Balancing Art and Business

As creatives, we’re doing double the work today - we design, draw, brainstorm ideas and concepts, film tons of videos, write copy for emails and other content, manage accounting, edit videos, track analytics, and handle the countless other tasks small creative businesses face. Good for you if you’ve got some help!

But honestly, how do you juggle all this and still resist the urge to move to the moon, forget the hustle for...forever, and simply relax?

Today’s newsletter is inspired by Viktoria’s message, one of our ASDB students who shared her concerns about doing all this and still not getting the results she’d like to see. This can lead to a lack of motivation to post more, let alone stay consistent on social media, as it can feel like doing TONS of work for nothing. Thank you again, Viktoria, for sharing your concerns, and I hope I’ve rephrased your message accurately.

Listen, it IS annoying. It’s already challenging for influencers who don’t create physical products like paintings, interior design services, or illustrations. They have to think about content planning for the next week or month, write copy and scripts, film, edit, post, and track metrics. For us, IN ADDITION to all this, we have to somehow fit in the actual creative process. As Viktoria mentioned, it’s INSANE to try to design new concepts EVERY SINGLE DAY. I totally agree with her. It’s not only insane but a surefire way to burn out, despite your passion for the work.

👇
Solution.

1️⃣  Don’t overcomplicate content - instead, turn your life into content. Film behind-the-scenes footage while you work on something, show your workspace (and isn’t our workspace ALWAYS inspiring, fellow creatives, with your sketches and drawings?), or share what books inspired your work today. Note: Please don’t take my advice too literally - I’m not asking you to start posting your adorable dog 24/7, though I personally would watch that type of content :D

2️⃣ Stop counting followers and views. Yes, they represent metrics for understanding what people like and don’t like, but don’t let them drive you crazy. If the right visuals combined with the right copy and CTA (call to action) reach the right audience, even if it’s small, you’ve already achieved your goal for today. Viral reels often attract random people who have nothing to do with your main offering. Do you want silent and disengaged followers who don’t interact with you? I don’t think so. 

3️⃣ Mindset is key. As Gary Vee said (I think he said this, correct me if I’m wrong), you’re just one video away. In your case, that ‘away’ could be anything - away from your ideal client, from finding your creative buddies, friends, etc. This is your chance to store your work, aesthetics, and vision on one page with the possibility of reaching your ideal audience for free. Imagine that 20 years ago, people didn’t have this luxury or the ability to reach international clients on the go. 

4️⃣ If you don’t like a piece of content you’ve just created but feel like you have to post it for some indescribable reason, for God’s sake, don’t do it. You’ve already given it negative energy, and people can sense that. 

5️⃣ Get inspired by your favorite accounts and visualize someone who could be inspired by your account too. If you can help just one person, your work has already paid off. 

6️⃣ People often ask for your Instagram first, not your website. I remember how I got a new high-end contact because they saw my Instagram and noticed that one of their friends had followed me. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch. Crazy world.

Please don’t let a negative outlook affect your passion and ideas. It shouldn’t be that way. Experiment with content types and marketing approaches - there’s definitely something out there for you, and you just have to find it! And you will. I know it!

Cheers,
Anna at @andshedrawsbig
P.S. By the way, my team and I finally finalized our start page with all the drawing tutorials, ebooks, and classes, so make sure to take a look and find the ones you haven’t seen yet. Find my courses, workshops, & ebooks HERE.