creative productivity
Resetting for the New Year: the power of a self-compassionate annual review
I’m about to ask you to do something hard, but before I do, I want to tell you a little story. Last month, I wrapped up the autumn class I teach each year called “Illustration Projects.” The title is vague, I know, but that’s intentional, because the content of the class changes each year. It’s…
Read MoreHow being brave just ONCE brought forth a world of opportunities, and kickstarted a dream creative career
If you have big dreams of starting a creative career… If you can imagine making something awesome and ambitious… …then you can also imagine screwing it all up, being found out as a loser and a fraud, being banned from all future creative career options and endeavors, and being sent to the corner to think…
Read MoreTame your inner critic | Make peace and take the next step in your creative project
Listen to this lesson: Subscribe to this podcast feed to listen on to go! It’s Day 4 of the Creative Compass Challenge, and seems like the “inner critic” has come up every day so far. That’s no accident. That familiar voice seems to chime in every time you have to make a hard decision, learn…
Read MoreHow to stay focused on your goal: Ignore it 90% of the time
Listen to this lesson: Subscribe to this podcast feed to listen on to go! Believe it or not: The key to staying focused on your goal and actually finishing your project isn’t all-nighters. It’s not grit. It’s not “just suck it up and do it.” The key to making progress (all the way to the…
Read MoreHabit Stacking | Step into your creative identity
Listen to this lesson: Subscribe to this podcast feed to listen on to go! Conscious decision? That work you did yesterday? It’s all about setting the direction. Providing you with longer-term vision. Giving you a filter for what matters most, and which way to orient and point yourself. The key to arriving at that destination…
Read MoreHow to stop overcommitting and prioritize your creative projects
Listen to this lesson: Subscribe to this podcast feed to listen on to go! In order to gain traction on your neglected work, you’ll have to stop overcommitting (to others, and to yourself) so you can take control over what you actually do every day. What does your current list of commitments look like? Think…
Read MoreHow to finish what you start (and why you procrastinate even though you care deeply about the work)
Listen to this lesson: Subscribe to this podcast feed to listen on to go! What’s really stopping you from finishing what you start? If you’re reading these words, I know you’ve been struggling to get traction on your self-generated creative work and actually finish what you start. You probably have a backlog of projects you…
Read MoreWelcome to the Creative Compass Challenge
During the Creative Compass Challenge, create the complete, personalized system you need to buckle down and finish your amazing, inspiring (& maybe overwhelming!) creative dream projects. The course consists of five days of fast, achievable actions that will change the way you own your creative life. Here’s your schedule & daily homework: Day 1: Choose ONE project…
Read MoreYour new superpower: NOT trying to do everything
When you pay yourself first, not only with money, but with time, you can choose to focus on your highest values without having your entire life dialed in.
Read MoreImperfect mortals: What really makes a creative community work
A year ago, I started an online creative community. (The Autonomous Creative Collective) It was just luck that I took the dive and committed to convening an ongoing online support system (for serious creatives who’ve taken my flagship course, the Creative Focus Workshop) just in time to provide the kind of deep, flexible, empathetic comradeship…
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