What does it take to turn creative talent into a sustainable career? At Orange Technical College, entrepreneur J. Arthur Grubbs shares a practical framework for building a business around your skills.

He calls it the “Creator’s GPS”—a three-step roadmap for moving from passion to profession.

Get Good

Grubbs begins with the foundation: develop your craft.

He emphasizes starting early, gaining real-world reps, and building a network. Offering services at the beginning can help refine your process, strengthen your portfolio, and generate testimonials that build credibility.

Skill matters—but so do consistency and professionalism.

Solve Problems

Creative work becomes valuable when it solves a clear problem.

Grubbs introduces a key principle: identify a specific problem for a specific group of people. When your services look interchangeable, price becomes the focus. But when you solve a meaningful challenge, your value increases.

He also encourages thinking beyond the first issue. Sustainable businesses solve not just one problem, but a sequence of related needs.

Tell Better Stories

Using the StoryBrand framework, Grubbs explains that your client is the hero—not you.

Your role is the guide: understand the problem, provide a plan, call them to action, and help them achieve success. This shift changes how creative professionals market themselves and communicate value.

A Practical Path Forward

For students exploring creative careers, the message is clear: passion opens the door, but strategy builds the path.

With the right framework, creative skill can become a sustainable career.