ENTERPRISE + INITIATIVE Page 1 of 22

Doing what you love in the age of AI

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Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

– from the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann (1927)

When my children were small, something shocking happened at the seaside playground we used to frequent. The place had a little cafe which got carefully locked up every night, with staff diligently bolting the metal shutters to the counter and double-locking the door. But one morning the manager came in to discover that thieves had taken a drill to the side of the building during the night and extracted the entire safe through the gaping hole. That’s kind of how it felt to find out about Meta’s great book heist, which I am sure you have heard about by now. According to this investigation by The Atlantic, Meta has reportedly downloaded millions of books (including ten editions of mine) from pirate database LibSyn and used them to train AI. Suddenly I could see that we have all been faffing around worrying about whether AI-generated e-books are going to affect the traditional publishing world and all the while Meta was out with its giant drill stealing all the existing books through a hole in the back of the library.

As someone who has spent countless hours (actually, years) and sacrificed many things to bring my books into the world, part of me is of course as upset about this as anyone, and wants appropriate action to be taken. To that end I have followed the advice of the trade unions, signed the petition and stand in solidarity with fellow my authors and academics. (See below for advice from the Society of Authors and Authors Guild)

However, another part of me is fascinated by the speed at which things are being disrupted and deeply curious about what the AI age might mean in terms of new possibilities for all of us, and how it might take some of the mundane stuff off our plates so we can focus on the issues that really matter.

That curious, hopeful part of me is the part which is writing to you today.

To be honest, as an author I feel pressure to be anti-AI. Of course I am as outraged as anyone else about the blatant piracy and use of our published books, and I have no intention of using AI to generate any of my creative works (other than where AI is automatically integrated into research tools). I also understand that many, many jobs are threatened by the rapidly developing technologies of our time which include AI, and I am aware of the real impact that will have on many lives. In the weeks I have been working on this essay, The Guardian-Observer newspaper has closed, H&M has announced the use of digital clones of models in its ads, and I overheard a cameraman at my local coffee shop talking about how the television industry is on its knees. This is heartbreaking. There are also huge environmental concerns relating to the proliferation of AI, and I for one won’t be wasting water and energy generating a doll image of myself anytime soon.

But I am also founder of an organisation called Do What You Love and I have spent the past fifteen years encouraging people to make the most of emerging opportunities in the face of disruptive change, to not wait for authority to tell them what to do next, and to be brave enough to choose the unconventional path, if that is right for them. This has never felt so essential.

To be hopeful in the face of rapid change is a radical act, which takes courage but opens your eyes to opportunities that only exist right now.

Click here to continue reading the rest of this essay (including journal notes to prompt your own thinking on this topic)…

Fly free my friend, fly free

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There was a hawk on my path today. It is the third time I have seen it this week, and I’m sure it’s the same one, always circling the same place. It arrived as a long shadow cast over my left shoulder, and as I looked up to see it turn towards the tree line, time folded in on itself and I was back there, in Costa Rica all those years ago, trying and failing to write a book.

Of course there is a hawk on my path today. It is the eighth anniversary of the publication of the book I was struggling to write back then, my first book Freedom Seeker. The one that set me free.

Talons. Wings. Circles. Flight paths. Control. Surrender. These words are riding the thermals as I remember the other hawk story, and measure in wingspans the trajectory that it shifted.

I’d like to share that story today, on this anniversary, and ask you a question. But first, some thoughts on nature, authenticity and control.

The Dáodéjīng (sometimes written Tao Te Ching), or The Way and its Power, is a poetic and powerful compilation of wisdom, which has become the most translated of all philosophical work in Chinese. Dating back to around 300BCE, it is traditionally attributed to a figure known as Laozi (sometimes written Lao Tzu), although it is likely to have had a long gestation in different hands.

Its mystical nature has generated a host of interpretations, but all centre on the notion of wú wéi, conventionally translated from the Chinese as ‘non-action’. This is not passivity, but rather letting things take their natural course, embracing spontaneity and not endeavouring to control things. It means having your mind perfectly attuned to an activity or situation so that no conscious effort is needed to accomplish it.

There are also frequent references to the natural world, reminding us that birds are not always in flight and the skies do not always storm. In some ways it is an ode to zìrán, the Chinese term for naturalness, or embracing things as they are.

The Dáodéjīng also emphasises de which translates from the Chinese as ‘power’ or ‘virtue’, not in the moral sense but rather as a property inherent in something2. This is sometimes described as ‘authenticity’ or ‘skill at living’.

This is the wisdom of listening, practising and trusting without trying to force outcomes.

