3 Years in Creative Business
Three years into running a creative business, I can say this with certainty: nothing about it has gone exactly as planned—and that’s been the most valuable part. When I started, I thought success meant saying yes to everything, staying busy, and proving myself through volume. Now, I measure success very differently: in space, sustainability, creativity, and alignment.
Here are a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.
xo, Elizabeth
Saying “yes” to everything will teach you quickly—but it won’t sustain you
In my first year, I said yes to almost every project that came my way.
At the time, it felt exciting. And it was. But it was also overwhelming in a way I didn’t fully recognize until later. I was constantly in motion, rarely in control of my time, and often building my schedule around urgency instead of intention.What I’ve learned since then is how to actually structure my time in a way that supports both my clients and my own creative growth. Now, I typically have about half of my week dedicated to retainer clients. The rest needs to stay intentionally open.
That open space isn’t “extra”—it’s essential.It’s where I’m able to take on 1–2 additional client projects per month, whether that’s wedding stationery, branding work, or creative consulting. As well as work on my own art, products, marketing, and business development.
That limit wasn’t accidental. It’s what allows me to do good work without burning out—and to still have time to be a human outside of my business.
You don’t just need clients—you need income diversity
Early on, I realized I didn’t want to build a client-only business. I wanted something more stable, more flexible, and more scalable over time. That meant thinking beyond hourly or project-based work and asking: how else can my creativity generate income?
For me, that has looked like:
Website sales
Digital design products
Affiliate marketing
Diversifying income didn’t just make my business more financially stable—it made it more creatively expansive. It gave me permission to build things that weren’t tied to a brief or a deadline.
Real-life networking will always outperform follower count
This might be the most underrated part of building a creative business. Yes, social media matters. But in my experience, nothing has been more impactful than showing up in real life and meeting people face to face.
I still have clients three years in who I met during my very first month of launching my business at creative women meetups. Those early conversations turned into lasting relationships, collaborations, and ongoing work. There’s something powerful about being in the room, sharing ideas, and staying open to connection without expectation.
The mindset shift that changed everything for me was moving from scarcity to abundance:
Share knowledge freely
Support other creatives genuinely
Trust that there is enough work, opportunity, and space for everyone
That energy comes back to you in ways you can’t always plan for.
Your business will change—because you will
One of the biggest truths I’ve had to accept is that my business was never meant to stay static. As I’ve grown, so has the work I’m drawn to, the way I structure my time, and the kinds of projects I say yes to.
And instead of resisting that change, I’ve learned to follow it. Your business is not a fixed identity—it’s a reflection of where you are in your life and what you value at any given moment.
The goal isn’t to stay the same. The goal is to stay aligned.
The Spring Shop
