7 Ways to Reboot Your Creative Career (No Matter Where You Live)

#02 Make Your Group

So what happens if you don't have a local outlet for meeting your people? You start one of your own.

Talk it up. Brainstorm with potential collaborators and advertise your intentions to your students, schools, coffee shops, music stores, recording studios, and in short, to your tribe. If you have a website or are active on social media, be sure to post about it and start a dialogue there as well. Your goal is to create an actual meetup where you share new work and ideas with people in your area. Be sure to set up ground rules from the start to ensure a safe space for nurturing creativity and share leadership responsibilities with other group members, so you still have time and opportunity to do your creative work.

 Move Your Group Forward

Hold regular meetings whenever you can. Weekly or monthly meetings help establish a precedent and expected schedule. You'll soon see a few regulars here and there at each meeting. These people are the ones who are genuinely committed to your cause. However, there will likely be several others who come and go as they please. Some might even bring their friends, helping you to expand your group.

Brainstorm with your other group members to determine future activities and events. Perhaps you'll change it up by going to a new location, visiting an art museum, or getting some brunch. Remember that each group member has valuable input and would be more than willing to share their thoughts and feedback.

The best part about leading a group is that you can do whatever you want with it. Want to write an exclusive club newsletter? Want to host a white elephant gift exchange among members? Want to create a secret handshake to identify other associates? You can do all that and more. You have a license to be as creative as you'd like with your group.

#03 Teach or Mentor

While you are writing the next award-winning musical or hit song, or in addition to updating your audition materials, be sure to share what you have learned with someone else who has less experience. What can be more rewarding than spreading your passion to a wide-eyed pupil that wants to learn from you?

As a creative professional, there's no shortage of potential students who wish to learn your secrets. Whether you play an instrument, paint pictures, create sculptures, or write poetry, someone out there wants to know about your expertise and style.

A Secondary Income

If you so choose, becoming a teacher or mentor can provide you with a substantial secondary income. Countless creative professionals shift teaching into their full-time job, but this isn't always an option for everyone. Some people feel that being an educator doesn't allow them to express their abilities fully. For example, do you think Stephen King would be as happy if he spent forty hours a week teaching students and grading essays? We would have a generation of great writers but would also miss out on a world of thrilling novels.

However, there are several other options for teaching. You can create a class and earn passive income. Websites like Kajabi, Teachable, Udemy, CreativeLive, and edX allow anyone to create their customized course and get paid when students enroll. This method will enable you to create a passive income stream to earn money while spreading your passion and knowledge to other students.

The Joy of Teaching

However, teaching and mentoring are much more than a potential stream of income. And, truthfully, if you can afford to do it without pay, it ends up being even more rewarding. When you break down your skills and concepts into bite-sized portions for a beginner, it helps you focus on your own goals, solidifies your skills, improves your sense of purpose, and raises your self-esteem. It's true; something downright magical happens when you encourage and inspire others.

Teaching others allows you to spread your creativity to other individuals. They will learn from your guidance, which will help them keep your art's legacy alive. What could be better than passing your unique skills in painting, music, sculpting, or writing through generations? Your student may go on to become an all-time great and take more people under their wings.

Those who excel at what they do can often inspire others beyond their wildest imaginations. Imagine what it must be like knowing that your artwork might have helped create the next Mozart or Shakespeare. You would have been directly responsible for nurturing their gifts to enrich the lives of millions of people.

Think that sounds far-fetched? Think again. Stephen Spielberg was inspired to become a film director after watching "Lawrence of Arabia." Likewise, James Cameron quit his job as a truck driver and went into movies after watching "Star Wars" for the first time. How exciting must it be for people like David Lean and George Lucas to know that they inadvertently brought new talent into the world of film.

In all honesty, teaching is an incredibly humbling experience. As a teacher, you are passing along everything you've learned along the way. You'll share the hard-taught lessons that you went through when struggling. You can disclose all the things that you wish someone taught you when you were their age.

Many teachers see their students as reflections of themselves. They can look at their pupils and see their younger selves, eager to learn. Perhaps this is the reason why so many people are passionate about teaching. Teachers want to provide the very best lives for their students. Sharing their knowledge will help change the future of many lives.

