OGB // the only bloggers i'll listen to

read books not blogs // poster and image by the fantasic @yourtype

You know when you first start your business and you're just obsessed? You spend your nights sleepless, your brain ticking over with all of the ideas. The only thing you seem to be able to talk about is your new venture. You spend hours doing 'research', reading creative business blogs and consultant articles, itching to get every piece of information into that slightly overworked brain of yours. I still do those things now, but less of the research part. It took me a year of being in business to realise that reading what other bloggers/creative business owners do in their day-to-day lives, how they do what they do, isn't too healthy.
As I (rather embarrassingly) told the girls at our first onegirlband meet up, I once had a sheet next to my desk of another designer's hour-by-hour day, and I'd copy it exactly. I thought that was what I was meant to be doing, that it was the only way I would be a proper designer. The day I threw that sheet out was my first productive day in months! You don't have to be someone else to be successful. Find what works for you, even if that means working 15 hours a day or 5. You don't have work all night just because other creatives say they do, either (it might not be the truth). Really, this isn't a case of that blogging is bad. It's far from it. It's a case of the 'comparison is the thief of joy's. It's no secret that we can all get bogged down by comparing other creatives to ourselves, but cutting yourself from constantly taking in content can help reduce those feelings of inadequacy. You're definitely not inadequate. 


Saying that, there are a few blogs I still read every day. I find that these blogs are simply giving out information that is helpful to other creatives, to support us and help us nurture our businesses. Here are a handful below:

The Private Life of A Girl // Sophie, Blogger + Owner of Oh My Clumsy Heart.
Sophie's blog was one of the first blogs I discovered when I started perusing Twitter as LH design. Her tips are eloquent and straight to the point. There's no messing here, and you can learn just as much from Sophie than you could from reading 100 other blogs.  

Hello Harriet // Harriet, owner of Hello Harriet
Harriet has a brilliant blog series tagged under SRS BZNZ. With some great insights as to why having a studio wasn't right for her, and tips on how to source suppliers, you're going to learn a lot here.

Cocorrina // Corina, Graphic Designer
With beautiful, design-led imagery and some great freelance thoughts from her blog series TFL (The Freelance Life), I am constantly inspired by Corina. She also lives on the Kefalonia island, meaning her Instagram is down-right gorgeous.

Jennypurr // Jen, Blogger and Creative Coach at Jennypurr
I absolutely adore Jen's Make It Happen podcast. I got slightly bored of the podcasts coming from the States as I couldn't really relate to the business side (taxes, accounts etc) as they're so different here in the UK, but Jen's is an all-round brilliant piece of listening. Her blog is also a platform of inspiration and motivation. If I ever get into a slump, I just read Jen's blog and I'm up and ready again.