Nine ways to quieten the cruel inner voices that keep you small — We all have those inner voices. The ones that say you’re not good enough. 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 there are ways to tame your inner critic…

We all remember criticism. But we tend to forget praise. So keep a record of it, for when you really need it. — It’s been a while since I read The Book of Awesome But last week I really needed it. I’d written a short feature for a magazine that I love, and it came back with edits from the person who had commissioned it. They were all perfectly reasonable requests, and I did them. Two days later, it came back again, with even…

I’ve made all the mistakes. So you don’t have to. — I’ve been a freelance writer for (gulp!) more than 30 years now. I’ve made all the mistakes — so you don’t have to. So here are a few things I wish I’d known from the start of my career as a creator. 1. You are not for everybody Not everyone will love the work you make…

Read on for help with creative process, productivity, marketing and inspiration! — The best way to get good at creative work is to do it. To do your verbs. Write. Paint. Play. Sculpt. Sew. Design. Make. Shoot. Cook. Direct. Produce. Create, create, create. No matter how messy and imperfect it is, at first. But we all need help on the creative journey…

It’s not just about time. It’s about focus, energy — and taking breaks to recover and replenish — It’s a slippery thing, time. We all get the same amount, yet none of us feel we have enough of it. And what we have seems to slip through our hands. “I’ve just been lazy,” says a photographer, in a coaching session with me. “I’ve not moved forward on anything,” says a writer in another…

A manifesto for a juicy, joyful and successful creative life — I’m on a mission to encourage other creatives. For many years, I did this as a magazine editor. And I still do this with my writing, and in my coaching business. A while back, my own coach asked me to get clear about my why. …

Every project has its cycle. Recognising this can make it easier to finish, and to get your work out into the world. — Everything has its cycles. The seasons follow each other, night follows day, the moon waxes and wanes and the tides ebb and flow. Creativity is no different. Knowing the four key stages of a creative project can help, as each comes with its own challenges. Preparing for this, and learning to recognise your own…

We all have blocks around money. These resources can help. — Money, money, money Does even thinking about it make you cringe, feel shame or fear? As it comes to the end of the financial year, are your figures ready for your tax return? …

It took 30 years and three failed novels, but he’s now one of the rising stars of British crime fiction. Here’s how he writes. — When I talk to crime novelist William Shaw, he is alone in his writing shack in Devon, on the English coast. It’s an off-grid, wooden building close to the sea but even closer to railway tracks, which is why he bought it so cheaply 30 years ago. “It was going…