Lessons and takeaways on entrepreneurship for creatives

What a weekend. When we first embarked on putting together an entrepreneurship event to help creatives turn their passion into profit, we had an inkling that we were on to something. And last weekend's Creative Entrepreneurship Summit delivered.

- ANGAT LAHAT! JOEY CONCEPCION

Not only did we attract so many creative talents to both learn and teach during the event, but we also walked away with a broader and deeper appreciation of creatives as entrepreneurs. We had visual artists, industrial designers, fashion retailers, textile enthusiasts, professional photographers, performing artists, publishing professionals, content creators and many more at the event, all bringing perspective into the topic. We also had people from the government side, like DTI Sec. Cris Roque, Cong. Toff de Venecia, Engr. Lilian Salonga of the DTI's Bureau of Competitive Development, Marla Rausch of the Creative Content Creators Association, Kaye Tinga of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Junie del Mundo of EON – all bringing perspective from the commercial side of being a creative in the Philippines.

One of the biggest takeaways from the event is that collaboration is important if we're to become a leading creative economy by 2030. And it's not just collaborating with fellow creatives; it's collaborating with the government and private sector to create the environment that will let creatives thrive and keep on creating. Clearly, there is more to be done to create this environment, but we know that Filipino creatives have great, untapped potential for growing the economy and for employing so many people. Here are some takeaways from the Creative Entrepreneurship Summit which I think our aspiring creatives-entrepreneurs might find useful: