Being a writer taught me how to code HTML. Whenever I tell people this I often get a quizzical look in response. Writing involves the use of creative abilities. What does it have to do with coding?
The answer is: everything. Coding is just another language. String together enough characters and you’ll create a sequence that begins to tell a story by way of creating a program. Testing your code is no different from editing a story. In each scenario you’re looking for the broken pieces that keep your end product from flowing smoothly.
Transformative COURSES & WORKSHOPS that make integrating peaceful living, health and wellness easy, fun and affordable.
As creatives we often hesitate at the thought of combining our innate creative abilities with our business sense. There’s a voice in the back of your head that’s likely telling you they don’t – no, they can’t – go together. But has that voice ever told you why?
Of course not. Doubts are not based on reason, they’re based on fear. It’s your ego once again telling you not to try because what if it doesn’t work out?
Falling flat is a much better achievement than never having tried at all – but your ego doesn’t like that answer.
And this is where your creative talents begin to come into play, because as a creative you already know the process of eliminating your ego so you can reach your goals. You do it every time you pick up your pen, your brush or any other tool you use to create your art.
The most successful entrepreneurs are those who think outside of the box – otherwise known as creatively.
You Already Have The Analytical Skills You Need
Creative writing is not nearly as creative as the title would have you believe. The truth is that the beginning of your next idea – the moments where you’re dreaming about what this project will be – is the only creative part of the process.
Everything else consists of technique and analyzing.
In order to understand how the pieces will all flow together you have to study the technique and analyze exactly how it works. As you learn, you reach a level where you can begin to put your own spin on the basics. You get to break rules in order to figure out what your own guidelines are. Each word is analyzed, held under a magnifying glass to make sure that it functions with those before and after it.
Without this process, your art wouldn’t work. It would be a jumbled draft, never to be seen by anyone other than yourself, if you even dared to look.
Systems. Processes. Every creative process revolves around them – that’s why it’s called a creative process.
So what’s holding you back from taking your business to the next level by way of your creative thought process?
Group Like Factors To Help Identify Alignment
If you were to explain your business and your art to a friend, where would they overlap? How do they align?
Or, if you’re just starting out, how can you align what you believe to be the business you want to create with the art that you do create?
As a creative writer, finding work as a copywriter was an obvious next step after college. I had gained experience in coding and UX design. I loved telling stories. So why wasn’t I happy as a copywriter?
My discontent came down to one missing link – communication between the technical and the creative.
I began to realize that what was perceived as technical was actually very creative. And I already knew that my creative process was highly analytical.
This was the realization that led me to founding my business – Creatively You.
By understanding that my creative ability overlapped with the technical process required to design websites and vice versa, I was able to create a business centered on providing services that entertain both my creative and analytical thought processes. Every day I’m challenged with understanding my clients’ unique voices so I can write as them, while simultaneously making sure their design reflects that story and is bug free.
All this has been made possible by aligning my craft with my business goals. What might this process look like to you? Perhaps you’re an artist with an interest in health coaching or mental health. You might use your art to aide your patients, or perhaps you’ll build a program where you can teach your art and in the process aide their mental and physical well being.
When you break down barriers and find alignment between what we perceive as ‘creative’ and ‘technical’, anything is possible.
Test Your Idea
The greatest difference between creative and business endeavors is that in business, you must market test. Is there a real need or want for the plans you’re dreaming up?
Before I even conceptualized being a web designer, I spent years listening to friends and clients complain about the freelancers they had worked with and the lack of communication. Either it added more work to their plate or they wound up with an end product they hated because the designer/agency/marketer didn’t listen to their vision. Instead the person they hired followed their own process, rather than listening to the goal they had been hired to meet.
When I decided to evolve my business into something I could truly love, it was a no-brainer that this should be the next step.
This process will repeat as your business evolves. When I decided to add a new service, I tested the idea again. It wasn’t until I booked a client for a website audit before I had even launched the service that I felt confident in my vision.
Market testing is not designed to crush your dreams. It may feel that way when you’re starting out. During the shaky first steps of your new endeavor, it is absolutely normal to feel so excited and nervous that you think you might actually make yourself sick if you think about it any more.
The cure is to think about what might happen next. Bring yourself back to the What If game. Utilize your creative tools to push yourself forward on to your next endeavor.
Creativity belongs in your business.
SAMANTHA PATERNOSTER
Writing is much bigger than a career. It’s more interesting than a hobby. It’s the spark to an eternal curiosity that has led me to learn unexpected skills, treasure knowledge passed down through generations, and create a space for voices that need to speak.
I earned my B.A. in Creative Writing from Brandeis University, with a focus on long and short fiction. I have nearly a decade of experience as a copywriter and editor. But I’ve also worked as an Email Analyst and QA Analyst at Yale University, helping to launch their redesigned Giving page circa 2014.
Most recently, I’ve started my own business – Creatively You. Built for my clients, it is founded on one simple act: listening. By listening to my clients’ dreams and needs, I am able to help them develop their brands through cohesive web design and content that tells their stories.
I don’t believe in linear paths. I do believe in the magic that embracing the unknown can bring.
