The Conquering Creative

An entertaining, fully-illustrated roadmap for any creative longing to master business and build a fulfilling, successful career. From acclaimed illustrator, entrepreneur, and CEO William Warren.

“For years, when my creativity needed a boost, I hired William. Open this book and you’ll immediately know why!”

— Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author and Inc. Top 100 Leadership Speaker

Creatives are naturally drawn to the act of creating, not analyzing sales strategies, reading P&Ls, filing forms, or building business processes. But if they want to dump that day job, continue their artistic endeavors after graduation, or scale that side hustle into fulfilling, successful self-employment, they must acknowledge the hard truth that mastering craft is not enough. They must master the business side and become a “Conquering Creative.”

The good news? It’s as easy as shifting your thinking. As an illustrator, entrepreneur, and CEO, author William Warren has spent more than a decade leveraging creativity to build a booming business, working with blue chip clients such as The Home Depot, Oracle, and Delta as well as consulting with some of the world’s top thought leaders like Steve Wozniak, Brené Brown, and Malala Yousafzai. An artist at heart, he’s learned the delicate balance between the right-brained world of creativity and the left-brained world of business. And now he’s offering his proven mind shifts for other creatives wanting to follow in his footsteps and become a “Conquering Creative.”

From ups and downs to capital to clients, pricing to purpose, Warren walks readers through nine critical “shifts” they must make to level up from “Creative” to “Conquering Creative”:

1. “My art is my passion” ←→ “My passion is my product”
2. “Business is a necessary evil” ←→ “Business will unlock my dreams”
3. “I am my work” ←→ “I am more than my work”
4. “My work speaks for itself” ←→ “I must speak up for my work”
5. “I create as an artist” ←→ “I work as a professional”
6. “Quality is all that counts” ←→ “Everything counts”
7. “I wait for inspiration” ←→ “I create systems for inspiration”
8. “Go it alone” ←→ “Go with a team”
9. “Wing it” ←→ “Dream it”

Just as he’s done for top companies and individuals, Warren brings his ideas to life with illustrations, making the book an entertaining, and actionable read.

The Conquering Creative is a must-read for every artist and aspiring entrepreneur, whether they’re just graduating, wanting to start a business, or just need a motivational boost.