Monday Muse
Monday Muse
Interview: Creative Entrepreneurs Founder Carolyn Dailey
Interview
Carolyn Dailey
Photography
Nick Haddow
Interview
Carolyn Dailey
Photography
Nick Haddow
Carolyn Dailey is a creative industry visionary. As the founder of Creative Entrepreneurs, an international community empowering creatives to succeed personally and professionally, she has championed creative lives in the fields of design, music, architecture, film, fashion, publishing, and gaming—and in the heart of government at No. 10 Downing Street. Prior to this, Dailey spent two decades at Time Warner, as their leading executive in Europe. She is regularly named as one of the leading entrepreneurs in the industry, has lectured at Cambridge University and Central St Martins, and is a regular on Sky News. And she’s just launched her first book, The Creative Entrepreneur. Dailey shared her thoughts on the future of creative business, how to overcome challenges in the field, and her favourite places to visit for inspiration with The Wick.
THE WICK: What does a typical Monday look like for you?
Carolyn Dailey: Never typical! Unfortunately – or actually fortunately, as I don’t tend to like routine. It goes in rhythms. If I’m in writing mode, it’s a long stretch of hardcore head down graft. If I’m in real world mode, Mondays are mainly for imagining and planning, for example new content ideas, new event ideas, new interview ideas. To get space for that, I tend to keep external meetings to a minimum on Mondays, but I always make time to catch up with the team as it’s so important to brainstorm for the week ahead.
TW: You are the Founder of Creative Entrepreneurs, an international community empowering creatives to succeed personally and professionally. What do you think is the biggest challenge creatives face?
CD: By far the biggest and most urgent challenge is the lack of creative entrepreneur role models. Creatives don’t see themselves represented as successful business people. In one sense, this is understandable as mainstream conversation is more interested in the output of creative people, for example Roksanda Ilincic’s next collection or Thomas Heatherwick’s next building or Nile Rodgers’ next hit. But this means the entrepreneurial back stories are lost. The mission of my book is to tell these untold stories for the first time – to provide the inspiration and learning that is urgently needed to help people build creative businesses and careers.
TW:
You have just launched your debut book The Creative Entrepreneur. Why do you think creativity and business are often separated?
CD:
First, creatives don’t tend to have business backgrounds or contacts or, frankly, interest. So they normally avoid “the business side” as much as possible. Next, we have these gulfs of understanding which have grown up over time. From within the creative sector, “business” remains a dirty word, “commercial success” is shunned as “selling out,” and “entrepreneur” tends to carry negative connotations of tech-bros or cigar-smoking super yacht owners.
From outside of the creative sector, the stereotype remains that those within it are starving artists or hobbyists and should never be taken seriously when it comes to business. I hope my book can help break down these misconceptions and let creatives see that business actually empowers their creativity. It’s what lets something go from a creative idea to becoming something real that can go into the world and take flight. And while I find these misconceptions so frustrating, the other side of the coin is that if we can break them down and enable creatives to embrace business to empower their creativity, the potential is endless.
TW: Your book is an essential guide on how to build a creative business, with insights from ten of the world’s most inspiring entrepreneurs. What is the best piece of advice you have personally received?
CD: It’s the same piece of advice that every one of the entrepreneurs featured in my book also mentioned – be absolutely true to yourself. It sounds like a trite cliche, but it’s not. It’s so easy to get caught up in what you think is expected of you. The key is to stay in touch with what is uniquely you – that’s where your originality and success will come from.
“It’s what lets something go from a creative idea to becoming something real that can go into the world and take flight.”
TW: How do you see technology impacting the future of creative businesses?
CD: We’re already seeing that AI is changing everything and at a dizzying, accelerating pace. To find out more for my book, I visited Nvidia in Silicon Valley who of course make not only the chips, but also the wider ecosystems that power AI. I learned so much, but essentially – and everyone’s very open about this – no one has a crystal ball, not even the people working at the forefront on tech. But one thing is for sure, while AI will massively disrupt the team roles within a creative business, and the core business models themselves, AI will also be a great collaborator for creatives and we’re going to see whole new creative businesses emerge.
TW: Your book speaks about the creative sector as one of the fastest growing contributors to the global economy. Which creative businesses do you have your eye on right now?
CD: Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol’s Refik Anadol Studio. They are pioneers in the aesthetics of machine intelligence, creating mind-blowing monumental immersive media art based on data. They are now pushing the boundaries of how AI can pioneer new forms of creativity. It’s a fascinating business model – the Studio creates its own artworks and exhibitions while also working with a fascinating array of clients, from Microsoft to Hennessy Cognac. This year the Studio will open the world’s first AI art museum in LA.
TW: What is the piece of artwork you are coveting and why?
CD: An Alvaro Barrington sunset painting. I think he’s doing something really exciting and really new with his use of colour and material – and with his fascinating and emotionally intelligent narrative. I wish I could have his basketball court.
TW: Your favourite Culturally Curious spot – museum or gallery – to visit for inspiration?
CD: For sure the Serpentine Galleries, one on either side of the Serpentine itself. Whatever exhibitions they have on at any time are guaranteed to be the most pioneering in contemporary art, which will fill you with game-changing new ideas and perspectives and – frankly – joy. Plus you’re in the middle of the most beautiful nature, Kensington Gardens – there’s no better combination. And don’t miss The Magazine at Serpentine North. It was designed by my late friend and crucial supporter Zaha Hadid and is spectacular – more of a sculpture than a building. I just had my book launch party there – it was very moving feeling Zaha’s presence on that momentous night for me.
TW: Who is your ultimate Monday Muse?
CD: Contemporary art pioneer Nicoletta Fiorucci. She is truly a force of nature with boundless energy who somehow seems to pack 48 hours into any day. I’ve really never seen someone so committed to seeking out and nurturing new creative talent – and giving them a platform through her Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation which provides residencies, exhibitions and performances. If you get a chance to go to her Salons during Frieze London, run, don’t walk!
