What Is A Creative Entrepreneur And How Do I Become One?

Business 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs

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What does it mean to be a creative entrepreneur?

For some, it might mean starting your own business. For others, it might mean using your creative skills to drive success in a more traditional job. But whatever form it takes, the creative entrepreneur always looks for new and innovative ways to solve problems and create value.

If that sounds like you, then you have what it takes to succeed as one. But there are some things you need to know before you take the plunge.

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about becoming a creative entrepreneur. We’ll discuss what these experts do, how they think, and what it takes to be successful in this field.

Difference Between Creative Entrepreneurs and Business Entrepreneurs

Before we dive into what creative entrepreneurs do, it’s important to understand the difference between creative entrepreneurs and business entrepreneurs.

What Does a Business Entrepreneur Do?

A business entrepreneur is someone who starts and runs a business. They are in charge of everything in the business, from making new products to selling them.

Their ultimate goal is to build a successful business that helps its customers and generates a profit for its shareholders.

What Does a Creative Entrepreneur Do?

On the other hand, a creative entrepreneur is someone who uses their creativity to solve problems and create value. They are always looking for new and innovative ways to do things. Their ultimate goal is to create something that makes a difference in the world.

The Ultimate Difference

The key difference between creative entrepreneurs and business entrepreneurs is that the former is driven by impact, while the latter is driven by money or profit.

This difference is important to understand because it will shape how you approach your work as a creative entrepreneur. Business entrepreneurs are more focused on taking risks and starting something from scratch, while creative entrepreneurs focus on using their creativity to create value within existing businesses.

That’s not to say that one approach is better than the other. Both types of entrepreneurs can be successful. But it‘s important to understand the difference so you can decide which approach is right for you.

6 Types of Creative Entrepreneur

There are many different creative entrepreneur examples or types, each with their own unique skill set and approach to business.

To help you figure out which type you are, we’ve put together this list of six common types.

1. The Innovator

If you’re always coming up with new ideas and are constantly thinking about ways to improve upon existing products and services, then you might be an innovator. As an innovator, your main focus is on developing new and better ways to do things. You’re always looking for new problems to solve and are never satisfied with the status quo.

2. The Artist

If you find yourself constantly drawn to artistic pursuits like painting, sculpting, or photography, or if you enjoy decorating your home or office, then you might be an artist. What sets artists apart from other creatives is their focus on aesthetics. They care about making things look beautiful instead of just functional.

3. The Designer

Designers are similar to artists in that they use their creativity to create visually appealing products or experiences. However, they tend to be more practical than artists and use their skills to solve problems. For example, a graphic designer might create a logo for a company, or a web designer might create a website for a small business.

4. The Writer

Writers express their creativity through the written word. If you love writing stories, poems, or articles, then chances are you’re a writer. You might also like to create marketing materials or digital content like blogs or eBooks.

5. The Musician

Musicians express their creativity through music. If you enjoy playing an instrument or singing, then chances are you’re a musician. When it comes to business, musicians often use their skillset to perform at events or create recordings that can be sold online or in stores.

6. The Entertainer

Entertainers express their creativity through performance. If you like to perform on stage or entertain people through social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you’re probably an entertainer.

These are just six of the many creative entrepreneur jobs out there. If you don’t see yourself on this list, that’s okay. There are many other types that we haven’t covered here. The important thing is to find the type that best fits you and your skill set.

Are Creative People Entrepreneurs?

Well, not necessarily. Entrepreneurship is a mindset and approach to life, not a creative skill set. So, while all creative entrepreneurs are creative people, not all creative people are entrepreneurs.

As mentioned earlier, to be a creative entrepreneur, you must be willing to take risks, think outside the box, and challenge the status quo. You must be comfortable with change and uncertainty, and you must be willing to put in the hard work to make your vision a reality.

What Does It Take to Become a Creative Entrepreneur?

To further understand what it takes to be a creative entrepreneur, let’s look at some of the most common characteristics of successful ones.

4 Characteristics of a Creative Entrepreneur

You need to be creative, obviously.

This one should be a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s the most important quality you need to possess. To be a successful creative entrepreneur, you need to have ideas—lots of them. And not just any old ideas, but good ones—ones that people will actually want to buy or invest in. So, if you’re lacking in the creativity department, you might want to consider pursuing a different path.

You need to be passionate about your work.

When you’re working on something that you’re passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work—it feels like play. And that’s important because when you’re an entrepreneur, there will be times when things are tough, and you’ll have to push through despite feeling exhausted or burnt out. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it’ll be that much harder to find the motivation to keep going when the going gets tough.

You need to be resilient.

As an entrepreneur, you will face rejection—a lot of it. You’ll pitch your ideas to potential investors or clients, and they’ll say no more times than you can count. But if you give up at the first sign of rejection, you’ll never succeed. You need to be able to pick yourself up after each setback and keep going until you finally get a yes.

You need to be able to take risks.

To achieve success as an entrepreneur, you need to be willing to take risks—calculated ones, of course. But if you’re too risk-averse, you’ll never get anywhere. After all, the only way to achieve something great is by taking chances and putting yourself out there—even if there’s a chance you might fail.

How Do I Start a Creative Business and Become a Creative Entrepreneur?

The truth is that anyone can start their own business and be a creative entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter if you’re not the next Picasso or the next Steve Jobs. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and a lot of hard work.

Here are a few tips to help you start your journey to becoming a creative entrepreneur.

creative entrepreneur

1. Figure out what you’re good at.

What are you passionate about? What do you excel at? Return to the first characteristic of a creative entrepreneur—ideas. This is where your creativity comes into play. Figure out what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing, and start brainstorming ideas for businesses that revolve around those things.

For example, if you’re a great artist, you could start an art gallery or sell your paintings online through an Etsy shop for example.. If you’re a talented musician, you could start a band or a record label. If you’re good at marketing, you could start your own ad agency. The possibilities are endless!

2. Take a creative entrepreneurship course.

There are many creative entrepreneurship courses or programs available that can help you learn the ins and outs of starting your own business. These programs will teach you everything from how to come up with great business ideas to how to write a business plan and get funding.

3. Read books about creative entrepreneurship.

If you’re not ready to commit to a full-fledged course, there are many great books written by famous creative entrepreneurs and business experts that can teach you a thing or two. A few of our favorites include “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries, “Creativity, Inc.” by Amy Wallace and Edwin Catmull, and “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander.

4. Look for a mentor.

If you know someone who’s already successfully running their own creative business, ask them for advice. They can help you avoid some of the mistakes they made when they were starting out and give you insights into what it takes to be successful. Also, beware of false mentors—people who pretend to be successful but are actually just trying to take advantage of you.

5. Collaborate with other creatives.

Link up with other artists, musicians, designers, writers, or other creatives in your field and work on projects together. Being an affiliate or working with a team can help you get your foot in the door and learn new skills. This is also a great way to get your name out there and build up your portfolio while also making some important connections.

Final Thoughts

Anyone can be a creative entrepreneur—it just takes hard work and dedication (and a little bit of creativity). So if you’ve been thinking about starting your own business but aren’t sure if you’re “creative enough,” stop doubting yourself and go for it. The only way to find out if you have what it takes is by taking that leap of faith—you might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of achieving.

What do you think is important when it comes to being a creative entrepreneur? Let us know in the comments below.

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Submit your art to one of our open calls or tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot for a chance to be featured.

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By Chatty Garrate

November 7, 2022

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