We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Arianna Litrenta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Arianna, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Keeping creativity alive is not as easy as it sounds when your job is to continuously create. While creativity is one of my favorite aspects of my business, there are times that I feel burnt out or in a creative slump. I’ve found this usually comes at times where I’ve stretched my bandwidth with the number of projects or work I’ve taken on. The times I’ve been busiest- whether that’s developing recipes, working as a food photographer, capturing video content or curating blog posts- can sometimes be the times I feel I’m slacking most creatively.
Knowing this, I try not to bite off more than I can chew. While each day looks different, so does each month. I try to plan ahead as much as possible so I can organize accordingly and space out my client work. This lessens my stress load, which allows me to think more clearly and efficiently. As a self proclaimed Type-A perfectionist, keeping things organized is one of the keys to creating at my best potential.
Second, I heard a quote by Tieghan Gerard, the creator behind Half Baked Harvest, that said you should create more content than you consume. In my business, it is so easy to compare my work to others or get lost in the masses of content. While consuming content like magazine articles on seasonal produce helps get my creative juices flowing, scrolling through hundreds to thousands of pictures and videos a day does not. This is definitely a personal choice because I know other creators that get their best ideas looking at others work, but that just overwhelms me. At the end of the day you have to find what works for you!
Finally, I keep my creativity alive by staying true to myself. As cheesy as that sounds, overtime I found that my most creative moments or best work came from clients with similar values and style as mine. In the beginning, I tried to adapt my style to fit the needs of potential clients; however, I found that hindered my creativity. My creativity really shined when I found brands and clientele whose vision, style, and mission matched mine. I think connecting on that level helped me feel more confident in my creative vision.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m the founder of Sunflower Creative Co., a food photography and recipe creation company. I started my business in 2020 after losing my marketing job during the pandemic. My business really came about thanks to my blog, The Bottomless Pit. What started out as a creative outlet, turned into my full-time job! I’ve always had a passion for cooking but didn’t know how to turn my love for food into a career. However, when COVID-19 hit and I was out of a job, I took advantage of my newfound free time and created my gluten-free blog. Things quickly clicked and it became evident that I had found what I was meant to do. So, while I worked on growing The Bottomless Pit, I created Sunflower Creative Co. as a way to freelance, gain experience, find clientele and ultimately jumpstart my business.
Fast forward three years later and I can proudly say I have two successful business; furthermore, I get to do what I love every single day. I have some exciting things in the works and big plans for the future. One being, I hope to have a cookbook by the time I’m 30. I have a little under three years to make that happen but I have no doubt I’ll be able to check off that goal soon enough. And fingers crossed that it’s the first of many to come! As for Sunflower Creative Co., I hope to expand the business and build out a small team in the coming years. I’m very excited about what’s to come!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back over the last three years, there were so many aspects that impacted my journey. When I was first starting out, I took a number of classes on food photography, blogging, and social media marketing to build my knowledge on my business. These classes helped me better understand the services I could offer, standard rates, and the current marketing. Without this knowledge, the first year would have looked very different!
The second skillset that impacted my business was my previous work experience. I had a number of jobs before starting my business- I worked in event planning, marketing, as a food stylist assistant and as a food photographer for a restaurant while I was still in college. This diversified experience definitely gave me an advantage as I felt I wasn’t starting at zero. Finally, the number one quality that impacted my journey was my passion. Having finally found my niche, I knew I would do anything to succeed.
The best advice for those looking to start is just to jump in. It’s easy to push it off or wait for the “perfect” time to start. However, there is no such thing as a perfect time to start a business. There will always be more to learn or a sense of feeling unprepared. The first year or two of a new business is never easy, but waiting for the perfect time will only delay the inevitable. At some point, you just have to bet on yourself and dive right in!
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Deciphering what my strengths and weaknesses when it came to running a business were huge. For example, accounting never came easy for me in college and I found that I really struggled with Quickbooks and taxes. Understanding that was my weakness and hiring a CPA and bookkeeper benefitted me in the long run. I was able to focus on the aspects of my business that I thrived in, while knowing I had a trusted individual handling an area I struggled in. While some people may choose to diversify their skillset to become more well rounded, I think you have to evaluate if the investment is worth it long-term. I took a number of classes and seminars to help me better understand accounting, but I always found that I felt over my head. I knew that despite the classes, accounting was never going to be something that I felt truly comfortable with me. Furthermore, it took me so much time to do something that an experienced individual would complete in minutes. After looking at it from that perspective, I knew that it was more important for me to play to my strengths and ask for help with my weaknesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://the-bottomless-pit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_bottomlesspit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriTheBottomlessPit/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/the_bottomlesspit/
