If you’ve ever felt like a caffeinated squirrel frantically jumping between projects, trying to balance your creative passion with the need to pay rent, you’re not alone. Enter IKIGAI —Japan’s elegant answer to the existential crisis that plagues creative entrepreneurs everywhere.
So, what exactly is ikigai? Loosely translated, it means “reason for being.” It’s the beautiful intersection of four things:
1. What you love
2. What you’re good at
3. What the world needs
4. What you can be paid for
Think of it like a Venn diagram, but instead of confusing business jargon, it’s a life compass that keeps you from selling out or starving.
Applying Ikigai to Your Creative Business
The problem with being a creative entrepreneur is that we often focus on just one or two circles, ignoring the rest. Maybe you’re great at writing songs (what you love + what you’re good at), but unless the world needs those songs and people are willing to pay for them, you might be performing exclusively for an audience made up of your cat. On the flip side, if you take every soul-sucking freelance gig that pays (what you can be paid for), you risk burning out and questioning your life choices while curled up in a blanket fort (I’m a big fan of blanket forts, so no judgement if you spend regular time in it’s cocoon).
The key is finding the balance. Here’s how:
1. Start With What You Love (But Don’t Stop There)
Passion is essential, but it’s not a business strategy. If you love illustration, great! But unless you also learn how to market and monetize your work, it’s just a hobby (which is totally fine—unless you also like eating).
Action Step: Make a list of things you genuinely love creating. Then, research how others have successfully monetised similar work. Spoiler alert: They probably didn’t rely on just one income stream.
2. Hone Your Craft (But Don’t Get Stuck in Perfectionism)
Yes, skills matter. But waiting until you’re the absolute best before launching is like waiting for the “perfect” moment to start exercising—it never comes. Instead, learn while you earn.
Action Step:Take one small, imperfect action today. Launch that Etsy store. Share your work on social media. Offer a small paid service. Done is better than perfect.
3. Find the Overlap Between Passion and Need
The world might not need another abstract watercolour of your emotional journey (sorry), but it might need custom artwork for book covers, personalised commissions, or digital prints for interior designers (that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make the abstract watercolours of your emotional journey if you are passionate about it, but maybe they are a fine art outlet and not a money making activity?).
Action Step: Research where your skills meet market demand. What are people actively searching for? How can you position yourself as the answer?
4. Get Comfortable Asking for Money
If you cringe every time you price your work, you’re not alone. But remember: People value what they pay for. Pricing yourself too low not only hurts your bank account but also makes it harder to be taken seriously. Artists often make the assumption that because they don’t have any money, and their friends don’t have any money, that means that no one has money. But that is far from the truth. There are a lot of buyers out there who will pay good money for work they value. Find them and serve them your best!
Action Step: Set fair, sustainable pricing. Need a boost? Google “pricing strategies for creatives” and thank me later.
The Takeaway? Ikigai is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Finding your ikigai doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an evolving process of refining, testing, and adjusting. But when you hit that sweet spot—where creativity, skill, demand, and income collide—you’ll find yourself waking up excited to work. And really, isn’t that the dream?
Now go forth and ikigai like a boss!
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