Stop Saying You’re Bad at Business
“I’m bad at business.”
It’s a phrase I hear all the time from creatives. Painters, photographers, writers, designers. So many talented people who minimize themselves because the operational side of things feels foreign or overwhelming.
But here’s the thing: being good or bad at business isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill set. And like any skill set, it can be learned bit by bit, over time. When creatives say they’re bad at business, what they often mean is that they’re uncomfortable with pricing, negotiation, bookkeeping, contracts, or marketing. That’s fair. Those things can feel unnatural at first. But it doesn’t mean you’re incapable. It just means you’re not practiced yet.
Part of the problem is that many of us have internalized the myth that “business” is somehow separate from creative work. That artists shouldn’t care about money or systems or structure. That to focus on those things is to cheapen the work. But in reality, taking your business seriously is an act of respect. For yourself, for your craft, and for your clients.
You don’t have to become a corporate strategist. But you do need to develop a basic fluency in how your creative work meets the world. How you package it, price it, protect it, and present it.
Every time you shrug and say, “I’m bad at business,” you’re reinforcing a story that keeps you small. Flip the script: “I’m learning how to run my creative practice like a business.” Because you are, whether you acknowledge it or not.