How to Balance a Creative Business with an Uncreative Career
There’s nothing wrong with choosing a “traditional” career. But, if you have a creative hobby or business pursuit on the side, it can be a struggle balancing your time and energy. Especially when your creative ventures start really taking off, and you can barely keep up with the endless amounts of projects you want to dive into, who has the time?
Well, sunshine, if you’re looking for someone to tell you to quit your uncreative job right now, this ain’t it. I’m not here to tell you to quit your career. You went down whatever road you did for a reason. Maybe you enjoy the intellectual challenge, routine, or financial stability. The real magic is when your career affords you the time and creative energy to manage a creative business on the side.
There are inevitably going to be challenges that come with having both a creative business and an uncreative career, so let’s talk about them.
Once in a while, your creative pursuits may take a backseat when your life gets busy. It can be pretty sucky when your job takes up too much time and/or energy, leaving you drained or without time to create. So how do we deal with this?
Depending on what your uncreative career is, this is probably just going to happen once in a while. What you need to remember is that this is temporary. You might not be able to control the busy season, so you’ll need to adjust your creative business as necessary until it passes. You’ve hit a slower season for your creative work, and remember that it is okay. Plan your creative projects with this in mind so that you don’t make promises you can’t keep. You might feel your creativity begin to overflow, so keep some quick, low-commitment projects at hand to let some steam out of the kettle until you once again have time and energy to dive back into your bigger projects.
If you’re in the type of job that truly never slows down, that’s another story. Take a good look at whether you want to forgo your creative business, or perhaps find another job that allows you more time or energy for a creative business. Even the busiest people can often make a creative business work if they’re truly passionate about it, but you know your situation better than anyone, so this is a choice I’m afraid I can’t help you with, my friend.
Another challenging part of balancing a creative business and an uncreative career is that you might get distracted from your uncreative career because you are so excited by your creative work!
My guess is that most people who are juggling an uncreative career and a creative business are pretty passionate about their creative outlets - after all, it takes a lot of chutzpah to choose to work during your downtime!
The most helpful way I’ve found to stay focused at work is to block off dedicated time and space toward each. If your uncreative career is a 9-5, then that time is dedicated to your 9-5. There are lots of options for when to work on your creative business in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. And, if you don’t have separated spaces for your office and studio, find ways to differentiate between the two. There’s something to be said about entering into a studio, or even facing a different wall in a small apartment, to turn from one mode to another.
We are all complex creatures, and it is okay to want to have your cake and eat it too. It is okay to enjoy the benefits of both a creative business and an uncreative career. And it is possible to have them both. It just takes some intention, passion, and focus.
If you hate the idea of working during your downtime, all is not lost. I wrote an article for those considering leaving their uncreative business in CREATEUR’s Fall Zine Issue No. 6. Check it out below!
Fall Issue 6
This season’s issue tells the story of local Seattle creatives Nicole Hill, Dominic Montello, and Sleeves. Dealing with the Venom in our Veins with guest writers Natalie Jamali, Meuffy, and Don Bird. Prompting readers and creatives alike as to how they will take the destructive venom in their lives and turn it into an anecdote. Discover new creatives and local small businesses in the back of each issues creative directory.
10% of this issue’s Zine sales goes directly back to the creatives featured within. Thank you for your support of Seattle’s ever growing creative community.
(Download link to digital issue expires 24 hours after purchase. Domestic Shipping Only.)
