Creative Enterprise, Spirit Art & Mediumship
- Coral Ryder
- Oct 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 13, 2024
Creative Enterprise, what is it?
According to dictionary.cambridge.org:
Creative is "a person whose job involves producing original ideas or doing artistic work. "
Enterprise is "an organization, especially a business, or a difficult and important plan, especially one that will earn money. "
Thereby creative enterprise can be defined as a company whose business is centred around
the production of unique, originative services and products usually of an artistic nature and/or creative skill.
Mediumship and Spirit Art, what are they?
According to dictionary.cambridge.org:
Mediumship is "the practice or state of being a medium (= a person who says that they can receive messages from dead people)."
Spirit Art, is not mentioned in the dictionary, however simply put: it is art created by a medium, inspired by spirit, usually in the form of evidential spirit portraiture.
As a spirit artist, medium and tutor of mediumship, getting a full-time job earning a salary from an employer is extremely difficult. There are not many places, if any, that offer such employment on a salary base. Thereby to carve a living within this field of work most of us psychics and mediums need to be self employed.
Be your own boss, do what you love & love what you do!
Becoming an entrepreneur, and starting your own business in the creative enterprise sector is an investment in your creative talents and intellectual property.
Work to live verse's live to work. There is nothing quite frustrating than being stuck in a dead end job that you hate, having to suck up to a boss you don't particularly respect or want to have to spend time with. Turning your hobbies and skills into your living and being your own boss can be daunting but extremely rewarding.
Being your own boss and turning your creative skills and natural talents into your occupation allows you the freedom and opportunity to do what you love and make a living from it. Your artistic talents and creative hobbies could literally become your job. You get to set your own hours, work around your schedule producing unique products and services to customers and clientele as a small business aka sole trader.
What type of enterprise are you interested in developing, small business, social or non-profit?
Small business enterprise
Small business enterprise is about making profits providing yourself and any employees with a decent living wage whilst supplying products and services to your customers. Such as working by commission, or freelance, or opening up a shop, office or studio, where you can make and sell your creative products. Or within my field of work offer in person or online private readings/sittings, demonstrations, classes and workshops on psychism, mediumship, spirit portraiture, mindfulness art, and arts and crafts.
Social enterprise
Social enterprise combines making a living wage with supporting social and environmental issues, community, fairness and sustainability such as the Co-op whose vision is "Co-operating for a Fairer World."* Examples within my line of work tend to be spiritual centres, faith based social enterprises, and individual self employed mediums who provide their services to help raise funds for local, national and international communities, charities and causes.
Non-profit enterprise
Non-profit enterprise is more aligned with charitable organisations that focus more on social and environmental concerns rather than on making money. It's profits being reinvested in maintaining and providing products and services that have a positive impact upon society like Hartlepool's Atrium Studio, Families First or within my field of work the "Spiritualist National Union" (SNU) and their Churches.
Roles and responsibilities, risks and rewards.
As a self employed entrepreneur you are in control and responsible for your business. To succeed you need to get motivated and make a plan. Look at the pros and cons, do your research, know your industry and market; get to know the roles, responsibilities, risks and rewards. As a sole trader you are facing long hours, an unpredictable income and lack in employee benefits. There is no company pension, sick pay or holiday pay, simply put if you don't work you don't get paid. It is thereby prudent to have a proactive plan in place to cover such days and contribute to your pension.
As a sole trader you need to stay motivated, be resilient, decisive, and hone the skill of multitasking. It's your business so you're in charge of everything, from concept to fruition. This means building a robust set of skills and knowledge in planning and finance, branding and marketing, networking, pricing and dealing with clients. You need to know if you need a license or permit for your enterprise, do you have the correct insurance, is the building and environment safe and suitable for purpose?
As a medium about to turn your innate mediumistic abilities into your occupation, you need to ask yourself are you ready to turn professional? Are you competent in your field, have you developed your abilities and educated yourself enough? Its important to remember that how we portray ourselves and mediumship to the public impacts upon the reputation of our community as a whole. If we are ever to be rid from the stigma of the past, and be truly accepted by society then we need to present the best of ourselves. To raise the standards within the field of psychism and mediumship then we need to set that standard and be the pioneers of tomorrow today.
As a professional medium where do you intend working, will it be locally, nationally or internationally, in person or online? Will it be in Churches and Centres, mind body and spirit fairs, or the pub and club circuit, will you visit clients in their own home, or will you work from a studio/office space?
All these roles, responsibilities and decisions come down to you. It is thereby wise to research and get to grips with the day to day running of a creative enterprise and the legal stuff and jargon that goes with it.
