I started my first magazine from a tiny studio apartment six years ago out of a desperate need for a creative community. I had no idea what I was doing at the time, and since I didn’t have the funding to start a physical gallery space, this was the next best thing I could come up with, and I am so thankful that I did. This desire to connect with other artists and empower them on their journey has been a constant over the years, and continues to inspire me to grow Create! as well as venture into exciting new projects that will support the growth of the emerging artist community. While I was developing my painting practice, there was a missing component of human connection and support on this unpredictable journey.
Back then, I had no money, no design experience, and all I had was a random idea that I decided to execute after working numerous minimum wage jobs. It took lots of Google searches, studying every publication I could get my hands on in Barnes and Noble on my lunch break, and teaching myself how to build websites, design magazines, and do basic business. I was discovering how to find artists and took lots of trips to galleries and museums to promote my humble publication. There was a period of time where I even walked into galleries in person to introduce myself and handed out free copies of the magazine. As you can imagine, some were super supportive and kind, while some were suspicious or disinterested.
It took many years to build a strong community. Over time I became more and more brave and started partnering with galleries and organizations that were so out of my league, it wasn’t even funny. This forced me to level up, increase the quality of the publication and stick to my commitments. Years and years later, the magazine became my actual job. I am now proud to work with a small team of four incredible women. We work together virtually, so we don’t get to see each other very often in person, but I know each one of us is driven by the love of art and the desire to support fellow creatives, especially those new on their journey.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from starting a creative business so far is that we are so much more powerful than we think. Taking responsibility for our own luck will speed up our success rate faster than waiting on some “expert” to come validate us. From my experiences, being bold and starting something will bring support faster than by wishing for it. We are definitely not meant to do this alone and there will be people on this journey that will help push your career forward, but remember that they also human and had to start somewhere just like you at one point in their life.
I used to approach influential figures in the arts with the notion that they surely must have something I don’t. I used to give myself excuses such as “I don't have rich parents, “I didn’t go to a fancy private art school,” “I don’t know how to do business” or even “I am not attractive or cool enough.” But when I took a chance on myself and got started, things began to shift, and the right people showed up with support.
The entrepreneurial path is not easy, but at the same time it’s open to anyone willing to find missing information, to fail over and over again, to have days where they have no idea what theу are doing and to try again and again until something sticks.
Building a business may not be for everyone, but I encourage you to contribute to a cause that you often think about. Maybe you found a way to do things better in the art world and want to make improvements by launching a better version of what already exists. There is more than enough room for new contributions, and I am excited to see what you create.
More than anything I want you to know that this magazine is for you. I may not get to work directly with each artist, but please know that you are always at the forefront of my mind with every new launch, article, or podcast episode.
Thank you for being a vital part of our community.
Cheers,
Kat
P.S. If you enjoy this content check out my podcast Art & Cocktails or subscribe to our glossy, colorful publication.
If you are an artist looking to get your work published, we always welcome submissions to our free blog and open calls.
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A post shared by Create! Magazine® (@createmagazine) on Oct 5, 2018 at 5:54am PDT
