Do you have a burning desire to follow your passion? Is creativity your calling and true purpose? As an artist, you follow your heart forward, but soon, you hit a major roadblock. It's the elephant in the room no one warned you about: Money. Plagued by poor finances, most creatives struggle with the details of turning their talent into a profitable career path. They pull at the thread of artistic drive and the financial aspect unravels. Maybe you're a filmmaker searching for equipment. Perhaps a singer who needs studio time. Or a painter longing to open a studio. Necessary expenses increase in increments and you start to wonder, 'Can I even afford to chase the dream?' With 25 years of experience coaching artists in the entertainment industry, music business visionary, Robert Terell, is laying the groundwork for all creatives in Finance the Dream: Creative Financing for Creative People. In this fourth book from the certified OFFICIAL DEALMAKER, Terell, with co-author, Lydia Plantamura, guide talented creators in finding the necessary funding to bring ideas into reality, build a creative career, and ultimately translate their passion into profit.

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Passion.

This is where it starts. Creativity captures the heart and you must pursue it. Once a creative discovers what they want, the passion becomes the purpose. They start a grand mission of manifesting ideas into physical reality through the artistic medium of your choice. Perhaps you're a singer trying to connect to the world with the sound of your voice. Maybe you're a filmmaker hoping to share a story visually with a camera. You could be a model attempting to convey an entire mood in one striking pose. Whatever your medium, as a creative, you have a deep longing to express yourself. It grows, becoming a part of your essence. You define yourself by this passion and begin to view it as your calling and your true purpose.

A Hobbyist is Born.

Like a new relationship, at first, the love for art is exciting. Inspiration comes easily and you do it just for fun and the pure joy it brings. You are experimenting and learning new things. Your skills improve, and you are showing real talent. Soon, people start to take notice.

"Your music should be on Spotify playlists," friends and family say.

"You should open an Etsy store for your art," they encourage.

"Start a YouTube Channel!"

The Great Chase.

Different creatives are chasing different things. Some are truly chasing their passion and they could care less about the money. Some are chasing fame, others are chasing money, and a majority are chasing their passion or true purpose. Some are looking for all of the above.

The hard truth is that the entertainment industry is one of the hardest industries to "make it" in. Very few people chasing this dream will reach their desired end goal of fame and fortune. Oddly enough, a lot of creatives chasing this dream don't even recognize the unlikely chance of success. Competition is fierce with millions of others trying to break in too. You might be really, really good at what you do, but so are many other artists out there. The odds are stacked against you until you can compete on the same level as those who are already in the game.

As you embark on this journey, you start to learn about all of the additional things you never thought about before, all the things you need to level the playing field and help you stand out from the rest. You need decent film equipment to launch your YouTube channel. And a professional website to sell your merch. Plus, you'll need social media promotion to boost your following. You discover more and more things that you will need to pursue the creative career of your dreams. It builds up, reaching a point where it doesn't even matter how talented you are. Regardless of your craft and skill, these other necessities must be addressed for you to continue forward. You start to ask yourself, "Can I even afford to be a rapper?" "Can I even afford to be a painter?" "Can I even afford to be a comedian?"

No matter what your desire, no matter what you're pursuing, it's the great chase until you hit a financial wall that says, "You can't afford to chase the dream."

Critical Crossroads.

You've hit a fork in the road. There are two paths ahead. In one direction, you continue to view your passion as a hobby. It is simply something you do in your free time, just for fun. You don't want it to become work. In the other direction, though, your passion becomes a full-time career. It is your livelihood and creativity flows into your entire lifestyle. While the path toward hobbyist is free and clear, the road to becoming a full-time artist is treacherous. Some will try to rush hell with a squirt gun, but they all get burnt. Immediately you begin to see the biggest obstacle blocking your way to a creative career: money.

The Situation.

The further and further you get into your artistic pursuit, the more your expenses star