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The Thriving Creative

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You are here: Home / Archives for creative entrepreneurship

Why Forecasting the Future is a Fool’s Game

March 31, 2019 by Steven Sparling 2 Comments

  I’ve been cleaning up some papers lately (inspired by my binge watching of Marie Kondo on Netflix) and I came across a pile of newspaper clippings that I thought were worth keeping. The first one I read was from the London Evening Standard on Friday 19 September 2008 written just after the great banking […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship

It’s OK to be small

February 17, 2019 by Steven Sparling 1 Comment

I see advice all the time on ‘how to play big’ or ‘how to up your business game’ or how to ‘scale your business up to the next level.’  But what if that doesn’t interest you? What if you want a happy life instead of a busy life?  What if you want ‘just enough’ instead […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship, Planning

Idols, Mentors, Colleagues and Fans – Build a Team in 2015

December 31, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Build your team, Find a Mentor

I have two professional colleagues who are always talking about ‘their team.’ How ‘their team’ advises they do this, or ‘their team’ has plans to do this, etc. Every time I hear it I experience a pang of jealousy. I don’t have a team. It’s me. My computer. My ‘cup of joe.’ And that’s it. […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Sustainable Creativity, Uncategorized Tagged With: Artist, Colleagues, creative, Entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Fans, Idols, Mentors, Team, Teamwork

Is an art degree (or drama or music or fashion etc) worth it?

October 22, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

This is just one study, and only of the United States, but it presents a fairly clear picture of those with an art degree. It shows that there is no direct correlation between an art degree and working as a practicing artist. I will look for similar studies in the UK and other countries to […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: art degree, Artists, Career, Creative Entrepreneurship, jobs

Is your ‘to-do’ list threatening to do you in?

October 7, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Is your to do list threatening to do you in?

  I grew up in the Canadian Prairies, in the 1970’s, so this might be ‘of an era’ but I distinctly remember a regular event at Beavers, Cub Scouts, Church picnics and School sports days was a race where we had to push peanuts across the gym floor with our nose. Does anyone else have […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Work Tagged With: Artist, business, Career, Creative Business Planning, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Persistence, Time management

Books Don’t Sell Themselves (or 5 Ways to Get Your Books Into Readers’ Hands)

September 8, 2014 by Steven Sparling 1 Comment

Books Don't Sell Themselves. Blog Post

With nearly 150,000 new books published per year in the UK there is a flood of new titles clamouring for attention all the time. And that’s before we get to all the titles that are self-published. Whether fiction or non-fiction, there is an enormous amount of competition for the eyeballs (and wallets) of readers. Here’s […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, List, Marketing, Workshop, Writers Tagged With: Authors, books, bootcamp, Creative entrepreneur, marketing, writers

Julian Clary, Buggery, and Finding Your Purpose

August 28, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Hello, I’m back from a fantastic holiday in South Africa (where I enjoyed both the beauty and food/wine of Cape Town and the amazing animals on Safari in Sabi Sands) and I’m raring to go into this Autumn. Some of you might know that I’m doing my PhD in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: Actor, creative, Enthusiasm, Julian Clary

At a loss about what to write? Go fishing!

April 30, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

Do you blog, or have a newsletter? Or perhaps you use Twitter or Facebook? I bet at one time of another you’ve wondered what to write about. I know I often feel stumped by what to write about here on the Thriving Creative. Sometimes I have an abundance of ideas and I have to scribble […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: Actor, Artist, creative business, creative career, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Industries, Dancer, marketing, Musician, Painter, Writer

To be in the game, you first have to show up for the game (why the odds against artists aren’t as bad as you think)

April 2, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

  We often like to bemoan how the odds are stacked against artists. How we face overwhelming competition for every job. This is true. But maybe it isn’t as bad as we think. Why? Because many people who SAY they’re in the game actually fail to SHOW UP. Or COMMIT FULLY to the game. Which […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship Tagged With: Actor, Artist, Career, commitment, creative, Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Dancer, Musician, Painter, Persistence, sustainable creativity, work

Guest Post: Is Your Creative Work Making You Feel Good?

March 29, 2014 by Steven Sparling 1 Comment

We’re happy to welcome back A. L. Michael for another guest post today. Andi is currently writing her next novel (due to be published soon) and is also teaching workshops on Writing for Wellbeing. If you’re in London she has a workshop coming up on Saturday 26 April. Check out all the details here —————————— […]

Filed Under: creative entrepreneurship, Guest Post Tagged With: Creative entrepreneur, Creative Entrepreneurship, Writer

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Recent Posts

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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!

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