Finding Purpose Through Burnout

Mar 11, 2025

Too many creative people hesitate to call themselves entrepreneurs. They think business is about sales and scaling, while creativity is about passion and instinct. But creativity and entrepreneurship aren’t opposing forces—they’re natural bedfellows, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

In my 22 years of running my own business, I’ve seen countless people follow their entrepreneurial instincts—whether launching a startup, freelancing, building a lifestyle business, or crafting a portfolio career. And while every path looks different, the patterns of success (and struggle) are shockingly similar.

Like therapy or personal training, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But certain principles in building your business won’t just make the journey easier—they’ll make it positively transformative.

Motivation Matters

Every entrepreneur’s journey is unique, and most start their business for one of three reasons:

Unbearable Frustrations: Some of the best businesses start with someone thinking, I can do this better. Annoyance fuels innovation.

Happy Accidents: Great ideas often emerge from failures, pivots, or unexpected “aha” moments (Case in point: Honibe was born years after its founder’s near-death encounter with a bear.)

A Healthy Obsession: Forget “Do what you love.” Instead, do what makes you come alive—what aligns with who you are, your vision, and your values. The love will follow.

Starting is one thing. Staying engaged and motivated is another. What keeps entrepreneurs going when the road gets tough? Typically, it’s one (or all) of these:

Freedom – The desire to own your time and destiny.
Money – Not just wealth, but financial independence.
Impact – The drive to create something meaningful.

Whatever sparks your journey is important. What sustains it matters even more.

Building the Raft While Already at Sea

If you’re waiting to feel ‘ready’ before you start, you’ll be waiting forever. Maybe you design killer streetwear, make TikToks about ancient mythology, or sculpt ceramic cats that people on Etsy go crazy for. Whatever it is, you can turn creativity into cash—without selling your soul. And there’s no better time than now.

Creativity is the fuel for your entrepreneurial engine. But too many aspiring entrepreneurs hesitate—paralyzed by risk, uncertainty, or the belief that they’re not ‘business-minded.’ Trust me—there will always be an excuse.

Entrepreneurship isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about taking action. It’s about testing the waters, iterating, and refining.

It often feels like building a raft while already drifting in the ocean—there’s no perfect plan, no instruction manual. You learn by executing and sometimes by frantically paddling to stay afloat.

Lessons I Wish I Had Learned A Wee Bit Earlier

Get a Coach

It took me way too long to get a business coach. Her name was Claudie, and I remember sitting on a park bench in London’s Queen’s Park—when she looked at me and said, “You’re a creative entrepreneur.”

Then she waited. She wanted me to say it out loud.

I hesitated—it felt…ick. But years later, I fully owned it. A creative entrepreneur earns a living by selling their ingenuity, packaging up a bit of themselves, and gifting it to the world. That’s exactly what I do—I just resisted claiming it.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, once said that Olympic athletes don’t just have coaches when they’re young—they have them for decades. Entrepreneurs are no different.

A great coach helps you stay motivated, shift your mindset, navigate failures, regulate emotions, celebrate wins, make tough decisions—and most importantly, hold you accountable.

→ Takeaway → If you’re thinking of starting up on your own, stop reading now and find a coach.

Meditate (Yes, Really)

You have to clear your mind—Oprah, Ray Dalio, and countless leaders swear by it. It’s not just about calm—it’s about training your mind to navigate chaos like a Jedi Master.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Not at all. Sitting still for 10—hell, even 2—minutes is tough. But meditation works. It sharpens creativity, patience, resilience, and focus.

Once, on a packed commuter train, a passenger’s coffee went flying straight at me. In a split second, I dodged it, saving both myself and my laptop. The onlookers were stunned by my reflexes. Me? I just smiled, hearing my teacher’s voice in my head: ‘Maybe it’s the meditation.

→ Takeaway → If you’re too busy to meditate, that’s exactly why you should.

Keep Inventing as You Go

The lean startup framework tells you to build, measure, and learn. But creative entrepreneurship works differently—it starts with understanding your unique genius and taking it to the world so that the right people can find you.

Creative entrepreneurs are a special breed. They don’t just sell products; they sell their vision, artistry, and unique perspective on the world.

I know it sounds cringe but think of yourself as being in the business of transformation. If what you create changes something or someone for the better, then the world needs you to keep going.

There are eight billion people on this pale blue dot—and you only need a thousand true fans.

→ Takeaway → Define your value, start before you’re ready, and grow your audience.

The “Risky” Business Myth

After years of running a fashion business, I dropped everything—literally. The clothes, the stress, the emotional baggage. If burnout were a brand, I would’ve been its chief spokesperson.

I was working hard but not working smart—like so many others trying to turn creativity into a business. The music, film, and gaming industries are often called “risky.” But ask any restaurateur, and they’ll laugh in your face. All business is risky. Success isn’t about picking a ‘safe’ industry—it’s about learning to surf the inevitable waves of uncertainty.

In 2023 alone, 5.5 million new businesses were registered in the U.S.—an all-time record. Only a sliver had venture-backing, which means most entrepreneurs are out here duct-taping their dreams together with grit, caffeine, and blind optimism. It’s a game of adapting fast and betting on yourself—over and over again.

The artists, bakers, designers, DJs, yoga instructors, florists, food truck owners, photographers, dog walkers, kombucha peddlers, makers, and artisans? They’re not just building businesses. They’re making a damn good bet on themselves.

Written with love and free to the public.

Afterthought: No One Knows What They’re Doing

Entrepreneurship isn’t about perfection—it’s about practice.

It takes confidence and competence to take the leap, but it also requires a healthy dose of humility to recognize one's blind spots, listen to hard truths, and improve because of them.

So, go ahead—turn your ideas into action, launch your dream, and remember this: No one has it all figured out.

We’re all just making it up as we go.

Hi, I'm Jonas, the dude behind this newsletter, now in its 20th year. I coach, teach, and write. For fun, I enjoy chasing waves and making mixtapes. Want to learn more? Head to jonasaltman.com. And if something here sparks a thought, just hit reply—I’d love to hear from you.