Are You Creative? Do You Have a Head for Business? Are You an Entrepreneur?

I'm a creative person, and I know many other creative people. We all think deep creative thoughts and we love the process of making things. I like to write. Others I know are great in art, illustration, photography, jewelry making, interior design, embroidery, fashion design, screenplay writing, and product design. But few of the people I know are entrepreneurs. That means that few of us (me included) would risk their security and steady job income to open up our own businesses - enterprises based on what we create.

Yikes! Being an entrepreneur puts a completely different template over what we creatives do during the day, right? I know you're attracted to this blog because you have a love for the creative arts. You probably make something, either as a hobbyist or as a serious pro or somewhere in between, but you might not want to "risk it all" to start your own business. We've all known people who have tried and failed in such endeavors, so we don't want to be like them, right?

And deep down, are we all that confident about our creative skills? We can contribute our creativity to others in a defined job environment, but can we build a business sustained by what we dream about, make and fashion, and develop?

IF you have the guts to go for creative business glory, I encourage you. Period. I ENCOURAGE YOU. 

You heard right. I'm not going to try to talk you out of it, but only if you have the passion to pursue a creative business. Creative people are dissatisfied with things as they are. They have a strong desire to make things better, more beautiful, more elegant, more ... something! The only way to feel satisfied as a creative person is to have courage, focus, and vision - and to take action on your ideas.

Your creative outlet may be to help others make things. It could be assisting with craft time activities geared to young children or seniors. But you might want to base a business on your creativity. Mark McGuiness, the business coach pictured above, has what he calls the 5 Components of Creative Entrepreneurship. These are elements of success for any creative enterprise.

1. Create (Don't Compete)
2. Lead (Don't Manage)
3. Communicate (Don't Be Shy)
4. Automate (Don't Duplicate)
5. Accelerate (Don't Stand Still)

Mark's creative entrepreneurship formula is also worth repeating here:

Creativity + Productivity = Success

It's helpful to visualize the end result of your creative work. Imagine what it will be like to design a new jewelry collection and have your own jewelry business. Visualize how you'll decorate a client's new living room and have your own interior design firm. Imagine how great your new photography website will look, promoting your creative services to the public. Hold that end result in your mind, and it will help fan your passion and intensity while diminishing fear and uncertainty.

But never start a business in a vacuum or, worse yet, in an atmosphere that is not supportive to you and your creative mission. Jettison your nay-saying friends and tune out the negative family members who don't believe in what you'd like to accomplish. That doesn't mean to blindly forge ahead, however! Do your research, and definitely seek out fellow creative folk in the community who can give you good feedback and criticism.

Feedback. Criticism. You need both before you plunge into any creative business endeavor. Hey, if you want to merely sell earrings of your own design at the holiday church bazaar, knock yourself out. But if you want to become Earrings R Us and open up stores across the country, then you'd better seek out friendly, but knowing feedback and criticism - the earlier in your business planning process, the better.

This means finding

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Spring Decorating is a Breeze

Bright colors are popping out all over the place – in fashion, in jewelry, and in home décor.  I’m sure you’ve already been blinded when you walked into a store and saw all that orange and lemon yellows glaring at you.  Fashion is one thing, but living in it at home day in, day out is another.  By choosing just the right amount of pops of color and mixing it with neutrals, you’re going to achieve a refreshing spring like home without all the blinding headache.

In our first interior above, we’re highlighting the color of the year, emerald, with the Murphy mid-century style sofa from Room and Board.  Our pops of color appear in deep reds, salmon pinks, and sunny yellows.  Essentially this room has a complementary red-green color scheme but reinterpreted into today’s color vibe so it doesn’t look like your grandmother’s living room. 

To successfully carry off the bright pops of color, we toned it down with a soft muted green upholstery and brown woods as in the mid-century coffee table by Pierre Jeanneret.  The Glass Pebble table lamp from Palacek shimmers in blue-green hues.  The three-drawer Ermitage chest is from Grange and the baroque Barcelona mirror is from Joss & Main. 

We brought in touches of spring with yellow oncidium orchids and a beautiful 18^th century porcelain vase from Bardith Antiques. 

The second room above is awash in a citrus color scheme of soft yellows, sage greens, and chartreuse. The design features two current trends – the artisan look and the botanicals passion.  The Evie two-drawer chest from Joss & Main shows off the artisan touch – the chest was stripped down and hand-painted with tree branches and birds.  The Safavieh rug and the Simon pillow also reflect botanical prints.

Another popular trend is the craze for Chinoiserie.  We introduced Asian influences with a Chinese cloisonné dragon bronze urn from Avalon antiques.  Rounding out the room is the chartreuse Mimi chair from Christopher Kennedy and a fun cable pouf from Overstock.

With just a few touches, you can refresh any room with the colors of spring and sprinkle it with the latest trends.  Try it!

Interested in learning more about decor? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.