It's Show. It's Business. 10 Ways Creators and Funders Misunderstand Each Other

We live in an odd era of creativity — and capital.

More creators are launching brave, resonant, and genre-shattering work. I believe this quote to be true:

“[Today there is an] earthshaking drama where angels peer expectantly over the human shoulders to see what is coming out of the palette or typewriter.” (Calvin Seerveld)

Similarly, more funders are looking for brave, resonate, and model-proving work. To quote one funder:

“The problem isn’t funding; the problem is finding creators that have a model that can be tested and scaled. There’s plenty of money available to things that work.”

And yet … projects stall, relationships break down, and dreams fade out before they catch fire.

I know many creators who go from “good meeting” to “good meeting” without any real momentum.

This is why we need smart, winsome, and experienced creative executives who sit in the middle … in the room … those who are translators, strategists, bridge-builders between the vision and the capital, the story and the support. We’ve seen the magic that happens when creators and funder get each other, and the mess when they don’t.

To repeat one of my all-time favorite quotes: “Create partnerships where both share in the aspirin and the champagne. When we lose, we all lose. When we win, we all win.”

Rare thing these days.

So to get us a little closer to that aspiring and champaign thinking, I’ve written 10 ways funders and creators misunderstand each other …. and why we need both if we truly want to see a new renaissance in creative endeavors.

1. Creators fear being controlled. Funders fear being wasted/used.

Creators often assume that funding comes with strings. Funders assume that art comes without strategy. This mutual mistrust creates suspicion and misalignment.

2. Funders want outcomes. Creators want process.

A creator’s process is often messy, intuitive, and nonlinear. A funder wants timelines, deliverables, and ROI. They’re not incompatible, just misaligned in language and expectations.

3. Creators seek patronage/funding. Funders expect partnership/financial performance.

Creators may hope for “just let me make the thing.” Funders today want to co-create impact. They want involvement, insight, sometimes even influence.

4. Funders crave legacy. Creators want momentum, now.

Funders often want to create enduring impact. Creators often want to respond to now … the opportunity, the idea, the moment. The tension between permanence and presence can cause misunderstanding.

5. Creators speak in emotion. Funders speak in evaluation.

Artists tell stories. Funders read spreadsheets, cash flow, waterfalls. When one speaks from the gut and the other from the ledger, they miss each other entirely.

6. Funders worry about scale. Creators worry about being screwed.

Funders want to know: Can this grow? Creators fear: Will I lose myself and my work in the process?

7. Creators resist constraints. Funders require them.

Boundaries can feel like barriers to creators. But funders need guidelines to protect their investment and measure success.

8. Funders think in terms of risk. Creators think in terms of resonance.

Funders analyze downside. Creators pursue experience. These are not opposing forces, as they can be the foundation of a shared strategy.

9. Creators undervalue their worth. Funders undervalue their role.

Many creators have never been taught how to price their work. Many funders don’t understand how even a little bit of seed funding (I mean, even having dinner delivered to a studio) can go a long way.

10. They both want the same thing: impact and influence.

Strip away the assumptions, and here’s what remains: funders want their resources to make a difference. Creators want their work to make an impact.

That is where everything needs to start. Shared aspirations. Trusted relationships. Clear expectations. Creators bring ideas and imagination. Funders can bring infrastructure. Creators spark what’s possible. Funders see what’s probable.

In the end, however, there must be someone in the room that can be the translator, the advocate, the interpreter, the guide … when their’s some assembly required, someone has to put the pieces together.