Working in the wedding and event industry or in any creative field means creating. Your art should be your number one priority. Unfortunately, we have a lot of other responsibilities. So how do you juggle running a business with making art?
The first thing to remember is that your designs are your business. They go hand in hand. Running your business smoothly is absolutely essential, but without a great product, there’s no business to run.
It took me a very long time to realize that having a clear creative vision applies not only to designing beautiful events but also running a successful business. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was focusing solely on doing what I loved. I should have focused more on learning how to sell my work. (This is a pretty common mistake among us creative folk! We aren’t exactly known for being the best business men…)
Solution? We need to learn how to love running our businesses as much as we love creating them.
I’m still learning how to do this well, but one thing I have figured out is that I MUST devote at least three hours every day to nurturing my creativity.
Balance is key. When I’m not traveling, I try to keep a pretty strict schedule:
5:30 to 7:00 AM – Exercise and meditate.
7:00 to 9:00 AM – Write the day’s blog post and journal.
9:00 to 9:30 AM – Leave my home and get to the office.
9:30 to 10:00 AM – Address any pressing calls and/or emails, especially those that might be stressful. I don’t want them hanging over my head all day.
10:00 to 12:30 PM – Meet with either my book editor or my design team to discuss current projects.
12:30 to 1:30 PM – Eat lunch at my desk.
1:30 to End of the Day – Meetings, meetings and more meetings!
The secret is recognizing that YOU are responsible for how you manage your time. Set (and stick to!) a schedule that allows you ample time to work on your business AND your creativity.
Readers, I’d love to know what your daily schedule looks like. How do you keep your creativity alive while simultaneously running a business? And what part of your business takes up the most time?
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Tanya Malott
June 23, 2011
Brilliant post! Thank you.
YOUR NAME
June 23, 2011
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY?
Bucktown Guy
June 23, 2011
I just look at my bank account everyday for motivation.
Love the post! Thanks.
Dianna Shitanishi
June 23, 2011
Aloha Preston, thanks for your continued words of inspiration and keeping everyone “on track” by sharing your real-life experiences.
It is very easy to get sidetracked, but I’ve found that keeping a Visions board for both daily goals and long term goals puts life into perspective and “time blocking” my day which allows me to work on events without distractions.
We change our “out of the office” e-mail to let clients know when we are out for events and/or client meetings, which helps them by understanding when they will get a response time to their important e-mail.
Aloha from Honolulu……(I had the pleasure of presenting you a lei when I met you at Event Solutions in February).
Michelle
June 23, 2011
Thanks for another great post! In nurturing your creativity every day, do you create sketches of design ideas, do you make samples of design ideas, both or something entirely different? I’m sure there are many people who follow your blog interested to know of your process! It makes a lot of sense to create designs, but the biggest challenge seems to balance that creative time with the business and art of selling without feeling that the time is not being spent wisely. What do you do with all the design ideas you have if there are no clients and you want to truly customize designs for each client?
Debra Biagini
June 24, 2011
My background is business and the creative part came later…or at least earning a living through my creativity came later so I tend to be very business organized and working hard to promote myself and not enought time towards creativity. The head designer at “Gattinoni”, Guillermo Marriotto told me to make sure to plan time for fun, reading, museum, movies and travel in order to nurture my creative side.
Debra from Rome
Michelle
June 24, 2011
Thank you for the post!!!! After reading your post and thinking about what I accomplished I remember that a schedule/task list is what made it possible. I must to get back to scheduling my time.
Anna W. Puto
July 13, 2011
I always admire people who get up so early. Respect Preston.
I start a day at 7:30 the earliest
But my day always begins with sun salutations, krija and meditation.
Anyway, thanks for that post!
Nate`
August 19, 2011
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY? OMG!!! Well This is were I really could use your help Mr. Bailey. I”m a wife, mother and a business owner. I remember mentioning this to you in 2007 at the SAF conference. I’m trying to balance it all with the talented daughter and a husband as a business owner as well. Each day I just say God guide me in the right direction and I manage to get it done. I am really working on designing my own schedule for my family and business. My wonderful trainer helps me to take two days a week out of my crazy life to work out. She really saved my life. Would love to get your opion on this on. “smile”