Category: failure

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Unlock Your Potential: Free Yourself from Past Decisions

Here's how to Unlock Your Potential: Free Yourself from Past Decisions.
Have you ever found yourself wondering what new heights you could reach? That is, if you weren’t held back by past decisions? It’s a common train of thought, especially for people a few years into their careers or businesses. The truth is, you have boundless potential waiting and you can unleash it. You can unlock your potential and free yourself from past decisions.

Here’s how to break free from the shackles of the past and explore new opportunities

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Small Business Creativity: Thriving on Limited Resources

Creativity for Small Businesses
If you are a small business owner, you know how challenging it can be. Trying to fit into a community while standing out from the crowd. And always, with an eye on attracting more customers. You’ll know how important it is to manage your time, money, and energy. And all the while, balancing your personal and professional life. How can you do all that and still be creative?

That’s the wrong way of thinking. You need creativity in abundance to do all that.

Creativity isn’t a talent that some people have and others don’t. It is a skill that you can learn and practice, and it can help you grow your small business in many ways. Here are some benefits of creativity for small businesses: Continue reading “Small Business Creativity: Thriving on Limited Resources”

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The Best You’ve Done Is Holding You Back


The new Olympic motto is Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together. Despite these ideals, elite athletes discover there are physical limits to their arts. Records become harder and harder to break.

Creatives don’t have these limitations. But it’s common to find ourselves clinging to past successes. That magic moment when everything came together. When we achieve a creative breakthrough the recognition we receive is gratifying. Often these achievements can hinder our creative progress. This is the paradox of the one-hit-wonder. It was amazing once, but now it’s a dry husk. We’ve taken our work as far as we can, and there’s nothing left.

The Comfort of Familiarity:
It’s always a struggle to reach a pinnacle in your creative journey. And when you do, it’s natural to want to bask in the glory of your accomplishments. There’s a comfort in continuing to do what’s brought you recognition and applause. The danger lies in becoming complacent. It becomes a comfort zone that’s hard to escape from. There’s a temptation to do more of the same. The risk is, replicating past successes will stifle you. Be willing to explore new horizons.

Fear of Falling Short:
The fear of not meeting the high standards you’ve set for yourself can be paralysing. The sweet nectar of success is so seductive. The thought of producing something less than stellar can be intimidating. This fear can lead to creative stagnation. Don’t hesitate to take risks or explore uncharted territory.

The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind. ― William Blake ― The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Continue reading “The Best You’ve Done Is Holding You Back”

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Making changes: From Freelancer to Employee

Embarking on a creative freelancing journey can be an exhilarating experience, filled with dreams of independence and artistic fulfilment. Yet, not all paths unfold as expected. If you find yourself transitioning from freelancing to seeking traditional employment, know that you’re not alone, and this shift doesn’t diminish your creativity or worth. It’s a chance for growth, learning, and a renewed perspective on your creative journey.

Initially, freelancing might have seemed like the perfect platform to showcase your talents and carve your niche. However, challenges in client acquisition, inconsistent income, and the business side of things can sometimes overshadow the creative joy. As you reflect on this transition, remember that setbacks are part of any creative venture. They don’t define your artistic abilities or creative potential.

It’s okay to feel a tinge of embarrassment or uncertainty as you consider traditional employment. But rather than letting this emotion overshadow your next steps, use it as a driving force for self-discovery and reinvention. Remember, your creative skills and experiences gained during freelancing are invaluable assets that can enrich your new professional endeavours.

Here are a few strategies to embrace this transition: Continue reading “Making changes: From Freelancer to Employee”

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Overcoming the Fear of Others’ Opinions: A Roadmap for Creative Professionals and Business Leaders



How often do friends, family, and the countless barely known social media contacts bound up to you like an excitable puppy, wag their tails and shout, “Hey it’s you, fantastic, I love you, you’re doing good, in fact – great. You’re going the right way, this is exactly how I always saw you, doing great! Hold still while I lick your face!”

Perhaps draw the line at letting them lick your face, that’s just awkward; but, generally you’re not going to need to worry. No one is going to be that supportive of you. They might be in their hearts, but they’re not going to tell you you’re going the right way. Sometimes the only way you’re on the right path is the guilt trips are further apart. And so we end up feeling anxious when we have to do something different – outside of our comfort zone.

As creative professionals and business leaders, the fear of what other people will think can often loom like a shadow, hindering our creativity and stifling innovation. However, mastering this fear can be a transformative journey that unleashes the full potential of our creative minds.