Advertising Your Services

Once you're ready to take new pupils under your wing, it's time to take the next step and find those future students. If you've got an online class on a platform like Udemy, most students will come to you already. However, it never hurts to improve your odds by marketing yourself a little better. Taking a few easy steps can radically convert people from mildly curious to fully-enrolled students.

The best way to advertise is to let your services speak for yourself. Those who already like your creative output will be attracted to what you do and eager to learn more from you. After all, what's better than a portfolio of your already existing talents?

Take the example of Elina Siirala. She is a classically trained Finnish soprano singer and the lead vocalist for symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, a group with seven full-length albums since forming in 2004. Elina might be on the road constantly due to her work, but she still finds time to make extra money whenever she can. If you were to see Leaves' Eyes in concert, you could receive a promotional card to sign up for her one-on-one virtual singing lessons via Zoom or Skype. She'll teach you breathing techniques, stage performance, repertoires, and much more.

A singer like Elina has already established a reputation and uses it to raise awareness of her teaching services. Her band draws hundreds or even thousands of fans wherever they play. More than a few audience members want to learn how to sing and perform like her.

Another great way of marketing your services is through blogging. Establishing a blog will help make you a thought leader in your industry. The best part is that blogs are incredibly inexpensive to run and relatively easy to learn. It doesn't take a genius to develop necessary WordPress skills. If I can do it, so can you.

Add a call-to-action at the bottom of your posts. It might read something along the lines of, "If you'd like to learn more, take my class by clicking here." It's a simple and effective way of providing valuable content while offering further insight for dedicated students.

Furthermore, you can provide eBooks, newsletters, and webinars for your audience members. Bloggers use these techniques to build a loyal following and share insightful knowledge with their most dedicated readers.

How many times can you think of where you've been scrolling through a page and see a pop-up asking you to subscribe to receive a free eBook? While most people merely close these messages and continue with their day, those who are intrigued enough to give personal information end up learning some precious lessons. Remember that bloggers often have years of experience in their field. For example, Carol Tice of Make a Living Writing has had her work appear in prestigious publications and earned six figures in a single year. You can bet that any aspiring freelance writer will want to read her eBooks.

#04 Never Stop Learning

Even the most excellent teacher needs to step back and learn something. Many of the brightest minds today, including people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, report that a journey of lifelong learning helped contribute to their success. Education enables you to get ahead of your peers and develop different skills that help set you apart from everyone else. Best of all, you'll become more proficient in your field and perhaps find new inspiration that will radically transform your work. Here are some great ways to continue your education:

Go Back to School

Very few people want to go back to school. Post-college education is, unfortunately, an enormous investment of time and money. Nobody looks back fondly at those memories of staying up in the library until midnight to finish studying for their exams or complete a research paper.

However, the time and effort it takes to go back to school can pay off with some incredible results. You'll master skills that few others have obtained and become eligible for jobs you might not have ever dreamed of having. You can figure out how to perfect your craft in a way that ultimately sets you apart from your peers.

Furthermore, colleges and schools provide great ways to connect with other like-minded and brilliant individuals. Entrepreneurs who met each other in the school founded today's most prominent tech companies like Facebook, TikTok, Apple, and Reddit. Many of these now-famous organizations began in dorm rooms or garages.

Going back to school doesn't have to be dreadful. Some graduate schools only take two years to complete. You can quickly attend school part-time while you continue to work a full-time job. It might be a terrible ordeal, but focus on the bigger picture and imagine how well it will pay off in the future.

Take a Workshop

Don't have the time to go back to school for a few years? College and graduate schools can be incredibly time-consuming as students must often dedicate several hours a week to their education. Perhaps you can do something more short-term, like taking a workshop. Think of workshops are one-time short classes that might take a few hours at most. Use them to brush up on new skills and possibly even network quickly.

The best part is that many workshops are incredibly inexpensive, if not entirely free. Often, all you need to do is show up and pay attention. You can easily find several different workshops in your area. Use this opportunity to connect with other creative professionals and gain new experience.

Organizations such as General Assembly offer classes on all sorts of different subjects. Currently, General Assembly has locations all over America, including big cities such as New York City, Seattle, Denver, Boston, and Austin. A quick look at their San Francisco workshops shows that students can quickly learn about subjects like public speaking, presenting, coding, UX design, negotiation, machine learning, Python, social media, and digital marketing. There's honestly something for everyone.

