Being a creative entrepreneur is truly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. No one prepared me for this journey when I decided to start a photography business in 2014. Now I know I was embarking on the biggest personal growth journey of my life. The struggle is real when you are staring down fears, doubts and thoughts that you might not be enough. The mindset battle is 100 times harder than learning exposure, photoshop or marketing. However, I have learned so much about myself in the past six years and would not trade one minute on this journey. That is true even on the hardest days.
To the entrepreneur who is starting this journey, I’m here to tell you that it will be hard but so worth it. I’m sharing this struggle today in hopes that you will be encouraged to know that you are not alone when you are paralyzed by fear or the thought that there are so many talented people in this world. You wonder these questions in your head . . . What do “you” have to offer? Is your voice really needed? Are you worth it? The struggle is real and I am here to tell you that we all have these thoughts. It wasn’t until two years into my journey that found a community of artists and business owners to share all of these struggles with. Even now as I write this, I have been struggling with fear, doubt and the thoughts that I am not enough.
Being a creative + business owner is hard. Sending your work out there into the world and putting a price tag on it is so much harder. My message to you is to start with your next right thing. Find a community of business owners, creatives or professionals who are on this journey with you. Hold each other up. Seek out a creative mentor and a business mentor. I have separate ones because usually someone is good at art or business. Be willing to invest money in them to coach you and push you to the next level. Joining a marketing mastermind is the best decision I ever made for my business.
Realize this is a journey and one you will never reach the finish line, however the journey itself is the prize. You will learn to show-up every day and do the hard work. You will learn to push through your fears and resistance. I promise that what you are dreaming up in your mind is probably the worst version of your reality. All you need to know is what your next step will be and go do it. When you get to what you think will be the end, it is actually just a new beginning for the next leg of your journey.
You got this! Go chase your dreams!
That is exactly what I needed to read today. I value your leadership on this journey every single day! Thank you for the encouragement!