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They are not mistakes 🤬, they are learning opportunities 🤔

It’s been over two months since I was in this space either physically or mentally, proving the creative struggle is still real. I’m here now for two reasons. Firstly, as a way to resolve the frustration of the learning process when things have not worked out as I anticipated. Secondly, the invigorating sound of Santana’s guitar which never fails to illicit a sense that all is right with the world, as long as that much talent can exist in one person.

Inspiration for creativity has been seriously lacking since my efforts to become a freelancer took over. I’ve been steadily, happily and apprehensively working to deserve this esteemed status. I’ve studied the course, read the material, affiliated with organisations, spoken to business advisors, peers, friends, family, networked my little cotton socks off and finished the business plan. Connections were being made, there was a buzz, bigger things were happening. This was the time to shine. Then I manage to royally (no pun intended) f#%$ up, not one, but two price negotiations! Finances can be so personal and therefore difficult to get practical advice on, plus I haven’t asked the right questions of the right people. Or perhaps this is where my creative head sticks two fingers in its ears and shouts la la la la la, no wonder I got an ear infection.

The traction I spent months gaining, slipped away. Making mistakes with a new venture is an inevitable part of the process, but you can never be totally prepared when it happens. All you can do is deal with the fallout. In my case this involved suppressing niggling doubts, managing my first (and hopefully last) ear infection, also acknowledging my mishaps, learning and moving on. As usual I was reluctant to deal with my perceived negative emotions to the wider audience. Ideally, I want my writing to come from a happy creative space, but the truth is, my joy in writing comes from the catharsis it produces. The palpable relief it gives me when I am able to release spiralling thoughts, is sometimes quite euphoric. Thank god I have this ability and this space. It feels like the first free breath I’ve drawn for months. The tension oozed away from me the moment I put pencil to paper. Note to self, must remember to let go more often.

I started a slew of activities to help jog this business along; nightly rituals, daily affirmations weekly gym and yoga sessions, even dry January! All of these things play their part and rightly have space in my life. But writing is where the magic is, now and always. So I’ve made a few business mistakes and I’m going to make more. My friends’ solutions range from travel to evoke new joyful experiences, through forcing me to properly account for my time, to specifically asking the universe for help and giving gratitude for the benefits I enjoy. The underlying theme however, is recapping on the great strides I’ve already made and reminding myself, I’ve got this.

After a week, the antibiotics are doing their job and the tubes are slowing unblocking. It’s no surprise there is a mental unblocking happening here as well. I should be using this space to share what it is like to be an expert copywriter. I understand how best you can use a regular blog to promote your website. I know about search engine optimisation (SEO) and that algorithms not only monitor the frequency that sites are visited but also how long viewers stay. Apparently the optimum number of words for a blog is somewhere between 1700 – 1900 words. Not the 500 – 700 most people, including me, have gotten comfortable with. But who really knows where these statistics are coming from, is it an actual person or the latest algorithm? If business success is related to staying on the front page when a search has been performed then I must be doing something right, I’ve been up there in the top five since I launched my website. Go figure. But ultimately that’s what business is all about, the figures.

As a predominantly creative person, maths has never been my strongest suit, but I’m learning that getting the numbers to add up is the number one driving force behind any successful business. In reality it is not primarily about doing what you love, or the autonomy and freedom to be your own boss. It’s a steep learning curve, but I’m getting dragged there, ‘cos I’ve got this. 

 

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