As we kick off 2024, we reflect on the last 12 months and renew our commitment to our creative pursuits. A new year serves a reminder for a new start and changes on the horizon. For those who are in the creative industry, or for those who dream of taking that next step into determining their own destiny and starting their own freelance, creative business, creative-focused New Year’s resolutions could be just what you need.
Whether you want to make the jump into influencing, videography, photography, design — anything that ignited that creative fire inside of you — this new year can be a fresh start and a step in the right direction of realizing your potential and making your dreams a reality. So to start that process, here are eight New Year’s resolutions that you can accomplish in the new year.
1. Just start
This sounds pretty basic, but starting can be the most difficult hurdle you face in accomplishing your creative goals and dreams. You’re going to have obstacles that make you think twice about starting this journey. It could be the cost of entry, and the equipment and gear you need to get started. It could be the daunting unknowns, like creating a website, forming your business or LLC, or the legal and tax formalities that come with any business. Or maybe, it’s the disapproval of people close to you, that don’t understand your dream, or don’t think it will work. Let me remind you that most successful people started out as rookies. We’ve all been beginners.
If you take the time to understand the industry you’re going into, know the risks and rewards, set clear and effective goals, and most importantly, not jump in fully until you’ve built up your client or follower base, it will be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience. Finally, if you surround yourself with people that believe in you, push you to be your best, are trustworthy, and understand the “not so fun” aspects of running a business, you will thrive. Learn from them and lean on them, especially when times get challenging.
Taking that first step in starting your creative dream can come with a lot of weight. But once you place your feet and begin to walk, it can be the most freeing moment of your life.
2. Spend more time in the field
This is incredibly important for any creative that wants to get better and master their craft. When I started my journey as an influencer and photographer, I was bad… like, really bad. I look back on my past work, only a few years ago, and I’m shocked how much I’ve grown and developed. That development comes not just through education, but action and putting yourself in the field you’re in.
If you have a free weekend or vacation time, don’t just waste it! Take the time off and plan a trip — once travel is safe again, of course, or venture out to your own back yard — that will enhance your professional career. Practice truly makes you better. It’s one thing to listen, read, or learn. It’s another thing to just go there and do it. So in 2024, do yourself a favor and take more time in field.
3. Take more risks
A lot of people think that as soon as you enter the field, you get approached by clients. That is the biggest mistake creatives can make in growing their career. You can completely stunt your growth by doing that. It took around a year since I went full-time to be approached by brands and clients.
You have to be bold and reach out to the brands and clients you want to work with. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve sent and calls I’ve made, in just one week, yet alone years of starting my influencing and photography journey. Sometimes you can send out 100 emails, and only get a few responses. But those “yes” responses could be what propels you to the next level. Don’t ever think a brand is too big for you. Be confident, take risks, and let your work speak for itself. Taking more risks should absolutely be one of your resolutions.
4. Get connected with other creatives
There’s a trap that a lot of creatives fall into, and it’s that you have to succeed and do things on your own. While that’s possible to do, a great resolution for those who want to branch out and work with others is to get connected and network. Find people who share the same passion and focus you do. Shoot them an email or DM them on social media, and get the conversation going.
This can offer two main benefits to your career:
Firstly, teaming up with others and developing a collective of creatives can allow for much greater success. This is especially true when working with brands, companies, or accommodations when you travel. You can form a team that can offer a more diverse set of creative skills, rather than solo. Your team can also delegate tasks, which allows for more organized results and much better, more varied content.
Secondly, teaming up and connecting with other creatives allows for your to learn through others. It could be technical or editing skills, or simply learning about a new piece of gear that improves your creative process. Networking is one of the best ways to learn and grow in your creative field. Add it to your resolutions list.
5. Upgrade your gear
You might know this already, but sometimes you grow out of your gear. I started with a Nikon D5500, and while it was a great camera for beginners, I learned quickly that I needed a camera that could handle my work and the expectations of my clients.
Yes, 2024 can be the year that you take your equipment and gear to the next level. Make one of your resolutions to invest in the quality and performance of your work. It is a little daunting, especially if your next level of equipment might cost you thousands of dollars. But if you can see a positive return in your equipment investment in the first year you purchase, and that investment will help you land bigger jobs and clients, you should go for it. Make this the year you upgrade your gear.
6. Brand yourself
Marketing-wise, this is a step I want all creatives to master as one of your resolutions. You should treat yourself like a brand, and develop branding guidelines you never stray from. Follow our 4 steps to branding your creative business to get started. Create editing presets that you want to be known for, develop a style that lasts and don’t stray from it. Of course, stay true to your creative focus.
Find ways to stand out and stay consistent, and do it well. If that means deleting half of your page or portfolio to start fresh, or editing hundreds of frames, do it. Let 2024 be the year you brand yourself. Once you start developing who you are and what you look like, clients and followers alike will discover why they want to follow or work with you.
7. Recognize your value
This is something that is hugely important for those just starting out in their journey. It should be one of your must-do resolutions. You have to realize that at least once in your career, you will have clients, brands, and customers try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. You will have people undercut your value and purposefully quote you low on a project.
While it’s good to earn your stripes, it’s important to know your worth. Be prepared to have industry standard pricing sheets for all of your creative services, whether it’s photography, videography, social media promotion, or design work. You need to develop a pricing structure that grows as you grow, whether that’s associated with your social media following or experience working with clients.
Never undervalue your time or experience. Once you have become established in your field, never get shy about pricing. If you undervalue your original quote, there’s no turning back. Set the tone and be confident in your pricing structure when negotiating with clients. Remember, you can always negotiate down. You can rarely negotiate up.
Pricing and evaluation of your content can seem very daunting. It’s important, but not that difficult to understand once you find reliable sources.
Or, if you know a creative or influencer that you’re close to, and he or she has much more experience than you in this area, reach out, grab coffee, and walk through it together. Knowledge is power, my friends. Knowing your value can not only protect you from people trying to take advantage of you and your work, but also give you confidence that you are getting paid fairly and growing your personal business.
8. Make it official
Finally, your resolutions list should include making it official and going full time into your personal business. Normally, it takes time to develop your business venture, and I always recommend taking several months, to a year, minimum, to test and see if you can be fully self-sufficient and have consistent, revenue from your business. Once you are able to prove your business works, it’s time to go all the way in and take that final step from, “part-time” or “side gig,” to full-time growing and profitable business.
Feature photo by Nathan Lee Allen
