You might kill it at karaoke without ever wanting to be a singer or be the designated party photographer without any desire to do it for a living. But if you’re the type of person who lives and breathes their craft and wants to turn it into a full-time career, creative entrepreneurship might be your path.
Creative entrepreneurship is one way to make creative work the center of your career. Here’s what it is, plus creative entrepreneurship tips from Camille Ouellette, of jewelry brand Camillette, and Young D and Yung Trybez, of the hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids.
What is creative entrepreneurship?
Creative entrepreneurship is the process of starting and running a business in a creative industry, such as music, art, or design. Creative entrepreneurs can be:
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Graphic designers
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Musicians
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Fashion designers
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Jewelry makers
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Photographers
Creative businesses can sell a creative skill or the product of the skill. Examples include physical objects (like paintings, ceramics, and furniture), licensed creative works (like music and film scripts), and creative services (like graphic design and copywriting). Some creative business models also use alternative monetization strategies: Snotty Nose Rez Kids, for example, earns income from performing at shows and selling branded merchandise.
Pros and cons of creative entrepreneurship
Starting a creative-sector business can let you earn a profit doing what you love most—but it also takes effort and time on administrative and operational tasks. Here are some pros and cons of starting your creative business:
Pros
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Fulfillment. Creative entrepreneurship lets you pursue a creative passion full time. Sharing your creative gifts with the world can be a fulfilling way to earn a living.
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Flexibility. Many creatives struggle with the nine to five. Picasso and Van Gogh famously worked best at night, and Sylvia Plath and Toni Morrison preferred to write before dawn. Starting your own business lets you work when inspiration strikes—not when you’re on the clock.
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Artistic growth. Creative entrepreneurship can help you develop your artistic skills. You’ll spend time practicing your craft, and you can pursue creative growth opportunities as professional development.
Cons
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Increased administrative labor. Starting and running any type of business requires problem-solving, attention to detail, and a willingness to engage in administrative tasks, all of which can take time and energy away from your creative practice.
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Competitive markets. Many creative entrepreneurs face stiff competition in the marketplace. You’ll need a strong portfolio and website to stand out, and many business owners devote significant time to sales, marketing, and lead generation.
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Decreased stability. Self-employed creatives can expect fluctuating incomes and workflows. If uncertainty threatens your creative process (or your livelihood), full- or part-time employment may be a better fit.
5 tips for creative entrepreneurs
- Find your why
- Select an online platform that suits your needs
- Build your digital presence
- Choose the right in-person events
- Avoid perfectionism
Creativity is about pursuing new ideas and using them to create value and solve problems—skills you also need to start a business. Here are five tips to help you start and manage your creative business:
1. Find your why
Understanding your motivations can help you set goals, build a business that meets your needs, and stay grounded and focused as you grow.
For Young D and Yung Trybez, creating Snotty Nose Rez Kids was a way to participate in growing Indigenous land-back movements, a cause important to both of them. “You saw these shifts … land protectors and academics [were] just really starting to mesh and reclaim the space and work together,” Young D says. “We just wanted to make music for them, something they could listen to.”
“You can’t really separate identity from land,” says Yung Trybez. “I can’t talk about myself without talking about the land that I’m from and that I’m here to protect. People are fighting tooth and nail and because it’s their existence, this land is our existence.”
This why motivates their music practice and overall project. It’s a driving force and a mission that goes far beyond selling albums and concert tickets.
2. Select an online platform that suits your needs
Choosing an ecommerce-specific platform can simplify the process of operating a creative business. An easy-to-assemble website builder allows you to quickly set up a store so you can start monetizing your skills as soon as you’re ready.
Young D and Yung Trybez found that migrating to Shopify reduced their workloads. “We did, once upon a time, have our own individual website, and it was hard to keep up,” Young D says. “Once we switched to Shopify, it was more manageable, much more organized. It’s very accessible for our consumers, so it made our lives a lot easier.”
Camille, owner of Camillette, also notes that using an ecommerce-friendly website builder makes it possible to build your site without needing to hire a web developer. "I think you can start very easily now. You have different companies that offer ecommerce [technology] that you can set up yourself," she says. “If you want to start easy and fast, there are options.”
3. Build your digital presence
Both Camillette and Snotty Nose Rez Kids understand the importance of building a strong digital presence.
“I would say your website or social media is just like if you have a boutique and it’s the window,” says Camille. “It has to be as beautiful.” She also suggests hiring the expertise you need to make that happen: "I hired a professional photographer, and the level of professionalism was much higher with really good pictures. I really recommend getting some help, whatever it takes to showcase what you do.”
Snotty Nose Rez Kids uses social media to promote new merchandise and music, particularly Instagram and TikTok. The group sells merchandise at shows and online and highlights the importance of consistent branding across sales channels. "We stick to one color for each design," Young D says. “The band has gotten bigger, the merch drops have gotten bigger, but the strategies are still the same.”
4. Choose the right in-person events
Snotty Rez Kids and Camillette both had early success selling at in-person events.
Young D and Yung Trybez chose the Santa Fe Indian Market to network with Indigenous artists and activists. “[Our album] Red Future is about Indigenous futurism,” Yung Trybez says. “We wanted to be right in the mix of things and get inspired by inspired natives.”
"It’s a hell of a place to network, too," adds Young D. "You’ve got everybody from so many different nations and tribes all coming to Santa Fe, and it’s just a perfect opportunity. It’s almost like good marketing in itself.”
Camille earned her first major retail partnership at a Toronto trade show, where representatives from the Simons department store recruited her. She suggests creative entrepreneurs ask questions about vendors and attendees when choosing in-person events. “Ask questions about who is attending, what is the clientele, and if this clientele is looking for your kind of products,” she says. “Who are the other makers? Is it a renowned, well-established event? This can give you cues about if it’s worth investing or not.”
5. Avoid perfectionism
Artists often strive for perfection—but business success requires putting your work out into the world.
“One of our sayings since we started doing music was ‘Done is better than perfect,’” says Young D. “If you’re trying to wait till it’s perfect, chances are you’re not really going to get there.”
Camille shares a similar sentiment about launching Camilette. “I was thinking, if I don’t do it, I will regret it at some point. I was saying to myself, I don’t want to live with this regret,” she says. “I think what is important is that if you have dreams, just do it.”
Creative entrepreneurship FAQ
What is creativepreneurship?
Creativepreneurship, or creative entrepreneurship, is the process of starting and managing a creative sector business.
What are the skills of creative entrepreneurship?
Creative entrepreneurship means turning your creative skills like music, photography, or design into a business. In addition, being a creative entrepreneur also requires problem-solving, project management, strong communication, and organizational skills.
What are the skills of creative entrepreneurship?
A creative mindset is about curiosity and resilience. It encourages innovation and experimentation, helping entrepreneurs find new approaches to old problems and encouraging a broad understanding of the systems with which a business interacts.