5 Things I Would Do If I Started Again

It really is true that life can pass you by in a blink. One day I’m working at McDonald’s wondering how I’d ever be a full‑time artist. The next day I’m here. Almost a year in and a lot of lessons learned along the way. If I was to start over, here’s what I’d do differently.

1. Create a spreadsheet of contacts

Put together a spreadsheet of all relevant contacts I already know. Include in this people who you’ve worked with before or had brief conversations about possibly working with in the future.

This will paint a clear landscape of the scope of work that could be available to you. You will gain a good understanding of where to put your efforts and who to reach out to for work.

2. Track your finances now

Tracking finances is boring and can create anxiety for some too. Keeping hold of receipts and calculating how much you’re spending on commissions/projects from the start is really important. Make sure you’re keeping note of every business expense including travel, equipment, materials, software, etc.

3. Go to everything

If you’re local and don’t follow and attend the @doncastercreativenetwork events then that’s a great place to start. Look on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, internet for all the creative organisations and groups in your area and attend their events as much as you can. You’ll grow your contacts and people will begin to remember who you are.

You can also sign up to their mailing lists and interact with them on social media. This is a great way to get yourself recognised to them.

4. Get your online presence looking good

How many of us put off updating our website? Your website is a central hub where people will find out more about you and get in contact. It needs to be up‑to‑date, looking good and super easy to navigate. Along with having a fresh website focus on showcasing your work on your social media too.

5. Invest in yourself

When I say invest I don’t just mean financially. The biggest investment you can make, in my opinion, would be learning. You can chose to learn in multiple ways, YouTube, SkillShare and reading books are great options. You may not see instant rewards, however accumulated knowledge and skill with raise your value in the long run.

Let’s Create More Thriving Creatives!

Guiding emerging artists to have a financially sustainable practice.