Balancing Business and Creativity
Running a creative business is a constant balancing act. On one hand, there is the joy of designing, printing, and making. On the other, there are all the unseen parts that keep it running — emails, packaging, pricing, photography, bookkeeping, and of course, teaching workshops. Some days it feels like you’re juggling ten roles at once. I remember the early years, when I’d finish a class, tidy the studio, and immediately jump into preparing orders or printing fabric late into the night. I was full of energy but also learning, slowly, that doing it all doesn’t mean doing it well.
Over time, I realised that balance isn’t something you achieve and then keep forever. It’s something that shifts and reshapes as you and your business grow. There are seasons when making takes centre stage, when ideas flow easily and I lose track of time in the studio. Then there are quieter spells where I focus on admin, photographing new work, or simply letting the next collection form in my mind before I begin. I’ve learned to see both as equally necessary, the creative feeds the practical, and the practical supports the creative.
Teaching has reinforced this for me. Many of my students worry about finding time to create while managing everything else in life. I tell them what I’ve come to understand myself: creativity doesn’t respond well to force. It thrives on space, on patience, on being invited in rather than demanded of. You can’t rush your way to good work, but you can make small, steady room for it, even in the busiest of weeks.
There are still days when I feel stretched, when the to-do list feels endless, and when my creative energy dips. But I’ve come to trust that rhythm more than routine. Some days are for making, others are for managing. Both hold value, and both are part of the whole picture of being a creative business owner.
Balance, I’ve realised, isn’t about perfection, it’s about grace. It’s about giving yourself permission to rest, to adapt, to pause when needed, and to return to your craft with a full heart. The goal isn’t to split your time evenly; it’s to allow your work and your joy to coexist without one consuming the other.
Until next time,
Moji x