By Dr. Monalise Chinn
Many creative and spiritual people shy away from starting or growing a business. This is unfortunate because we all benefit when more heart-centered people are active in the marketplace. Some of the reasons business can seem like a “no” have to do with hustle culture, corporate culture, and the general “vibes” of doing business.
The truth is we need different practices that align with our natural rhythms (instead of working non-stop). We need practices that build community and support networks instead of the way large, anonymous, multi-national corporations view humans as only consumers. And lastly, we need to step into the “vibes” or feeling of doing business which takes time and doesn’t provide that instant jolt of bliss that can come from a studio painting session, ecstatic dance party, or deep transcendent meditation experience.
I – Honoring Our Natural Rhythms
Banish hustle culture and detangle it from success. The idea of working 24/7 to build a business or after work on your “side-hustle” has become almost synonymous with entrepreneurship. So much so that people will avoid going into business, because the core belief is “I’ll have to sacrifice” my studio time, my time on the cushion, or just down time with friends, family, or myself.
The underpinnings of hustle culture are tied to rapid, fast-paced growth and scaling a business to its maximum potential. Basically, getting as big as possible as fast as possible is the rationale behind hustling, and you don’t see those promoting this strategy questioning it at all.
What if slow growth and a small to medium size business is more what success looks like for many of us? This is the question that those starting out, or focused on growth, need to ask themselves. What does a day in the life look like running a creative or spiritual business? When you know the answer to these questions, what it can take to get there appears much closer than the nebulous working non-stop to get to an unknown, ever moving target. That old “race to nowhere” can stop.
When we approach business in this way, it becomes more enjoyable and sustainable. We can create businesses that develop in cycles and in rhythm with our life. Our activities can also increase or decrease based on time of year, time in life, our own health, and what’s happening with those we love.
II – Honoring Our Community
Many are turned off by the dehumanizing business tactics used by multinational corporations and the onslaught of online ads targeting us so effectively. We have too many examples of people doing business with egoic, selfish motives—so much so that we can buy into the belief that this is what business is.
But it doesn’t have to be—and it didn’t used to be. If we go back far enough, business within small communities was inherently fair and based on equitable exchange. Because everyone knew each other and if you were doing something unfair or dishonest, you were outed and probably out of business for it!
I think we can return to that, especially small businesses or solopreneurs, because it just feels better and works better. I think we can return to this more natural way of doing business: focusing on quality, long term relationships, especially for small businesses or solopreneurs, just feels and works better. It just makes business more natural, less gross, and less awkward!
The focus should be on building relationships with like hearted people. That’s it. It’s that simple.
When you are focused on connecting with people you like, it feels like being a normal human. You can feel your whole nervous system relax into being natural, yourself, and authentic, real, instead of putting on your “I’m doing business hat” or often a mask.
III - Honoring the Energy of Business
Doing business can feel qualitatively different from creating art or tapping into higher spiritual realms. Dancing, painting, meditating, or chanting can, at times, feel transcendental. While sometimes exhilarating and fulfilling, business is inherently an earthly thing…more like planting a garden than touching the divine.
Much like putting a seed in the dirt, nourishing and watering your business can feel rich and worthwhile. We are often sold the misconception that entrepreneurship, especially in the digital age, is a tale as old as time—a way to get rich quick—but being a business owner might not give us that quick jolt of inspiration we might be expecting or wanting. In reality, it takes time to refine, nurture, and cultivate a successful business.
Businesses need respect and attention so that earthly, embodied richness, although slower and small at first, can fulfill us. It is not meant to take us to the height energetically that an ecstatic dance or shamanic drum class does. Understanding this helps us relax into what business is and how it can be an important part of one’s life.
Want support finding enjoyment in creating or growing your business? Dr. Monalise Chinn provides Mental Wellness & Business Support locally in Ann Arbor and Online at Monalise.Art. She also hosts a marketing podcast, The Visible Creative, for spiritual and creative business owners.
Related Content:
In How Are You, Really? Jenna Kutcher explores the often-overlooked question of how we are truly feeling. She encourages readers to reconnect with their authentic selves and live according to their values, joys, and rhythms rather than societal expectations. The book resonates deeply with people at various life stages, offering a much-needed invitation to stop and ask, “How are you, really?”