So when people tell me they could never possibly do what I do, I often I wonder why. I’m told it’s too scary, too hard, too expensive—or they could never pay the bills let, alone turn a profit from being self-employed. I understand their concerns. We all need to pay the bills, have health insurance, and keep food on the table.

But getting to where I am didn’t come easy and I am still not where I want to be. There were barriers for me, too. I had to reinvent myself and focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn’t.

This makes me believe that the difference between those who pursue a creative career and those who don’t seems to lie mostly in attitude and anyone can break through a fear of starting a business by remaining open to the wisdom and advice of others who have done it.

Certainly not having enough money is a valid enough reason for not quitting a day job and not one many people would argue. But no one says you should abandon your cubicle and paint the next Warhol or write the next great American novel. Often the secret to taking a creative plunge is in what SARK calls, MicroMOVEments:

Here are some of my own microMOVEments for fledgling creatives who think doing creative work they love is nothing more than empty, wishful thinking:

Listen to your heart. Do you want to write full-time? Do you want to build websites or blog for extra money? Do you want to stay at home with the kids and write? Doing what you love doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do it full-time. Assess your skills and talents and consider taking a few courses at your local art center or community college to brush up if you want or need to.

Create a support community. Creating a community of supportive friends and family is important, especially when you are embarking on a new path. I’m not talking about a group of “yes-people” but surround yourself with people who genuinely care about you and can be honest with you, even when you might not like it. If you can find a mentor who can show you the ropes and share insight with you as you are starting out so much the better.

Know your industry. Creating a business is different from weekend painting or creative writing at night after you tuck your kids in bed. It’s a good idea to build a solid foundation—and a creative career often means starting a small business. If you are a writer, do you want to go into copywriting, editing, or essay and short-story writing? If you are an artist, are you interested in painting, sculpting, ceramics or textiles? Decide on your focus and study it. Research the Internet and read about latest trends and what other people are doing in your area of expertise. Join local and online discussion group, or volunteer at a local art center to learn more about your industry community.

Don’t quit your day job if you have one. You can build a fruitful career in a creative field while you are still doing the nine-to-five thing. Start small but think big. Create a solid, but personable clientele and you’ll still have steady income and while you are working toward your goal.

Get out. Don’t rely on a few clients or word of mouth—constantly market yourself. Be prepared, especially in corporate markets, to meet with clients face to face. Network and connect with others outside your social sphere. Build a website and/or a blog and market your business like any other. Make use of social media like Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Social Median to connect to others in your industry around the world and learn about what is new, exciting and profitable. Work will not come to you in the beginning. You have to create it.

Good businesses take time to build—as in years. Don’t look to get top dollar right away but you can earn a good second income and eventually a living. Build a strong base by knowing your industry, practicing your craft, keeping your mind open to new things and fresh perspectives. Remember start small, think big.

Life is wide, grab a swizzle stick.

When Penelope Dullaghan set out to be an illustrator, she had no idea she’d become an accountant, publicist, computer technician, marketing director and intern. Well, who else was going to get her coffee for her?

Her.

Welcome to the world of creative self-employment. There’s no boss, and in many cases, no dress code. But there are—contrary to popular belief—issues that you just don’t face in any other career.
Regardless of whether one scribbles professionally like Dullaghan, writes books, creates websites or paints canvasses, the people doing this for a living will tell you just the opposite of what you’d think their jobs are like—they’re hard.

“Balancing my time and attending to each role isn’t something that comes naturally,” says Dullaghan, a South Carolina-based artist who has worked on projects for eVite.com, The Indianapolis Star and Resort Condominiums International.

So much for the hobby of “just doodling,” right?

Tapping In to a Creative Tap Out

Her days are busy, Dullaghan says. So busy that the business side of things can overshadow her creative side.“Sometimes you just want to paint, and don’t feel like dealing with, say, press checks or client feedback or self-promotion, but at the same time you don’t want to let any of those things slip behind,” she says.

“Balance to me also means learning how to take downtime. When you’re self-employed, you really own your success (and your failure), so it’s very easy to work yourself like a dog and forget to refill that creative cup.”

That’s what many creatives said in Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs. The book, written by copywriter Kristen Fischer, shares insights from more than 65 creative types across the globe. The goal of the book is to make creative types aware of the trials they may face, and help them see by example that they can thrive in business. Creative types that don’t just work at home in their PJs and blare music all day. Creative types that have real businesses, and real struggles.

“There are so many gifted people that get sidetracked by the trials of this business,” she says. “They don’t think they should feel devastated after a rejection, or they think they should know exactly how to do everything that running a business entails. The result is awesome creatives who abandon their creative dreams, thinking they’re not good enough to pursue them, when in fact, that’s not true.”

Battling the ‘Lonelies’

Take, for instance, Andrea Scher, a jewelry-maker from California. For her, the hardest part about making her colorful, chunky beaded jewelry is battling the “lonelies.”

