No, your clients are not ruining your work. 5 reasons why creative professionals MUST avoid thinking of themselves as artists.

1. Artists and creative professionals have VERY different business models.

Artists create freely then sell their finished work.

Creative professionals get paid to solve problems for clients.

If your client wants to make changes, that’s their choice. They’re paying for it.

2. Artists create work that speaks to universal truths within us as a human race.

Creative professionals solve one specific problem for one specific person.

You must retain client focused at all costs. This is not self expression.

3. Artists bleed for their work.

Viewing your work as art causes you to waste time on things your clients don’t actually care about.

Practice non-attachment, and commitment to the long game.

You’ll get another chance tomorrow.

4. Artists operate from intuition. You need data.

Clients take a risk by hiring you. Your job is to convince them that you have considered the risks and know the best approach to take.

Problem solving by intuition is a tough sell.

Proposing solutions from data builds trust.

5. Society struggles to agree on the value of creative expression

EVERYONE sees problem solving as a high value activity.

Use that to your advantage in the way you position your services.

TL:DR

1. If they’re paying, they get to decide.

2. Artists speak to the universal. You speak to the specific.

3. Non-attachment is vital.

4. Artists operate from intuition. You need data.

5. Problem solving is regarded as a higher value activity than self expression.

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