In recent years I have discovered that this is also the wisdom of fearless writing. I absolutely did not know that when I was writing Freedom Seeker.     [… continued]

 

Click here to read the full essay for free on my Substack.

Images: Top – Berlynn. Centre + Bottom – Holly Bobbins Photography. Artwork under teapot in bottom image – Emilie van Camp.

Because life is too short not to do what you love

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From my first ever photoshoot in 2016!

Friends, what a year, How are you doing, friend? The world has been rumbling these past days. I hope you are doing OK. Today’s note is a reminder that whatever life throws at us, we still get to choose how we respond to the happenings of the world, what information we take on board, where we focus our energy and attention, what kind of support systems we build, how we make a living, and ultimately what we do with each day of our precious lives. And to celebrate, because celebrating is important.

Over the years I have come to understand that doing what you love is often an act of quiet rebellion. There are opinions to ignore, norms to step around, conformity to resist, expectations to let go of, and freedom to be had. If ever there was a time for doing what you love – making art, writing books, following your heart – as an act of rebellion, surely it is now? And if not for that reason, why not do it simply because life is too short and precious not to?

Today I invite you to take a moment to step away from it all and think back to what you were doing fourteen years ago. November 2010. How was your life different? What were your dreams back then? What has come into being since then? What do you still dream of? I’d love to know.

Why November 2010? Because fourteen years ago today I registered my company, Do What You Love, and a few days later carried that certificate into a local bank branch and opened a business bank account. At the time I was still working in the corporate world as a consultant, but I had a sense that something was changing, and I wanted to get out ahead of it, and do my own thing. I had no idea what I was doing, or how I would do what I wanted to do, but I knew that I had to do something, and setting up the company was the first step towards that. Since then I have lost count of the number of people who have told me that ‘do what you love’ is terrible advice, because people have mortgages to pay and obligations to fulfil. And yet here I am, fourteen years later, grateful that I ignored them all, and that so many of you joined me along the way. Thank you, friends.

Making an important point about something or other (or trying to think straight with a toddler and a new baby in tow, back in 2016!)

When I look through the names like yours on my mailing list, or the names of people commenting on my Instagram or more recently my Substack, I recognise people who have been with me for years, some even since the beginning – people I have known longer than I have known my own children. That is wild, and a huge blessing. However you found me, whenever you became part of this community, thank you. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

I have witnessed so many of you making brave changes as you have navigated your own paths – changing careers, moving countries, going from shy creative to flourishing business owners, or from writing your first poem since school to publishing a book. It has been an astonishing journey of growth and expansion, both my own and yours, and as I take this opportunity to reflect on these past fourteen years, I invite you to do the same.

Back in 2010, when I handed over a few pounds to open that bank account, with nothing more than a laptop and an idea and Mr K’s support, things were very different. It was the year that the iPad was born, and Instagram was first released. A billion fewer people had mobile phones. I wasn’t yet married, I didn’t have any children, hardly anyone worked from home, almost no-one taught online, and blogs were only just starting to become a thing. Fourteen years and one pandemic later and although things have been tough in many ways these past few years, it has never been easier to work flexibly, or make the most of technology and online tools to connect with other people and thrive online.

If you know that you want to make a change in the coming months, to do more of what you love, be more creative, write more – write a book even – check out my courses here, or read my essay Doing What You Love in the Age of AI here. What might you be grateful for fourteen years from now, if you make a big decision today??

Wow I look young in this one. A lot has happened in the past eight years since this photo was taken, never mind the past fourteen since I set up the company! I wonder what has happened in your life in that time?

If you aren’t quite sure what would be the best fit for you, feel free to drop me a note at learning [at] dowhatyouloveforlife.com with some info about yourself and where you are in your life right now, and what you are looking for, and I will personally get back to you with some suggestions.

Whatever you decide, I want to take this opportunity to thank you so much for being part of this gorgeous community, and for allowing me to do what I love, as I support you to do the same. May we walk this path for many more years together.

Much love to you,

Beth Xx

PS Did you know The Calm Christmas Podcast is back? You can hear it on iTunes/Spotify etc or via its new Substack home at calmchristmas.substack.com.

Four years since Wabi Sabi came out. Over 200,000 copies sold. And not a visionboard in sight. Wait, what?

