Dundee And Angus College Gradyne Campus
I recently got asked to give a talk to the art students of Dundee and Angus College as part of their “Motivate Me” programme. Although it was a positive talk I didn’t want to give a false sense of security to them as running a creative business is not easy. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears! But it’s definitely worth it being your own boss. (though my boss can be a B@~#h sometimes!)
I’m a believer in giving advice and passing on knowledge to others, so here are some tips that I gave to the students and would like to share with you. If you are thinking of setting up your own creative business you must have passion and ambition, be willing to work extremely hard and have motivation to succeed.
Tips for success
– Find your passion and create things you are good at and enjoy making/doing
– Work out what it is you want to do in life and set goals – where are you now and where do you want to be? (Do this for business and your personal life)
– Plan ahead, write lists and set deadlines to achieve your goals
– Be different, always have your own style and never copy anyone else, don’t make something because someone else tells you to (unless it’s for a client!)
– Listen to your gut feeling;
– Don’t be afraid to take risks, if you don’t you’ll never push yourself forward
– It’s ok to make mistakes – you learn from these, move on and make things better
– Look for a gap in the market – be innovative, use new materials/new technologies, research the industry
– You need to put a lot of hours before you even make money
– Realise that probably only 25% of your practice will actually be making and creating. The rest of your time will be spent on marketing, promotion, exhibiting, meeting clients, doing your accounts, admin, etc, etc,
– Apply for as many awards and competitions as you can, this helps raise your profile
– Network with other artists and attend creative workshops, build up contacts as setting up in business can be very isolating and lonely
– Apply for an internship get experience in the industry.
Genna Design is currently looking for a jewellery summer intern so get in touch and apply here.
Useful contacts
culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk
psybt.org.uk
bgateway.com
britishfashioncouncil.com
designtrust.com
flourish@thrive
creativedundee.com
creativescotland.com
If you would like to find out more helpful tips and advice on running a creative business, then Like and follow Genna Design on Twitter and Facebook or sign up to the mailing list.
Thanks for reading,
Now Go Make Something Great!