The Business of Creativity�

Can I make a career as a creative?

Before I start…

I am not a genius. I am still learning. I have a lot of questions.

BUT

I have had success in different industries and countries

AND

I have my own small businesses which do not make millions but are self-sufficient.

Before I start…

​

One of the difficulties in the commercial world is something called

​

JARGON / Jargon / Jargong / жаргон

​

It is like there is a whole new language to learn and understand the commercial words.

​

It is annoying and sometimes seems pointless but it is part of life.

Summary of the next 5 days

Day 1: Introduction | Products and Services | Project Start

Day 2: Marketing

Day 3: Money Money Money

Day 4: Customers

Day 5: Decision Making

We will work on a series of tasks including:

• Look at real OPEN CALLS and Gallery Partners.
• You could go through the process of applying to something.
• Do you need to make something new? Start planning. Make it.
• Understand who might buy what we make (products) or what we offer (services)
• Design / plan how and where you want to be seen.
• Make a budget for starting a company or something your business will sell
• Write a letter to an organization to propose an idea.
• Look for partners or find an opportunity
• Discuss making ‘good’ business decisions.

We will work on a series of tasks including:

You will have time next week to work on everything

​

The idea is, that once you have all the pieces you could write a business plan to set up a company or make a (grant) proposal for an idea.

​

Most of what we will discuss is repeatable and re-useable.

​

All of what we discuss will help you move forwards… but it is important that we discuss not just I talk…

​

What does creativity mean?

Creativity is the concept of making new ideas or processes.

​

Creativity is form of expression not restricted by formal language.

​

Creativity does not mean only painting or sculpture or photography.

​

Creativity involves skill, imagination, and innovation. It is a muscle.

​

We will use the art industry as an example but these ideas can be used in all areas of life.

Day 1�

What is a Product or Service?

Is it important?

Can creativity pay you?

​

The romantic idea of an artist on its own does not exist in the same way that it used to…

​

…long live the creative entrepreneur.

​

We will discuss some ideas that will help us go from being creative as a hobby to being creative for money.

What is the Creative Entrepreneur to you?

We all have tools to make our lives easier:

Digitisation. Globalisation. Social media. Amazon…

​

Art becomes is still a valuable item but it is no longer focused to just individuals.

​

The opportunities are available for all those who chose to pursue.

​

As a creative, do I need to know about running a business?

​

​

Does anyone have any experience in working in a small business?

​

Or do you already have your own?

​

Opportunities are available for anyone who choses to pursue them.

What Percentage of Startups Fail: Top 10 Facts for 2024

​

• 90% of all startups fail eventually.
• Most startups begin with less than $5,000 in the bank.
• 70% of startups in the United States are launched from home.
• A quarter of startups do not get the funding they are seeking.
• Cash flow problems lead to the downfall of 82% of startups.
• 63% of all startup failures are in the IT industry.
• 79% of startups begin with insufficient funds.
• Only 40% of startups are profitable.
• Half of all European startups fail during the first three years.

​

How are we going to learn that?

The best way to learn is to do. So, we will:

• Look at a real professional example ‘brief’ – this means ‘request’
• Each create an idea to submit to the example gallery.
• Create a plan for your idea
• Create a budget to see if you can afford to make it
• Submit a real application (if you would like to)
• Discuss how to market you and the exhibition

We will split the days into 2 parts:

​

Mornings 1000 – 1130 – please try to be on time

Presentations and discussion.

​

Afternoon 1230 - 1500 – doing.

Research | Planning | making the piece

Writing Resume / artist statement / biography

Making an application

How are we going to learn that?

Sign up to your favourite artists’ and galleries newsletters

​

Follow artists and galleries on social media

​

Visit small galleries and talk to the people who work there

​

You are always welcome to ask me. I asked a few students from last year what they wish they had known.

​

Subscribe to artist opportunity websites like www.artenda.net

​

​

The #1 rule

Ask.

​

“If you do not ask you will not get”

What is the #1 rule?

Ask.

​

“If you do not ask you will not get”

One more time…

Ask.

What is a business?

If we simplify a lot, a business is a commercial thing that is built from:

​

1. Selling a Product or Service
2. Telling people what you do by Marketing what you do
3. Budgeting = Making (and spending) Money – make more than you spend
4. Working with People / Customers / other business – the people (or companies) who you want to sell to, buy things from or partner with.

