CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 3 of 50

Got a book dream? Bring it to life with this advice

Posted on 2018-08-20 at 11:04 am.

To celebrate the launch of my new book ‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life’ next Thursday August 30, I did a Facebook Live Broadcast from the Headquarters of Hachette on London’s Victoria Embankment, talking about Bringing Book Dreams to Life with my Commissioning Editor Anna Steadman.

You can WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

I know how the publishing world can feel impenetrable when you are on the outside of it, and I also know that many of you have a book dream, so I wanted to make the most of the opportunity of my book launch to lift the veil for you. Anna is the brilliant Commissioning Editor (Non-Fiction) for Piatkus, an imprint of Little, Brown Publishing Group, which is owned by the publishing giant Hachette – not only is she the one who put ink on the contract of my book deal, but also guided me brilliantly in many ways throughout the writing process.My experience with Anna and Piatkus has been absolutely fantastic, and although I have been carrying around the idea for my new book for about two decades, I find it pretty staggering that we took it from concept (i.e. conversation with my agent over steaming bowls of noodles at a ramen bar) to the book being published next week in under a year.

In our ask-us-anything conversation, Anna and I will be talked about:

What makes a great concept for a book
Whether you need an agent
How to pitch your book
The steps involved in taking an idea from concept to publication and beyond
Why Anna commissioned my book Wabi Sabi

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

On love, art-making, friendship and all the things

Posted on 2018-08-20 at 10:59 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

For many people, making their living as a creative professional is a dream. For today’s podcast guests Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose McDonough, it’s the life path they have chosen. It hasn’t always been easy, but their friendship has played a huge part in keeping them inspired and motivated through the good times and the tough times.

I am especially delighted to have them on the show, together, because of the pivotal role they have played in my life. Get yourself a cuppa and pull up a chair. You’ll feel like you are round the kitchen table with these inspiring ladies…

LISTEN HERE

Some thoughts on building a thriving creative career

Posted on 2018-08-06 at 10:19 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

I am writing this to you from a private room above one of my favourite coffee shops, which is a regular hot desk space for me. Next to me is Mr K, making notes ahead of a full day of interviewing for a new team member. We just had a conversation about how it never ceases to amaze us how doing what we love enables other people to do what they love, as well as pay their mortgages, be there to collect their children from school, explore their own creativity or whatever matters to them. Being able to employ others in your own business is a huge responsibility, but also a huge privilege that you become part of that person’s career story.

This got me thinking about the ripple effect of any of us following our hearts and doing what we love. Other people sense it, get inspired by it, start asking themselves why they also can’t do it, and we become beacons for others feeling stuck or unfulfilled. The reward of that is almost as precious as the doing it ourselves.

Of course it isn’t always easy, and confidence can be a massive barrier to creative success. That’s why I invited Lilla Rogers – top art agent and my co-Founder of MakeArtThatSells.com – onto the podcast this week to share her thoughts and advice on thriving in a creative career. Listen in here and give yourself a huge motivational boost.

This month it feels like we have opened the faucet and so many new things we (and our amazing teams) have created are spilling forth into the world. Let me give you a taster, so you can see how much variety there can be in a creative career (and see if any of these new things can help YOU in yours!)

– Today sees the launch of The Colour Gang, the new members’ club from Make It In Design which I co-founded with Rachael Taylor. We have created this in response to huge demand from our alumni for an accessibly-priced, year-round place to go for creative challenges, colour-based teaching, trend reports, and a buzzing community. And now the doors are open – come and join us here!

– Next Monday is the first day of the first live class I have taught in over a year – it is a brand new co-taught class with Lilla Rogers, called MATS MBA (Money BadAss), a three-week intensive and super-fun course to help you deal with your money stories, take control of your money situation and figure out how to make a lot more in your creative business. It is completely video based (with daily videos and a downloadable Playbook), and includes a weekly live teachings with Lilla and me. If this is for you, come and join us. Starts next Monday!

