July Retrospective: Back in July 2014, I wrote a daily series exploring the realities of navigating the creative economy. Twelve years later, looking back at these entries (and my original awful hand-drawn illustrations!), I’m struck by how the core truths of a creative career remain completely timeless. Each day this month, I’m opening up the archive […]
The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 2 – Patience
This is the second of a series exploring Jon Kabat Zinn’s 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness as they relate to freelancing. The first post explored ‘Non-Judging.’ This time, we are going to explore the idea of ‘Patience.’ You can watch Zinn discuss patience in this short video. Learning to work with the natural rhythms of freelance […]
The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
I’ve been freelancing in the creative economy since the early 90’s. It’s been a wild rollercoaster ride with incredible highs and some not-so-fun lows. The first step in me gaining some sense of agency with my freelancing was doing my MA in Creative Entrepreneurship in 2010-11. This gave me a set of business tools that […]
Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
These are uncertain times. Every time I look at the news these days I’m doing a double take over what has been said or done (or threatened). While a lot of it is rhetoric, it is having a load of negative effects, and most people think it’s going to get worse before things get […]
Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
As a child and young person I really only had one career in mind: actor. And bless my parents, they never really tried to discourage me. Well, my mom did say to me well into my 40s, “I don’t know why you didn’t become a lawyer, you would have been so good…” They didn’t discourage […]
Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.
I was recently asked to present to a group of artists on the topic of ‘confidence.’ I led with the statement that ‘Confidence doesn’t exist. It comes and goes. Quit chasing it.’ Well, I ruffled some feathers. Someone immediately posted in the chat ‘confidence most definitely does exist!’ – Does it? How do you know? […]
IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!
If you’ve ever felt like a caffeinated squirrel frantically jumping between projects, trying to balance your creative passion with the need to pay rent, you’re not alone. Enter IKIGAI —Japan’s elegant answer to the existential crisis that plagues creative entrepreneurs everywhere. So, what exactly is ikigai? Loosely translated, it means “reason for being.” It’s the […]
Ferris Bueller Had It Right: Life Moves Fast, So Get Future-Ready
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller Ah, Ferris Bueller. One of my favourite teenage movies. The ultimate Gen X hero. A master of confidence, spontaneity, and seizing the day. But while skipping school and joyriding in a 1961 Ferrari […]
Netflix and Future Chill: How Watching Your Life Like a Movie Boosts Motivation
Imagine if you could sit down with a bucket of popcorn, press play, and watch a movie of your future self living their best life. Would you be inspired? Motivated? Maybe even a little emotional? Well, science suggests that mentally ‘watching’ our future selves succeed can be a game-changer for motivation, decision-making, and achieving long-term […]
Finding Calm in the Chaos: Mindfulness Exercises for Freelancers
In my previous post, I discussed how freelancers can create their own Circle of Safety to thrive in the gig economy. One powerful way to achieve this is through mindfulness, a practice that helps reduce stress, increase focus, and improve overall well-being. I have casually explored mindfulness for years, but after my mom died […]
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