It's Tuesday! We hope you are all doing well and have had a productive start to the week.
Our amazing giveaway has been live for 5 days, and we are receiving such good feedback from all the beautiful prizes on offer. We decided to do a feature special for Chats with Makers this week, and ask our five makers the same question.
Meet the makers below and get some valuable advise about running a creative business.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from running your own business?
Ari from Lunar James - @lunar.james
To not feel like I need to do everything by myself. At the start of running my own business I felt like not being able to do something would be a signal of failure somehow. So I tried to do literally everything myself! I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s OK to delegate and outsource things that I may not necessarily be the best at to someone who is - like product photography! Bonus: I’ve met some pretty amazing people and have built up a network for life.
Abi and Roz from Tipperleyhill - @tipperleyhill
We would say ‘be positive’. You could be working at the crappiest fair, it’s pouring with rain, there are no customers or footfall and still get something out of it. Chat and be friendly to everyone, you never know who you might meet or what tip you might glean. Sometimes on our slowest markets, we’ve been given a gem of advice or a new stockist. If you look miserable, it’s contagious. The best things happen often in the most unlikely circumstances.
Katie Putt Illustration - @worldsketcher
Attendance is the lesson that I’ve learnt from running my business. Showing up and pushing yourself is key! What is happening right now is because of the work I put in last year, and what will happen next year is due to the work I put in right now.
Melissa Donne Studio - @melissadonnestudio
The most valuable lesson I have learnt is to believe in yourself and build confidence in your work. Running your own business can be really challenging. You need to be prepared to put yourself out there and invite new opportunities, and a big part of that is confidence and faith in your product. Imposter syndrome is a real feeling and fighting the urge to question your ability can sometimes be hard! But having a positive mindset and enjoying what you do is so important and is very rewarding.
Luiza Holub - @luizaholub
I’m definitely STILL learning and figuring out this path. There are struggles and there are triumphs but I try to keep an open mind and I’m willing to learn from everything that comes my way and keep moving outside what I find comfortable. Just keep going and remember to turn up everyday. And always, always trust yourself and your work.
We hope you find these answers as inspirational, honest and insightful as we have. Be present, be positive, be brave, and be willing to ask for help.
Enjoy the rest of your week!