Creatives Answer: 2020 Lessons for a better 2021

photo credits: wildwoodcinematic.com

For some, 2020 was a time of slowing down, taking a long deep breath, and appreciating the little joys of life. For others - it was hard work, hustle, bustle, and a great deal of anxiety. But everyone will agree that 2020 was an era of self-discovery, lessons learned, and turnarounds, or as they like to call it - pivots.

While reminiscing and putting behind an extraordinary year, we were curious to find out how our community experienced 2020. So we asked several creatives from different industries, to answer three questions:

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

The answers are so inspiring and relatable that you’ll find yourself nodding at most of these. But before you do that, take a moment to answer the above questions for yourself. We promise, this is a really insightful exercise.

Racquel John from Purposely You | Lifestyle Writer & Blogger

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1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

First, I want to say that this is a great question. The one thing that made a difference for my business in 2020 that I plan to stick with in 2021 is being intentional. Having a clear goal and vision in mind for my business has helped my content tremendously and helped me connect with my company/brand on a deeper level.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

Honestly, I have a list of things that I would like to stop doing in 2021, but the #1 thing is to stop creating cover art for blog posts. Although, I do have a background in graphic design, and I’m a painter. It would be so much easier to have someone do that for me. I would love to eventually hire a graphic designer to handle all graphic art needed for my site and content.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

Wow, I learned so many valuable lessons last year. However, last year's most powerful lesson was that I needed to slow down and be present. I'm an actress, painter, and writer. My mind is always running with a thousand ideas and things to do, which caused me to miss important life moments. The pandemic forced me to slow down and to be present. Slowing down has helped me value myself, see my greatness, and understand that it's okay to take your time. I used to rush because I felt like I was running out of time, but now I know that I'm right on time.

Tiffany Phung | Branding Expert & Wedding Photographer

TIFFANYPHUNG.COM | SITE BUILT WITH CHLÓE 7.0 DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

What really made a difference for my business in 2020 was being more personable, (people like to work with others that they feel like they already know). I got so used to daily IG posts and neglected to interact in stories, polls, and just letting people get to know me. I expanded my website about me page and became more active and saw a major difference in engagement and business inquiries that came through.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

I want to stop putting things off — stop saying “ill get to it later.” I feel like I got so used to doing that because I work a lot outside of my business (with my day job), and this year I want to make dedicated time to my business.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

I guess I realized I’m a hustler. I never want to stop moving and sometimes it comes at the detriment to my mental health and relationships so I want to be better organized and create a better work-life balance. It’s like when I go on hikes and I *have* to get the perfect shot for IG/my portfolio and I obsess over it. In 2021 I want to slow down and become more organized so I can have time for my business while also being able to focus on my actual life.

James and Raquelle from Wildwood Cinematic | Husband & Wife Wedding Videographers

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1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

The one thing 2020 brought us was a chance to refine everything. From admin to sales, marketing, shooting and editing we had the opportunity to step back and re-evaluate why we were doing things and how we wanted to do things moving forwards. We refined everything, and even where our operations were already pretty tight, we found ways to tweak things, ensuring our 2021 and beyond clients have an amazing experience.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

At times we sometimes think outsourcing our editing might help, but our heart is in creating beautiful imagery and the edit is crucial for our love and style to be shown. We do want to outsource our social media strategy and implementation. This would help free up some time to focus on other aspects of the business.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

There were a few lessons from 2020 and whilst this is something we already knew about ourselves, the lesson was that we are a great team. I know it sounds a bit cheesy but in refining business operations, we also learned how to operate even better as a team. Our business has the benefit of two minds at all times, and our best results are always collaborative. This is a wonderful way to come out of what was not the best year, and we can’t wait to take our new energy, and synergy into this new year.

