Creativity getting in the way of Business or vice versa.

I'm finding more and more these days, that my focus is and will likely always be torn between 2 different worlds. 

The Creative world is the one where I'm constantly out there thinking up new ideas: I really need to start shooting, I should try to start a photography thing on the side; my new website needs to be cool... not just okay, but really amazing, or I'm not going to get any "cred"; screw all this mindless corporate design, I need to be illustrating in blood, dumpster-diving on the weekends, stop showering so much... okay well that might be pushing it, but you get the idea. 

The Business world as I'm going to call it for now, is the one in which I'm no longer concerned with what I'm working on creatively, because what I really want to do is grow my business. To be successful in a business sense to in my personal time I can do creative things, like paint, shoot, whatever. So all my focus is on productivity, getting things done, being as efficient as possible, making the money, client relations, keeping good books, etc. All good things, but for a creative person somewhat unfulfilling. 

Don't get me wrong, there is something creative about writing a business model that you can believe in and has a shot at success. If you take care with it anyway. 

So it begs the question, where's the balance? If anyone knows exactly, let me know, I'd like to patent your answer. I think all we can do is to nurture both sides, realizing there is room for both, and in the creative field it is important to have some of each. But too much of either will put you with one leg in the boat and one on the dock when the boat's leaving. Instead, enjoy your time abroad in creative thought while you are there... (I've begun blocking time to do so... sounds forced, more about this later). But when it's time to come back ashore, and resupply as it were, remember that this is the life you chose, and your creative respites will not be so serene if you don't get your business done when you need to. 

Conditioning your mind to be creative on command. 

I mentioned that I've begun blocking out time each week to allow myself to be all artsy and creative and out of touch with reality. Just don't email clients during this time. 

This is guaranteed to feel awkward at first. But try it for a month. Depending on how much time you to get in the zone, block out 2-3 hours a week to go there. Do it at either the end of the day, mid-week (or whenever you are likely to have fewer deadlines. If possible, do take a break, stop your work completely, and allow yourself that time to just do whatever feels creative. Work on your own stuff, redesign your website, blog, paint, shoot, browse your favorite designers or illustrators, brainstorm new self-promotion campaigns, whatever it is. But don't expect to get anything done during this time. This will keep you fresh emotionally and creatively and it will keep you sane the other 37-57 hours of your week. 

If running your own business is wearing a million different hats at any given time, the creative hat is that one that you bought on a whim and only wear on a rare occasions, but gets you the most compliments when you do wear it. It might be weird or a little out there, but in the right company, it sets you apart from others.