What is a product?

​

• A product is usually a item that is sold and has a certain purpose.
• Sometimes it is defined as ‘something you can hold’

​

• Am I going to make the best; cheapest or most unique product?

​

• People often decide the quality of a product by how much it costs.

Expensive = good quality… apparently

What is a product?

For example: A pen is a product. It is sold for €5. It is designed to write or draw with. You would expect a pen that costs €100 to be a very good pen.

​

Is artwork a product? Yes.

​

How do I price it? We will talk about this on Wednesday.

​

Is expensive artwork better than cheaper artwork? This is an almost unanswerable question

Let’s pretend you need to write or draw something ��Which would you want? And why?

What assumptions do we make about this

Bic Cristal Pen

It is a basic pen but good at what it needs to be good at.

It costs in average 40c

Best selling pen in the world – 100billion + pens sold

Simple but effective design. It will last for as long as I have it and don’t loose it

Roting 800 pen

It is highly designed and not cheap pen/pencil so I assume it is a good pen

It costs around €80

Highly regarded as a ‘designers’ pen

A serious pen – I would expect it to work well for a long time

What assumptions do we make about this

Poop emoji pen

Quality is unknown although I would assume it is bad

It costs anywhere between 90c and €12

Money spent on design and manufacturing rather than quality.

I would expect it to break or just not be very good

What is a product?

​

​

Does anyone want to own a chocolate teapot or…

What is a GOOD product?

It must:

• Be a good price in relation to how much it costs to make and what people want to spend on it.
• The customer will pay and the company will make money
• The consumer wants/needs it.
• Solves a real problem
• The consumer really wants/needs it
• Be understandable by the people who want it
• Perform its task easily and efficiently
• Become part of your habits – hard to get rid of or live without

What is a GOOD product?

It must NOT:

Make the task harder

Break sooner than expected

It is unsafe or not useable for its purpose without risk of injury or damage

​

The price of a product can turn a good/ok product into an undesirrable one.

Too expensive 🡪 unhappiness 🡪 poor customer experience

​

“Bad news travels fast”

​

​

Is this a good product?

​

It is a novelty item so:

It is probably uncomfortable to use

I assume that it is cheap to make so it will break easily

Probably has less ink in it (we can’t see)

​

Also doesn’t taste good.

What is a service?

• A service is an "act which a person or company is willing to pay” for.

​

For example:

Having a hair cut from a barber

Seeking medical help from a doctors

Having your car fixed by a mechanics

Having a logo designed by a graphic designer

Commissioning an artist to paint a portrait

​

• We can apply similar idea of how the value is understood by the way the service is presented.

Option A: Would you get a haircut from this guy?

Explain your thoughts.

Keep it simple.

Option B: Would you prefer one of these??

Explain your thoughts.

Keep it simple.

What is the difference? What would we assume if it is our own hair and money that we are spending?

• Does a hair dresser need to have a good haircut?
• Did this guy cut his own hair?
• Is he clean and tidy apart from his hair?
• What does the salon look like?
• Maybe I want my hair to look like that!
• (I don’t‘)
• Is this the place for me?
• They ARE the cheapest

• The logo looks clean and professional
• They have taken the time to make a logo
• They have spent money on make a brand
• They look like they would be clean
• They highlight that they cut all gender hair without focus
• The logo gives me confidence that the people will be good
• The price is higher. How does that make me feel?

​

What is a product/service?

• Is there a NEED for this product/service?
• Does it work?
• Does it look right?
• Is it the right price for what it is?

​

• We can see that often a product/service is judged as much before it is used as it is after it is used.
• Can we influence how things are viewed? If so, how?

​

​

Do I offer a product of a service?

• If you are sell paintings, sculptures and photographs then you are selling the products that you produce.

​

• If you offer to make someone a mural or take their photo or to teach a course in how to make something then you are offering a service.
• Sometimes it doesn’t matter too much to make a strong definition

​

• What about a unique or private commission?

​

​

• We will mainly talk about making products.

You might say that… “no one will buy my work”

Many heartbeats build an entire life.

Sad as it is… first impressions are important

• A product or service is often judged before it is has been experienced.

