Show Notes
Season Two
Episode 9: Embodying your uniqueness for creative branding
One of the hardest things to consider when putting yourself out there as a creative entrepreneur, is showcasing your work. It’s easy to hide behind perfectionist tendencies as we go back into the planning, drafting or revising stages of our creative projects, but it’s another thing to say “this is it, this is me, here you go!”
Today's episode delves deeply into the concept of authentic self-expression, emphasizing the importance of genuinely putting yourself out there. It highlights the significance of clarity in both intentions and messaging, illustrating how this clarity facilitates stronger connections with your audience.
As you listen, consider how you show up for yourself as a creative entrepreneur. How can you embrace positive change and confidence in what you do?
Looking to infuse rock solid boundaries in your daily life so you can keep moving forward along your creative journey? Check out our free Build Stronger Boundaries worksheet!
Episode 8: What are you making time for?
So… at this point into Season Two, you’ve made time to reflect on your “why”, you’ve been honest with yourself about the spaces that no longer align with you, and you understand what cleansing the creative palette means to you. Now what?
In today’s episode, get ready for some mindset shifts as we explore the role of accountability in our creative lives. Much of this is related to bringing awareness to your energy levels.
At Breathing Space Creative, we are always encouraging folks to consider their energy before taking action with their projects. This looks like:
Assessing their priorities
Observing limiting beliefs that set you back
And being honest with how you can meet your needs right now.
Open your mind to the idea that it’s not about needing more time, but learning how to better manage your energy.
If you’re interested in learning more about protecting your energy and the things you want to focus on this season, join our free Say No With Love workshop on April 27th, 2024.
Episode 7: entrepreneurial mindset and life balance with Carol Good
Today's episode is for all the listeners who are trying to balance creative work with entrepreneurship alongside all the other demands of daily life.
Life won't always take us where we might want or expect it to, and our special guest is here to remind us that ultimately, the detours and setbacks are often meant to show us that something better is coming.
Carol Good is a writer, artist, and crafter, living the entrepreneurial life. When she isn't creating new journals and greeting cards for her shop Good Wares, she's busy working on her manuscript.
Follow Carol on Instagram @c.a.good and @good.wares to learn more about her journey!
Carol is also a long-time member of the Forever Writers Club, and a contributor and associate editor for lifeasahuman.com.
Episode 6: Leaving spaces that don't align with who you are
At Breathing Space Creative, we are always discussing the evolution of our own creative journeys. Sometimes this involves letting go of spaces that no longer align with who we are.
In today’s episode, Chelene discusses the importance of prioritizing our needs to make space for a healthy creative balance with guest Natasha “Tash” Helwig.
Natasha is the Founder of Broken Heals Inc. where she works as a Facilitator, Coach, and Writer helping women grow, love, heal, and be heard for over 9 years, and recently she has become the Founder and COO of The Birdhouse, an initiative focused on providing workshops focused on inclusivity and creating a sense of belonging within organizations and amongst teams through storytelling and active listening workshops.
Today’s heartfelt discussion takes an honest look at what burnout truly looks like in a post-pandemic world.
As you listen to this episode, take an honest look at the spaces you’re already in.
How are they holding you?
What changes might you need to implement in order to protect your energy and time for things you love?
Sign up for our upcoming Free Say No with Love Workshop today!
You can learn more about Tash’s Deep Work/Soft Landing workshop or find her on Instagram:
Natasha Helwig and Broken Heals.
Episode 5: Cleansing your creative palette
Here at Breathing Space Creative, we don't believe in writer's block... The reason you're not writing or creating probably has a LOT to do with how you're approaching your work.
In today's episode, Chelene discusses the importance of cleansing your creative palette - otherwise known as learning when to reset your mind so you can go back to doing what you love the most.
Give yourself a chance to truly pause and be present with yourself. How can you give yourself more space to cleanse your creative palette? What kind of unstructured play brings life into your art?
Looking for more essential tips and guidance to keep you aligned with your creative energy? Start with our Identifying, Preventing, & Resisting Burnout worksheet!