– We are on the countdown for the release of my new book ‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life’. With just over three weeks to go, I am looking forward to a photoshoot, videoshoots and a lot of podcast interviews over the coming days. If you would love to discover what life lessons lie hidden in ancient Japanese culture and aesthetics, I think you will drink in every page of this book. If you pre-order before August 30 it you can also get a place at my live group coaching sessions which will run online from late October-early November, diving deep into the main themes of the book and reflecting on what they could mean in your life. To secure your spot just pre-order from Amazon or any bookshop and pop your details on the form here.

Phew! So much goodness in such a short space of time! Thank you for being part of it, and for believing in your own potential to do what you love. It’s an ongoing journey for all of us, and I am so grateful to share it with you.

Beth Xx

Unleashing your creativity

Posted on 2018-07-11 at 11:40 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

There is beauty, creativity and purpose inside each and every one of us. Yes, we get days where our sparkle is dulled, but by breathing into it, understanding who you are and what’s important to you, will help you bounce back with the vivacity you’ve always had. My next guest on the Freedom Seeker Chronicles podcast, Pia Jane Bijkerk knows all about helping creative people to slow their minds and listen to their hearts.

Pia is a stylist, photographer, author and creative mentor and down she is also a wanderer, a philosopher and a seeker of beauty. I called Pia to the show because I knew the strength her story has brought to the many people who know her (including me) and I can’t wait for her to share with you the creative, guiding principles she lives by which allows her to unleash magic across the world every day.

Listen in for a real dose of creative energy.

New book ‘WABI SABI’ teaches life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese wisdom

Posted on 2018-07-06 at 1:08 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life‘ will be published by Piatkus on August 30. This is the second book from Do What You Love founder Beth Kempton, and offers a whole new way of looking at the world – and your life – inspired by centuries-old Japanese wisdom.

Wabi sabi (“wah-bi sah-bi”) is a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics, which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life’s challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism.

Wabi sabi is a refreshing antidote to our fast-paced, consumption-driven world, which will encourage you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and be gentler on yourself. It will help you simplify everything, and concentrate on what really matters.

From honouring the rhythm of the seasons to creating a welcoming home, from reframing failure to ageing with grace, wabi sabi will teach you find more joy and inspiration throughout your perfectly imperfect life.

This book is the definitive guide to applying the principles of wabi sabi to transform every area of your life, and finding happiness right where you are.

BONUS WHEN YOU PRE-ORDER

Pre-order your copy today to get access to a series of group coaching calls with Beth, where you will dive deep into the main themes of the book. Find all the details and book your spot here.

American/Canadian friends – you can get a copy from TheBookDepository.com with 10% off and free shipping, or wait for the North American version to come out next year!

When you ‘don’t have time to create’

Posted on 2018-07-03 at 10:07 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This hot sticky July evening has me dreaming of cool lakes and gentle breezes. I wonder how the season is unfolding wherever you are?

I spent much of the past week in the company of flowers – sweet peas and scabiosa, blousy dahlias, astrantia and achilia, purple agapanthus and many elegant dusty roses. I was on a floristry course, not because I want to become a florist, but because I want to have more flowers in my life and learn how to care for them, and because I needed a break from my screen, doing something creative with my hands.

Isn’t it funny how so often, we tell ourselves we don’t have time to get creative, at the very moment we need to be creative. The reasons we give ourselves for not making time for creativity are often the very reasons we need that time. This was certainly the case for me last week.

Getting on a train to London last Monday felt like an outrageous indulgence, knowing that I would be offline, conditioning stems and arranging bouquets instead of working through my to-dos. But here’s the thing. I have come back from that week refreshed, rejuvenated, full of ideas and with a whole lot more energy, not to mention an archive of photos I can use for work.

As an aside, watching the flowers wilt in the heat, and then seeing them rally again with fresh cool water, reminded me how we also need to nourish ourselves properly to be at our best. I am now using the sight of flowers as an aide-memoire to drink more water!

