How Creatives Can Attract Investors (Even Without a Network)
Creativity Meets Capital – Issue #2 June 19, 2025
💡The Biggest Mistake Creatives Make When Seeking Funding
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working at the intersection of finance and creativity, it’s this: funding isn’t just about talent—it’s about strategy.
Many creatives assume that securing investment is just a matter of having a great idea or an amazing portfolio. But the truth? Investors don’t fund creativity. They fund opportunity.
The biggest mistake creatives make is focusing too much on the art and not enough on the business. Yes, your work has to be compelling—but if you can’t communicate the financial viability of your project, you won’t attract serious investment.
So today, we’re breaking down how to position yourself as an investable creative—even if you don’t have an established network.
🎯How to Position Yourself as an Investable Creative
Securing funding—whether from venture capital, grants, or private investors—requires more than just passion. You need to frame your creative work as a business opportunity. Here’s how:
1.) Master the Art of Storytelling (But for Investors)
Investors don’t just want to know what you’re creating—they want to know why it matters and how it will make money.
💡 The Investor Narrative Formula:
- The Problem: What gap does your creative work fill? (Example: “Fashion brands struggle with sustainability. My brand uses AI-driven upcycling.”)
- The Solution: How does your work address this need?
- The Market Opportunity: Why is this a smart investment?
- The Financial Plan: How will this generate revenue?
👉 Pro Tip: The best pitches make an emotional AND financial case—blend passion with profitability.
2.) Build Financial Literacy (Even If You Hate Numbers)
💰 Investors need to see financial clarity, not just creative vision.
📌 Key Financial Questions You MUST Answer Before Seeking Funding:
- How much money do you need—and what will it cover?
- What’s your business model? (Sales, licensing, partnerships?)
- What’s your projected revenue in the next 1-3 years?
If you can’t answer these questions, investors won’t take you seriously. You don’t have to be a finance expert—but you DO need to understand the numbers behind your work.
👉 Pro Tip: Use basic financial templates to structure your budget & projections before pitching.
3.) Show Traction (Before You Ask for Money)
Investors fund momentum—they want to see that your work is gaining attention, generating revenue, or building an audience.
📌 Ways to Show Traction:
✅ Press & media coverage (Even small features show credibility.)
✅ Social proof (Growing audience, customer engagement, brand partnerships.)
✅ Revenue milestones (Even small early sales demonstrate potential.)
✅ Industry recognition (Awards, fellowships, collaborations.)
The more proof points you have, the stronger your case for investment.
🔦 A Self-Funded Creative Who Scaled Successfully
📌 Danessa Myricks – Founder of Danessa Myricks Beauty
Meet Danessa Myricks, the visionary behind Danessa Myricks Beauty. With no outside investors, she scaled her brand through self-funding—reinvesting her earnings from makeup artistry into building a now multi-million-dollar beauty empire.
How She Funded Her Work: Danessa Myricks built her brand entirely through self-funding, reinvesting profits from her makeup artistry and photography gigs into product development and production—all without traditional investors
Key Takeaway: Self-funding allows complete creative and financial control—but demands relentless discipline and patience. Danessa advises: “You can slow down if you need to… but just don’t stop. The moment is going to come… the journey is different for everyone.” Her story teaches:
Sustainable growth: build at your own pace, tied to real revenue.
Ownership mindset: you define your metrics of success.
Resilience over speed: momentum matters more than perfection.
Quote:
“To this day we are completely self-funded… I work and get money and then I decide is it going to go to my household or is it going to go to the business… you can slow down if you need to…but just don’t stop.”
📌 Know a creative who has built a business without traditional funding? Reply and let me know!
📌 Resources & Opportunities: Crowdfunding & Alternative Funding Options
Not ready for investors? Here are alternative ways to raise capital:
🔹 Crowdfunding Platform – Kickstarter and Seed&Spark are the best platforms for raising money for creative projects:
🔹 Creative Grant – Artadia Unrestricted Awards a NYC-headquartered nonprofit offering merit-based grants to visual artists in seven major U.S. cities (including New York).
🔹 Accelerator Program – Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (Pennsylvania) – 12‑week program + $2,000 support for micro-businesses (<$200K revenue) in creative fields (film, fashion, visual art). Deadlines are rolling.
🔹 Revenue-Based Funding Program – Non‑dilutive financing where repayment is tied to revenue (typically 1–3× cap). Ideal for creative enterprises with recurring income—U.S. & Europe coverage. Platforms like Capchase and Lighter Capital offer RBF specifically to content creators and SaaS, playing to intellectual property strengths.
📌 Have you raised funding in a non-traditional way? Reply and share your story!
📩 Let’s Talk About It!
What funding method have you tried before? Crowdfunding, grants, self-funding, or investors? Reply and let me know your experience—I’d love to feature some insights in an upcoming issue!
🚀 See you in the next edition of Creativity Meets Capital!
💡 Nina Orm
🎨 Cultural Investor | Founder, The Agora Fund & Orm Muse Collective
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