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Hello friend,

Four years ago today I was wandering around London with my then editor Anna Steadman, plying booksellers with Japanese treats from Minamoto Kitchoan, and telling them all about my book Wabi Sabi. It was at once excruciating and amazing, which is an odd combination that tends to lead you to eat your ramen way too fast… Anyway, today I am celebrating Wabi Sabi’s four year anniversary, and the fact that well over 200,000 copies have been sold. That absolutely blows my mind. That’s one copy of Wabi Sabi sold every five minutes since it was published four years ago today. That’s Wembley Stadium filled twice over with readers, and tens of thousands queueing up outside. (And I worked at Wembley Stadium for a while. I can imagine it filled with people holding up books instead of being dressed in football kits, and that makes me smile) This has been mostly thanks to word of mouth – that’s YOU. Thank you so very much.

And can I tell you a secret? I didn’t have ‘bestseller’ stuck on a visionboard for this book. In fact, it was after learning a lot about the pointlessness of fixed desire with the experience of my first book Freedom Seeker, that I let go of any desire for a particular outcome of releasing Wabi Sabi into the world, and so many good things I could never even have imagined have unfolded as a result, not to mention all the books I got to write since then. The importance of desirelessness is one of the radical things I explore in my new book The Way of the Fearless Writer. It goes against a lot of what we are taught about goal setting and bestseller obsessions, but I can tell you it’s a whole lot easier on the spirit, and the words just keep on flowing…

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I have a lovely Japan-related giveaway to celebrate this precious anniversary where you can win a HAUL of Japan-related goodies I have gathered for you. To enter please go to my Instagram @bethkempton and look for the image of me holding a map.

To every single one of you who has read, spoken about, shared or gifted Wabi Sabi, THANK YOU. I love you. And please remember, you are perfectly imperfect, just as you are.

Beth Xx

PS Do you know which are the most frequently shared words from Wabi Sabi? These:

 

Wabi sabi teaches us to be content with less, in a way that feels like more:

Less stuff, more soul. Less hustle, more ease. Less chaos, more calm.

Less mass consumption, more unique creation.

Less complexity, more clarity. Less judgement, more forgiveness. Less bravado, more truth.

Less resistance, more resilience. Less control, more surrender. Less head, more heart.

******

This was sent out in my weekly newsletter this week. If you’d like inspiration in your inbox from me, please sign up here!

 

Images Holly Bobbins Photography

How to cope with the guilt that comes with doing what you love

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A few days ago I got a Direct Message on Instagram from someone asking me an interesting question which is relevant to so many of us, so I thought I’d share my response here in case it is of interest to you, too. The DM said, “I feel like I have wondered into another chapter of my life that I didn’t know was waiting for me. I am trying to make space for myself but all of the space I create by necessity, takes me away from the family I decided to have, the job I wanted etc, so it gives me a huge amount of guilt. A large part of what you do also has to be on your own or in quiet places or with contemplative people. Do you struggle with time being split between your family and partner and the things you perhaps need and enjoy or allow you space? And if so how do you balance that?”

This question is essentially, “Don’t you feel guilty about doing what you love, and if you do, how do you cope with it?” I have a lot of thoughts about this – here are a few of them:

(1) A lot of my quiet time is not separate from my job, it’s necessary for my job – both in terms of my writing and the businesses I run. For me ‘doing what you love’ is a lot about how you spend each day, both in work and outside of work, and the work I choose requires quiet time which I love, hence my choice to do it. In theory I should no more feel guilty for it than anyone should feel guilty for going to work in a more conventional job. No-one ever asks a plumber if they feel guilty going to work, but our societal conditioning somehow makes us think that if we love it, and it’s creative, it can’t be real work which is sad and ridiculous, but also the state of things. Having said that, because it often doesn’t feel like ‘work’ in the way we are conditioned to think about work, the truth is I do feel guilty sometimes, so this is a fantastic question.

(2) I have worked on this parental guilt a lot, and talk about it in my new book The Way of the Fearless Writer because it can be a huge obstacle for getting to the page, and doing anything creative. Here’s the thing: I have come to understand that I am a better everything (mum, wife, friend etc) for having written or spent time with the ideas calling to me. By better I mean more present, patient, and awake to my life. My family knows this and we talk about it. Me doing my thing is good for all of us in many ways, and it might be the same for you. Recognising this can be a game changer in terms of getting the support you need to make time and space, and not feel bad about it.

(3) I make sacrifices. I often choose to spend time with my ideas instead of with friends in real life. Not always, but often. The truth is that these past few years I have put more effort into writing new books than making new friendships. I rarely meet up with people for coffee in the middle of the day because I’d rather be on a long walk in the hills or by the sea figuring out the idea for my next book. This doesn’t mean I think less of friends, I just don’t hang out with them all the time. I am sure this means I miss out on things, but a book (like art, or a new business) is the result of hundreds of tiny decisions to work on it, rather than something else. That’s a personal choice. It has not always been this way, and it might not always be this way, but it’s how I feel at this point in my life, so I’m going with it.

