This website or its third-party tools use cookies which are necessary to its functioning and required to improve your experience. By clicking the consent button, you agree to allow the site to use, collect and/or store cookies.
I accept

The Thriving Creative

Where creativity and business collide

  • About
  • Blog
  • Coaching
  • The Thriving Freelancer Beta Workshop
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Blog

The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging

April 28, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Freelancing, Mindfulness

Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land

March 24, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

  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 […]

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Freelancing, Performing Arts

Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts

March 17, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Future Self

Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.

March 10, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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? […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Mindfulness, Sustainable Creativity

IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!

March 2, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, IKIGAI, Marketing

Ferris Bueller Had It Right: Life Moves Fast, So Get Future-Ready

February 24, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

  “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 […]

Filed Under: Future Self, Gen X

Netflix and Future Chill: How Watching Your Life Like a Movie Boosts Motivation

February 15, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Future Self

Finding Calm in the Chaos: Mindfulness Exercises for Freelancers

February 8, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

  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 […]

Filed Under: Freelancing, Mindfulness

Mindfulness Exercises for Leaders: Enhancing the Circle of Safety

February 2, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

In our previous article, we explored the concept of building a Circle of Safety within teams, a principle highlighted by Simon Sinek in “Leaders Eat Last.” This Circle of Safety fosters trust, empathy, and collaboration, creating an environment where team members feel secure and valued. But how can leaders enhance this Circle of Safety through […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Mindfulness

Creating a Circle of Safety for Freelancers: Thriving in the Gig Economy

January 26, 2025 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

In our previous article, I explored the concept of building a Circle of Safety within teams, a principle highlighted by Simon Sinek in “Leaders Eat Last.” This Circle of Safety fosters trust, empathy, and collaboration, creating an environment where team members feel secure and valued. But what about freelancers, who often work independently and lack […]

Filed Under: Freelancing

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 27
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
  • Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
  • Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
  • Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.
  • IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!

Social Icons

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Archives

Search Form

Social Media Connections

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search Form

Recent Posts

  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
  • Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
  • Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
  • Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.
  • IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Creative Entrepreneur’s Success!

Post Categories

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contact

"Go on working, freely and furiously, and you will make progress." Paul Gauguin

Privacy Policy