In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig wrote about the tension between the ‘romantic’ (creativity, aesthetics, relationships) and the ‘classical’ (mechanics, systems, structure), and he argued that true quality comes from marrying the two.

In my latest blog post, I explore how this philosophy mirrors the realities of running a creative business and why subscribing to endless new software platforms won't save you, how poor admin acts as a massive “gumption trap" draining your momentum, and why treating your business systems as an ongoing practice of maintenance is the secret to balance.

Explore the fine line between creativity and chaos, the importance of making mistakes, and two distinct ways in which systems and structures can support original ideas.

Standard advice can treat project closure as a transactional process. Discover why business relationships should be an invitation to warmth, trust, and mutual respect.

The image shows a pebble beach on the left, the ocean on the right and the sun rising over the horizon in the middle distance.

Nothing in my music teacher training prepared me for entrepreneurship. Except, perhaps, the donkey. A story about unexpected pivots and the skills we didn't know we had.