Beyond Talent: 8 Traits Every Successful Creative Entrepreneur Must Have

By Dana P. Rowe, PCC, CPCC, CPQC

Creative entrepreneurship is a popular trend in today’s society. The term encompasses anyone who turns their talents and creativity into a business venture.

What does it take to be a creative entrepreneur? The answer is not as simple as you might think. Beyond the indisputable talent requirement, a successful creative entrepreneur will have a few other qualities and skills in their tool kit. I’ll go through each of these crucial but not so obvious “must-haves” below.

 

Passion

“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.” ― Seth Godin, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit

Creative entrepreneurs need passion to drive their business forward and make money. There will be days when nothing goes right and everything falls through, but this is where passion can be a great motivator. Sometimes passion is the only thing that will keep you going when things look bleak, and you have no hope of improving.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having a burning passion for creating and developing work. We’ve all felt it — that ultimate sense of fulfillment when you see your brilliant ideas flourish into reality. Passion is what gives life meaning, purpose, and drive to get up every day with an eagerness to learn something new or try out another idea on our long list!

However, when you feel your creative passion waning, it helps to have some ways to re-energize and re-light the spark in your tool kit. You could take a walk, practice yoga or meditation, talk with a mentor or coach about the problem areas in your business, and brainstorm solutions together. Check out my article on science-based ways to boost creativity. Sometimes trying something new is just the thing you need to reignite your passion.

At some point, you will lose momentum — we all do! Seth Godin calls it “The Dip” in his excellent book by the same name.

If you need to take a short break, do it. Sometimes that’s helpful too. But do what you can to get moving again as quickly as possible because successful creative entrepreneurs are constantly creating, and creative ventures require steady forward momentum.

 

Clarity

Passion and clarity are interesting bedfellows. Clarity can ignite passion, but without clarity, passion is nearly impossible.

When it comes to steady forward momentum, clarity is everything! You must know what and where you’re heading if you want to get there. When things aren’t working out the way you planned or envisioned, stop for a moment and take stock of your situation: What are your goals? Where do you want to be in one month, six months, or two years? When you answer these questions honestly and concretely, it will become clear where your creative business needs improvement.

In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Further, if your intentions are unclear and you have no sense of purpose, then passion can only get you so far. A well-honed sense of purpose, or WHY, functions like a Northstar does for a sea captain; it keeps you on course, steady and true.

Reflect on your goals so that they serve as a constant reminder of why you started this journey in the first place! A clear sense of purpose will help sustain the passion for pursuing creative entrepreneurship over the long term. We all need something more significant than short-term gains or superficial awards to inspire us.

No doubt, you’ve met someone who appears to be quite successful without seeming to put in any effort. Chances are they have a clear purpose, a clear vision, and a concrete strategy in place!

Patience

“Patience, grasshopper,” said Maia. “Good things come to those who wait.”

“I always thought that was ‘Good things come to those who do the wave,'” said Simon. “No wonder I’ve been so confused all my life.” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Glass

No doubt, patience is one of the essential traits creative entrepreneurs should cultivate for creative success. Creative projects often fail or fall short because we don’t take the time to develop them properly. We often rush and make decisions based on our gut reactions instead of following a creative process that leads us through every stage from concept development until launch.

Patience means learning to develop creative projects in a way that focuses on improving the work itself.

Patience is about looking at your creative process as your creative journey–one where you are constantly learning and growing.

Courage

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― William Faulkner

When it comes to new ideas, courage is always in short supply. We are all afraid of the unknown, and by acknowledging this fact, we can learn to overcome our fears–and with that courage, new opportunities arise for creative business owners.

The definition of courage is the power or quality to do something that one knows is difficult, dangerous, or facing opposition. As freelance creatives selling our ideas and time in hopes of success, we have to remind ourselves that this process will be arduous at times–and with every obstacle comes an opportunity for growth.

To be a successful creative entrepreneur, it takes bravery and determination. When fear arises within our minds, we must muster the courage to move through it to progress toward our goals.

Curiosity

“Enjoy every step you take. If you’re curious, there is always something new to be discovered in the backdrop of your daily life.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Curiosity and an open mind are the hallmarks of every creative entrepreneur. The newness and openness allow individuals to see new possibilities where others have not, which is necessary for moving beyond average results in any field.

