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Get In Gear Newsletter in this issue: confusing lack of knowledge with lack of ability |
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a personal note from Cairene
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eventsEntrepreneurial Series Morning Meetings at CubeSpace Every weekday morning, CubeSpace offers local Portland entrepreneurs the opportunity to chat with "professionals-in-residence" about legal, IT, finance & operations, HR and marketing questions as part of its Entrepreneurial Series. These events are free and open to the public - and are a great way to get answers that will point you in the right direction with only the investment of your time. I will be among the "professionals-in-residence" three Wednesdays this fall. If you would like some face-to-face troubleshooting, I would love to chat with you - come on down! Wednesdays, 9-10am
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classesThe True Discipline of
Time Management Get-In-Gear Fridays
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one-on-one coachingWant more individualized attention than is available in a class? Need help with a specific area of your business or special project? I currently have two openings available for one-on-one coaching. Whether it's making better use of your time or putting systems in place to streamline your business, gain the skills and information you need to succeed through individual training and support in the areas you want it most. [learn more]
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get in gear > confusing lack of knowledge with lack of abilityIt's common to hear creatives say: Oh, I'm not good at numbers. Or paperwork. Or following directions. Or sticking to a schedule. Or getting organized. I mean, everybody knows that right-brainers aren't good at all that financial, legal and administrative stuff that's part of running a business. Right? Well... wrong. I think it's a myth - and here's why. Besides the fact that I bet you know of at least one artist who is good at this stuff - and has the successful business to show for it - good art (and I use that term very broadly) is always the result of technical skill and accomplishment. Think about it. Beyond talent and creativity, there isn't a medium out there that doesn't require in-depth technical knowledge in order for an artist to fully express her or himself in that medium. we're all leonardo da vinci's For example, when I was a student of ceramics, I had to tackle the chemistry of glaze calculation and composition of clay bodies. I had to understand the engineering behind kiln theory and construction. I needed working knowledge of geology and fire. There was a lot of science. And it wasn't any different for my classmates in other departments. The metal artists were just as busy learning the chemistry of metal and patinas and the science of heat. The printmakers and painters had to understand the properties of paper and canvas and the chemistry of pigments. The photographers studied the science of capturing light and the chemistry of the darkroom. The woodworking and fiber artists had to comprehend the engineering of construction, the properties of natural materials, and the chemistry of stains and dyes. And it's same for media beyond the crafts. Landscape design requires in-depth botanical knowledge. Architecture requires an extensive understanding of engineering. Graphic design requires a command of computer technology and printing processes. Beyond the specifics, all forms of art and design require the skilled use of various tools and machines and - more importantly - mastering sequential processes. Whatever your creative profession, if you are able to express yourself in your chosen media, you've had to master some technical skills. There is no art without science. We're all to some extent Leonard da Vinci's. understanding cause and effect When learning the technical skills necessary to your craft, the consequences of not doing so are usually obvious. Ignore the science and you end up with photographs that don't develop, tables that wobble, weavings that unravel, prints that don't register, buildings that leak, ugly glazes that don't melt. Ignore the science and you set off the school-wide fire alarm system because you didn't learn how to operate the kilns correctly. (True story - it was a memorably large phoomp of flammable gas. I was lucky that no one was hurt and the building didn't catch fire.) Of course, you don't want these things to happen (again), so you pay attention and learn what you need to know. Though it may be challenging or tedious at times, motivated by love of your art form, you acquire the essential technical skills that make expression possible. But without comparable training in business, the results of missing technical skills are not as apparent. All you know is you're an overwhelmed, stuck, unprofitable and unhappy entrepreneur. And that can leave you feeling like maybe you have no talent for this self-employment stuff, that maybe the stereotype of the starving artist is unavoidable, that maybe the phoomp is inevitable. it's not a lack of talent Before you go assuming you lack even the capability of learning how to properly organize and manage your business's finances, marketing, legal matters, calendar, correspondence, etc. - think about the extent of the technical skills already under your belt. Consider how often you are already able to pay attention to details. Consider how often you are already able to create and follow sequential systems. At a basic level, there is no difference between the technical abilities necessary to your creative work and the technical abilities necessary to operating a business. It's just that you only learned the specifics of one skill set. You have the ability. What you need is more knowledge. get in gear > you have the ability, now get the knowledge Whatever your professional training, chances are it lacked sufficient information about how to earn a living in your chosen line of work. It's up to you to fill that gap. Read books, take classes and participate in professional groups. Seek out strategies that resonate with you and tailor them to your needs. In the same way you may prefer rhythm to routine, consider right-brain ways you can incorporate systems into your business. Look at how you already carry out technical processes in your creative work and adapt those approaches to your administrative tasks. Bring the love of your art form, and the business that supports it, to this work. Continue to liberate yourself from the myth that right-brainers aren't good at this technical stuff. They both will make acquiring this new skill set much easier to tackle. Seek out the knowledge you lack with the understanding that in the same way that mastering your medium allows your hand to create what you see in your mind, improving your business skills will allow you to realize the livelihood you imagine for yourself. Need some help filling the gap? Improve your business skills through one-on-one coaching or an upcoming class.
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talk backLike what you've read? Irked? Have a suggestion? Got a question? Let's start a conversation.
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Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Cairene MacDonald. Cairene MacDonald Third Hand Works |
unconventional workflow strategies for unconventional people |