(4) I get up really early most days. Mr K gets up early too. We do our own thing for a couple of hours – me writing, yoga, walking etc and him pilates or running – and our children don’t even notice because they are sleeping. It’s bliss.

(5) Outside of ‘work’ I make room for creative time with a few choices – I don’t iron clothes (sorry Mum). I almost never watch TV (except for Grey’s Anatomy, currently still on season 13, no spoilers please). I batch cook food in winter and eat a lot of salad in summer. I don’t spend much time consuming social media (even when I am active on my own accounts). These simple things free up a lot of time.

(6) I encourage my husband to do stuff he loves too, away from me and the girls. He loves to go on long runs, sometimes to the pub, sometimes paddleboarding etc. He teaches pilates and doesn’t feel guilty about the time spent doing that, which reminds me not to feel guilty about the time I spend doing things I love.

(7) I think I am sending our girls an important message doing what I love, and turning formless ideas into food on the table, not to mention teaching them that quiet time and space matters for our well-being.

(8) There is a season for everything. I often write my books in winter which requires big chunks of time away from others. At other times I am much more available to everyone and it helps us all to know that.

(9) Sometimes it helps to work backwards. What’s your ideal day and how can you reconfigure your life to make that support your work and family as well as your own health and creativity? It’s just possible that in the end everyone will be grateful that you did.

(10) Life is short. You might as well do what you love, not just in the big scheme of things but inside every day. Just sayin’

If you have questions like this about doing what you love I’m always open to them. I love pondering them and might share in a future post so feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram @bethkempton.

Beth Xx

PS This post was originally sent as a newsletter to my community. If you’d like to get love letters and inspiration like this direct into your inbox just hop on the list for free here.

PPS It has been a big week for my Book Proposal Masterclass graduates over here – one graduate is deciding between multiple agents wanting to represent her, Emma S just landed an agent for a book idea I adore, and Ann Garcia’s How to Pay for College was published. We have just opened registration for the next class (February 2023) with an early bird discount of 30% off and an instalment plan, because I know some of you wanted to spread payments over several months. If you want to join me to get your non-fiction book proposal done in February, you can book your spot here.

NEW BOOK ALERT!

A letter to myself (to remind me how to take care of myself on the busiest days)

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Dear You,

It’s really quite ridiculous that I have to send you this letter, given all the tools you have at your fingertips, and what you know and teach. But then again, I guess you are just a human being like everyone else, and things do tend to slip when you are busy. So here are a few reminders of things you can do to take care of yourself at busy times:

  • Get less busy (Check your list and cut, delegate or move anything that really doesn’t have to be done today. Then lose another 20%. Really, you can.)
  • Breathe (Close your eyes and breathe deeply for a minute)
  • Move (Yoga, walk, run, dance around the kitchen, it doesn’t matter, just get up from your chair)
  • Drink water (You often forget this one. Tea doesn’t count), remember.)
  • Laugh (It changes everything, remember. And you have two little experts in your house)
  • Use your freezer (One afternoon of batch cooking feeds you well for a week)
  • Put time between your screen and your bed (at least an hour to let your eyes rest and your mind settle – but ideally way more!)
  • Be clear when the busyness will end. Don’t let it drift on and on. (You are good in short bursts, but then need a break. Take that break)
  • Don’t forget to notice the world outside your window (it’s very beautiful, and today is only here today)

Love,

You

How to change your life fifteen minutes at a time

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Big dreams take time, and sometimes can feel overwhelming. In the very last in the series of The Freedom Seeker Chronicles, I am chatting with Kelsey Murphy, who shares how we can achieve anything when we focus on it for fifteen minutes at a time.

Kelsey is a career strategist, certified life coach and founder of Whiskey and Work. Previously the Advertising Director for Nintendo and Elizabeth Arden, she now works with people all over the world to help them create a more fulfilling career and life. Some of her clients include the management of Facebook, Apple and TOMS. She’s also a snowboarder, a dreamer and a fresh air addict, and her positivity is contagious.

