The 4 Hats of Artists in Business
or,
How to Wear
All. The. Hats.
(& not become the Mad Hatter)
Solo business owners of any type have to wear a lot of hats.
Sales, Marketing, Promotions, Finance, Budgets, Graphics, Goals, Inventory, Website, Social Media, etc. etc.
It can be overwhelming.
When I started selling my art and calling it a “business” - meaning, I actually got a business license and all that - I realized that some days I’d have to buckle down and put on my “finance” hat - whether I wanted to or not - just to keep the lights on.
The Hat Shifts the Mindset
After I got a little coaching on what I needed to do to set up my business foundations - and realized what a mindset shift it I was going to have to make to go from considering myself a “Real Artist,” to considering myself a “Real Artist in Business” - it became an ongoing process of looking at how I was THINKING about having a business, as much as how I was actually DOING it.
It felt like that episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy & Ethel are in the chocolate factory and end up eating more than they produce.
Gah!
4 Hats is ENOUGH
I needed to find a way to think about my art that would help me create a sustainable business venture. So after studying several different models and observing myself and how I envisioned my life, I created a little matrix that works for me -
4 hats is ENOUGH!
If I could keep it simple, these four parts of my business could be manageable:
making art - creative process, time to create, schedule, mindset, etc.
envisioning the business & setting goals for the future
creating systems to manage it all - the nuts & bolts, money, inventory, sales, etc.
promoting and selling
I created the 4-Hats of Artists in Business Matrix.
Now that I have had a chance to make two videos about it - one as my freebie which you can find here - and one as a webinar that turned into a part of my coaching program, the Practical Magic Art & Business Atelier - I’d like to share the basic concepts with you here in a blog post.
Here’s the 4 Hats Matrix:
IN addition to each hat, you see two arrows that point:
From Foundation to Future:
The Creator is essential and foundational, actually making the art.
The Leader looks to the future, envisions and sets goals.
The Operator creates a FOUNDATION of systems.
The Promoter takes the foundation and shares it with the world, in order to grow into the future.
From Inner to Outer:
The Creator makes meaning through an inward creative process that starts in our minds and body.
The Operator takes our work out into the world of business systems (selling, website, budgets, inventory, etc.)
The Leader spends a lot of time looking INWARD - envisioning a future that you really want, getting centered and in touch with your values, and creating a mission and goals from that essential place.
The Promoter takes that inner vision out into the world to share and teach it to those who will connect and resonate with that vision.
This little matrix allowed me to see my business from a distance -
without becoming the Mad Hatter!
The 4 Hats of the Artist in Business
is based on Natural Cycles
Every culture has formulative philosophies based on the cycles of nature and human behavior. Each part of a cycle is important, essential, and takes the viewer from birth to growth, to death, and into rebirth again. The 4 Hats is based on the Native American concept of the Medicine Wheel, the 4 Directions and the phases of life, seasons, etc.
The 4 Hats of Artists in Business
is based on the 12 Archetypes and the Hero’s Journey
Archetypes are basic patterns of mindset and behavior that bring awareness to our own actions and the actions of others. If you haven’t gone down the rabbit hole of learning about Archetypes and Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, you can start by taking my fun quiz, “What is Your Artistic Archetype?”
The Creator is the part of you that wants to explore, innovate and find new connections. The Creator focuses on MAKING - Things, Ideas, and Meaning.
The Leader is the part of you that wants to envision the future, look at things from a distance, coalesce concepts, and simplify ideas and goals. The Leader creates CLARITY from chaos.
The Operator is the part of you that organizes work into systems, pays the bills, keeps the lights on. The Operator focuses on PROCESS and systems.
The Promoter is the part of you that reaches out into your community to share and teach. Notice I didn’t say “sell.” The Promoter sells through ATTRACTION, not convincing others.
Each Hat has its Traps and Solutions
When we are in a certain mindset, or place in our own particular Hero’s Journey, there is always something we can’t see clearly.
These traps can keep us spinning in circles, keep us stagnant, or fearful of moving past obstacles.
But if we can look at each part of ourselves from a distance (like the Leader does), then we can see potential traps, be aware of what keeps us in stagnation, and find tools to help us overcome them.
The Traps:
The Creator’s Trap is Perfectionism - We often say - “My work isn’t ready yet,” or, “When I am a (Better Artist, “Real” Artist, etc.), I will start doing more with it.”
The Leader’s Trap is Abdication - We often say - “Oh, I don’t need to think about the future - I just want to be free!” That attitude is letting the Creator be the Leader - and sometimes it is fine, but it can lead to chaos and stagnation.
The Operator’s Trap is Procrastination - We often say - “I’ll just check my email, or clean my studio, or whatever.” The Operator sometimes lets BUSY WORK keep them from doing the important work of creating systems - that, ironically, will save LOTS of time in the future.
The Promoter’s Trap is Avoidance - We often say - “Does the world really need another…artist, writer, painting, novel, etc."?” The Promoter can AVOID doing their job because of fatalistic attitudes. This is where more mindset work is necessary - only YOU can make art like YOU do. The Promoter hat helps you educate and share, rather than convince and sell.
If you can be aware of these traps - and the solutions connected to them, you can:
Start to progress along your path
Set up systems that work
Find ways that work for YOU to stop procrastinating
Understand the different types of ENERGY connected to each hat and how to make the most of it when you FEEL that energy happening.
What if the Hat Just Don’t FIT?
Some of these roles are VERY uncomfortable - and some may really JUST. NOT. FIT.
But the more SELF-AWARE you are, the better decisions you can make about this.
For instance, me & MONEY.
= FEAR.
I mean, heart-pounding adrenaline-pumping FEAR.
SO, I created a calming ritual around “Doing my Money” every week.
Each Friday morning I sit down with …
a cup of coffee (sometimes decaf to keep my nerves calm.
I put on mellow music.
I sit by the fire.
I set a timer.
And I go over my short, easy spreadsheet that tracks my bank balances. That’s it. Then I know where I stand.
And the times when I have avoided that process for a couple of weeks, my brain is in panic mode and I then clearly realize I need a Leader Hat intervention. “Just DO it, dear. It will be ok. You are building your future, working towards your goals.”
And the Operator says, “I’ll handle this. We’ll just check bank balances, enter the amounts. I’ll get back to you. Relax, have a coffee.”
It works. For me.
I strongly suggest you find a system that works for you - to help you overcome your discomfort with the different areas of your business.
“If a man is not playing any of his usual roles, he feels undressed.
If he want to work on himself, he must destroy his peace. ”
This is just a start
When you can identify these different areas of your business, then you can see where you need help, guidance, or just need to dig in and do the work.
This makes is a LOT easier to feel like you are making progress. There’s more to learn about the 4 Hats and how this mindset shift can help you stay sane and finish what you need to accomplish to create a sustainable art business.
It takes time.
Be PATIENT with yourself.
My mantra lately is
Baby Steps AND Breakthroughs
Sometimes, we are just taking baby steps.
Sometimes we make breakthroughs, then go back to baby steps in a new area. That’s ok!
Remember:
Its a Process!
Watch my full 4-Hats training here:
Once you’ve watched the training, you might consider taking this 4 Hats Business Health Assessment - to gauge where you are with each part of your art and business:
I hope this is helpful!
Thank you for reading this far!
If you are interested in learning more about how to work with me,
or would like to chat with me in person about:
your own creative process, schedule - how it is working, or not working
art creation and meaning, themes, what you are trying to do, etc.
business ideas for how to position, promote and sell your work
business foundations and what you need next
your current challenges and how to think about them
