How to Build a Creative Business When You Don’t Have Time
Ditch the perfect system. Find what works for your brain and make every hour count.
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All creative founders struggle with time.
Unless you have other means of support—a partner’s income or savings—you’re probably wrestling with a version of this week’s question.
“I work full time and I’m starting my art business on the side. How do I find time to build my business while I still have a job?”
I’m dangerously close to 50 and still haven’t found a sugar mama, so I have no wisdom for you there. Let’s assume you need to fully support yourself like me.
Creative businesses are harder to start and grow than most other businesses because of one reality:
Your creative business is heavily dependent on your time.
You’re not just the founder and CEO. You’re also the one creating the product. That’s a lot to expect from one person!
What you’re struggling with has little to do with your ability to manage your time. Every creative founder has the same problem.
So let’s deal with it.
Prioritization Is Personal
You’ve already heard the advice. Carve out a set amount of time, every week, and protect it. But how you do that depends entirely on you.
The beautiful neurodiversity among creatives is one of my favorite parts of teaching them. Every year I get to see hundreds of different ways to see and organize the world. That’s why I can’t give you one “best” time management method. What works for me probably won’t work for you.
So instead, let’s look at three characters who manage time in very different ways. Which one sounds most like you?
Aria the Architect
Aria’s calendar is her creative anchor. She time-blocks three evenings a week for her photography side business, using the Pomodoro Technique to stay focused. The structure keeps her from feeling scattered, and she loves the satisfaction of ticking boxes in her planner.
Gareth the Gardener
Gareth keeps no written list for their illustration business. They track priorities in their head and naturally gravitate toward the most important or most exciting work. If something falls through the cracks, it probably wasn’t that important. The looseness works because they’ve honed a strong instinct for priorities.
Millie the Mixer
Millie uses sticky notes on the wall to track big milestones for her animation studio. But day-to-day? It’s pure flow—she works on whatever sparks her energy. The notes are always there when she needs to zoom out, but she doesn’t force herself into them when she’s in her groove.
Accept Who You Are
Whether you’re an architect, a gardener, or a mixer, the goal isn’t to turn yourself into someone else. Fighting your natural style burns more energy than it saves.
I’m a gardener. I’ll sometimes try lists or sticky notes, but I never stick with them for long. I’ve accepted that and it works for me.
If you’re wired for systems, use them. If you run on instinct, trust it. If you’re somewhere in between, blend structure and flexibility. The method matters less than the results.
And that’s the real secret to time management.
Return on Time Is The Real Goal
Time management isn’t about how many hours you work. It’s about what those hours give back to you.
Think of your time like an investment. Every hour you spend on your creative business has the potential to pay you back in sales, audience growth, or another tangible return. That’s your return on time.
How you track it depends on your style:
Architects: Don’t just track hours; track results per hour. How many sales, signups, or leads did three hours produce?
Gardeners: Gut-check your instincts. Are the things you call “important” actually moving the needle or just filling time?
Mixers: Mark high-return activities so they stand out. Color code, star, or icon them so you instantly know what to prioritize.
So far, everything we’ve discussed assumes that you’re building your creative business alone.
It might be time to rethink that too.
Better, Faster, and Stronger Together
The fastest way to waste time is to work in isolation and unknowingly duplicate effort. Collaborating with other creatives on similar paths can help you share resources. But the real magic happens when you find someone who complements your strengths.
If you’re a gardener with great instincts but poor organization, find an architect who loves building systems. If you’re an architect who’s great at structure but struggles with branding, work with someone who can craft a story and visual identity.
When you combine different strengths with a partner, you’re splitting the work and multiplying the results. You get more done with better results in less time. So you both get a higher return on time.
A word of caution here. Complementary skills matter but shared values matter more. Partner with someone whose values align with yours to avoid unnecessary conflict.
This Week
Here are three things you can try right now:
Identify your time management style and accept it. Then set a realistic weekly hour goal for your creative business.
Define “return on time” for you and start tracking it. Even if you can’t get exact numbers yet, use a simple high/medium/low scale.
List potential partners who share your values and compliment your strengths. Set up a conversation with at least one.
Even if you don’t find the perfect partner now, starting the search will make growth easier later. Because even after you go full time, you’ll eventually need others to help you scale your creative business to its full potential.
We’ll tackle that challenge—scaling creative businesses—in a future issue.
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Perfect timing! I’m a teacher and so with the beginning of the school year upon me, I’m back to having such little time for my art business and anytime I do have is spent creating. I appreciate this so much!
Great post! I've been struggling with making time for creativity lately and found this really insightful! I feel like a mix between an architect and a gardener, and look forward to managing my time better based on this.