How to develop your own business? She threw the corporation and took advantage of it
I started my career in a corporation with data analysis, later I went to managing products in the technology industry. I have always dreamed of my own artistic activity, although for a long time it seemed not very real to me. In recent months I took a few important steps that allowed me to turn my passion into a stable business.
In April, after eight years of work in corporations, I gave up a managerial contract, which brought me 550 pounds a day (about PLN 2700) And I decided to become a full -time artist.
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Today I work in a new workshop, I run a profitable creative business and finally I can devote most of the time to what it all began with – painting.
Artistic activity financed from contracts
After a voluntary departure from a full -time job in the summer of 2024 and a few months of travel I started working on a contract for a company from the retail industry.
I could terminate the contract four -week in advance and This flexibility gave me space to develop artistic activities in parallel with work and check if the market actually needs what I create.
After hours I painted and gradually began to organize the operational side of the entire undertaking. Painting has always been my passion, which I refreshed at the artistic course in London, shortly after graduation. Initially, it was only a hobby.
Investment in yourself
In February I decided to organize my first individual exhibition myself. It was both financial and creative. I have never done anything similar before, but I felt that the moment came to give art a place due in my life.
The exhibition turned out to be a breakthrough and I sold four paintings for a month. I gained not only the first major revenues, but above all faith that I can make it a full -fledged career.
Ten weeks later I went to the artist full.
See also: I left the corpo because I chose freelance. Now I work alone, I walk in tracksuits and earn three times more
Scaling and development
In April, my revenues from artistic activities exceeded 16 thousand. pounds (approx. PLN 80,000). They consisted of both original works and largely sales of printouts.
In 2024, I moved my website to the Shopify platform and connected it with a print-on-demand service provider, which allowed me to automate the entire printout sales process. Initially, it required higher costs and learning new tools, but as a result I regained time and simplified many manual activities.
Today, the sale of printouts is an important part of my income and provides passive income, even when I am offline. Other influence comes from individual orders.
A/B tests in the service of creativity
I discovered the “Trial Reels” function on Instagram, which allows you to test content before publication. It reminded me of A/B tests, which I conducted at work for years as a product manager.
I experimented with form, modified graphics, followed the effects. I used the same tools and thinking, but this time to expand the group of recipients of my work.
The beginnings were difficult, but when I found the right rhythm, it all began to scale. Over the past 30 days, my content on Instagram had 5.3 million views.
The meta said to me to make an appointment – I was consistently involved in the platform. At one point I had to close the registration for new orders and stop the waiting list.
When I knew it was time
For me, the most important thing was not so much to achieve a specific income ceiling as their regularity. It was no longer on the side. I had ready systems, constant inflow of orders and clarity about the direction in which I am going.
I live in Great Britain, so I wasn't worried about health insurance. I am still achieving earlier financial goals: I postpone funds every month and invest with a view to buying my own apartment.
What does my life look like now
May was my first full month as an artist. I moved to a new studio where I can create at such a pace and on the scale that I always wanted.
My days are still ordered, but the work I do is completely different than before and most importantly, I build something that is fully mine.
All knowledge from the technology industry followed me. I run an artistic company as I managed technology projects: I often test, quickly implement changes, automate everything possible, and focus on providing values to recipients. With the difference that now I can finally devote more time to painting, which is what it all started.
What taught me
This change of professional path taught me a few things:
- Creativity does not necessarily mean chaos. Even at the beginning I treated artistic activities like business and invested in systems, tested ideas, analyzed data.
- It is worth using previous experiences. My technological facilities allowed me to automate, test and evaluate new possibilities.
- You don't have to wait for opportunities because you can create them. I organized my own exhibition, which fueled development and gave me confidence.
- The change does not have to result from frustration. I liked my work in Techu, but I wanted more autonomy and a new challenge.
- I didn't wait for the perfect moment. I waited for real traction to appear – and then I made a thoughtful decision to leave.
The transition from a corporation to artistic entrepreneurship does not happen overnight
You need time, learning and accurate decisions. In September I go to Florence to study art, and at the same time I plan another exhibition in London.
This summer I want to develop the demand for my work – I plan to release a limited series of printouts and it's best to sell the whole. I also want to start offering my original work at a price from 10,000. pounds up
I am grateful for my earlier career and skills that I gained thanks to her, Because today they help me run my own creative business.
The above text is a translation with American Business Insider edition
