Seventh Monday: “I don’t work in order to amuse myself.”

I gave myself a task. I wanted to fractionate the five most important things that guide my decision making as a creative business owner. This is what I came up with.

First thing. Business means growth. Nobody is a full-time photographer (I hope) without thinking about growing his or her business. So, every decision I make, has to profit me somehow. Profit doesn’t always mean more money; it can also mean mental growth or stronger technical wisdom.

Second thing. I am very happy to be a creative business owner. It means that hand in hand with the profit part goes the creative part. I get to live out of ideas. Therefore every decision I make has to be guided by my vision. And vice versa. It has to guide my vision. It has everything to do with finding your voice as an artist.

Third thing. Customer satisfaction comes first. I don’t work in order to amuse myself. Most importantly this means my attitude. It’s true that I hardly ever bargain my vision or how I do things. I want to shoot using ambient light. I want to have written contracts with all my clients. But I firmly believe that all of those things are the kind that my clients profit from.

Fourth thing. In Finland, it’s super easy to run a business that is eco-friendly. Sustainable development is a dear subject to me. It’s part of my identity and as a creative business owner it fits well to the bigger picture. We owe so much to our environment that there is no question about whether or not it should be a factor in decision-making.

Fifth thing. It’s not possible to achieve anything without properly accepting the fact of constant change. Everything is in constant move. So is my business. It’s easier for me to deal with surprises and unpleasant occasions if I understand the concept of change. Actually. When I accept the fact that everything changes there really isn’t unpleasant surprises.

Because thinking molds our behavior, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t use few minutes of my precious working days doing it.

I forgot to photograph my breakfast, so I had to improvise: Dish of 4-corn porridge with Boysenberries, Tropical fruits juice & Two cups of dark roasted coffee