Episode 4: Common mistakes creatives make that keep us dreaming small
What happens to big ideas with small dreams?
They're easy to abandon.
In today's episode, Chelene taps into her coaching experience to explore what holds creatives back from following through and having confidence in their work.
Listen to this episode through the lens of your own creative journey:
Are you more focused on the end goal rather than how you feel during your creative journey?
Can you slow down and pay attention to your inner dialogue?
Are you supporting yourself in a way that welcomes change?
It’s time to start dreaming big!
Looking for more essential tips and guidance to keep you aligned with your creative energy? Start with our Identifying, Preventing, & Resisting Burnout worksheet!
Episode 3: Creativity as an act of Self-love with D Fretter
"The tortured artist trope is out of style, it's dead, we need to leave it there." — D Fretter.
In today's special episode, guest D Fretter is here to talk all things creativity and self-love to remind you that... it's okay to let your art be a part of you.
Step into that vulnerable space of understanding who you are. When you discover what you need in order to be yourself, you'll learn exactly how to prioritize your creative pursuits.
Today’s guest has a lot to say about that. He is a poet/spoken word artist who teaches workshops in schools. On Tiktok he’s developed the reputation for being a mental health advocate and a big believer in self-love/healing. Some of you may know him from his poetry books, The Journey is All the Same and Joy + Misery.
Find him on Instagram: _dfretter
Interested in the THRIVE coaching program? Visit our website.
Episode 2: Discovering your project's Why
In today’s episode, we’ll dive deep into reflecting on your project’s why, and explore how that seeps into your everyday life. Many people in the creative field like to make the assumption that we all have the same why. This can often lead to feeling misunderstood by others, and misguided in your own direction.
Take some time for yourself during this episode to really pay attention to your responses to the insights shared. You might find yourself anchored in a whole new perspective that can help you carry through your project.
Interested in other methods that are part of the THRIVE coaching program? Visit our website.
Episode 1: Let it Go: Free Yourself from Old Beliefs and Find a New Path to Joy
Welcome to Season Two of The Balanced Creative where we will be centering conversations around bringing your project into the world, despite the noise of your everyday life. For more insights and clarity, sign up for our Say No With Love Newsletter!
In today’s episode, we are kicking off a new year with the launch of Chelene’s fourth book, Let it Go: Free Yourself from Old Beliefs and Find a New Path to Joy
Tune into another episode where Mar interviews Chelene on everything behind the scenes of writing this book, along with the first ever read excerpt from Let it Go!
Season One
EPISODE 18: Entrepreneurial by Design with Chelene Knight
Hello friends! In this very special episode, your host Chelene Knight will be in the hot seat. We’re going to learn more about who she is, what she does, and most importantly, her WHY. Let’s get to know our host even better with some personal Qs.
Producer Mar Tezak will be hosting this episode, asking Chelene about her journey of leaving the 9-5 to pursue the creative life of her dreams.
Looking for a good read that can help you make space for yourself along your creative journey?
Checkout Chelene’s book Let it Go: Free Yourself from Old Beliefs and Find a New Path to Joy
Looking for tools to learn about the Say No With Love Method? Sign up for our free workshop!
EPISODE 17: Make space for creation using your 9-5
This one’s for all the nine-to-fivers out there! As you know, being a creative, your brain doesn’t just shut off during your day job. There are always ideas waiting to be expressed through your preferred medium of creation, but how can you keep that going when you’ve got other tasks to prioritize during the day?
In today’s episode, let’s dive deep into the ways creativity can be used to give you what you need during your day, so you can feel refreshed when you turn to your creative practice.
EPISODE 16: Spilling the Tea on Self Promo for Writers with Sophie Jai
Promoting yourself and your book is often hard for a lot of writers, but it is also a necessary part of the job. But how do we make sure that we take care of ourselves in the process? In this episode of The Balanced Creative, Guest Sophie Jai and I dive deep into the pros and cons of self-promotion for authors and why author care is an essential consideration for all authors.
