The other day, I was talking with someone who has spent many years in a corporate career. She told me, “I would love to do something creative, but I don’t think I’m that kind of person.”
That sentence stayed with me.
Because many people speak about creativity as if it is an identity you are born with, not a skill you can build.
But creative careers are not only for people who started young.
They are also for people who are ready to begin now.
This is especially important for people who are thinking about transitioning into a creative career later in life. Many people say, “I am not creative,” when what they really mean is, “I have not given myself permission to practise yet.”
And that is a very different thing.
Creativity Is Not Only Talent
There is a common belief that artists are born with a special gift. Yes, some people may show interest in art, music, writing, or design from a young age. However, interest is not the same as mastery.
Even the best painters had to learn how to mix colour.
Even the best writers had to learn structure.
Even the best musicians had to practise scales.
Even the best surface designers had to understand repeat patterns, collections, scale, trends, and product use.
No creative person becomes strong simply by wishing.
They become strong by doing.
They learn. They practise. They make mistakes. They try again. They study other people’s work. They develop their eye. They build their voice. Over time, what once looked like “natural talent” becomes the result of many small steps.
Therefore, when someone says, “I wish I was creative,” the real answer is not, “Maybe one day.”
The real answer is, “You can start learning.”
Why Many People Hold Back
Many adults carry old stories about creativity.
Maybe someone told them at school that they were not good at drawing. Maybe they compared themselves to someone else and gave up. Maybe they chose a practical career and slowly pushed their creative dream aside.
Then, years later, they see an artist, designer, writer, or musician doing something meaningful and think, “I wish I could do that.”
But underneath that wish is often fear.
Fear of starting late.
Fear of looking silly.
Fear of making bad work.
Fear of not being taken seriously.
Fear of wasting time.
Fear of changing career direction.
However, the truth is simple: every creative journey begins with beginner work.
No one escapes that stage.
The first painting may feel awkward. The first article may feel clumsy. The first pattern collection may feel too busy. The first song may not sound finished. But this does not mean you are not creative. It only means you are at the beginning.
And every beginning deserves respect.
Creativity Grows Through Immersion
To become better at anything creative, you need to immerse yourself in the process.
This does not mean you need to quit your job immediately or spend every hour creating. Instead, it means you need to make creativity part of your life with intention.
For example, if you want to become a painter, paint often. Visit galleries. Study colour. Learn composition. Understand materials. Look at light, shape, and emotion.
If you want to become a writer, write regularly. Read widely. Learn storytelling. Practise editing. Pay attention to voice, rhythm, and clarity.
If you want to become a surface designer, create motifs. Build collections. Study trends. Learn about licensing. Understand product categories such as fabric, stationery, wallpaper, home décor, and giftware.
If you want to move into a creative career, you must stop standing outside the door and saying, “I wish.”
You need to open the door and begin.
LinkedIn Can Help You Transition Into a Creative Career
Many people think LinkedIn is only for corporate careers. However, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for creatives, especially those transitioning from another industry.
Why?
Because LinkedIn allows you to connect your past experience with your future creative path.
If you have worked in business, education, health, finance, law, marketing, retail, hospitality, leadership, or community work, those skills do not disappear when you become a creative. In fact, they can become part of your creative advantage.
Your past career may have taught you discipline, communication, customer service, project management, problem-solving, leadership, or resilience. These skills matter in the creative industries too.
A creative career is not only about making beautiful work. It is also about presenting your work, building relationships, understanding clients, communicating clearly, and creating opportunities.
LinkedIn helps you show this full picture.
Start Sharing Before You Feel Ready
One of the biggest mistakes emerging creatives make is waiting until everything is perfect before they share.
They wait until the portfolio is complete.
They wait until the website is finished.
They wait until they have a clear niche.
They wait until they feel confident.
But confidence often comes after action, not before it.
LinkedIn is a good place to start sharing your creative transition because your network may already know you as a professional. Now you can begin showing them another side of you.
You can post about your creative journey. You can share what you are learning. You can explain why you are returning to creativity. You can show a painting, pattern, poem, song, or design in progress. You can share the story behind your work or a lesson you learned from making something.
Most importantly, you can connect your old career with your new creative direction.
You do not need to announce, “I am now a full-time artist.”
You can begin gently.
You can say, “I am exploring a creative path alongside my current work,” or “I am building a new body of work,” or “I am learning how to turn my art into a commercial creative practice.”
This feels honest. It also invites people to follow your journey.
Your Creative Career Is Built in Layers
Transitioning into a creative career is not one big leap. It is often a series of small, steady steps.
First, you reconnect with your creative practice.
Then, you build skills.
Next, you create a small body of work.
After that, you begin sharing it.
Then, you ask for feedback.
Later, you refine your direction.
Eventually, you may explore selling, licensing, teaching, exhibiting, publishing, or working with clients.
Each layer matters.
Too often, people only see the final result. They see the exhibition, the book, the product, the song, the licensed collection, or the finished portfolio. They do not see the many quiet hours behind it.
That is why you must not compare your beginning to someone else’s chapter twenty.
You Are Not Too Late
Many people come to creativity later in life. In fact, life experience can make your creative work stronger.
You may have more stories to tell.
You may understand emotion more deeply.
You may know what matters to you.
You may have lived through change, loss, love, pressure, success, failure, and reinvention.
All of this can feed your art.
So, instead of saying, “I am not that kind of person,” try saying, “I am learning to become that kind of person.”
That small change matters.
One sentence closes the door.
The other opens it.
A Simple Starting Point
Here is a simple exercise.
Choose one creative skill you want to grow. It could be painting, writing, pattern design, photography, music, illustration, or storytelling.
Then commit to one small action for the next seven days.
Paint for 15 minutes.
Write one paragraph.
Sketch one motif.
Take one photo.
Study one artist.
Share one reflection on LinkedIn.
Organise one folder of your creative work.
Keep it small enough that you can actually do it.
Because the goal is not to prove you are already good.
The goal is to begin becoming.
Final Thought
Creativity is not reserved for a chosen few. It is not a locked room. It is not something only “naturally talented” people are allowed to explore.
Creativity is a practice.
It grows through attention, courage, learning, patience, and repetition.
So, the next time you hear yourself say, “I am not that kind of person,” pause for a moment.
Then ask yourself a better question:
“What is one small thing I can learn today?”
That is where the creative career begins.
Not with perfection.
Not with permission.
But with the decision to start.
Call to Action for Creatives
Are you ready to stop saying “I am not that kind of person” and start building the creative life you truly want?
At ArtSHINE, we help artists, surface designers, writers, and creatives grow their skills, build confidence, and turn their creative passion into a clear pathway.
Start your creative journey with us today:
lpa.artshinem.com
