creatives still aren't getting what they need... 😤

purpose + possibilities.

Last week, I was in Sacramento for a few days facilitating a business accelerator for a room full of creative founders.

And it was EVERYTHING. 🙌🏾

The program, produced in partnership with CLTRE and Creative Startups, was designed to help local creatives build sustainable businesses rooted in their craft.

And watching those founders show up, not just for their businesses, but for themselves, inspired me beyond measure. 🫶🏾

They even asked me to choreograph an opening number for our closing session in June.

To which I replied, "Don't threaten me with a good time." 😆

So yes, we'll be dancing, too.

But here's what I've been processing since I left...

I've been writing about the intersection of creativity and career/business sustainability for about a decade...in major publications, this newsletter, and community spaces just like that one.

And the fact that we're still behind on the resources, language, and frameworks that help creatives build lasting careers??? 👀

That tells me that, unfortunately, the gap hasn't closed.

Listen, creative people aren't lacking talent. We're not lacking ideas either. 💯

But what we're often missing is the exposure, strategy, and mindset to take our business as seriously as our creative practice — and a clear path for doing it without losing ourselves in the process.

That's why I'm resharing this article this week.

"The Creative's Guide to a Label-Free, Independent Career"

In this story, you'll see:

• Why forcing yourself into one professional lane might actually be working against you
• How your "unrelated" experiences aren't liabilities — they're the thing that makes you impossible to replicate
• What rejection from a dance audition taught me about building resilience as an entrepreneur
• The permission slip most creatives are waiting for someone else to hand them

If you've ever felt too multi-hyphenate to explain what you do, or too creative to be taken seriously as a business person...this one is for you.

purpose + your path.

This article was born from a conversation I had on the Label Free Podcast with host Deanna Radulescu. We talked about what it actually looks like to build a career without shrinking yourself to fit a box someone else made.

Worth a listen, especially if you're in a season of trying to explain what you do — to others, or to yourself.

🎙️ Check it out here.​

purpose + our people.

Two things happened recently that gave me all the confirmation I needed. 💛

At the last CreativeMornings Atlanta event, we spent the morning talking about creators owning what they make: their work, their voice, their value.

Then, days later, I was in Sacramento watching creative founders do the same thing — claim their seat at the table, on their own terms.

Different cities. Same intentions to solve the same problem.

If you want more BTS moments from both communities, I've been sharing over on Instagram.

🎥 Follow along here → @iamshate​

"I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man."

— Jay-Z, Diamonds from Sierra Leone 🎶

To building on your own terms,

Shaté @ ThePurposePost.com

P.S. I'll be spending the next 10 weeks online with the Sacramento cohort before reconvening in June for a pitch competition. And for years, I've been dreaming about what it would look like to bring this kind of experience to Atlanta or online for folks like you. When that happens, would you want to join us? Convos have already started, so hit reply to let me know. 👀✨

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