Episode 63: Overwhelm and Shiny Object Syndrome with Elizabeth Silver
Elizabeth Silver, a seasoned creative entrepreneur and surface pattern designer, embarked on her professional journey in 2003, seamlessly transitioning from analog to digital mediums. Her experience in New York City saw her excel as a designer for bedding and later expand her expertise in textiles, particularly in home decor. Later she assumed the role of print designer for Baby Gap. A decade in the city led to a pivotal shift, prompting her move to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she embraced freelancing, unknowingly stepping into the realm of creative entrepreneurship. Over the past 11 years, Elizabeth has sustained her income through freelance design and licensing her artwork, while also venturing into educational content creation, offering resources for emerging artists through YouTube, blogs, and courses.
The World Is Your Oyster
In the expansive realm of creative entrepreneurship, the options for artists are diverse and plentiful. For those with a skill set geared towards art for products, avenues include working in-house for a company, freelancing to create art for various companies, or licensing original artwork for product use, earning royalties in the process. Print on demand platforms like Spoonflower, Redbubble, and Society6 provide opportunities to showcase and sell designs. Beyond this, artists can delve into creating and selling their own products, collaborating with printers for items like mugs and apparel. The digital landscape opens up possibilities for digital products, from teaching resources to brushes and textures. The scope extends to traditional avenues like galleries or exploring endless possibilities, making the list of opportunities extensive for creative individuals with time on their hands.
One Revenue Stream At a Time
In the journey of creative entrepreneurship, the key to success, lies in initially narrowing focus to one or two revenue streams especially during the early stages of establishing a business. The advice is to resist the temptation of spreading oneself too thin across various platforms and endeavors. Elizabeth highlights the misconception of underestimating the time and effort each avenue demands, emphasizing the need to prioritize and invest ample focus on selected revenue streams. This approach allows for a more strategic allocation of time and energy, ensuring sustained progress without succumbing to the overwhelming allure of exploring numerous options simultaneously.
Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome
Elizabeth encourages introspection before venturing into something new or getting sidetracked with shuny object syndrome. She suggests questioning your motivations and sources of inspiration. Caution is urged against being swayed solely by financial success stories or external pressures. Elizabeth herself shares personal reservations and a degree of risk aversion, having experienced the time investment in certain endeavors not yielding expected returns. Ultimately, move forward with thoughtful decision-making, a realistic assessment of the time required for success, and a balance between experimentation and commitment to chose your path.
Key Takeaways:
It’s important to focus on one to two revenue streams in the beginning to avoid spreading yourself too thin and the feeling of overwhelm.
When being sucked into “shiny objects” examine what is causing the source of interest, such as inspiration, boredom, or financial success stories. This information can help you nake informed decisions.
The analogy of not unearthing seeds signifies the patience needed in creative entrepreneurship. It is critical to understand that many of your efforts make not have immediate success but that success manifests over time.
Social media can contribute to overwhelm; so taking breaks, even for a week or a month, is recommended.
Be your own best boss. Set boundaries, enjoy flexibility, and avoid excessive self-imposed deadlines.
Success shouldn't come at the cost of health or family well-being.
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Elizabeth Silver is a professional surface pattern designer with 20 years in the industry. Her colorful patterns and illustrations are regularly featured in major retailers like Target, Michaels and Walmart and she licenses with over 30 partners. She uses her experience in numerous product categories to teach beginner surface pattern designers how to move past overwhelm and obstacles to create a profitable creative business through courses, Youtube and blog content.
