Aspiring artists and entrepreneurs might have a lot in common. But artists and creative individuals who attempt something original always face a special problem: putting something out there with an immeasurable value and being unable to predict people’s response to it.
An up and coming artist is also faced with the risk of repeating themselves and becoming stereotyped. Therefore, the ideal artist must always face numerous uncertainties. At the same time, and because most artists require a decent amount of resources (including time) to do what they do, artists must build their own sustainable business with its own brand that allows them to grow, change and expand. You know, they have to make money.
Instead of letting go of the steering wheel and making important decisions because that’s what the ‘business people’ see fit, More Of is trying to help artists dodge their business worries. Through workshops, networking events and a platform to give their work exposure, More Of is on a mission to help artists express themselves and be heard.
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We attended More Of’s first workshop on the 31stof March. It was entitled ‘Creative Entrepreneurship: Turning Art into Business’. Afterwards, we sat down with Sara and Hania Seif, the enterprise’s founders, to sink our teeth into the heart of the problem they’re out to solve.
“We want to help artists do more of what they’re passionate about. But in order to do that, they’ll need to abandon the idea of being just artists and acquire an entrepreneurial mindset,” explained Hania. “We’ll start little by little but empowering them through knowledge alone won’t be enough. Our plan for the near future is to serve our purpose through creating networking events, boot-camps, intensive cycles, and ultimately, a massive creative festival,” she asserted. According to Sara and Hania, these events would be tailored to creatives and artists. And this is what makes More Of unique and necessary in their view.
Especially in today’s world, creating and putting yourself out there without a plan or an understanding of the market is evidently not enough. It’s waiting for luck to come knock on your door, and even if it does, you won’t be ready to enjoy it. But won’t capitalizing on your talents lead you to ‘selling out’?
What is honorable about More Of’s approach is that it doesn’t encourage artists and creatives to succumb to the harmful pressures of the business world. “We want to help them figure out the identity of their art, compose its brand, and present it to people. It’s not about maximizing profits form your art, it’s about leading a passion-driven, sustainable life,” elaborated Sara when I proposed that merging art and business could industrialize the former and perhaps ruin it.
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And it’s not just empowering people to do more of what they’re passionate about that they’re after. The birth of More Of in the midst of Egypt’s struggling economy begs the question: how would this help in the big picture? “Every artist we empower to grow will reflect on Egypt’s collective identity and incidentally motivate more tourism. It’ll also help found successful startups that hopefully grow into thriving businesses and create more jobs,” responded Sara enthusiastically.
If you’d like to find out more, you can head to More Of’s page on Facebook here.
