| Can you make a living as a writer, artist, designer | | | | you've been rejected. |
| or other creative soul? Yes, youcan, if you learn a | | | | At these times, remind yourself that you love |
| few tricks. | | | | what you do, and ask yourself whatyou would |
| The most important trick is to learn to think of | | | | enjoy writing today. Then do that. Work on |
| yourself as TWO people. The first isthe creative | | | | rebuilding your love for yourwriting first, before |
| person who writes, paints, photographs or | | | | you concern yourself about anything else. |
| designs, without a care foranything except the | | | | If success comes slowly (or hasn't arrived yet), |
| creative work itself. The second person is a | | | | don't become desperate. Be patient. |
| sharp-eyed, clear-thinking marketer. | | | | Selling your creativity takes time. If you can |
| In many creatives, the sharp-eyed marketer is in | | | | sense desperation taking hold, remindyourself that |
| embryonic form. Fear not. You cannurture your | | | | you're writing because you love to write. |
| inner marketer. | | | | Writers (and other creatives) may become |
| Here's how to start to make your creativity pay: | | | | desperate because of others'expectations. "Have |
| => 1. Start small: downplay your creativity | | | | you sold that book you were working on?" "Have |
| Your ultimate goal may be a book on the New | | | | you sold apainting?" This pressure is why you play |
| York Times bestseller list, or yourown show in a | | | | your cards close to your chest. (See |
| major gallery, but start small and build your | | | | "downplay your creativity", above.) |
| confidence. | | | | => 3. Market your work |
| While you're doing that, downplay your creativity | | | | When should you start to market your work? |
| at home and among your friends. | | | | Immediately. As soon as you've writtensomething |
| Why? Any number of reasons. The chief one is | | | | that you feel is publishable, send it out. |
| that your creative endeavors are asimportant to | | | | This is where you tuck your creative self away, |
| you as a new baby is to the proud parents. While | | | | and haul your inner marketer out ofthe closet. |
| you're a taking thefirst hesitant steps of your | | | | Divorce yourself from your work as much as you |
| creative career, you're sensitive. You're likely to | | | | can. Grit your teeth, andflail yourself with a whip if |
| get badlyblocked if someone whose opinion you | | | | necessary, but send your work out. Then forget |
| value says the wrong thing to you. Thisdoesn't | | | | it. Yourfirst marketing efforts may be torture. |
| mean that you're completely unsocial. Get a | | | | That's OK. You don't have to enjoymarketing, |
| writing or painting pal, take acourse, or join a | | | | you just have to do it. |
| group. But among your nearest and dearest and | | | | Starting small is important for writers, because |
| closest friends,silence pays off. | | | | you can send out a short story or afiller article |
| Starting small means small sales, not working for | | | | without writing a query letter. For a new writer, |
| free. There are times you maychoose to give | | | | query letters can bedangerous. Here's why: some |
| your work away, but in the beginning of your | | | | writers never get beyond a query letter. Ask |
| career you need thevalidation that only money | | | | anyeditor. These writers write lots of query |
| can give you. So write fillers for magazines (fillers | | | | letters, get good at it, and then one day aneditor |
| aresmall articles, of 200 words or less), | | | | calls their bluff and sends them a contract. At this, |
| advertisements for your local bank, or copy | | | | the query writer panics. |
| forgreeting cards. Write a short story or two, and | | | | Not only doesn't she write the article, she gives |
| submit them for publication. | | | | up writing for several years. Thenshe starts again. |
| Anything you write, that you get paid for, will | | | | Writing query letters... |
| boost your confidence. When you'reconfident | | | | The good news is that once you've got into the |
| enough to disregard ill-informed opinion, you can | | | | habit of writing and sending yourwork out, you |
| share your aspirationsfreely. | | | | can stop worrying. Sooner or later you'll get a |
| => 2. Be passionate, not desperate | | | | check. (Sooner, wehope.) |
| Your passion and love for your work will sustain | | | | The big benefit of marketing is that after a while |
| you through your career, and yourentire life. | | | | it stops being a trauma. It starts tobecome fun. |
| However, don't take this passion for granted. If | | | | Your inner marketer is all grown up. Then the only |
| you don't nurture it, itwill fade. | | | | problem you have isgetting organized so that you |
| Whenever you feel depressed, ask yourself | | | | keep track of what you sent where. |
| whether you still enjoy writing. | | | | If you follow the three strategies above, you will |
| Sometimes the answer will be a loud "no". Perhaps | | | | make your creativity pay, andsooner than you |
| your writing isn't going as well asyou hoped it | | | | think is possible. |
| would, or you've had some drama in your life, or | | | | |