That’s how Mathieu Ajan describes an ‘artrepreneur’. Can you see yourself as one? The value of creative industries is currently at a record high, and was worth £76.9 billion to the UK economy in 2013 – an increase of nearly 10% on the previous year. Jobs in the creative economy are increasing year on year, and this year is expected to bring another boost to the sector.

Mathieu is a 23-year old, tea-loving artist and entrepreneur, who, at only 18, started his own business, TearDusk. He quit his retail job and set up a media agency that works with young people to nurture their creative talents. “I’m a firm believer that work shouldn’t feel like work, and making a career out of what your truly passionate about means you’ll never have to work a day again in your life,” Mathieu says.

WORKING IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Mathieu tells us he’s wanted to work in the creative industry since a very young age, having been heavily involved in theatre at school. With funding from O2 Think Big, Mathieu recently set upTreeHouse Workshops, which stemmed from a negative experience when he began his career as a creative. He tells us: “I had just invested in my first camera and someone recommended me to do a job taking pictures at an event. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing at the time, so I sought advice from a more experienced photographer who literally gave me the cold shoulder and in other words, advised me to quit photography.”

“It made me make myself two promises: 1) I’m going to work my butt off and somehow improve everyday within my craft, and 2) when I get into a position where I know a thing or two I’m going to do everything in my power to break the cycle and help others embarking on their journeys.”