Patricia Arnold - Building Your Handmade Business: Growing a Creative Company

To the first creative entrepreneur I ever knew. Thanks for the inspiration, Grandma Blanche.

Creative Entrepreneurs

A creative entrepreneurship is defined as the practice of forming a business or becoming self-employed in a creative industry. Individuals looking into a creative entrepreneurship are likely to discover a career to keep them energized for years. Its a lifestyle Ive lived for seventeen years and despite the hard work, its an experience I recommend. Its an endeavor that will give you confidence, enjoyment and possibly change your life for the better.

A love of art leads imaginative people to investigate a career in creativity. The creative individual who begins a small business envisions a lifestyle of expression while connecting with others who share their enthusiasm for art.

Everyone has their own set of reasons for starting a small business. The motivations range from spending more time with family to wanting an additional source of income. Other reasons include a desire to help others. This is often a great place to begin, because it comes from the desire to make a difference.

Monetizing your creative ideas makes logical sense. For those of us on a budget, selling creative work is a necessary support for art and writing. Being able to afford to buy art supplies or a good laptop to type out your ideas are examples of what can be gained by starting a creative business.

In a world where workers face increasing stress, a career offering creative freedom seems more desirable than ever. Connecting the clear health and emotional benefits of art to a small business can be an ideal work situation.

Art is useful for minds of all ages. Activities such as drawing engage all the senses and wire the brain for successful learning. Cognitive research conducted on a small population of recent retirees between the ages of 62 and 70 concluded that creating art can delay the age-related decline of certain brain functions.

Awareness of the potential consumer market also fuels creative startups. Consumers want to buy handmade goods that have a history and stories to tell. Theyre drawn to product stories and personal anecdotes. If an artisan has learned how to sew dolls based on their grandmothers pattern, this background story further adds to the appeal of the product. This making old things new again approach to buying provides a wonderful opportunity for artists to find new markets to promote and sell their work.

Creative people are more inspired than ever to build their own company. With the recent influx of customers seeking handmade goods, the timing is right for the creative business. Shifts in consumer demographics seem to agree.

The United States Census Bureau predicts that within a few years, half the population will be age 49 or older. As they age, buyers with connected, mainstream lifestyles havent forgotten the memories of their youth. This nostalgic urge to bring elements from the past into the present has provided creative entrepreneurs with a growing market for their work.

I like that I can work on my business projects in my spare time. Even if its for a brief time each day, it feels good to be in charge of recognizing potential and rewarding it. Learning about an art event I can be a part of is an amazing feeling. It keeps me focused and improves my mood when Im working through other obligations.

Receiving a notification that Ive sold a painting serves as confirmation that: A. Years of efforts are being rewarded, B. My art is being seen and shared, and C. This could be an income to offset retirement expenses! Im thankful every day that I took the time to believe in myself. My improved outlook didnt happen overnight. In fact, it took awhile; but the rewards are well worth the journey.

Of course, technology has played a role in the successes Ive had.

The Internet has helped creative people find new markets to sell. For example, artists have access to selling platforms like Etsy if they want to get the word out. Options for online stores abound. From Amazon to Facebook, new marketplaces are arriving on the web every day. Social media drives marketing for creative goods both tangible and digital by providing artists with access to supporters worldwide.

My Creative Story

I ve chosen to discuss creative businesses with a focus on art because Ive enjoyed creating art since I was young. Ive always wanted to be an artist, and my first pictures were drawn inside books my grandmother kept on the shelf. My mother told me I began drawing people at the age of two. This seems incredible, but I do remember scribbling in my grandmother's books. I must have seemed pretty remarkable for them to not caution me against decorating books with my art. My grandmother let me have the book to take home with me.

Ive found ways to combine my creative skills to earn additional income. Writing childrens stories and drawing my own illustrations are examples of the types of creative pairings Ive used.

Since 1999, my goal has been to earn income from my creative endeavors. Over the years, some of my original business dreams yielded to fresh new ideas. Yet, in the past decade, Ive founded two companies that are still around today. Ideas are formed and reshaped, but they never end entirely. They become a foundation for whats next, the better version we need.

Ive always been an entrepreneur at heart. I always wanted to (at the risk of using a popular catch phrase) be my own boss. I come from a family with the same vision. Many of my relatives have businesses of their own.

The ingenuity shown by those with less is amazing to me.

Ill never forget my grandmothers flea market, Arnold Variety. Well into her fifties, this full time grandmother and part-time clown (a real clown with the handle of Beeper) decided that she wanted to open up a used furniture store in our hometown of Owosso, Michigan.

Her business began in the back yard shed she held her garage sales at. Inspired by the sales of her craft items and refurbished furniture, she rented to a simple building in town and then upgraded to a small warehouse next to a barber shop. She added her amazing creativity to this store.

Grandma Blanche had been sewing doll clothes and making stuffed animals for her children since the 1940's. Although money was tight, I like to think she loved making things because she sewed her whole life. She made her children's clothing and dresses for me to wear.