Sophie Jai is the author of WILD FIRES, her debut novel. Most recently, it was shortlisted for 2023 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and the 2023 Fred Kerner Book Award. It was the winner of the 2019 Borough Press x The Good Literary Agency Prize, and longlisted for the 2019 Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award. Jai has been a Writer-in-Residence & Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, where is currently working on her second novel.
EPISODE 15: Say No With Love
In today’s episode of The Balanced Creative, I hope to clarify what it means to say no with love, how this connects to ripples out into your creative practice, and how this is the nucleus for the work we do in the Thrive Coaching Program.
What does it even mean to say no with love?
To know something isn't for you right now and to accurately and confidently communicate it based on how you want to show up that year, what your “word” or general focus is for the year, and what are the handful of priorities you want to touch this year.
EPISODE 14: Show Me the Money! Making a Living as a Creative with Guest Jen Sookfong Lee
In today’s episode of The Balanced Creative I am excited to chat with author editor extraordinaire, Jen Sookfong Lee about all things writing and money:
Where does our ‘writing' income come from?
What are all the ways we can make money from our books aside from just book sales?
How can we get excited about money?
You don't wanna miss this one!
JEN SOOKFONG LEE was born and raised in Vancouver’s East Side, and she now lives with her son in North Burnaby. Her books include The Conjoined, nominated for International Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, The Shadow List, and most recently, Superfan. Jen acquires and edits for ECW Press and co-hosts the literary podcast Can’t Lit.
Link to Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart by Jen Sookfong Lee
EPISODE 13: our mind may manage stress well, but chances are, your body doesn't
In today’s episode of The Balanced Creative, I hope to inspire you to flip the narrative on how you manage stress by calling on your creativity.
I think it’s fair to say that we have all been taught to view stress in a negative light and we’ve fallen into the narrative that when we are stressed out it should be a terrible time, it’s supposed to be a terrible time.
But what if we wanted to unlearn this?
Using our ALARTT method as a way of slowing down long enough to take a bit more control over how you respond to stress is the focus of this month’s episode!
Learn more about our Thrive Coaching Program here.
EPISODE 12: THREE WAYS PRIORITIZING FOR THE YEAR CAN HELP YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH WRITING AGAIN
Magically making more “time” for your writing isn’t going to make you love the process or get joy from it. But being present with your writing plays a huge role. We aren’t present for our writing when we are rushing around just trying to keep our heads above water. In this month’s episode, we look at three ways prioritizing your year can create more joy in your writing process.
In today’s episode of The Balanced Creative, I hope to encourage folks to look at how we can create more flow in our days to create the headspace that gets us excited about our work again.
So here are three ways prioritizing can help you fall in love with writing again:
When you prioritize your year, everything will feel more intentional and you will be more present. Being present allows you to connect with your creativity in a different way. For writers, you will notice that you can zoom outside of your manuscript more than when you are so close to it. This can transform what you get on the page and even how you revise.
When you prioritize for the year, you’ll notice that the work you take on (or the commitments you say yes to, will magically connect and inform your writing
When you prioritize for the year, you will have more energy (we can control energy a lot more than we can add more hours to the day)
Need help with this? Stay tuned for another offering of our popular Say No With Love Workshop! (formerly the Priorities Alignment Workshop) later this year! Get on our email list to stay in the loop!
Learn more about our Thrive Coaching Program here.
EPISODE 11: AUTHOR CARE IN CREATIVE WRITING WITH KIM PITTAWAY
What does author care mean and how can we start to be proactive about it? What can we do now, to not only support future writers as they publish and promote their books but how can we preemptively tackle imminent burnout and prevent writers from giving up on their creative talents because of the abrasive nature of publishing, the current state of the world? How can we build the conditions needed to create in a healthy way? It starts with the self.
Today’s guest, Kim Pittaway is a cohort director in creative nonfiction in the limited-residency MFA program at the University of King's College in Halifax, NS. She is the co-author, with Toufah Jallow, of Toufah: The Woman Who Inspired an African #MeToo Movement. Join us as we dive into the creative writing program realm and discuss what care can really mean.
Learn more about our Thrive Coaching Program here.