Here’s how busy professionals can navigate this common fear and thrive in their pursuits. Continue reading “Overcoming the Fear of Others’ Opinions: A Roadmap for Creative Professionals and Business Leaders”

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Financial Stability for Creative Professionals

As with most creative professionals, your work is your passion. There’s always a ton of work to be done – jobs large and small. But getting paid for your work – now that’s another story. You either already know that it can be difficult to make a living from your art, or you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed. Pro-tip: Take cash over a promise. Many creative professionals face financial instability due to irregular income, gig-based work, or difficulty in monetising their skill set. Finding ways to achieve financial stability while pursuing creative passions is a common struggle.

Here are a few tips for achieving financial stability as a creative professional: Continue reading “Financial Stability for Creative Professionals”

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Rising Above the Shadows: Navigating Creativity After Bad Experiences


Dear Creative Souls,

Life is a journey filled with peaks and valleys, and for us, the artists, creators, and visionaries, it can be especially tumultuous. We know all too well the weight of past bad experiences that can cast a shadow over our creativity. Whether it’s emotionally destructive employment situations, challenging clients, or loss-making contracts, these experiences can dim our creative light. It can feel like a lonely world, and frankly, it sucks.

I don’t mean it to sound cliché, but in the midst of darkness, there is always a glimmer of hope. As creative beings, we possess an innate resilience that allows us to rise above adversity and find inspiration even in the most challenging circumstances. Here are some empowering ways to navigate the aftermath of negative experiences and reignite your creative spark: Continue reading “Rising Above the Shadows: Navigating Creativity After Bad Experiences”

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But I’m just not creative!


“I’m just not creative!”

I’ve heard that story so many times. It’s a great excuse for not writing or painting or whatever else it is that’s plucking your heart strings, but honestly, it’s just not true. Yes, you mightn’t have all the time you want, or you can’t afford expensive materials, but often it comes down to a single painful truth: Somewhere, some time, maybe when you were around the age of 12, someone made you feel bad about you and your creative work. To protect yourself from that hurtful feeling you just stopped being creative. At least in your mind.

We are all born with a creative spark. It is what allows us to see the world in new and different ways. It is what drives us to express ourselves through art, music, writing, and other forms of self-expression. People who say they aren’t creative often collect art, or love to attend concerts, or run businesses or work in professions that demand creative responses every day.

Signs that you might have shut down your creativity can be that you feel like you’re not good enough, or that your ideas aren’t original. You may be afraid to take risks, or you may simply be too busy with other things. You dare not paint or draw or write or do anything directly that highlights your hidden creativity. After all, there’s that inner 12-year old that must be obeyed.

If some of these words strike a chord with you, I encourage you to reconnect with your creative spirit. It is a journey that is filled with endless possibilities. Don’t go through life locked into a self-image determined by you aged 12. Your self-image has lied to you all these years.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Continue reading “But I’m just not creative!”

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Finding Authenticity: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Creative

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your creative field? Like you’re not good enough, or that you’re a fraud? If so, you’re not alone. Many creative people experience imposter syndrome, which is a feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy. You might’ve experienced the feeling of being overawed by someone with astounding talent – creative works just drip off them seemingly effortlessly or they seem to lead charmed lives. Or you go to a conference or a lecture theatre or a studio or an exhibition or an audition and everyone *EVERYONE* is a thousand times more talented, skilful, cool, better looking, better connected, better blah, blah, blah. You’re just not good enough. It’s a horrible feeling.

Imposter syndrome can be really tough to deal with, but it doesn’t have to control you. There are ways to overcome imposter syndrome and embrace your authentic creative voice.

Here are some tips: Continue reading “Finding Authenticity: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Creative”

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How to cope with failure

Failure is an ugly place, I’m not going to pretend it’s not. I hate it when my plans don’t turn out.

Even as I write this I can feel the bitter taste of failure welling up in my throat. You might recognise that taste, that feeling, too. I wish I could give you some deep and meaningful quotes that makes it all go away. But it doesn’t. It’s a condition of being alive and you can take some comfort in being alive.

Sometimes that’s a small comfort. I know that. Things go wrong and *bang* I’m that determined (but misguided) four year old who sewed the oven cloth to my clothes. By mistake or misunderstanding, it makes no difference, the only way out was cutting my work off me. My sister made a big deal of my failure, and that really hurt.

I’ve failed so many times I’ve finally began to build a relationship with failure. Along the way I’ve learned a few tricks to make the depressing ditchwater taste a little better. Here are a few suggestions – tips for how to cope:
Continue reading “How to cope with failure”