and suggests screenwriters write in another form for artistic reasons i.e. Screenwriting itself is about making something work on budget etc and paying the bills, and the ‘other’ writing outlet is the one for the artistic endeavour…

By: Stacey Cornelius

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:20:25 +0000

Some creatives get discouraged because they know they won’t get rich and famous selling their work. They get intimidated by the small number of people who have made it big.

We forget we get to define our own success.

We don’t need to compare ourselves to rock stars. We need to understand our audience, and delight them.