Articles

I write about things that peak my curiosity and what I'm learning. Below you'll find writing on topics like creativity, learning, health, business and more.

Most of my writing comes from experiences and lessons I need to remember. Hopefully you’ll find some of it useful.

Betting on creators

Why is there not a better system for backing emerging creators?

Build your project graveyard

Creators and entrepreneurs should have 1 goal: to keep playing the game.

Building a lifestyle business

For the longest time I thought I had to be an operator, someone who is always full steam ahead taking action, talking to people and getting sh*t done.

How to stop giving a sh*t what other people think of you

'I don't care what other people think about me' is the story I tell myself. But if I'm honest this isn't true.

Full Stack Creator

Traditionally creators and businesses were separate things. But recently there was been a surge in full stack creators merging the two.

Why good advice won't change your life

Advice can't change your life. Sure advice can set you on the right path.

Improve your focus with the 90 - 30 method

Every 6 months or so I fall into a productivity slump. I start working longer hours while getting less done.

How to make interesting things and meet interesting people

Most people have heard the quote "An unexamined life is not worth living" but what Socrates failed to expand upon is how you actually need to live a life worth examining in the first place.

Local Maxima is holding you back

If you were to search for the "best job" but only search in a 1 mile radius from your current house, you may be able to find the best job in those constraints but it wouldn't be the the actual best job.

Screw it. Let's do it!

Finding success in any area of life requires a combination of thousands of tiny skills.

Why "following your passion" is more rational than you think.

Making progress in life comes down to making a series of life leaps. All leaps vary in size.

Where are you sabotaging yourself?

Early this week I read an article from Jakob Greenfeld and it has been a game-changer for me.

Invest in Something

We all have that one friend who has the next greatest business idea every week, the guy who will convince you that 'this is the one' but never follow through on their talk.

The myth of 'passive' income

Passive income doesn’t exist. No matter what some internet marketer has told you, income is never truly passive. All income is just more active, or less active.

Freelancing: What I've learned in 4 1/2 years.

You get better clients as soon as you act like the freelancer who deserves better clients.

How I am learning to code

Since quitting college to go all in on freelancing I've been obsessed with two things; growing my freelance business and developing my design + webflow skills.

2021 Annual review

Another lap around the sun is complete. Here's a recap of my 2021

Find Balance

Society idolises people who live unbalanced lives.

How to Stop Getting Overwhelmed

In this video, I talk about how I deal with overwhelm and make sure that it doesn't throw me off track when things get a little busy.

How to Decide What to Work On

In this video, I talk about the framework and ideas that have helped me to decide what to work on and keep me on the right path.

Solitude: How to achieve mental clarity

When was the last time you were bored? The last time you spent time by yourself without any outside input? No music, no podcasts, no social media

My Goals for 2021

Mainly my decision to focus heavily on content and product creation alongside freelancing as an individual - deciding not to pursue the agency route.

2020 Year in Review

People always talk about turning points in their lives, the moment when things started to click into place. 2020 felt like one of those turning points for me.

Aim High, Fail Often

Most people play too small, they try live life on easy mode. Setting goals and aspirations low is a way to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of failure...

Iterate

The difference between success and failure is your ability to iterate. When you're starting out in any creative endeavour there's a gap...

My Favourite Things

What you consume greatly impacts what you create. Whether we like it or not the media we're exposed to greatly shapes our opinions and world view.

Learn how to be creative

Creativity is something you learn, a set of skills that you develop over a long period of time, not some natural gift you either have or don't have.

Keep it Simple, Stupid

Keep it simple, stupid [K.I.S.S] is a design principle that states most systems work best if they are kept simple, avoiding unnecessary complexity.

Make your Work Fulfilling

Fulfilment comes when doing your work becomes more satisfying than any external gratification.

A successful business is one that gives you freedom

Creating a business should give you the autonomy to decide how you spend your days, if not then what's the point?

Advice is Too Prescriptive

We all feel like we should be doing more. Exercising more, reading more, working more. You get up at 6am but you can’t help comparing yourself...

I’m Stephen, creator, designer and entrepreneur