{"id":28260,"date":"2017-09-14T17:15:37","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T21:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/creator\/?p=28260"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:25:49","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:25:49","slug":"mathieu-ajan-helps-creatives-turn-their-passion-into-their-profession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/community-stories\/member-spotlight\/mathieu-ajan-helps-creatives-turn-their-passion-into-their-profession","title":{"rendered":"Mathieu Ajan helps creatives turn their passion into their profession"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWorking in your socks and boxers,\u201d says entrepreneur Mathieu Ajan. \u201cThat\u2019s the life for a lot of creatives.\u201d There\u2019s something enticing, he says, about not going into an office, being your own boss, and setting your own hours. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it also means that there are no colleagues around to advise you, no mentors to take you under their wings. \u201cI started out as a photographer, and I was struggling to make a living in my chosen profession,\u201d says Ajan. \u201cAnd that\u2019s when I realized that so many young people lack the knowledge to turn their passion into their profession.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mathieu<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That was the spark for <\/span>Teardusk<\/span><\/a>, a media company designed to celebrate and nurture young creative talent. \u201cI think we underestimate the importance of seeing other people do stuff,\u201d Ajan says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to bring people together is to sponsor networking events. The first one he organized, in his own South London neighborhood of Peckham, drew about 20 people. Pretty good, he thought. But the next one, in Central London\u2019s Shoreditch, brought out 300 people. That convinced Ajan that he was on the right track.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“People always ask about our name,” he says. “It literally means crying through the night, putting your blood, sweat, and tears into what you love. All of us have been there.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Ajan just convinced the judges at the London <\/span>Creator Awards<\/span><\/a>, taking home an <\/span>$18,000 prize<\/span><\/a> in the Incubator category. That money will go a long way, he say, funding other events or even a film festival. He\u2019d like to hire his first staffers for Teardusk, too. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about perspective,\u201d Ajan says. \u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot, and I\u2019m ready to take it to the next level. I\u2019ve written my preface, I have my introduction, and I\u2019m ready to get into the middle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWorking in your socks and boxers,\u201d says entrepreneur Mathieu Ajan. \u201cThat\u2019s the life for a lot of creatives.\u201d There\u2019s something enticing, he says, about not going into an office, being your own boss, and setting your own hours. But it also means that there are no colleagues around to advise you, no mentors to take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":895,"featured_media":28268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43903,43911],"tags":[1484,30177,39218,39221],"class_list":["post-28260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-stories","category-member-spotlight","tag-emea","tag-creator","tag-small-businesses","tag-entrepreneurs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMathieu Ajan helps creatives turn their passion into their profession<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's enticing to be your own boss and set your own hours. 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