What’s your vision?

This contributor post was written by Tiffany Moore. This is Tiffanys first post as a contributor here on pns. She’ll be writing bi-weekly business tips for you and your crafty business. Take it away Tiffany”¦

Most of us, myself included, get started in a creative venture, because we are just that: creative.

Do these sentiments sound familiar?

I want to make stationery because I love paper.
I want to sell my paintings online because I love to paint and want that to be what sustains me.
I want to exhibit my photographs because it’s what I do, so I might as well get paid for it.

As artists, being creative is what we do. It’s what we’re good at. It’s our thing.

However, with the focus on being creative, we often lack the most important piece of having a creative business: the vision.

What do you truly want from your business? What do you want to get out of it? What’s important to you about being able to make a living at your craft?

The vision is the key around which everything else will revolve.

With a vision in hand, your marketing will suddenly be consistent because you’ll know what you’re trying to say as an artist.

Your product development strategy will make complete sense because your vision will reveal what you need to make and how quickly it should all come together.

You will be able to answer those tough questions, because you will already have a guide in place for how things can work and how you truly want them to work.

Do you have a vision already? If not, here are a few questions to ponder as you work yours out:

• How do you want to be and feel and act in terms of your business? How does it play into your life as a whole?
• What kind of art do you want to make?
• Do you want to work mainly with clients or do you want to make your own custom pieces?
• Would you like to sell individual products or license designs that can be used by others in different pieces?
• How much creative control are you willing to give up in exchange for money?
• Are you in it for self-expression or maximum impact? Or both?
• Do you just want to make art all day or do you have a message to spread out into the world?
• Are you trying to make a sustainable part-time income or do you want to be able to quit your day job and actually do this?

Once you have the why in your sights, the hows will fall into place. It may even feel easy.

*image via The Wheatfield: Love What you Do

Tiffany Moore is an artist, life coach, change agent and magic maker. She helps creatives live their happiest, most sparkly lives (starting NOW) and thinks that everyone in the world is beautiful, including you.