Edila Stace-Smith from Blank Tela Studio | Branding & Web Designer

blanktelastudio.com

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

Honestly, it’s investing. I did a lot of investing in 2020. I started my business back in July, so it’s about 6 months old now, and the best thing that I’ve done and I felt very fortunate that I could do financially, was investing and learning, because it's helped me grow so much as a new entrepreneur and small business owner.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

I am a huge fan of outsourcing, I am obsessed with it. Something that I really want to outsource in 2021 is Pinterest. I don’t currently do this now, but I really understand the value of it and I also understand that it takes time to see real growth. So I really want to start this now, while my business is fairly new, and then rip the rewards of that 6-12 months down the line.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

God, I don’t know. You can probably relate. Starting your own business, you learn so much about yourself. It really seems like an entrepreneurial journey, but it’s a real personal journey as well. The thing I learned about myself is I am far more capable than I allow myself to believe. Since starting my business, I really proved it to myself and surprised myself with what I’m capable of accomplishing and doing. Especially now, you can learn everything online, so I just stick with the motto of “Just go for it! Do it! Learn it! You’ll figure it out as you go!”

Sydney Marie | Destination Wedding Photographer

SYDNEYMARIE.CO | SITE BUILT WITH COSI 7.0 DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

Such a great question!! I have changed a few aspects in my sales approach & packages to accommodate couples in 2021! One being that I do a 20 minutes consultation with every potential client after they review my packages & process. This gives me an understanding of their expectations and values and helps me create a package & timeline that is completely customized to their day. I will also be adding on one other consultation after the couple and signed their contract. This consultation is mainly focused on vendor relationships and how each vendor will help create the best images possible.

I have also changed a bit of my workflow by allowing myself more time for backend work as I do not have an assistant at the moment. By increasing my prices, I now have the ability to take 3-4 days a week without shooting to work on my brand, & ideas for other projects.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

I will be cutting down the amount of portrait sessions I shoot. This will relieve pressure of quick turnaround times and will open up my weekly schedule to work on podcasting, building relationships with vendors, and creating content that will push my brand in the right direction.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

I am a YES person. And this is ultimately my downfall. I do not take enough breaks to breathe or generate the ideas that I want to come to life without them being put in place quickly. I have had to say no to projects and no to potential opportunities to not only help build my mental and physical health, but to direct my brand in the direction I envision it to be in 5 years.

ZACH BARRON | Wedding & Elopement Photographer

ZACHBARRON.CO - SITE BUILT WITH COSI 7.0 DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

There is no denying that 2020 was a crazy year, and I think the challenges of it all led to much needed internal reflection. One thing that I learned is to stop comparing myself to other creatives. I think we so often get caught up in trying to be as successful as our peers that we lose sight of who we are as artists. I took a big step back and focused less on what others thought of me, and more on creating art that I’m proud of.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

One of my 2021 goals is to hire a virtual assistant to help with all of my administrative work. I think outsourcing this will allow me to not only serve my clients more efficiently, but focus more on my artistry.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

That my clients are more than just clients, but friends. Through all the rescheduling, changes, and challenges this year brought, I’m so grateful for clients who have been friends through it all.

Opi Kaur from Open the Door Events | Event Designer

OPENTHEDOOREVENTS.NET - SITE BUILT WITH ELISE DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

Wow, so many things. Since I started my business in 2015, I felt like I only had time to move from one event to another without being able to take a step back and review what was working and what wasn't. As hard as this year has been financially, it has been rewarding in many other ways. Firstly, I finally got around to tweaking my website and used a beautiful template from Squaremuse which I was able to customize to my own brand aesthetic. I love my new site and have received a lot of great feedback. I finally took the leap into the world of marketing and started speaking to my public through Instagram live and stories, something I was quite shy about at first. And I have started improving the designs of my paperwork...this is a work in progress though.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

Having your own business means having to wear a lot of hats, I have been a writer, a photographer, a videographer, a graphic designer, an accountant, a marketer, a seller, and a wedding planner... for my company for too long. I would love to just focus on the creative side and have someone booking suppliers, responding to emails, writing up contracts...I would also love to have a graphic designer within reach to create beautiful material whenever I need it.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

I am an ok public speaker haha. I always thought I came across worse than I did, but I've had so much positive feedback that it's something I will do more of. Also, there are so many positive elements in social media, we are always banging on about how bad it is, but it's what has got many of our businesses through this year. And finally, how much I love designing weddings, I was feeling a bit burned out during 2019, which took away the appreciation and pleasure of what I was doing. After this dang long break, I am ready to get designing and executing weddings again. PLEASE!

