# The Business of Art

You’ve just signed your entire career over to a complete stranger. Whether you succeed or not in your chosen field is completely up to someone who you’ve known for about sixty minutes. What have you just done?

As indie creators, we have neither the past notoriety, the platform, or the money to rely on classic marketing styles, so we have to get more creative.

Other people told me my script was good, so you should like it, too.” This is honestly one of the most naïve notions I’ve ever heard.

I’ll say it again because it’s worth repeating—put as many lightning rods in the ground as you can.

I was so focused on selling and too green to know myself that I ended up losing myself in the process.

There’s an energy to riffing off other writers and navigating a narrative together that has the potential to produce something great.

You stand at the front of the room and begin talking. You lay out a brief overview, a bunch of plot points, dozens of characters, etc. You’re right in the thick of your spiel when you notice something alarming.

Was there money in it? No. But there was that other thing, possibility, which over time, can end up being worth a whole lot more.

If you cannot effectively or efficiently communicate, every part of the creative process will take twice as long and be ten times as frustrating as it needs to.

You want your portfolio to be a good demonstration of your skills and overall brand as a creator.

Yes, I said it, repeat after me: you are ready for “money investors” when you can actually engage someone to invest in YOU.

Suing and IP aside, would you want to work with people who share anything outside of the privacy of the room or film set? I know I wouldn’t.

“It’s just a quick photo shoot,” they say. “It’s just a quick script.” ... I say it’s just a quick sandwich. And you pay for sandwiches.

Arguably, if the work isn’t its own reward, you’ve not chosen your career wisely, no matter what the profession.

All those ideas you have in your head of what you want to do and how you want to accomplish them? Write a plan. A business plan, that is.