REAL TALK: RUNNING A SMALL CREATIVE BUSINESS (AND LOVING IT)

TL;DR: Running a small business is equal parts chaos and magic. Especially when you’re making art for people’s biggest days.

There’s this idea that creative businesses are always dreamy — all sketchbooks, sunbeams, and beautiful final products. But anyone running a small biz (especially in weddings!) knows the truth: it’s emails, early mornings, late nights, and spreadsheets… sprinkled with moments that make you cry in a good way.

At Wet Paint Society, we get to paint love stories for a living. That’s the magical part. But we also run a real, tiny-but-mighty business — based in Toronto, Ontario, serving weddings Canada-wide.

We’re the ones sending invoices, updating our website, packing supplies, triple-checking travel plans, and painting until our wrists hurt. It’s not always glamorous. But it’s always worth it.

Here’s what we’ve learned along the way:

1. SMALL DOESN’T MEAN LESS

Just because a business is small doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. We wear a lot of hats — and they’re all worn with care. We know our couples by name, and we paint every canvas like it’s the most important one yet. Because it is.

2. CREATIVE WORK IS STILL WORK

Yes, we love what we do. But that doesn’t mean it’s effortless. Creativity takes time, energy, and emotional bandwidth — especially when we’re capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments.

3. EVERY BOOKING MATTERS

When you hire a small business, you’re not funding someone’s yacht. You’re helping a family pay rent. You’re allowing an artist to keep creating. You’re saying, “I see you — and I value what you do.” That means everything.

4. WE’RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG GAME

We’re not just painting for today. We’re building something for the future — one brushstroke, one couple, one wedding at a time.

If you’re a fellow small business owner: we see you.

If you’ve supported a small business recently: THANK YOU.

And if you’re planning your wedding and want to work with real humans who care deeply about your day — we’re right here.

WANT TO WORK WITH A FAMILY-RUN, HEART-LED, SMALL BIZ?

We’d love to paint for you. Visit wetpaintsociety.com to learn more and book with us.