Focusing Only on The Craft (and Not The Hustle)
Part 5 addresses the flipside of the Hustle Vs. Craft balancing act: the Perpetual Class-Taker.
I’ve seen countless individuals never quite make that precarious leap from amateur to professional. This person is always in a class, jumping from coach to coach, year after year, never really gaining the confidence to put themselves out there as a business professional. I don’t think these folks are codependent, nor do I think they suck and need to keep up non-stop coaching. I see the perpetual class-taker as being afraid to take the next step.
I totally get it. The creative side of things is where the fun truly lies, and often we creative types are brought up to believe that you can’t be simultaneously creative and business-minded. “You can’t be an introvert and an extrovert!” Any proponent of the Myers Briggs test will tell you that. “You’ve got to be one or the other.” Truth is, we are all blends of both creative and business, and it’s okay to embrace both sides. Taking risks is scary, whether it’s creative risks or business risks, but just like the person who spends all day networking online can’t hide behind the computer and expect to build their career, the perpetual class-taker can’t hide in class and expect to book regular work without hustling the business forward
Building creative skills and building business skills are two sides of the same coin, although they may feel different according to your own internal strengths, weaknesses, values, and belief system. If you feel you might be a perpetual class-taker, than you are probably good to go on your craft and more than anyone will love taking baby steps towards a hustle that will net you bookings. All those classes cost money, and I’d love to see you make back your investment in yourself.