​

• This means that a future customer or client may have made a decision based on their first impression without knowing much about what we are offering

​

• This is why BRANDING and MARKETING exists

​

• Branding and marketing are a way of manipulating that first impression.

​

What is a Marketing and Branding?

​

If you asked my Dad he would tell you that success is created by good management and strong marketing.

​

I used to argue that talent is the most important element for creating success.

​

Sadly, the older I get, the more I agree with my Dad.

​

What is a Marketing and Branding?

Marketing is the act of promoting and selling products or services, including research and advertising.

What is a brand?

​

Why is it important?

​

Sell me this pen

​

Who wants it? Who needs it?

What is a Marketing and Branding?

​

​

​

We will talk about this more tomorrow

​

Differentiate on cost vs quality

​

Do I want to be the cheapest and try to sell a lot more

​

OR

​

Do I want to be the highest quality and sell less but at a high price.

​

​

How do I run my business?

• I like to work on quality first. I do not sell a lot of items but I sell at a high price
• I think about my products as a luxury item.
• They are one of a kind.
• They are hand made.
• They are made with special, unique of expensive materials .
• In the price of my work I include:
• the time it takes to make the piece
• I considering the time that I have spent learning my skills.
• The cost of making the piece
• Did I need to buy any special tool or item?
• Am I organizing and paying for shipping and tax?

​

There is always an angle

• If you want something enough, there will be some way of doing it. It might not be easy and it might not be quick but it is possible.

​

• I genuinely believe that (almost) anything is possible.

​

• BUT, how do I organize myself? How do I work out what to do next?

​

• On Friday, we will talk about how to analyse and plan some of your first steps using SWOT and SMART analyses.

​

​

​

​

Ok. Enough talk. What is the example gallery?

This will include:

Personal Objective – “What do I want to achieve with my creativity?”

Artist Statement - “Tell us a little bit more about yourself as an artist and your practice”

Artist Biography - “A short introduction to yourself and your past as an artist”

Qualifications - “Let us know about any relevant degrees, diplomas or courses you have completed”

Experience - “Tell us about any shows, exhibitions or projects you have been a part of, or collaborated on”

Ok. Enough talk. What is the application?

By the end of this week we will have prepared all the information we will need to make a submission to:

​

THE BRICK LANE GALLERY Open Call in London.

​

SaveArtSpace.org – Growth – New Beginnings in USA

​

Its Liquid – Open Call in Rome

​

If you would like, we will make a real application to that exhibition.

​

​

​

If these do not inspire you then you can look at:

https://artenda.net/art-open-call-opportunity/exhibition

​

This is a service you have to pay for but it has a lot of information

​

OR

​

You can google for: Artist Open Calls and see what comes up.

​

I have no problem if you want to use ChatGPT or something like that.

​

​

An Artist Statement – around 250-500 words

WHY do I want to create art?

​

WHY do I want to create that type of art?

​

Why is it important to me?

​

Why me?

​

Use positive and strong language. Write in the third person – Adam likes stuff…

Adam heavily believes in the value, importance and relevance of the visual arts and wants to be a key contributor to their continued development within the public domain.

Adam creates series of minimal, abstract sculpture which seek to emulate the beauty found within Nature. They are inspired by organic forms, created from natural often salvaged materials.

Each series seeks to design, test and evaluate a visual language.

Each language may have formed over many years or maybe a fleeting idea.

Each piece endeavours to implement the principles of a language with variations on the same theme.

Each piece is a development of the last.

Adam prefers to use light to create texture, detail and visual allure. The negative space is as valuable as the positive space. The shadows are as valuable as the highlights. Their dance is what creates the truest beauty. As the light changes the piece attunes.

While it is not conventional, Adam encourages the viewer to touch his sculptures to enable deeper sensory engagement which he hopes will re-affirm human’s connection with nature as well as heightening the correlation between the viewer, the piece and the environment it is placed within.

“The habit of ignoring Nature is deeply implanted in our times. This attitude reminds me of people who never look you in the eye; I find them disturbing and always have to look away” - Marc Chagall

Ultimately, Adam desires to try to produce tangible, tactile manifestations of the images, rules and stories in his mind’s eye. The final forms emerge through the filters of his technical skills, the limitations of the material and the tools that are available.

Does anyone have any questions?