Marisa Switzer from Rise Creative | Brand Designer

RISECREATIVECO.COM | SITE BUILT WITH CHLÓE 7.0 DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

Switching from a full service marketing agency to focusing solely on design & strategy. This allowed me to really focus on what I love, and what I’m best at, along with raising my prices and charge my worth.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

Social media. I really hate it. I know I have to show up for my business but if my business wasn’t on social media, I’d get rid of it altogether.

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

I overcame my imposter syndrome. I know what I’m talking about, I’ve acquired unique skills even at a young age, and I bring real value to the table.

JASON & ALEJANDRA BRYANT | Lifestyle Photographers

MEETTHEBRYANTS.COM - SITE BUILT WITH LYRA DESIGN KIT

1. What’s that one thing that really made a difference for your business in 2020 and you plan to stick to in 2021?

If there is one thing we are grateful for from 2020, it's the shift in mentality we experienced.

The events of the year led us to find clarity in what really matters most to us, both in our business and in life. It wasn't that we felt like we were on the wrong path until now, but that we felt like we have missed out on living life to some degree. We've both been trudging on through the workforce and it feels as if life just kept passing by us. Raising a child only tripled this feeling because we saw just how quickly things change as the little moments go fleeting by.

We asked ourselves if we were feeling fulfilled in our work - and outside of it. The circumstances of last year even led us to wonder if we were doing our mental and physical healthy justice, or - god forbid - what we would do if the worst-case scenario happened.

So we took advantage of the fear and discomfort brought up by all of these questions and took action. 2020, if anything, brought us deep, existential clarity into our lives and helped us discover our priorities and passions again.

On a lighter note - we also discovered just how important investing back into our business was. We turned content marketing into a major priority for our business last year and we are SO glad we did. Blogging, specifically, has been paramount for our business and has awarded us with many opportunities that we are still in awe with.

2. One thing that you’d like to stop doing in 2021 or outsource it?

Our clarity discovery in 2020 really showed us how precious time is. The best way we've found to streamline our time is by outsourcing things like copywriting - or now even our own brand photography. We've gotten so busy trying to achieve the goals that we ended up neglecting ourselves and our business. We preach all day long about the importance and power of branding and impactful imagery, but then fail to bring that back into our own business. Outsourcing is helping us give our business what it truly deserves!

3. One thing that you learned about yourself last year?

You can't do your creative work justice if you aren't feeling creative. For that reason alone, we realized just how powerful self-care is for our work.

We're all involved in a smorgasbord of daily activities - some we choose, and others are chosen for us. In your job, in ministry, and in family, there will be activities that deplete you - and you can't avoid these duties just because they deplete you. That's why it's important to refuel emotionally, mentally, or spiritually - to give yourself the fuel you need to keep going, and to keep creating.

And it's not just about finding time for the things that recharge you, but it's also about getting rid of the things that deplete you that you can get rid of. Self-care is about restructuring your routine until you're getting more of what nourishes you than the things that don't.

Learning self-care is not an act of selfishness. It's the thing in your life that YOU control. It keeps you going when times get tough or when you have an endless list of tasks to accomplish. Self-care is a difficult lesson to learn (it takes most of us most of our lives to figure it out!), but it's one that will change the way you experience your life.

~

While each of these creatives had a different journey in 2020, you’ve probably felt very close and understanding towards their answers and perspective. If there’s one thing you can take away from this article is - to be kinder to yourself, to learn to say “no” or delegate the things that don’t bring you joy, and give yourself a little more credit. May this be a lesson for a better 2021, and for a happier life altogether.

Creatively Yours,

Squaremuse Team

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