LTieu-How-to-Move-Past-a-Disappointing-Business-SituationI believe that we all have great ideas and it’s exciting when passion for the idea drives us to take action and put ourselves out there. We all know it’s scary, but creatives do this kind of thing every single day. Unfortunately, not every launch or effort is accepted with open arms. Especially in the beginning of our creative businesses, crickets chirping might be a pretty common situation.

We’ve all experienced a disappointing situation in our creative careers – perhaps it’s something we have to get used especially when it comes to new and innovative ideas. But the question is how do we move past this common bump in the road?

I’ve tried many different creative experiments in the last 10 years of working online in one way or another. And yes, I certainly know the sting of disappointment. However, I’ve learned from experience that although it’s important to acknowledge my feelings at the moment, it’s essential for me to take a deep breath, step back and ultimately reframe my perspective – in order to move forward.

Too often, we get stuck on factors that we have no control over and it leads us to doubt our talents, our creativity and our efforts. Ultimately, that is the road to death for many great ideas… because more often than not, you just give up after the initial try.

I’ve learned that you need to concentrate on what you can control. Remember that it took Edison a 1,000 failed attempts before he invented the light bulb. He kept going. What would our lives be like today if he had just given up?

Are you getting no response to the artwork you put out there? Having trouble selling your goods at shows and markets? Results not as stellar as expected for your latest launch?

Acknowledge that there is a problem to face. Yes, you are disappointed, so there’s room to grow, right? Now let’s step back and concentrate on what can be done to alter the results.

Give it time

As amazing and viral as the internet might be, everything takes time. Beginners often think that success can be overnight and don’t realize that there’s usually a long history of blood, sweat and tears behind the scenes. Ask yourself if you have given your project adequate time to grow?

Get more eyes

It’s easy to think that all eyes are on us whenever we put ourselves out there. Those feelings of vulnerability are on high, especially when it comes to creative businesses and our personal talents. But the reality is that no one is really looking or paying attention most of the time. We are all so busy with our own lives, don’t think that posting something online means that everyone in the world has seen it. This is why marketing is so important. If no one sees your amazing idea, how can they ever appreciate it? Ask yourself if perhaps you just need to work on getting more eyes on your project.

Edit, alter, curate

When you do have an audience, listen to them and remember that there’s always room for improvement. Nothing is perfect and revisions are inevitable. In fact, they only make the end product better over time. Make a list and start working on it. How can you make your product or service even better?

The lesson here is to realize that there’s always something you can do to move forward and past disappointments. You DO have control to change the situation and improve your results. Just change your perspective and work your way towards success. It might be a bumpy path, but you can and will move steadily along if you keep at it. So get to it!

The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate.
– Thomas Watson Sr.