This week I want to encourage you to find some time to be creative – whether that means taking a whole day out to make or do something, or finding a small pocket of time to create some beauty in your day – and see how different you feel.

In other news, I will shortly be announcing two brand new workshops I am going to be teaching in California in September, at one of the most amazing venues you can imagine. I would love to share the experience with you. More on that in my next newsletter – stay tuned!

Have a great week,

Beth Xx

On prioritising the important stuff

Posted on 2018-02-12 at 7:08 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Three times in the past week I have been asked how I prioritise personal projects, when there are so many other demands on my time, so I thought I’d share some ideas with you today.

Firstly, it’s important to be really clear on why you want to do the project you want to do. Sounds really obvious, but if your reasoning isn’t crystal clear, the project will slip and other things will eat the time you were meant to make available for your project.

Secondly, it’s important to block out a realistic amount of time to make progress on your project. I have two versions of this kind of time – one set of blocks is non-negotiable, another is moveable depending on what is going on. This gives me flexibility (because life happens) but also keeps a level of commitment (because if you keep releasing your blocks of planned time, you’ll never get anywhere new).

Thirdly, I try to focus on one chunk of the project in one given block of time. So, right now I am working on my second book (hurrah) to a very tight deadline (eek). I have found that getting super organised gives me just enough boundaries to then be creative and free within the chunks of time I have. I might pick one particular chapter or idea within a chapter to focus on, and only work on that in a particular 2 hour block of time. Ideally creative work needs even bigger chunks of time than this – a full day, or a full week, but when that’s not possible, even a couple of hours can be valuable if you can dive right into the heart of the matter.

Lastly, it really helps to share your plans with someone for some kind of accountability. Right now Mr K is that check-in person for me. At the beginning of each day I am working on my book I tell him what I’m going to focus on, and then report back at the end of the day. Sometimes I get done more than I expected, sometimes less. Sometimes I find I have gone off on a tangent, but talking about it really helps me realise whether I used my time well, and then I can adjust accordingly the next time.

If you don’t have anyone in your house to help you stay on track with your personal projects, try finding an accountability buddy in real life or online, or get a mentor who is invested in your progress.

With so much going on in our busy lives, and so many demands on our time, combined with our natural tendency to prioritise others before ourselves, it’s no wonder that our personal projects often slide. But these projects are where much of our joy and genius lies, they are stepping stones to a more creative fulfilling life as we explore what we are capable of, so this week I encourage you to try out these ideas and see what works for you. Let me know!

Beth

PS This is the last call for our free Winter Writing Workshop, which starts TOMORROW! If you want accountability for a writing project, this is a great place to begin. With daily writing prompts, thoughts on the writing life and a community gathering space where you can connect with other writers, this will get you back into the rhythm of writing! I hope you’ll join us. Sign up here (it’s free!) https

Feeling stuck? This could help you figure out what to do next!

Posted on 2018-01-30 at 9:35 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

I am writing this on a train, whizzing north through the English countryside to a beautiful hidden place, for a week-long writing retreat to work on my next book. The fields outside my window are veiled in frost and mist, and I just found myself doing a long and slow exhale. You know the kind that you do at that moment when you realise all your holiday preparations are finally done, your bags are packed, your out-of-office is on and your adventure has actually begun? That kind of breath.

To me the idea of having a whole week stretching ahead of me to write (which means to wander and ponder, walk in the hills and think deeply about one particular thing, chew my pencil, eat chocolate and drink copious amounts of tea) is dreamy. It’s one of the times that I really feel free, and my life is better for it.

I’m sharing this with you because I want that for you too, whatever your version of feeling free might look like. Which brings me to our newest tool to help you figure it out!

Since Freedom Seeker was published a year ago (Is that all? It feels like several lifetimes!) I have been humbled and delighted to hear how it has helped so many of you discover so much more about yourself, and inspired you to move in a new direction. One of the things I have heard over and over is what a difference it made to have practical exercises in every chapter of the book, so it goes beyond inspiration to real and immediate action.

