A new book shows how 12 British artists bring sustainability into their work and practice — An Artist’s Almanac 2023 is a journey across the UK to discover the sustainable practices of artists whose work is rooted in the protection and conservation of the Earth. Documented by environmental photographer Benjamin Youd, it features the work and process of 12 artists, as well as t he environmental…

You start by paying yourself first. With time, as well as money — Time. We all get the same 24 hours of it, every day. Yet we all feel that we don’t have enough of it, that we’re wasting it, failing to make the most of it. That it’s slipping away. …

Inspired by Ryan Holiday, here are my 12 rules for living well. — Ryan Holiday is a prolific writer, author, thinker and creator. He recently tweeted nine short rules for a better life. You can read those here. (He’s well worth following). But his post started me thinking about my own principles for living well. Two of our rules overlap. I read every…

Sometimes we focus too much on the quality, when it’s all about getting it done and out there — Quality vs quantity: an experiment There was a famous experiment that took place in the University of Florida. It’s mentioned in many books about creativity, usually told as a story about a pottery class. The professor divided the class into two. He told one half that their grade for the semester would depend on making…

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…