Learn How to Play an Instrument

Making music is one of the best things you can do to benefit your creativity. After all, music is an art form, and writing songs helps tap into your inner passions and desires. It doesn't matter if you're creating a soft folk melody or a hard rock guitar solo – each style of music has its unique attributes that will spark your brainpower.

Furthermore, taking up music does beautiful things for your cognitive processes. Just take a look at the TED-Ed talk called "How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain." The talk comes from Anita Collins, an award-winning teacher, and researcher who specializes in cognitive development. In her speech, she says:

"When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout."

Remember that you need to exercise your brain is a muscle, and like you would like the rest of your body. Playing an instrument is like lifting weights or running on the treadmill for your mind. Exercising your mind will help you generate more excellent ideas and be more productive.

Attend a Convention

What's the ultimate way to connect with other creative professionals and like-minded people? Try attending a convention. Where else can you find a more significant amount of amazing, talented, and artistic people who share the same passions and interests as you? People often flock from all over the world to make it to these conventions. These kinds of events are incredibly fun and will fill you with a newfound sense of freedom and motivation.

Conventions come in every shape and size. You can find a conference for just about any hobby. Comic book conventions are probably the most well-known as Comic-Con hosts over 130,000 people and has sold out at least ten years in a row. Comic-Con is famous for its guest celebrities, movie premiers, eccentric costumes, and extraordinarily long lines.

Of course, there are countless organizations for artists and other creative types as well. It would be almost impossible to list all of them, but one noteworthy event is the BlogHer conference, made to appeal to female bloggers and writers. This occasion has featured several notable and influential women, including Sheryl Sandberg, Ava DuVernay, Serena Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sheryl Crow, and Martha Stewart.

Read a Book

Books are such beautiful things! It's almost impossible to think that all of humanity's knowledge has been recorded and put into a book in some way or another. Want to know about the life of Billy, the Kid? Curious about learning rocket science? Ever wanted a glimpse into the mind of a millionaire? Books offer all of these things and much more.

Books can change your life, the way you think, and how you look at the world. Everything you've ever wanted to know or learn is within the pages of something you can find at your local bookstore. Some might complain that books are too expensive, but the abundance of libraries means that you have practically zero excuses for not reading.

Still not convinced? Consider the ground-breaking research conducted by Tom Corley conducted on wealthy and poor people. For this experiment, he defined rich people as those with an annual income of $160,000 or more and at least $3.2 million in liquid net worth. He identified impoverished people as those with a yearly salary of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less.

What did Tom Corley discover? He found out that 86% of affluent people love reading, while only 26% of poor people felt the same. Furthermore, most wealthy people read self-help books to help them improve their lives and productivity. A staggering 88% of affluent people and only 2% of poor people read for self-improvement for a half-hour a day.

#05 Take a Social Media Break

It seems the likes of Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, and other websites or apps consistently consume our lives. We're regularly checking our phones thanks to those annoying little push notifications that give us a brief dopamine rush. We're curious about who liked our photos, followed our accounts, sent us messages, and commented on our posts. It can be a vicious cycle, especially since companies like TikTok and Instagram encourage and reward you for daily activity.

Social media runs our lives. Facebook certainly helps us keep track of birthdays and events. LinkedIn is great at helping you network and finds new connections. However, most of our time is just mindless scrolling. We get bored and need a further stimulus to keep our attention going. We crave entertainment, and social media provides that instant gratification. Whether it's a celebrities latest outrageous tweet or newest hairstyle, there's always further information to consume.

But how much of this is something valuable and beneficial for you? Have you ever paused to consider the value that social media brings to you daily? Sure, we all love dog videos and funny memes, but is it the way you'd like to spend your time?

The Ultimate Timewaster

What would you do if you had an extra 15 minutes a day? What about 25, 35, or 40? What if you had an additional 18 days added to your lifespan? How about five years? It's crazy to think about having that much extra time. You could get so much done. Maybe you would read a book, work on a new project, or do some cardio.

However, that time is all wasted on social media. Several years ago, a Mediakix study found that the average person's day consists of 40 minutes on YouTube, 35 minutes on Facebook, 25 minutes on Snapchat, 15 minutes on Instagram, and only one minute on Twitter. When looking at lifetime averages, a person will spend one year and ten months on YouTube, one year and seven months on Facebook, one year and two months on Snapchat, eight months on Instagram, and eighteen days on Twitter. Those numbers add up to five years and four months on social media. That's a LOT of time, and those figures are older, so it's probably more than that now.

