What Do I Actually Do? Finding the Words for a Creative Business
I was watching Milly from Milly’s Studio being interviewed by Laura Jane Illustrations yesterday, and it got me thinking about the way my own world is split.
Milly talks about her little joys, and I could see similarities with my Pretty Way world. My art is whimsical and full of the little things I notice, but I also help creative business owners with storytelling and building their businesses.
I decided it was time to sit down and get clear about how those two sides fit together.
When your work no longer fits into one box
If you have followed me for a while, you may know me for different things depending on when we met.
You might remember my graphic design work, social media services or creative business support. Perhaps you know me through The Dot Catcher and my work around storytelling. More recently, you may have found me through my illustrations, pattern designs or the Far North Queensland calendar I’m creating.
None of those things are disconnected, but I needed a clearer way to explain how they belong together.
The answer I came up with was:
Artist, illustrator and creative mentor.
It is simple, but it gives both sides of my work room to exist.
The artist and illustrator side
The creative side of my business includes original illustrations, surface pattern designs, books, cards, calendars and other products.
The wording I came up with for this side is:
Pretty Way worlds are created for those with an outer child who hasn’t stopped looking, playing, remembering, laughing and being delighted by little things.
I love that description because it explains more than the products themselves. It describes the person I am creating them for and the feeling I want the work to hold.
My art is not only for children. It is for adults who still notice the tiny details, find stories in the everyday and have not decided that delight belongs only to childhood.
The creative mentor side
The other side of my work is creative business and storytelling.
Through my books, resources and mentoring, I help creative business owners find their stories, share their work and build their businesses their way.
That work might look different from drawing an anxious dog, a backpack-wearing cassowary or a frog in Far North Queensland, but the underlying thread is the same. It is about noticing what matters and finding a way to share it with other people.
The two sides belong together
For a while, I wondered whether the art and business work needed to be separated completely. Getting clearer about the language helped me see that they are two expressions of the same way I look at the world.
The artist notices the characters, memories and small moments. The creative mentor helps other people notice the stories inside their own work.
I don’t need to choose one and hide the other. I need to make it easier for people to understand which doorway is right for them.
Sometimes clarity arrives through other people
This thinking began after watching Milly and Laura Jane, but Michelle Anderson has also helped me understand how I work and why doing business my way matters.
Michelle is my business bestie and an excellent human design coach. Our regular conversations give me somewhere to untangle what I’m thinking, especially when the different parts of my business start competing for space in my head.
Sometimes another person doesn’t give you the answer. They ask a question or share something that helps you recognise the answer you already had.
What did you think I did?
This is not a complete change of direction. I’m still creating art, finding stories and helping creative business owners share their work.
I have finally found clearer words for the whole thing:
Artist, illustrator and creative mentor.
Now I would genuinely love to know what you thought I did before reading this. Did you know me for the art, the business support, the storytelling or something else entirely?
