Confidence As A Creative Business Owner
Being a creative business owner, I meet so many other creatives and find that many of our endeavors found us over time. Our passions in every day life grow into something we can financially benefit from in some way, so we may start slow doing projects for free or little charge, and then morph into calling ourselves something more. Pretty soon we come up with a business name that may change once or twice, buy some business cards...and eventually get the guts to apply for a business license. It takes boldness to attach yourself to a title like "owner", "creative founder" or whatever the case may be. We wonder if someone will question our ability, or support our endeavors by purchasing things from our shop, liking our posts on social media, or referring us to people in public.
As for me, I didn't go to college for anything creative like what I do now. I've simply loved being creative my whole life.
I earned a Science degree from Texas A&M and never once during my years there did I think of ever being a business owner, writing a blog, or owning a camera, for that matter. So now, ten years later, I find myself with 3 kids and this endeavor that I had never dreamed of. I waiver in my confidence, some days feeling like anything I do or say falls on deaf ears (or blind eyes). But then some days I get to help other creatives realize their goals with photography and their business, and I am restored to thinking I am doing something I love that helps others. There are memes out there poking fun at people who feel this way all of the time, so I know I am not alone. Why is it so hard for us to stand firm in our abilities and share them with others in confidence?
One time, a potential collaborator recognized my name and reached out. I down-played myself, and it made them wonder if they had sent the message to the right person. How embarrassing is that!
If you are a business owner, I want you to know that I struggle, along with many others in the area of confidence in our art. Your creativity is yours uniquely, so I think that is one reason we feel so vulnerable to attack or unworthy of praise sometimes. Don't fall victim to that!
Work alongside me to remember this: The confidence a client has in you is motivated by the confidence you have in yourself. The clients you work for put their trust in you and your work. They have researched and found you, putting their trust in you for the task. Each experience is yours to make!
