5 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started My Creative Career

On one of my walks this week, I started thinking about some things I wish I had thought through when I was younger and getting started with my career. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but I’m hoping some of these might be helpful to you.

1. You need a goal

No one plays soccer just for “the love of the craft.” We all want to get good (or at least better) at getting the ball in the basket. Define what it looks like to get the ball in the basket when it comes to your creative work. We rarely stumble into vague desires. I had vague desires when I moved to Nashville 15 years ago, and most artists and creatives I speak to today are not able to articulate their goals.

2. That goal shouldn’t be fame.

Making money is actually a pretty good goal. Not “get rich” money, but “provide for yourself and your family” kind of money. Money is a good goal because to make money, you’ll need to faithfully serve other people by providing them value. The goal of fame is about getting everyone to pay attention to me. The goal of money is to find ways to serve others with my creative work.

3. Stop playing the lottery with your life.

It’s not wise to pursue a career that requires the luck of one person discovering you and making all your dreams come true. Treat your creative work like work. Put yourself out there, build your portfolio, find ways to serve people, and take one step at a time. You’re much more likely to get where you want to go if you’ll stop putting all your eggs in a basket you have no control over.

4. There is a difference between something being disappointing vs. determining.

You might not get the part, the radio may never play your song, or the commercial photography contract might not come through. These things are disappointing, and it’s okay to feel it. But most disappointments do not determine anything about you, your skills, or your potential. Not getting this part doesn’t mean you are a bad actor. Not getting played on the radio doesn’t mean you aren’t a great songwriter. And missing out on that commercial contract doesn’t mean you’re a terrible photographer. When we let our disappointments determine things about us, we are on our way to disillusionment and bitterness.

5. There are more opportunities than you know.

Pursuing one particular opportunity might be what gets you started. But as you put your work out there and build your portfolio, opportunities you never knew existed will likely present themselves. And sometimes, these opportunities are better than the ones you started pursuing.