The Art of Being Creative

Camden Market - Entrepreneurs should all visit! 

I have been pondering my next blog article for a while and have been working on a couple of ideas and even started to write, however, I was getting nowhere and it all seemed a bit too uninspired.

Then last weekend all that changed! I went on a day out to Camden Market in London and I became truly inspired by what I discovered there.

Of course I have been to Camden before, many times, but not for a long while and certainly not with my 'entrepreneur' eyes and ears on.

For the first time I saw something remarkable and it reminded me of how simple good business can be.

Use what you have! 

Many people who talk about running their own business say something similar, that is they don't know what they can do - often they might be waiting for that million-dollar idea that usually never comes. There is another way....use what you have, now! 

Camden was full of people who have at some point decided to do something using whatever interests, skills and passions they already have. If you feel you have no idea what to do then after you have read this entire article make a list of your current skills and interests then pick one or two that you enjoy the most and make a start! 

The Foodilicious Cakes stall provided me with one of the nicest chocolate brownies (all homemade of course) I have ever eaten, and I recommend that you try something from them next time you visit the market!  It seems they have built quite a good small business which has come from a passion for baking cakes, and it shows - the passion that is.

Foodilicious - making probably the best brownies in the world!

Do your own thing, be authentic! 

You may have already noticed that I tend to use my own photos in this blog, this is not because I think my photos are better than the ones you can get from the pro galleries but because I believe by being more authentic in this way it creates something more real and of greater interest. Certainly quite a few of the traders I observed at the weekend were doing their own thing and in many cases they weren't doing anything that you or me couldn't be doing, except they were doing it! While working at GreenToysAndGames.co.uk I have sometimes found by using the non-stock picture for a toy or a game sales have increased. 

Hand painted t-shirt from Camden Artist!

I bought this menacing looking t-shirt from a Camden Artist and had a brief chat about which ones sold the best. The Union Jack Flag design was her most popular, now that is interesting as it's something that almost all of us could paint ourselves! The t-shirts, like my photos, were not the best finished you will ever see, most have paint splashes over them which is part of the charm!

Learn something new!

If you feel that you are not able to offer anything with your existing skills then I would urge you to learn something new, why not learn something you have always wanted to do?  Then in the future you will be able to offer your service, sell your product or teach others! Even if you can't turn it into a business you will no doubt enjoy yourself and gain a lot from the experience! 

In addition here is an excellent article in The Guardian which may give you some ideas about existing business ideas and other possibilities. 

Action Plan

I have enjoyed writing this article and I would urge you to consider the following while you are looking for new business ideas:

• Use what you have, Today! 
• Do your own thing, your own way. 
• Be Authentic!
• Learn something new.

In addition I would urge you to go for a day out at Camden or some other similar place near you where you can also become inspired by watching creative business entrepreneurs in action! 

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