“I cried almost every day for the first year or so [of being in business],” says Scher. “I considered quitting. I thought about sensible 9-to-5 jobs and the working the counter at a café. Anything to escape the lonely feelings I had and the accompanying angst. Not to mention the financial stress.”

Underneath her loneliness was fear. She loved her business but she was afraid of going broke. She feared she was crazy for thinking people would buy her necklaces and earrings.

Years later, and now a certified life coach helping others battle the creative self-employment demons, a more successful Scher knows that the problems she faced were not the end-all-be-all of her creative career. They were part of the process.

Experiencing Down Cycles

M.J. Ryan, an author and consultant based in California, says many creative people do not understand that there are ebbs and flows to the creative course. When artists and writers go through a down cycle, they feel empty and can think that is the end. Or that they’re not good enough. Or that it’s time to run back to corporate safety.

But that’s not true, says Ryan. She doesn’t offer a step-by-step plan for gaining self-trust, but does say the best way to build it up is to play on past successes. If you’re starting out as a graphic artist and have not a client in sight, for example, think about the art show you successfully exhibited at during college. Any success, even if not related to your field, can be used to motivate. Once you’re motivated, you can put yourself out there a little. Will rejection come? Sure. But as Ryan emphasizes, it’s part of the process.
Confidence and trust in oneself will naturally build as success is tasted, offers Ryan.

And so for those who have already taken the plunge, they’re learning that they can use their library or bookstore to find out how to set up an invoicing system instead of panicking over numbers. In Scher’s case, building a support system helped her battle loneliness.

“If creatives stick with it, they can succeed in their businesses. They just need to be aware of what kinds of issues they’ll face, and seek out that voice that tells them it’s OK to get stuck or down. And then find ways to help themselves,” says Fischer. “Hopefully my book will do just that.”
Kristen Fischer is a copywriter living in New Jersey. Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers Deal with Career Ups and Downs is her first book. For more information, visit Creatively Self-Employed.

Because fine art and craft have long been considered a luxury for an audience with a disposable income, visual artists, like many self-employed creatives are susceptible to icky, economic downturns.  Right now everyone is hesitant to spend to drop cash on what seems to extravagance, even the very wealthy.  But collectors and dealers know this is the best time to buy and fine art and craft is one of the safest places to “park” their moola. But, they are looking to invest in  established artists with proven and verifiable sales and exhibition histories.

This is not good news for most emerging and mid-career artists. I’ve gotten e-mails from creative friends asking for ideas about how and where to sell work during a time when many galleries are struggling to make ends meet. Galleries are way more likely to exhibit the work of artists they feel confident they can sell right now. So, if you are thinking about approaching galleries any time soon here are five things to consider:

Know your stuff. Do your research and keep up the news- art, culture and business. Keep an eye on trends in your community. Watch which galleries are advertising and who they are showing. This will be a strong indication of which galleries will survive. Know which galleries accept outside proposals and when, keeping in mind most schedule exhibitions months or years in advance. Understand that, like the business world, the gallery world ebbs and flows and you need to move with it.

Become a little geeky. Aside from having an organized electronic (email) database of collectors, fans and people interested in your work, as well as an accurate inventory system, take a little time to research web sites (if you don’t have one) and blogs. Determine whether you are better served with a blog that you can easily update or a static website that is updated quarterly or annually. Check out social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn to find out how networking online with other artists and people of a like mind can
benefit you. It’s easy to let these things slide and find reasons for not having enough time, energy or resources…but, there is never a better time than now to get this stuff done.

Find creative weirdoes. Face it: being a visual artist can be a not only a weird but solitary profession, so in surrounding
yourself with other creative weirdoes you can help one another remain positive and upbeat. So find other artists and creative people you can talk to and/or meet on a
regular basis. It’s always important to keep creativity flowing but
especially during economic downturns. Nothing does that better than talking to other artists about their work and discussing yours.

Get out of the box. Be willing to think out of the box and explore non-traditional venues to
exhibit work and be willing to lower prices and/or barter for goods and services if you can. Look into local outdoor and weekend farmer’s markets and other similar venues. Look into renting space in an antique mall. Many people looking to decorate their homes with antiques also collect fine art and craft.

Curate yourself. Create your own exhibition of your existing work and approach local non profit exhibition spaces, small museums and college and university galleries with your ideas. Since many are coping with budget cuts, they are often more open to an exhibition that is already prepackaged and ready to hang. Use the distance you are willing to drive as your geographical radius and send proposals to everyone within that area.

Do stuff for yourself. Everyone is under a tremendous amount of stress in this uncertain economic climate. The world seems chaotic right now. Money, career and family responsibilities can feel overwhelming. For many visual artists and fine crafters, it is our art that centers us and in an intrinsic part of who we are. We will all get through this, so continue to make the best possible art you can make and you will continue to thrive.