Focusing your creative energy during periods of stillness within your business

Waves and cycles of quiet stillness are a natural and often essential part of running any business, large or small, corporate or creative. Some months pass by as a blur of emails and deadlines and creating into the early hours, then others the inbox is bare. At times, it can feel like an emotional roller coaster ride, especially if you’re a sole trader and only have the echo of your own thoughts and fears to bounce around late at night (makers, artists, creatives, thinkers, dreamers: I feel you). The economic climate we’re facing as small business owners in the grips of a worldwide pandemic is daunting to say the least and it’s easy to feel despair and a loss of control. This period of potential quiet is threatening as one unlike a lot of businesses have ever experienced, and that’s a damn scary prospect. The world is not as we know it and it’s okay to feel disheartened and have an overwhelming urge to raise your middle finger to the universe, even if you’re safe and well in your own home.

But as creatives, what can we do with all that artistic energy when we don’t have client projects to channel it into? It might be easy to push it aside and throw yourself into a marathon Netflix binge session (and I’m not saying don’t do this - hello, Tiger King!), but there are some things you could be doing that will benefit your business, aid regaining a sense of control AND help fill your creativity quota.

If you’re facing a period without client work to feed your creativity into, developing a personal project is the next best thing. Being your own client means you dictate the parameters and the outcome - perfect if you’ve had an idea brewing or a style you’ve been itching to try, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. Now’s the time and you can do it all your way! Sounds great, right? This is also a perfect opportunity to create with your ideal client in mind. Think about the people you’d love to work with and what you think would appeal to them most and build from there. Be as creative or as daring or as different as you like! The choice is yours, and what an opportunity that is to have.

Now you’ve created some killer new personal projects showcasing the type of work that really lights you up, it’s time to update your portfolio. When busy with client projects, actual business to-do’s tend to get pushed to the bottom of the list (guilty as charged!), but now’s the time to give the ole website and online portfolio a polish. Does it matter that the client you created for was fictional? Hell no! If it showcases your talent and artistic abilities and is relevant to your audience, include it. The examples of work you choose to showcase online should be curated and thoughtfully selected - less is most definitely more. Keep it recent and really relevant to the clients you’re trying to attract and the core values of your business. And be professional - take the time to photograph your products nicely, to write in-depth descriptions and present in a cohesive way. It might not seem important, but presentation makes all the difference.

Once your website portfolio is all sparkling fresh, don’t forget to give your social media profiles some lovin’ too. If you haven’t already created dedicated folios on Instagram and Facebook, now’s your time. These can be as simple as creating story folders and saving your highlights to there on Instagram and creating image folders on Facebook. To present them more professionally, add a custom cover image that ties in with your current branding for visual consistency. Again, make sure what you include is thoughtfully chosen - your audience isn’t going to browse through 58 images to determine if you’re the right fit for them.

The opportunity also now exists to prioritise developing creative, authentic social media content and a consistent post schedule. With people forced to shop from the comfort and safety of their homes, a strong, cohesive and professional online presence is going to serve you well. Take some inspiration from accounts you love and plan your content in advance with the help of apps like Planoly or Later. Showcase products, introduce tips relevant to your services, boast testimonials, add value wherever you can. Information that you know inherently is not always information that your audience is aware of. If you’re a florist, share tips on keeping your blooms fresher longer. If you’re a jewellery maker, share advice on cleaning and caring for your jewels. If you’re a photographer, share artistic ways to display your images around the home. Go back to basics and share what you know with your followers - this is an inherent way to build trust in relationships and shows you know your shit when it comes to your industry.

And finally, dedicate some creative energy to fostering your existing client community and relationships. Craft a newsletter, build a Facebook group, write a blog post. Like your social media content, make it valuable and relevant to the needs of your audience. Think about new ways to connect with them in what is a shared time of unknown. Reach out, make it personal and show support and guidance and these relationships will be stronger for it.

Once you’ve ticked these items off your to-do list, you’ll feel a renewed sense of control and the Tiger King marathon will be so much more well-deserved!