Despite running a business for several years now, it’s safe to say that in-depth financial planning isn’t number one on Oldham’s list of priorities. Here, he discusses his discomfort with equating money with success, and why you should treat your business like a baby.

Creative Review: How would you describe your general approach and attitude towards money? Has that changed over time?
Craig Oldham: I really don’t buy into that self-myth-making thing of being a creative and money [equating to] success. More than anything, I think money is just a means to do things. I’m sure other people will judge me on that but it’s not a crime to be skint, do you know what I mean? Even when I had pocket money as a kid, I never saw it as something I had to save up. I just thought ‘I’ve got loads of fucking pocket money, what am I going to buy with it?’

It’s definitely not the thing that drives my business, it’s not even in the top five reasons why we take work on. Money causes me a great deal of anxiety, I worry about it a lot because I’ve got a studio and I want to work with other people, but they deserve to paid fairly. In a way it’s formed a rod for my own back that I just have to live with really.

CR: What was your approach to setting up your studio financially?
CO: I would never, ever encourage anyone to do what I did.