In order to make it even easier for you to take that action, we have designed this elegantly beautiful new Freedom Seeker Workbook to accompany the book. It’s an action plan for living more, worrying less and doing what you love. And it’s in digital format so you can either type straight into it, or print it out and use it like a personal journal.

The Workbook contains versions of all the exercises from the original book, with space to scribble your thoughts and responses, and ready-made templates where they are helpful. 78 pages of goodness to help you make an action plan for moving towards your dreams!

Get your Workbook here, and dive in!

And if you haven’t read Freedom Seeker go and get your copy now to read alongside the workbook, or get it on Audible and let me read the book to you, while you sit somewhere cosy with a cup of tea and let the Workbook work its magic!

Right, it’s time for me to switch off and get writing. I’ll see you on the other side…

Beth Xx

My secret mission revealed (Hint: it’s my next book!)

Posted on 2018-01-23 at 4:20 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

After several months of secret trips and meetings and negotiations and dreaming and planning, I am thrilled to share my big news with you… I am working on my next book all about life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese philosophy and culture, which will be out later this year.

For those of you who don’t know, over the years I have spent many years living and working in Japan, and have two degrees in the language. Even so, I am always discovering new things, and this book is a wonderful opportunity to dive deeper than ever into the magic and mystery.

I know many of you share my deep love of Japan and all things Japanese, so I can’t wait to reveal more over the coming months as this exciting project unfolds (starting with another long trip to Japan next month – hurrah!) I’d love to hear more about YOUR experiences of all things Japanese – please do share.

For those of you who haven’t really come into contact with that part of the world, stay tuned – you’re in for a treat!

I couldn’t be more grateful to be working on a book that brings together my three passions of Japanese language and culture, beauty and design, and personal development, but I must admit I am slightly terrified of my very tight manuscript deadline (April!) I have cleared the decks, booked time in and will be nose to the grindstone for the next three months!

More soon…

Beth Xx

18 questions to help you figure out how to make money from your passions

Posted on 2017-11-24 at 7:05 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today I want to talk about something which can be a real sticking point for many of us – knowing we want to do what we love but not knowing how to actually make money from it. And let’s face it, most of us need to generate an income somehow. So I thought it would be helpful to share some questions which can help you figure out what might work for you. And if you already have a side hustle or a fully-fledged business, these questions can help you extend what you offer. Depending on your situation, some of the questions will be really obvious, and others will prompt a new avenue of thought. I encourage you to find a few minutes this weekend to sit with a cuppa and your journal, and see what emerges!

Looking back at my story, what opportunities are there to monetise what I have learnt along the way?
What skills/knowledge do I have that I could hire out by the hour as a freelancer?
What could I make and sell?
What could I teach in person?
What could I teach online?
What could I write about in a physical book?
What could I share via an e-book?
What topics could I consult on?
What could I coach people on?
Business ideas are everywhere. What products/services are out there that I could improve upon?
Business ideas are everywhere. What products/services are needed but don’t exist?
What opportunities in my field are offered by rapidly changing technology?
What could I do as a side project to test the water before jumping in?
Could I simply ask for a pay rise at my current job to help fund doing more of what I love? (Be sure to demonstrate why this is justified based on the value you bring and have created for your employer)

And if you already make/sell something, ask yourself:

How could I sell more EXISTING products to EXISTING customers?
How could I sell more EXISTING products to NEW customers?
How could I sell more NEW products to EXISTING customers?
How could I sell more NEW products to NEW customers?

Any closer to figuring it out? If so, you might find one of our courses helpful to take the next step (and the next, and the next)
BethXx

PS I’m off to Japan on Sunday to work on a top secret project! Can’t wait to share more about it soon. In the meantime, come and follow along on Instagram @bethkempton. I promise loads of gorgeous eye candy and off-the-beaten-track peeks into this wonderful country!