Creative professionals must think on their feet because there will always be unexpected challenges and disappointments that can discourage a person from continuing a new creative venture quickly. It is how the individual chooses to see these experiences that allow them to continue moving forward and achieving new goals.

If you don’t adapt quickly, it will be hard for anyone to develop their business ventures or explore new opportunities within an ever-changing industry such as filmmaking, art, or other creative professions.

To keep moving forward and face new challenges with an open mind, you must be curious about the opportunities around you and new ideas that can help your business grow to new levels of success!

Self Belief

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” ― Henry Ford

Self-belief is a trait that new creative entrepreneurs often lack. It’s not surprising, really; anyone who has new ideas can sometimes feel ridiculed or even attacked for them by friends and family members who are less innovative. As someone in the creative industry, you have to learn how to believe in yourself enough so that you’re willing to risk your time and money on new opportunities.

A new creative entrepreneur might be able to come up with new, exciting ideas but worry about whether or not they will work. They may believe in their concept somewhat but lose confidence if friends and family members don’t support it. Self-belief is necessary for a new business owner because you won’t have the courage to try something new without it. When new ideas are greeted with resistance, the power of self-confidence will keep you going.

Self-belief means that new entrepreneurs can stand by their creative visions, no matter how big or small they may be. Whether it’s something as simple as launching a new blog series or building out an entire product line, having the right amount of self-belief is key to successful creative entrepreneurs.

 

Financial Responsibility

“If your financial life is not in order, every other area of your life will be in disorder.” ― Bamigboye Olurotimi

Being financially responsible is one of the essential skills all successful entrepreneurs must cultivate. The new ideas and opportunities that we hear about throughout our careers will not come to fruition if sustainable, profitable business models do not support them. Freelance life can be a tough gig, but it is possible to make your dreams into reality without sacrificing everything you love in the process. With a bit of planning and some new strategies, financial security is possible. Stay on top of your bills and spending habits by creating a budget for yourself and sticking to it.

There are many apps and websites available to help you keep track of your income and expenses. Input your spending habits into an app or website to see where your money is going. If you’re new to budgeting, spend some time browsing the web for options that may be more suitable for your creative business needs.

It’s simpler to see the big picture of your financial position once you know where money is spent and how much income comes in from your projects. If there is a gap between the two, you can start prioritizing new projects or strategies to close that gap and bring more revenue into your creative business. Before you consider any new ideas, it’s critical to be honest with yourself about what they might cost both in terms of time and money.

You can also utilize new strategies like crowdfunding to bring more revenue into your creative business. Crowdfunding is an excellent way for a creative person to generate pre-sales of new projects that may not be in the market yet, but have potential based on previous success. Crowdfunding can help you create new work while still generating money without having to borrow money from friends and relatives. It’s a great new way to manage your finances as an artist or creative entrepreneur without sacrificing the integrity of new ideas, work, and projects you believe in.

As we all know, new ideas come with risk, which is why they must be supported financially by sustainable business models before taking them out into the world. With new ways to manage finances as a creative entrepreneur, it’s never been easier to stay financially secure and keep new ideas coming into fruition without sacrificing everything we love in the process.

 

Reliability

“Do what you have to do… before you do what you want to do.” ― Katrina Cureton

Reliability is an essential trait for new creative entrepreneurs to cultivate. Creative work is often uncertain, with little feedback and even less funding. However, it’s easy to become discouraged in the face of constant uncertainty if one cannot rely on oneself or others who are part of a new business venture. I give this advice because every new entrepreneur will face challenges, uncertainty, and disappointments at some point. It’s best to be prepared for these obstacles before they hit.

Additionally, new entrepreneurs must also learn the value of time management and its application to one’s creative industry skillset. Most people will tell you that talent doesn’t matter as much as hard work to succeed in a new creative venture. However, others will tell you that new entrepreneurs who work smart and hard are more likely to succeed in a new creative business than those who do not have this skill set.

In the end, a creative entrepreneur will know how much time they’ll need for each project and manage deadlines accordingly in order to create new ideas and innovative works.

Conclusion

These traits of successful creative entrepreneurs are all well and good, but what about the roadblocks that stand in their way? It’s much easier said than done. What if you could get help with cultivating these essential traits or even just working on a strategy to overcome some of your own challenges. My goal is to inspire you to take action and finally start doing something about achieving your goals. If you’re ready to break through that invisible wall you keep coming up against, contact me for information on how we can work together towards creating your best life yet!