Curiosity might have killed the cat. But it makes creatives better. — Every creative needs time to explore. This is a stage of creative work that from the outside can look a lot like doing nothing. Indeed, it can even feel like that from the inside, if you don’t allow time for it, and you try to push yourself back into ‘productive’ work too quickly. This is the…

How to get more of the really important stuff done. — Want to get more done? Start here. First we need to get clear what productivity is. (And what it is not.) If you’re busy 24/7, you’re probably not as productive as you think. Creative work needs deep focus, with rest periods in between to replenish your energy — and your attention. Real productivity isn’t ticking minor items…

Daily acts of creativity. Try them — and see the difference. — Creativity is a habit The more you do it, the more the ideas tend to flow. 20 tiny acts of creativity Sing. In the shower. While you make breakfast. Anywhere. Notice details. Listen to someone with all your being. Say as little as possible. Only ask open-ended questions like, “And what else?” or “How did that feel?” Go outside…

How do you get a creative project over the finish line? It’s all about the pacing — Productivity is different for creatives. For us, it’s not necessarily about doing more, about busily ticking to-dos off a list. We need time and space to dream, explore, read, research, think up new ideas. Going down the rabbit hole can be essential, for us. And yes, we also need to do the maintenance too, and…

How I learned to stop procrastinating and love doing my tax return. Almost. — Procrastination is self-harm. It’s about sacrificing your future to avoid unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings in the present. We don’t want to do something, so the familiar song of the procrastinator begins: I don’t feel like it, I’m not in the mood, I’ll do it better later. By avoiding stress today, we’re creating problems…

Don’t let those nagging inner voices stop you creating the things you want to create. Here are 10 ways to get them under control — We all have a carping inner critic. Often more than one. The nagging voices that say you’re not good enough. That you don’t know what you’re doing. And who do you think you are, anyway? No matter how successful you are, how brilliant, they never really go away. But you can take control of your inner critic.

Once we understand it, we’re much better equipped to fight it — First, let’s define the beast we’re battling. Procrastination is the biggest creative block of all. The boss level. To defeat a boss, we need to practice, build up our skills. And it’s important to know your enemy. So here’s a definition. Procrastination is the habit of voluntarily and unnecessarily putting off important tasks you need to do…

Even when you’re a company of one. It will help you work smarter, not harder — and earn more from that work — If you work for yourself, you’re running a business. Whether you like it or not. This is why you should think like a CEO, at least some of the time. As a self-employed creative, I never saw myself a business owner. I was a freelance writer. And now I’m a coach. You might see yourself as a writer, artist…

Humans are meant to create, not just consume. Get back in touch with your creativity, with these small daily missions. — What would you create if there were no limits? And what can you create today, with all the constraints you have? Most of us would love to be more creative, but we’ve lost the habit of just making stuff without thinking or worrying. (Watch children playing with Lego, clay or pens and paint to see how it’s done.)