July Retrospective: Back in July 2014, I wrote a daily series exploring the realities of navigating the creative economy. Twelve years later, looking back at these entries (and my original awful hand-drawn illustrations!), I’m struck by how the core truths of a creative career remain completely timeless. Each day this month, I’m opening up the archive to share these foundational lessons—with a few modern reflections layered in. 

If you’re a new creative graduate looking to find your footing in the creative economy, a Gen X looking to pivot into a creative business, a side-hustler or someone who just wants to up their creative business game, there’s something for you in this series. Just don’t judge my drawings 😉

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Branding

Have a consistent message.

Have a consistent look.

Have a consistent feel.

Most creative businesses (all creative businesses?) are artist-centric, in that the business is about you and your work. If you are true to your personality, there will be a consistency to your business. This is good. Let your personality shine throughout the business. Don’t try to be anything else. You are your brand. Use it.

As you put your work out there, as you talk about your work, as you develop an audience, your ‘brand’ will emerge. As it takes shape, stick with it. Having a consistency will help your audience to relate to you.

Your brand stems from how you want the customer to feel as they engage with you and your work.

Are you exciting or serene? Are you looking to inspire them or shock them? Are you helping them to be pretty or tough? Do you want to make them laugh or cry?

Be consistent about the audience experience. This will help to attract the people who need that.

If I need serene I’m going to seek out products and services that make me feel serene. When I find them, and they deliver what I need, I will respond to that consistency.

If I need serene, and you give me loud music and shocking graphics, I’m no longer your target customer.

So be consistent. That’s the essence of branding.

Once you know what you are giving your customer, be sure all your messages, all your window dressing (graphics, colours, design), all of the experience of interacting with you reinforces that brand.

If you think of major brands you can see this in action.

McDonalds. That immediately conjures up colours, smells, sounds. Whether you respond to them or not depends on whether that’s what you need.

Ralph Lauren. Feeling, mood, aspirational lifestyle which is totally different to that conjured up by Target.

Major brands succeed because they offer one mood or feeling to their customers.

You should aim to do the same.

Action: What feeling do you want your audience to have as they engage with you and your work?

It would be useful for me to know what feelings and thoughts you have about the Thriving Creative? What experience do you get from this blog?

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Longevity in a creative career isn’t accidental—it’s built on strategy.

While the landscape shifts, the core principles of thriving as a creative freelancer haven’t changed. For deeper, modern frameworks on building a sustainable creative practice:

• Read the Book: Looking for a step-by-step field guide to building a resilient career in the creative economy? Pick up my recent book The Thriving Creative: Successful Freelancing in the Creative Economy available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from my publisher Routledge.
• Stay Connected: Join my community and to receive the complete 31-day hand-drawn playbook as a single PDF at the end of the month. Sign up below.