Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years we have learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 410th issue of our weekly a.blog.

Are you trying to connect the dots between what you’re passionate about creating and what people want?

Do you want to turn your passion into a career and use your ideas to enrich the lives of others?

If so, you might be an artrepreneur.

We’re all creative. It’s part of being alive. Yet, not every artist is an artrepreneur.

Artrepreneurs work hard, as hard as any other professionals. They’re generous and love to collaborate. They can thrive in the right creative environment, as part of the right team.

On the blog Millennial Type, Declan Wilson defines an artrepreneur as “anyone with a desire to better others through their art but still have the business savvy to make it a sustainable venture. In most cases, artrepreneurs are artists like painters and musicians. This concept can apply to a much larger group of people who might not view themselves as artists. Today, many people online are artrepreneuring via blogging, podcasting, writing, and content-creating.”

If that sounds familiar, you may be ready to take the artrepreneurial leap and start mixing work and play.

Here at Artisan Creative, we work with artrepreneurs every day, and we’ve found that they have a few things in common. Here are five signs you may be an artrepreneur.

1. You create to connect

You believe your work creates value by improving someone’s life. You want a larger audience because it means you can help more people. When you brainstorm new ideas, you think of desires and needs that aren’t being served. You know you’ve succeeded when you’ve helped others get what they want, or better yet, helped them shed light on what they didn’t even know they wanted.

2. You are interested in human behavior

You’re intrigued by others and are curious about why they do what they do. You love learning about the psychology behind marketing campaigns, purchasing decisions, and consumer motivation. You approach the creative business from a place of empathy with a desire to understand the perspectives of others.

3. You know that being independent doesn’t mean being alone

You know your best work never happens in a vacuum. Your sharpest thinking happens when you break out of isolation. When you find the right team, you contribute your strengths, learn from people with different skills, and generate work that is more powerful than what anyone could have pulled off alone. You appreciate the bigger picture and thrive when you participate in a larger process.

4. You are the master of your ego

You’re not defined by any one project, rather the integrity and spirit you bring to your work defines you better. For you, life and work are processes of continuous improvement. Although you’re not afraid to defend your ideas, you embrace constructive feedback. Critique is an opportunity to see your work from a different angle and make improvements you may not have known were possible. Every person has a different piece of the puzzle, and opening yourself to the ideas of others, empowers you to succeed.

5. You think like a pro

You agree with the famed screenwriter Steven Pressfield, who writes in The War of Art that “the most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”

While others are trying to catch lightning in a bottle or waiting for inspiration to strike as they binge on Netflix, you show up and do the work, every day. You cultivate a practice, hone your skills, and keep producing and shipping work, with no excuses. When you do get inspired, or your dream project finally hits your inbox, you’ll be ready.

Are you an artrepreneur? Please share your thoughts, and join our community of other artrepreneurs!