Recently I’ve been reading a string of books from successful entrepreneurs. All of them have a background in business, media, blogging and technology. Most of these books are successful because the authors put a lot of money behind them. Some of them have truly powerful ideas, even if most of the content is name-dropping and shoulder-rubbing with famous people, and …
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How to profit from your hobby: Making Money with Etsy
I’ve danced around Etsy for several years. As a fine artist, I’m not quite ready to sell my paintings for as low as I think I would need to in order to make a lot of money of Etsy. However, even in that regard I’m probably wrong, because I spend far more on shows and galleries than I would setting …
Read More »Starting over with nothing at 32: Thoughts on the creative life, independence and retirement
For the last week I’ve been avoiding my work: the pressures and responsibilities and deadlines have been building up, and like a turtle I react by disappearing, into junk food and catching up on popular TV series. But today I’m catching up – starting with a fancy breakfast of icecream strawberry waffles at a nearby café. The background music is …
Read More »Breathe
It’s easy to get obsessed about finishing today’s to-do list, hunting down the solution to some problem, or figuring out how to use your time more productively and make more money. This may seem like the only way to improving your life or changing your circumstances. It isn’t. Most days pass me by with my eyes glued to the computer …
Read More »7 Reasons to Sign Up for Free Updates and Exclusive Content
1. Get inspired. You’re trying to compete with millions of other hard working and talented artists, authors and entrepreneurs. Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive. That’s why, besides the insanely useful, practical and exclusive tips on how to build a small business around your own creativity, I’ll keep inviting you to stay motivated and optimistic, and encourage you to keep …
Read More »A Crash Course in Self Publishing and Marketing for Indie Authors
Are you trying to write a book? If not, you’re the only one. The temptations of writing and publishing a book are many: the feeling of empowerment that comes with finishing a large project; the respectability and deference that comes with introducing yourself as a “published author”; and of course the opportunity to make boatloads of money. A book is …
Read More »My Story
When I was a teenager, I used to argue with my mom about having a fall-back plan. “Making a plan for when you fail,” I would say, “is planning to fail. To be successful, you can’t allow failure to be a possibility.” I kept that mentality for a long time. For nearly the past decade, I’ve scraped by on as …
Read More »About Derek Murphy
Hi there! Welcome to my blog, where I teach creative people how start profitable freelance businesses, produce and sell their best work, and “blaze a trail of creative luminosity.” When I started this blog, I had a lot of experience in fine art and publishing. Since then, I’ve started several businesses that generate over $250K in income (it doesn’t all …
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