2. Make The Transition Into Full-Time Creative Work w/ Caroline Tran

The ARC Creative Podcast: Educating + Inspiring Creatives to Excel as Artists, Entrepreneurs & Humans.

For many of us looking to get established in the photography, or really any creative industry, two of the biggest struggles are finding enough time to hone our craft while balancing the rest of our lives, and knowing when the time is right to make the leap into full-time creative work.

LA wedding and lifestyle photographer Caroline Tran began as a physics teacher, and after years of being creatively drained, she decided to make the switch to photographer. Her work can be seen internationally in print and online, and is centered around passion and playfulness.

Juggling kids, starting and maintaining a business and staying sane can be a juggling act, one that Caroline knows well and is more than qualified to share some tips and advice on. Caroline gives us some insight into how to transition from a 9-5 by setting concrete goals, playing off your individuality and educating your clients. She focuses on building a business to fit into your lifestyle, not the other way around. By starting your business from within and marketing yourself in the right way, Caroline helps remind us of the passion for photography that we all share.

Are you currently trying to make the transition into full-time creative work? What's holding you back? If you already have made the leap, how did you know when the time was right to do so? Let us know in the comments on the episode page!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How to create hype around your products
• Marketing yourself as ‘one of a kind’
• Lessons for anyone in their first few years of their photography business
• The importance of passion and exclusivity

QUOTES:

“If you market yourself as the artist there will never be any other competition, you are the only one.” 7:30

“When I started this business the first thing I did was [figure out] who my target audience is, what I was trying to do, how I was trying to market myself. And I think I just had a lot clearer vision coming into this business.” 13:15

“One of the most liberating things as an artist is to remind yourself that you don’t have to please everybody. The quickest way to not please anybody is by trying to please everybody. Because you are not going to be able to please everybody, so once you give yourself permission to not have to please everybody you can start creating without fear.” 18:36

“Each milestone in your life demands of you a little bit differently. So being realistic about that and setting your yearly goals for that purpose [is key]” 30:19

RESOURCES:

Caroline Tran’s Website

Follow Caroline on Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

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