EPISODE 10: HOW THE EVOLUTION OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION HAS AFFECTED OUR BOUNDARIES AND CREATIVE LIFE
In this solo episode of the Balanced Creative, I explore instant gratification and how it can hinder our creative process. I also brainstorm possible pivots and small movements that can help us protect our boundaries and bring back the joy of creation.
Can we slow down long enough to make this happen?
Let’s do it!
Check out our Thrive Coaching Program for more!
EPISODE 9: HOW PERSONALITY PLAYS A ROLE IN WORKPLACE SUCCESS WITH TERRANCE LEE
How does personality play a role in workplace success? Whether you are a creative entrepreneur or whether you work a 9-5, finding and honing a sense of belonging is something we are all after. How can we define success for ourselves and work in a way that helps us put forward our best selves and our best work? Join me as I chat with author, entrepreneur, and Introvert Leader extraordinaire Terrance Lee, about all things personality and work.
How can we show up as our best selves to lead?
How can we use our introversion to fall deeper into the act of creation?
Check out Terrance's new book, Quiet Voice Fearless Leader here
Follow Terrance on Instagram @theintrovertleader
Check out our Thrive Coaching Program for more information!
EPISODE 8: SYSTEMS & PROCESSES AS SELF-CARE WITH GUEST KRYSTAL CLARK
How to Get Organized as a Creative Entrepreneur with guest Krystal Clark!
Can building systems and processes count as self-care? As writers, we are always reimagining what counts as writing, so why can’t we reimagine self-care in this way? Getting organized, staying organized, and reducing stress and overwhelm are all deeply connected to HOW we use our time. Yup, efficiency matters. We can’t create more time in the day but we can wholeheartedly strategize how to work with what we have. Want to find more quality creation time? This episode is for you!
Learn how to Organize Your Empire™ with Krystal Clark
Krystal recommends three main systems to help you create more space in your business and in your every day life:
Airtable
Zapier
Google Workspace
You do not want to miss this!
Check out our Thrive Coaching Program for more information!
EPISODE 7: SELF CARE IS COMMUNITY CARE, WITH AUTHOR JÓNÍNA KIRTON
What can author care look like by going back and looking at our lives before we embraced the creative world. What’s changed? What can we call back in? How can we truly take care of ourselves first? Join me and writer, Jónína Kirton as we spend some time with each other talking about our goals, our bodies, and what has helped us move forward as creators.
When you put yourself first, you can show up for others in your most authentic way. Care needs to be defined by you. No one else’s definition of care will make the cut. Spend time every single day unlearning and letting things go.
Check out our Thrive Coaching Program for more information!
Jónína Kirton is an Icelandic and Red River Métis poet was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, the traditional lands of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Anishinaabeg and the Métis. She graduated from the Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio in 2007 and is currently an Adjunct Professor with the UBC Creative Writing Program. She released her first book, page as bone ~ ink as blood, in 2015 and she was sixty-one when she received the 2016 Vancouver’s Mayor’s Arts Award for an Emerging Artist in the Literary Arts category. Her second collection of poetry, An Honest Woman, was a finalist in the 2018 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Her third book, Standing in a River of Time, released in 2022, merges poetry and lyrical memoir to take us on a journey exposing the intergenerational effects of colonization on her Métis family. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation of BC and currently lives in New Westminster BC, the unceded territory of the Halkomelem speaking peoples.
EPISODE 6: LETTING GO AND BUILDING INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
We all hold on to so much. We pick up new ideas, meet new people, carry old belief systems, and learn new processes. The more we hold in our arms, the more likely we are to drop things, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this episode of the Balanced Creative we will look at how letting go can help us to create more space for creation, and more time to engage with our self-defined community.
Social media as community: How having a small platform can count as community, and benefit you, your mental health, and your creative goals.
Mindset Minute:
What if, we all made a mind map of what intentional community looked like for us? What if we slowed down enough to take the time to really think about what we want from community and what we have to offer?
EPISODE 5: THREE WAYS TO BUILD UP YOUR MONEY MINDSET IN AN INDUSTRY THAT WANTS YOU TO REMAIN BROKE
Three ways to BEGIN to build up your money mindset in an industry that wants you to remain broke.
