I didn’t call myself a small-business owner until I slowly started forming Artery Therapeutic Arts in 2018. But I realised I’ve been managing my own ‘business’ since 2007, when I graduated with my Public Arts masters degree and began working as an artist and arts worker.

Being a sole trader, entrepreneur, business owner - whatever you want to call it - can be a deeply lonely and isolating experience. Even as a successful business. Many of us are forced to figure out how to make things work, reshape, or scrap things out all together. We hold these questions and decisions, mostly on our own, while others we know were going through the same.

There’s still much I’m learning about how I carry myself and my services in this space. There’s also much I’m un-learning when it comes to the toxic expectations placed on what makes a business ‘successful’ and ‘worthy’. So, here are some tips I gathered from my experience over the years that have come into full focus with my work as an Art Therapist. Sometimes I’m consistent, sometimes not. I might just stick to some of these at certain times, depending on what’s happening in my circumstances and commitments.

Like any other resource I offer, the aim is not to overwhelm you. Take only what is beneficial and doable for you in the moment!

TIP: You can save the images below and use these reminders whenever you need.

Do non-productivity related things
At one point, everything i was reading, writing, watching, hearing, and planning was related to the therapy field. It all got too heavy. I was no longer enjoying my night reads, or retaining what i was receiving. I started reading novels to break things up. It’s very rare for me to read fiction, but it felt good to finish books quickly, knowing that i didn’t have to retain any information after a day of cerebral work.
If it’s perfect, chances are it’s late
This is a play on a quote I heard a while ago, but the concept stuck with me. It’s also a hard one for me to follow, but it’s necessary. Which items need 100% and which could do with 80%, or less, for things to progress? So many ideas didn’t come to fruition, and so many people didn’t get what they needed because of perfection-paralysis. Put your work out there, and see how it evolves once those who need it start using it.
Form your sounding board
Whether the cheerleader or the constructive critic, build that support team where you can discuss, share, brainstorm and vent with. Isolation and loneliness in small business, and all the roles you carry, is very real.
Not all feedback is welcome
Be clear about whose words you allow and engage with. If you’re unsure if a comment is a call to accountability or just a distraction, ask someone you trust for a second opinion.
Seek spaces for your wellbeing
Attend to the parts of you you’re neglecting. This could be doing something low cost, like weekly swims, or a financial investment, like seeing a physiotherapist. Build a budget around it or see what your options are, e.g. going on a health care plan to bring down the costs.
Be mindful of your emotional & physical season
We can’t bloom with ideas and productivity with the same intensity everyday. Our bodies mirror nature and so will our monthly, quarterly, yearly processes. Whether it’s planting seeds of possibility like the fall, inviting space for quiet reflection like winter, awaiting the renewal of spring or activating the growth of summer. Every season holds learning. It might also help to remember that those you’re comparing yourself with, have their seasons too. Just not at the same time as you.
Allocate & protect some non-work spaces
Avoid working in bed, during a movie night, or while having a meal. If work bleeds into all your spaces, burnout is inevitable.
Allow yourself to change your mind
We think once we put something out there – a logo, a statement, a product, a business name – it’s set in stone. Rigidity can be creatively and emotionally stifling. You will grow, change and evolve. So why not allow what you put out there?
Leave work on time
If you run a small business, chances are you have a side job for extra support. If possible, leave work on time. If you’re working from home, close all the windows/apps related, and pack everything up for the next workday. I really try to discipline myself with this. If I’m building something for myself, or my community, I need to pause the build for someone else.
Don’t disregard the skills you picked up on the way here
It’s easier to see where you want to be, rather than how far you’ve come. Allow time for acknowledging what it took to get here. Also - and more so if you’re from a marginalised group - don’t disregard the socio/economic/political structures and barriers that might’ve caused delay in your skill, wealth and time. This is not to deflect from your responsibility. But if we’re talking ‘end goals’ we need to acknowledge why our starting point might look different to others.
Un-stuck yourself
When things get stagnant, when the to-do list is still intact, or when you’ve been sitting in the same spot all day, try to create a shift in energy. Physically move, turn off everything, open a window, sing, or howl. Shift something.