This website or its third-party tools use cookies which are necessary to its functioning and required to improve your experience. By clicking the consent button, you agree to allow the site to use, collect and/or store cookies.
I accept

The Thriving Creative

Where creativity and business collide

  • About
  • Blog
  • Coaching
  • The Thriving Freelancer Beta Workshop
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Archives for business

Examining sustainability and longevity in the actors’ career: professional expectations and labour market conditions (my PhD proposal)

March 7, 2014 by Steven Sparling 3 Comments

Hello, here’s the most academic looking of my new head shots, which seem like the perfect companion to my PhD proposal. I thought some of you might be interested to know about what I am planning to spend the next 6-8 years of my life studying (am I crazy?!). It’s probably likely to change and […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: Actor, business, creative, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths, PhD, University of London

What the heck IS a creative entrepreneur, after all?

February 8, 2014 by Steven Sparling 6 Comments

I was writing a funding application the other day for my PHD and in my opening sentence I referred to creative entrepreneurs. Andrew challenged me: What exactly do you mean by that? How would you define that? I struggled. Which is funny because I have an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, I write a blog about […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: Actor, art, Artist, Artists, business, Career, creative, creative business, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Creative Industries, Musician, Painter, Singer, Writer

Guest Blog: Post University Blogger (P.U.B.) is …a Smart and Savvy Saver

October 30, 2013 by Steven Sparling 4 Comments

Welcome back to Annie to tell us more about how she manages her money as a creative 20-something. Once again it’s fantastic to hear from her. Now over to Annie…. —————————————————- Hope you’ve all been well since my last blog post. Did you implement any of the techniques I told you about? Let me know […]

Filed Under: Financial, Guest Post Tagged With: Actor, budgeting, business, creative, Creative entrepreneur, Financial, graduate, saving, Writer

10 Ways to Remain a ‘Starving Artist’

October 9, 2013 by Steven Sparling 4 Comments

1. Give it away for free You’re probably sick of it, right? I mean you’ve spent hours/days/weeks/months slaving over it. Perhaps it’s been a struggle to bring this piece of art to life – looking at it might remind you of the sleepless nights or the painful doubts it caused you. So just get rid […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Financial, List Tagged With: Artist, business, Creative Business Planning, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Creative Industries, finance, marketing, sustainable creativity

Recap: Selling for Creative People (without feeling icky)

August 24, 2013 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Most creative people love to create – to make things or to provide creative services. Most creative people hate to have to sell their products or their creative services. But if you want to create a sustainable livelihood for yourself from your creative endeavours, then you must learn how to sell. It’s the only way […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Recap Tagged With: Artist, business, creative career, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, Selling

Recap: Defining Your Product – what exactly are you selling?

August 10, 2013 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

As August is a quiet month, we are going to recap some of our previous posts that maybe you missed or either didn’t get a chance to properly digest. The first recap is about a really important step for all Creative Entrepreneurs: Defining Your Product. The clearer you can get about WHAT your product is […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Recap Tagged With: Artist, business, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Product

New Look

May 26, 2013 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

It was time for a bit of a new look around here. Tell us what you think?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: business, creative career, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Creativity

Cost Should Never Be An Excuse – the $1.99 App used to complete Oscar nominated film!

February 27, 2013 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Check out this video (it starts after the advert at the beginning). It’s interesting because the film maker Malik Bendjelloul discusses how when he was making his documentary film “Searching for Sugar Man” he ran out of money and thought he was going to have to abandon his project because he couldn’t afford to continue shooting […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Planning Tagged With: Artist, business, Creative Entrepreneurship, obstacles, risk taking

Not All Customers Are Created Equal

May 16, 2012 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

I suppose I’ve been a freelance creative entrepreneur for 20 years now, at least off and on. During that time I’ve done a number of contracts as an actor, singer or dancer. In the last few years I’ve taken on freelance work teaching singing and writing contracts related to my other professional life as a […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: business, business development, contracts, creative, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship

Pathway Four: Business Skills

May 11, 2012 by Steven Sparling 1 Comment

The fourth pathway is called Managerial Tools & Leadership Skills by Lisa Sonora Beam. I find that a bit of a mouthful, so I think of it instead as Business Skills. This is where you have the most capacity to learn, grow and develop your business. The other three pathways are about taking stock of […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: art, business, creative, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
  • Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
  • Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
  • Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.
  • IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!

Social Icons

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Archives

Search Form

Social Media Connections

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search Form

Recent Posts

  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
  • Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
  • Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
  • Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.
  • IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!

Post Categories

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contact

"Go on working, freely and furiously, and you will make progress." Paul Gauguin

Privacy Policy