LISTEN HERE

How to change your life fifteen minutes at a time FS PODCAST FB S2 023 LR1

Key Moments:

[4m 00s] Kelsey shares the power of 15-minute chunking

[7m 00s] Why you don’t need to choose just one passion to live an inspired life

[11m 00s] Why you might want to pop into a bookshop this weekend

[13m 20s] On living a one hundred year life

[13m 30s] How to think about your life in phases

[15m 30s] What Kelsey wished people knew about her

[21m 30s] The importance of acknowledging when you are living the life you once dreamt of

[24m 35s] What Kelsey had to let go of to discover the life she has now

[28m 10s] The three questions Kelsey most often gets asked by women trying to find their path

[33m 20s] Kelsey’s advice for building your confidence

 

Thank you to the many thousands of you who have tuned in for this last series. If you missed any episodes you can catch them all here. I’ll be back later in the year with a new series once I have moved house and found a new recording studio!

Beth Xx

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

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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.Got a book dream? Bring it to life with this advice BK WABI SABI PREORDER FBLIVE 2 800X400PXMy 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 getting lost and finding purpose

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What happens when you chase financial success, achieve it and then realise that things don’t feel quite as good as you thought they would? My guest on the Freedom Seeker Chronicles podcast this week, Brandon Evans, is the CEO and co-founder of 1Heart, a conscious start-up studio who found out the answer the hard way. Brandon previously built two $100 million companies, but after achieving financial success, he woke up one day lost and began a spiritual journey which he chronicled in his first Medium article entitled, ‘Lost on purpose’. That went instantly viral and he has since founded 1Heart with his best friend, with the goal of helping entrepreneurs to find their path and build conscious companies.

I talked to Brandon about finding real meaning, and keeping it real.

LISTEN HERE

On getting lost and finding purpose FS PODCAST FB S2 020 LR1
Key Moments:

[3m 00s] What Brandon has learned about how to find yourself

[5m 30s] How one particular blog post changed everything for Brandon

[9m 25s] Brandon shares the major turning point in his

[14m 15s] How his experience changed his relationships

[15m 43s] Brandon’s message to his younger, overworked self

[20m 59s] How Brandon’s start up studio is supporting other entrepreneurs

[23m 55s] The mistakes Brandon sees start ups make over and over

[25m 45s] On working with your best friend

[29m 30s] What freedom means to Brandon these days

 

 

 

What do you want to be grateful for, years from now?

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Greetings from a cosy rainy England – such a difference from just a week ago. Right now my mum is building a theatre with our two little ones, and Mr K and I are in a café reviewing our numbers. We do this regularly, checking in on where we are, what’s going well, what has fallen behind, what we want to change, what we want to celebrate. And we each get to do this with one of our favourite people in the world. I am so grateful for the many varied opportunities entrepreneurship has brought to my door, but mostly I am grateful that we get to dream, plan and bring it to life together.

I’ll let you into a little secret. Back in the beginning, when I first started my business, every time Mr K came home from work (he was an civil engineer back then), we would do a high five for every course that had been sold that day. One day, soon after launching our first e-course there were a couple of high fives, a few more the next day, one the next, a couple the next and so on. It became a small but important reminder that it was working – this idea to do something different, and support others wanting to do something different, was working. I’ll never forget the first time we sold over 100 courses in a day, and our hands hurt from all the high fives, and our faces hurt from the grinning. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the freedom. I had created something from nothing, and it was helping people. That still blows my mind today, eight years on.

A couple of years after that day, the business was flourishing well enough for Mr K to quit his job completely and come on board. He started the first Monday after our honeymoon. It took a while for us to find our working rhythm, figuring out how best to use his skills, for me to let go of the need to do everything myself, and for him to get used to a very different way of working. But here we are, more than five years on, and he is absolutely crucial to the success of our business. He also gets paid a lot more than before, to work a lot fewer hours and spend large amounts of precious time with our daughters. We are building a life and future for our family, not just growing a business.

I am thinking about all this because tomorrow sees the start of our brand new online course, co-taught with my Make Art That Sells (MATS) co-founder Lilla Rogers. For the first time ever we are sharing all we have learned about money – in the context of business and life – in an intense and fun three week crash course, MATS MBA (Money BadAss). I love the title of the course because it is so Lilla – she has a brilliant attitude to business, while being both nurturing and fun, and a total badass. We combine strategy, practical guidance, advice on dealing with money stories and of course some woo, to bring you what I think will soon become one of our favourite courses. With daily video lessons, weekly live teaching and an amazing Playbook that provides a Game Plan for your business over the next twelve months. Class has just started but you can still squeeze in here.

Even if you don’t have a business, this week I want to challenge you to answer this question: What do you want to be grateful for having done NOW, in a few years’ time? I’d love to know your answer – come and share over on Instagram @bethkempton.

Have a great week

Beth Xx