Plus, all these annoying Facebook notifications add to our constant social media addiction. Millennials get a bad rep for being too plugged into phones, but that statement has a bitter truth that young people check their phones far more often than they would've initially guessed. Most participants estimated how often they checked their phones – and came up short by about 50%.

The average number of times a young person checks their phone? Eighty-five, according to the study. Additionally, the study found that young people spend about five hours a day on their mobile devices. Imagine all that time going to waste! Smartphones are handy but shouldn't consume as much time as they currently do.

Dr. Sally Andrews, the study's lead author and a psychologist from Nottingham Trent University, said that most smartphone use is unconscious and habitual. Many people check their devices automatically without even thinking about it.

The Toxic Effects of Social Media

Besides being a massive timewaster, social media has a host of other awful consequences. It's no longer a surprise that these websites can cause us to feel angry or anxious.

Several studies highlighted that Facebook could trigger feelings of jealousy. People often like to share the best highlights of their life – marriages, job promotions, vacations, parties, and so forth. You'll often see your friends on platforms like Snapchat hanging out without you and wondering why you weren't invited. It's an unfortunate and bitter truth that you won't be happy if you make these comparisons. According to one of the studies, you will feel awful if you compare your life to that of someone else, regardless if yours is better or worse.

A different study observed over 700 college students and found that Facebook created jealousy, leading to depression.

Taking the Plunge

Stopping something that you're so used to can be a scary thought. Try it out in small doses. Go for a few hours without checking social media. Then, do it for a full day—next, a week. You'll notice how much better you feel.

Just ask blogger Jason Zook, who took a month-long vacation from social media. It wasn't easy, but he felt much better after doing it.

"My productivity, attention span, and clarity of thought all increased greatly with living without social media for a month. I felt like I broke bad habits (refreshing feeds and checking notifications) in a brief time. If all of that can be done in just 30 days? It's well worth trying."

#06 Write Your Eulogy

I know! Right?! You hardly know me, and already I'm pulling shenanigans like this. However, if you've read this far, I think it's safe to assume you are looking for a dose of urgency in your life. A good old "kick in the seat of the pants" or a little "sh*t just got real" realness never hurt anyone.

In his book, "Show Your Work," Austin Kleon suggests reading the obituary section of the newspaper every morning to learn from the mediocrity of others.

So I'll go one further – write your obituary: a) Two minutes. b) Two sentences. c) No limitations. d) Anything is possible.

What is it you want people to remember about you?

Why so Morbid?

Don't start getting depressed just yet. Yeah, this exercise is going to be a little uncomfortable at first. Just remember the words of millionaire and inspirational writer T Harv Eker:

"Whenever you feel uncomfortable, instead of retreating into your old comfort zone, pat yourself on the back and say, 'I must be growing,' and continue moving forward."

In his words, "comfort is the kiss of death to success." However, this statement doesn't mean that you must intentionally go out of your way to do things that make you scared. You don't have to run down the street naked, skydive out of a plane, or tell your boss an inappropriate joke. However, facing discomfort is an essential skill for becoming successful in life. You must do the things that you detest now so that you may reap the rewards later.

A Look Backwards

Examine your life now. What are the things you wish you'd done differently in the past? If you could go back and change things, what choices would you make?

Here's an example for you. Let's say that, six months ago, you considered going to the gym three days a week. However, you thought that exercising was too tricky. You would get off work every night and feel too tired, busy, hungry, or lazy to hit the gym. One week of inactivity turns into a month without exercise. Then, it becomes several months. Six months later, you're facing the consequences. You lack sleep, are continuously restless, are easily distracted, and notice that your waistline is slowly expanding. It's a terrible feeling, and you often wonder, "Why didn't I just go to the gym when I said I would? Why did I put it off for so long?"

Take this Steve Jobs quote as an example:

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future."

Everything is more comfortable in hindsight. Unfortunately, nobody can predict the future. You can, however, still work backward. Think about what will happen at the end of your life. Where will you be? What will you have accomplished?

How can you apply those theories now? Do you want to be the next Johnny Cash and have 55 studio albums to your name? Would you like to be the next Michelangelo and paint the ceiling of a chapel? Learn how to do those things now. Set the building blocks for your future success. Make those accomplishments happen that people will remember you.