Working as a medium brings about its own unique risks. In developing our senses we mediums, can become overly sensitive. This heightened sense of awareness can make us susceptible to being tetchy, what we often refer to as the "mediums disease". Unfortunately, despite living in an era with great emphasis placed on equality, we still face having to deal with peoples' bigotry and bias, such as accusing us of being in league with the devil, delusional, or fraudulent. Developing a thick skin, and not letting such things get to you is important, when working in this field.
Should you set up as a company or sole trader? There are pro's and cons to both. As a sole trader registered in your name you are personally responsible for any debts you may accrue, where as if you set up under a company name your company is responsible. Before registering your enterprise take time to consider which works best for you and your business.
On the upside, despite all the hurdles we face, being your own boss is worth it. It's liberating, you get job satisfaction, you're in charge of something you created and are passionate about. Working as a sole trader allows you the freedom to choose your work hours, be that fulltime, part time, or as a side hustle,** which means you can fit it in around your family and other commitments. You decide how much to charge for your products and services, and who you will, or will not, work with or for.
Yes, self employment is risky, so we need to be brave and innovative. In the words of my father "if you try and fail at least you know you tried."
My skill set:
My field of expertise is in Spirit Art which is one of the rarer forms of mediumship. I was the first person to achieve a CSNU award in demonstrating spirit art from the Spiritualist National Union in 2012. Something I have to admit I am extremely proud of.
I'm a creative person and enjoy making things and exploring my artistic talents. From making my friends wedding dress and medieval costumes from my re-enactment days, to jewellery making, crochet, drawing and painting. I love the creative process and state of mindfulness it brings. Oh, and I also write poetry and lyrics, which my very talented sister-in-law puts to music, such as: Mother, Man of True Vision, Push off Creep and Spiritual Age.
I'm a good tutor and have a passion about passing on knowledge and sharing ideas. I love to see my students excel and grow in knowledge and understanding, and renewed appreciation for their own natural abilities.
My personal motivation behind setting up a creative enterprise:
I registered as a sole trader as I was beginning to earn money demonstrating and teaching Spirit Art and mediumship. I am studying creative enterprise as I am looking to further my business and manage it more proficiently by being better educated, organised, focussed and decisive. I'd like to introduce a range of spiritual merchandise and sell my creative work and spirit artwork to a wider audience. I have a vocation to teach and drive to be of service. I wish to answer my calling and pass on the knowledge I've gained within my field of expertise to the next generation of spirit artists and mediums. I'd thereby like to finish writing my books on Spirit Art and see them in print. More importantly however, I'd like to see in my lifetime educational courses on the subjects of psychism, mediumship, spirit art and the religion of Spiritualism made available within a mainstream setting such as colleges like HCFE. Why you may ask? Because I'd like to see the bias and bigotry towards my kind to stop! It is time that people, with innate psychic and mediumistic abilities, be normalised not stigmatised and education is a means to that end. In my eyes education is the key to enlightenment, for knowledge removes our fear of the unknown. A lack in education, within this field, can lead to some being afraid of their own natural abilities. Therefore, I believe that those with a genuine interest in these subjects should be able to attend courses on the fundamentals of psychism, and mediumship and thereby get a better understanding of who we are, what we do, and maybe a little insight into themselves. Towards that endeavour and my continued personal development I'd like to hone my knowledge and teaching skills further, gain a CertEd and put a course together fit to be delivered within colleges and universities.
*Interesting fact: Social reformer Robert Owen, deemed as the father of the co-operative movement was a Spiritualist.
He converted to Spiritualism in 1854 after receiving several sittings from American Medium Maria B Hayden. After his passing in 1858, he is attributed with providing the Principles of Spiritualism through the mediumship of Emma Hardinge Britten. These principles were then adopted and adapted by the Spiritualist National Union into the Seven Principles, Spiritualists live their lives by today.
**The side hustle: according to dictionary.cambridge.org: side hustle is: "a piece of work or a job that you get paid for doing in addition to doing your main job." Where as hustle can be taken to mean: "to try to persuade someone, especially to buy something, often illegally." Thereby an unfortunate terminology to use for a medium considering that some people see us as fraudulent.
Ref
www.co-operative.coop. (n.d.). Sustainability reporting. [online] Available at: https://www.co-operative.coop/ethics/sustainability-reporting.
Start Up Loans Company. (n.d.). What to consider before going self-employed. [online] Available at:
https://www.startuploans.co.uk/business-guidance/what-to-consider-before-going-self-employed/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2023].
Co-operative News. (2021). 250 years of Robert Owen. [online] Available at: https://www.thenews.coop/154418/topic/history/250-years-of-robert-owen/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2023].
Karen (2019). ROBERT OWEN: Reformist and Spiritualist. [online] Spiritual Path Church. Available at: https://spiritualpathspiritualistchurch.org/robert-owen-reformist-and-spiritualist/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2023].
Comments