12 lessons learned from starting a creative business (months 1-3)

I started my design and coaching studio last fall— chipping away on it during early mornings before work and on weekends- but it’s only been 3 months since I left my job to do this full time. Since I try to be so deliberate about planning my goals, I see the review process as the closing of that loop. At the end of every month, I sit down to look at what I’ve accomplished, and I articulate the lessons to take with me as I continue to grow. Here’s what I learned from months 1-3.

creative practice, growing a businessKening ZhuMay 4, 2016art for money, lessons learned, how to begin

creative vs. creative professionals

For a really long time, I couldn’t say out loud that I was a writer, designer, illustrator, or even artist without feeling like a fraud. I whispered it, mumbled it, and felt sheepish about it. It is too easy, I thought, to pick up a laptop or paintbrush or Photoshop pen tool and call myself an [insert creative title]. I hadn’t earned it.

growing a business, creative practice, notes on the journeyKening ZhuJanuary 23, 2016art for money, existential questions, how to begin

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