#07 Work With a Coach

Working with the correct coach can have a tremendous impact on your career and happiness. They can help you uncover all sorts of incredible things that you never knew about yourself. You might find yourself feeling inspired, refreshed, or overjoyed with new information and a new mindset. Coaches are often veterans of their respective fields and have built impressive careers from decades of hard work and dedication. They will know all the ups and downs of your career path and how to revitalize and innovate your life.

What Makes a Good Coach?

What separates an average coach from an extraordinary one? You want to look at more than just their resume. An ideal coach will:

• Recognize gaps between where the client currently is and where the client wishes they were.
• Make a safe atmosphere in which students see themselves with greater clarity.
• Take the necessary actions to ensure that the student is thoroughly committed to their growth and produce positive outcomes.
• Ensure that the client keeps moving forward and requests more changes in actions, thoughts, and behaviors than the client would've asked of themselves.

Just ask any winning athlete or sports team how important it is to have a good coach. People like Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh, and Joe Gibbs have made enormous impacts on their clients, leading to their success.

According to the United Kingdom Coaching Strategy, an optimal coach helps their clients perform much better than they would by themselves. In that sense, a coach and client are a team. Both parties work together to accomplish remarkable feats. The coach works to help the athlete reach their fullest potential and shatter all limits and barriers.

Coaches are also incredibly relevant to the business world. Many leaders hire career coaches to help bolster their productivity and performance on the job. Some companies will go so far as to hire coaches for executives and other influential people. Businesses that are dedicated to their employee's personal growth will be the ones that thrive.

However, hiring a coach is a significant commitment of both time and money. And according to a Forbes study on coaching ROI (Return On Investment), those costs can pay off in huge ways if you discover and utilize the correct person. So put in the effort to locate the coach that will best suit your needs.

How to Find a Coach

Start by holding interviews. Remember that you're the boss here, and the coach is the one who wants to be your client. You're in control, and you get to ask the interview questions.

Make sure you know what to identify in the interview. Make a list of what ideal qualities you'd want out of a coach. Prepare a mental checklist and see how well your coach fits your needs. Do you need someone with a flexible schedule, a particular management style, or should they be a specific age range or gender? Include all this information on the application to help narrow down your search.

Of course, the price is another critical factor to consider. How much money are you willing to put into this project? Top coaches charge high amounts of money, but it could all pay off when you become productive and successful. However, if you don't learn anything worthwhile, you will have just wasted a large sum of time and cash. Determine your maximum range so that you don't pay more than you can afford to lose. Some creative types embody the starving artist trope rather well, so their budgets may be a little tight.

You can hold multiple rounds of interviews, but it's best for both parties' sake that you keep it short and straightforward. You aren't running a startup that needs to put someone through two phone screenings and three rounds of in-person interviews to determine if they are a right fit for your company. You just need someone who can help coach you to lead you to a better career.

Sometimes your choice might be predicated on something as simple and abstract as a gut feeling. Maybe you two had a great connection, or the person laughed at your jokes. Remember that it's all up to you, and only you get to determine who is worthy of coaching you.

If you want to take it further, you can contact their references or conduct a background check. It never hurts to be extra cautious when hiring someone that you don't know very well.

Here's information on my coaching practice. I specialize in coaching Arts Professionals, helping them live abundantly and get their best work into the world. You can use the form at this link to schedule a complimentary strategy session to see if we're a fit. (http://coaching.danaprowe.com/strategy-session/)

Conclusion

A creative career is much different from joining an accountant, administrative assistant, or financial analyst. Every day, you get a chance to think outside the box and do something that the world has never seen before. Each new creation is unique because it has your personal touch. It's something that you and you alone were responsible for building and releasing to the world.

Boosting your creative career is a challenging endeavor, much like any other field. However, one significant difference is that you have the opportunity to exercise your creativity every single day. Each new project you take on helps train your brain to find new ways to express yourself and formulate new creative solutions.

The brain is a muscle like your arms and legs, and you need to exercise to reach its top performance. Every song you compose, painting you create, each sentence you write and note you play all contribute to the millions of connections and processes happening in your brain right now. You are training your mind to become sharp, perceptive, and unique.

Use these techniques to transform your career radically. Whether you're a singer, actor, dancer, writer, producer, painter, sculptor, or anything in between, this advice should resonate with you in some way or another. A career is a lifelong investment and the most important declaration of your passion.