Do Only the Most Creative Entrepreneurial Artists Succeed? The Linear and Nonlinear Relationship Between Creative Personality and Entrepreneurial Performance

Abstract

The development of the cultural and creative industry has led to an upsurge in entrepreneurial artists, but how a creative personality will contribute to entrepreneurial artists’ success is still unclear. In this present study, we explore the relationship between creative personality and entrepreneurial success, namely economic reward and subjective well-being, among Chinese art entrepreneurs. Furthermore, we tested the mediating role of economic reward on creative personality and subjective well-being. A total of 200 Chinese entrepreneurial artists completed questionnaires assessing their creative personality, economic reward, life satisfaction, and positive and negative emotions. The results showed curvilinear relationships between creative personality and economic reward, positive emotion, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, economic reward mediated the impact of creative personality on subjective well-being. The results have strong theoretical implications for understanding the role of creative personality in entrepreneurial success, as well as the practical implications of improving competence for Chinese entrepreneurial artists in the creative industry to achieve success.