We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jd, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I lived in Japan, a lot of people–business owners, farmers, cooks, etcetera–would give an additional item and call it “service” or a thank-you gift along with a purchase. Those moments always amazed me because living in the U.S., businesses don’t do that.

Jd, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Because I always was doing art, I thought of starting a business around art. Since I knew a lot of people who said, “Hey, how do you do this? Oh, I’d like a flyer like this. Could I hire you to paint this?” I wanted to help clients get what they were seeing in their minds and bring it to life. That’s the reason I love making art.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that the current way to learn about business and to become business savvy was through traditional schooling. The only thing is that the creative industry, whether it’s illustration, design, comics, writing, filmography, theater, or culinary arts, is overly saturated. No amount of classes, degrees, articles, books, or even workshops can prepare a creative to be in the business world and to make a big profit or earn a steady income with benefits. I used to think that I could make art and do business stuff at the same time. The truth is a creative with a business can’t do their craft and the business side at the same time. If I’m making an illustration for the client, I am neglecting the business side of entering numbers into spreadsheets, writing clients and potential clients, and counting my inventory. If I’m looking for a cheaper supplier for shirts, I am neglecting making actual products. Most of the lessons I learned about my own business were through trial and error and the advice from my seniors, not through traditional schooling.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Be the boss that you had wished your previous bosses were. Always keep reading and reflecting on every interaction you have with teammates to improve your leadership skills. If morale is down, do activities that give you a break from your industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blackbearcatpress.com
• Instagram: blackbearcatpress

Image Credits
Jd Banks