There’s something no one tells you when you start a creative business: one day, the very thing you’ve spent years mastering will be seen as “easy.” Suddenly, your craft will be something people dabble in after hours or try for extra income over weekends. And while I’m all for diversifying revenue streams (hello, multiple income pillars!), I also think it’s time we had an honest chat—creative to creative.
Because I see you.
I see the photographer who started on film, who learned to shoot manual, who fumbled through early Photoshop versions, and who’s now trying to stay afloat in an ocean of AI filters and auto-magic editing. I see the content creator who’s been refining their brand voice and storytelling for years, now watching someone post a few trending Reels and call themselves a strategist. I see the wedding vendor who’s built a luxury-level service experience, now being undercut by someone with a Canva template and no invoice system.
It’s not jealousy.
It’s not scarcity.
It’s fatigue from carrying the weight of experience in an era that celebrates immediacy!
Let’s talk about it.
The Side Hustle Surge
Post-pandemic, especially here in South Africa, many people started looking for ways to supplement their income—and rightly so. Our industry looked appealing because, quite honestly, it can look easy. Photography? Grab a mirrorless camera or an iPhone. Social media management? Just post a few things and reply to comments, right?
But here’s the thing: doing a creative job and sustaining a creative business are two wildly different things.
Sure, you can bake a killer brownie (so can I), and maybe even sell a few to your neighbors. That doesn’t make you a professional baker ready to supply wedding cakes to the Four Seasons. Just like shooting your cousin’s baby shower doesn’t make you a seasoned photographer ready to serve high-end clients with high expectations.
To the Creatives Feeling Threatened: Here’s Your Grounding Truth
If you’ve built something in this space—whether you’re a photographer, a content creator, a designer, or a strategist—I want to remind you of this:
You’re not just offering a service. You’re offering sustainability, systems, experience, and service.
And that cannot be fast-tracked.
Here are a few reminders to help you stay grounded:
1. Service will always outlast gimmicks.
The deeper we go into tech advancements, the more human connection and professionalism will matter. Client experience, reliability, and how you make someone feel—those are the things no app or AI can replicate.
2. Your pricing tells a story.
We allocate over R1000 per client on packaging alone. We run custom client galleries, personalized apps, and systems that cost real money to maintain. This is the stuff new side-hustlers often overlook. Clients expecting Rolls Royce-level service for hatchback prices are in for a rude awakening—and it’s okay to let them go elsewhere.
3. Long-term thinking wins.
Anyone can be booked out for two months. Let’s talk about staying booked out for ten years. That takes resilience, reinvention, and real business acumen. Don’t underestimate that.
And Now, A Word to the Clients Shopping for Creatives
You want value—we get that. But here’s what value really looks like:
1. Experience matters.
Ask your photographer how they handle a rainy wedding day. Ask your social media manager what their plan is when engagement drops. Ask for real case studies, not just Canva templates and pretty highlights.
2. Cheapest now can be costliest later.
Paying less might feel like a win—until your images don’t back up, your campaign flops, or your strategy disappears with a ghosted WhatsApp. Professionals charge what they do because they’re thinking three steps ahead.
3. Look beyond the ‘gram.
Instagram is a highlight reel. Ask about workflows, timelines, communication, problem-solving. Find out if the person you’re hiring has systems—or if they’re winging it with WiFi and vibes.
How to Stay Sharp When Everyone Else Says “I Do That Too”
For my fellow creatives who feel their edge is dulling in a sea of sameness, here’s how to keep it razor-sharp:
• Keep learning. Tech will keep changing—so should you. Stay ahead by being curious.
• Refine your systems. How clients experience your business is what builds longevity.
• Charge what you need to thrive, not survive. Undervaluing your work won’t make you more “bookable”—it makes you resentful.
• Build community, not competition. There’s enough work if you focus on your magic.
At the end of the day, this industry needs both heart and hustle. It needs real professionals who can weather the trends while welcoming newcomers with grace—but also with standards. Let’s keep raising the bar, not lowering the price.
To every creative out there doing the deep work: your experience is your superpower. Don’t ever forget that.