It’s not easy to make a living from our art which is why so many of us have “other jobs.” Acknowledging your current relationship with money is the first step to unlearning negative habits and creating the headspace for new goals and a fresh financial perspective.
In this episode of The Balanced Creative we will discuss ways to face your current money mindset, brainstorm ways to make money from your art and your expertise, and set specific and achievable money goals and intentions.
EPISODE 4: WHY QUITTING MY DAY JOB WAS THE BEST AND SCARIEST DECISION OF MY CREATIVE CAREER
Creating creative space sometimes means letting go and taking risks. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, but if it is for you, going all in and trusting yourself and your dreams enough to build these dreams in real life can lead to self-defined success. Here’s what that journey was like for me.
Surround yourself with people who want to see you thrive. People who want to see you experience joy, and who want to see you climb.
Hard truth: Not everyone is here for this.
Some people will hold a snapshot of an older version of you. The you that maybe they had the most control over. Kick that to the curb and be OK with folks having to relearn you. They gotta do that work.
EPISODE 3: THREE CLEAR CUT WAYS TO MAKE MORE HEALTHY SPACE FOR CREATION
In today’s episode of The Balanced Creative, I will share three clear cut ways to make a more healthy space for creation. Through establishing processes, committing to consistent boundary & mindset work, and redefining what counts as contributing to your creative outlet, you CAN find more balance.
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 (processes are made up of workflows, systems, and automations) when you have a process, you can delegate and off load to others, you can ask for help without worrying that it’s YOU who has to do the task.
Building processes is a way of taking the info out of your head and making sure it lives elsewhere. Building processes saved me 4 hours per day in admin.
𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 as life long work, but start somewhere, saying no intentionally … this is the core foundation .. so even before you get all excited about building processes, start with boundaries. Read Nedra Glover’s book as a starting point!
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and they can count as more than just the thing you do … for me, it’s redefining what counts as writing. What are things I do daily that contribute to my creative practice?
EPISODE 2: THRIVING VS SURVIVING
Thriving vs. Surviving: Creating your own equitable space as a marginalized creative entrepreneur.
Let’s get down to it. Why is it so difficult to thrive through that ever-present diversity veneer? Why are we not discussing what POC creators need in order to stay and thrive in a space?
But over the years, I’ve learned that this work of thriving in a space starts with the self:
- Reimagining language
- Boundaries (and these are about you not the other person)
- As leaders, we need to get away from the “this is how it’s always been done narrative”
EPISODE 1: BURNOUT
Is giving too much contributing to our burnout?
How do we know if we are giving beyond our means? How does our generosity contribute to burnout?
Just like we check in with our energy levels in terms of the tasks we do each and every week, we also want to check in on how much we give, and make sure we are still in a position to offer up our valuable time and money ... burnout can also come from doing the most, giving more than you have, and not being sure where our limits are.
ACCORDING TO THE QUILL & QUIRE, 75.6 PER CENT OF PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCE WORKPLACE BURNOUT.
But I want to challenge this … is burnout only limited to the workplace?
Can burnout happen:
at home
while with friends?
while giving?
while trying to help?
while volunteering?
Check in with how much you give on a monthly basis. Write everything down, from loaning out money to letting folks pick your brain for free to being the sole chef in your family … what still gives you joy? What is depleting you? What will you stop doing?
THE BALANCED CREATIVE PODCAST
The Balanced Creative is a podcast for busy innovative people who are committed to leaving the burnout behind —for good. Through personal, inspirational stories of transformation and change, we lean into the long term effects of creative burnout and offer small, tangible ways to work on our mindset, boundaries, and other non-negotiables, for a more balanced and joyful creative practice that suits you.
Podcast Producer: Mar Tezak
Are you interested in being a Balanced Creative Podcast guest? We are looking to chat with folks who have some level of expertise in a creative field and value living a balanced creative life and kicking burnout to the curb—for life. Although we work mostly with writers we are keen to learn more about how to build healthier creative practices in general, so get in touch no matter your creative field! ↓