I’ve always felt this urge to create things, from studying Art and design at university to my decade long career in the film industry creating props and models. Making has always felt like wonderful escapism for me. And now I feel so grateful to be able to earn a living doing something I love and get such enjoyment from. But how do you create a creative business?
After leaving the film industry to have my daughter Madelyn I hadn’t really thought past the first 6 months of becoming a mother and maternity leave. What I might do for work in the future hadn’t really entered my thoughts. I just knew the film industry is an intense business with long hours and for me returning to that world, was not going to fit. I wanted to be around for my daughter but in the same breath after 8 months of just being a mother at home I knew I needed something more in my life. I think it is very common for new mums to suddenly reach a point of wanting some time for themselves and whether that coincides with returning to their previous careers, or finding themselves a new pastime, for me it was the start of a new chapter.
In many ways when I started my business Mads & Moodle 7 years ago it was born from a need to escape and a sort of therapy rather than an initial way to earn a living. The feeling of needing something else in my life to fulfil me and rediscovering a part of me that had been missing for a while. I concluded that I needed to be making again, I think I have this inbuilt need and passion to be creative.
So after some prompting from friends and my husband I just went for it, I came up with a name for the business (completely influenced by my daughters nicknames at the time). I learnt how to create a website and design flyers, and practiced creating my product on family and friends who had just had babies. Thankfully I got something right in this process and I started to have paying clients.
Looking back after 7 years of running a business it’s been an extremely steep learning curve but I have learnt so much along the way. I have met the most incredible bunch of fellow WoMo’s who have given me the most valuable advice along the way. It’s amazing to discover a whole new community of like-minded working mothers who are just so incredibly supportive of each other. Its a great deal of hard work running a sole trader business and juggling all the bits of the business that are not exactly my favourite ways to pass the time. All this alongside mothering 2 children. It’s been messy, tricky, exhausting and impossible at times, but would I have it any other way? Certainly not! the rewards of creating a business from scratch and creating a treasured keepsake for a family who will love that piece forever completely out weighs the boring accounts, filling in a tax return or trying to come up with a witty blurb under your instagram image for the 5th time that week!
If you are considering starting a creative business I would suggest taking the first steps and practice or create for friends and family, listen to feedback. Creation comes in so many different forms from creating products to building a business. Don’t think of the outcome, follow what is making you feel good and connected with yourself. I think this is so important for mothers, and see where is leads you. If you are thinking of starting a business of your own I would say take the leap, it’s truly magical.
I would love to offer 15% discount off any of my products and services excluding gift vouchers using the code WoMo.
IG madsandmoodle