Why Pivoting in Life and Business is Necessary and Rewarding?

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​If you feel a need to make a change in your life or career, you probably do. You can call that your gut instinct, intuition, or calling. Whatever you call it, you must take some actions, because changes are beneficial for creative people, it inspires us to grow.

Hey creatives, For the past two decades, I have been a working artist. During this time, I have made many changes to my business model. There is no doubt that Changes are challenging, but if you want improvement in your life and business, they are necessary.

I will share the different pivots that I have done in my business and the reasons why. See if you can relate to my story.

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CHANGE #1
When I started my art business, I sold via art shows and gallery representation in the Caymans. I had three galleries representing me. At that time, I had very little control over my business. I had no idea who my customers were because all sales went through the galleries therefore I couldn’t build my following or subscriber list. I did not like the vulnerability of my situation.

CHANGE #2
After returning to Canada, I continued to do business in the Caymans via galleries by sending work abroad. The limitations of not having control over my art business frustrated me continuously. And when I stopped getting paid for work sold, I finally had to put an end to it. That was a humbling experience, I’ll have to say.

To make changes to my business structure, I started doing Shows with my husband, Paul. We were doing 22 shows per year! After four years of intense show circuit, it began to take a toll on us. So we decided to find a more permanent structure to sell our work, hence we opened our first gallery.

CHANGE #3
We opened our first gallery in a small seasonal town called Wells. The success of our gallery was immediate, and I loved it! I got to meet my customers face to face, and my subscriber list grew. I also had control over how I wanted to structure my business. Since it was a seasonal gallery, Paul and I still had to travel for shows, we did 3 more years of show circuit and retired from it. 

So our next step was to move to a year-round town and become a full-time gallery.

CHANGE #4
Having a full-time art gallery has its ups and downs. Paul and I did not have to travel for shows anymore, which was glorious! But the gallery hours were long. My creative time became limited, and my marketing time lengthened. 

Operating the gallery on a full-time basis has taught me a lot about marketing. After 11 years of dedication, my entrepreneurial heart was ready for a change.

Boom! 2020, Covid 19 hits!  We had to close down our gallery, and that required another pivot! 

NOW
Paul decided to venture into investments while I sell my art via online and ventured into course creation. Since I had all these years of marketing experience, I’ve decided to design a course to coach artists on how to sell their art. Matter of fact, I am right in the midst of it as we speak. 

Is it easy to pivot consistently? I am not going to lie to you, no it’s not. But I have learned all the good things in life that take time and dedication has its rewards. I have the endgame in mind and I am willing to invest my time in this quest because it will impact not just my life but many lives. 

CONCLUSION
So friends, see how a change in direction and focus is not a bad thing? If you want to design the life and business of your dream, then you have to be willing to make changes often.

Yes, Pivoting is scary, unpredictable, lengthy, challenging, and uncomfortable but so necessary. That is if you want continuous success in your business and life. 

In case you are wondering if it is time for a change. Here are a few things to look out for:

1. You intuitively feel that your life has to make a shift because you are no longer willing to put your art talent on the back burner.
2. Your full time job is killing your soul, and you don’t see a future in it. 
3. Your business is stagnant, and it’s keeping you unmotivated and miserable.
4. The economy and market are doing a dramatic shift and you have to pivot along.
5. You have the talent, and you want to make money from it.

ADVICE
I know making changes is hard, and there is no guarantee. Sometimes it just makes you want to give up, but please don’t do that, be patient, give yourself grace and remember to keep the endgame in mind. 

I agree the transition can be challenging, but nothing is more painful than getting stuck and not having the guts to do something about it. So if you are thinking of pivoting your life, do it, I know you will not regret it. Here is to life as a thriving, adventurous entrepreneur! I wish you all the best!
if you have an entrepreneurial spirit and would like to learn more about art marketing, come join me at Creating a Profitable Art Business. Come and learn with like-minded creatives like you to market your art and bring it to the right market. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow artists and stay positive with the right mindset. 

With Creative Joy,
Ting