One of the things that we’ve found in our research (we’re a startup accelerator) is that many creative entrepreneurs — designers, artists, writers, other solopreneurs— really see their work as a mode of self-expression, and as a connection to the world and other people. That’s completely appropriate, and while the venture capital route (which is a very small percentage of the overall # of people who found their own company or work on their own) is one way to do it, there are many avenues with different tradeoffs and advantages. Kudos to you for finding your own!