Creators Need Community

On this journey of Creatorship, I’m always searching for the fuel I need to keep going. The people closest to me, my wife, family, and friends, provide constant support and encouragement, especially in times of uncertainty. I’ve also found camaraderie with others who stepped away from a traditional career path and took the risk to pursue their dreams. Collectively, they are my personal community that supports me as a Creator.

I’m also growing another community with my clients. I care deeply about helping them pursue their own vision and seeing them succeed. They reciprocate by introducing me to their friends and expanding the circle. I’ve gathered so many thoughtful, ambitious people that I want them to know each other and continue building independent of my involvement.

Creators need both of these communities. One that strengthens you personally, and the other that strengthens the work you put into the world. Many founders build community-based businesses as a way to formalize this, but you don’t need a membership platform for people to opt in. Community can form anywhere there is shared identity and repeated interaction.

In order to run a sustainable business, we need a consistent flow of customers. The conventional model teaches us to create a product and convert prospects into buyers. That approach still works, but access to products is no longer scarce. What’s harder to replicate is belonging.

Customers complete transactions. Community members participate in a relationship. The shift between the two requires intention.

Repeat customers create the opportunity. When customers return regularly, you begin to understand one another. As you learn more about their goals and challenges, your work becomes more precise. When they see their own values reflected in how you operate, alignment takes shape. They won’t just purchase what you offer, they will advocate for what you stand for.

Community also forms when members connect with each other. They share insights, make introductions, and build relationships that extend beyond your direct involvement. When someone offers feedback, brings a friend, or mentors a newcomer, that person is helping shape the culture. As the founder, you steward that culture. You set the tone and define what behavior is welcomed. You also protect the environment so it remains welcome and generous.

I have found community building to be challenging because it requires vulnerability and persistence. It’s not easy to invite people to show up for you, especially when you don’t know who will respond. I have to remind myself to keep realistic expectations about how quickly my community grows, because quality matters more than speed.

Building in public means letting them see the process while it’s still forming. Each invitation and each gathering becomes an experiment. You show up, share something real, and wait to see who joins in. Over time, repeated attempts create connection through honesty and consistency.

In Tiny Experiments, Anne-Laure Le Cunff draws on neuroscience and behavioral science to argue that small, public experiments offer a more sustainable path to growth than rigid goal-setting. She writes, “Despite any fears, you will know learning in public is worth it when you experience your first beautiful moment of connection that came from something you shared.”

I’ve seen this play out in ways big and small. One of the clearest examples is through an alum of Creators Creed, Modi Oyewole who founded the company Swang. It began as a few friends meeting at a local driving range to learn golf and has grown into a regular gathering of hundreds at Rancho Park in Los Angeles. On Thursday nights they host Free Range, which they call “a safe place to suck at golf.” An otherwise mundane driving range becomes a lively and stylish takeover. Music blasts, beginners show up eager to learn, and experienced players are enthusiastically willing to teach. Swang isn’t trying to change the sport of golf. They are changing who feels welcome to participate. What started as a public experiment has become a thriving community through intention and stewardship.

Community creates the environment that makes running a business sustainable. The people who stand beside us give us the stability to continue building. The people who gather around the work give it continuity beyond our individual effort.

When I look at my own path, I can see that neither version of community is optional. One strengthens the Creator. The other strengthens the creation.