My 14 favourite productivity tips for creatives

Are you starting or growing your own creative business? By yourself? There is so much to do, isn’t there?

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the different jobs that need to be done? Making, marketing, keeping up to date with social media, doing your own finances …

And that is before all your other responsibilities … of having a part-time or full-time job, looking after your kids or elderly parents …

Do you feel like you work hard but you don’t get the important stuff done? Two steps ahead, three steps back?

You aren’t the only one struggling with time and being productive!

People are often surprised to learn that The Design Trust is actually a very small business run mostly by one person (me!) with some additional freelance support. I also have a family with two growing girls. The only way for me to get it all done is to be super focused and organised.

Want to know how I do it? (And no, I am not superwoman!) Here are my 14 personal productivity tips for creatives – to get more done in less time …

Get yourself a nice drink to go through this epic blog post. Yes, it will take you a couple of minutes to read, but you will have the tools to be more productive afterwards!

1. Focus on your niche

If you want to be more productive then you do need to focus. It’s as simple as that.

So, let’s get started with some of the most strategic productivity activities that you can focus on.

Firstly: Focus on your niche.

A niche is the combination of what you do best + love doing most + who you do this for: your ideal clients.

Basically: if you want to get more productive then focus on your special talent + those people who are most likely to be interested in buying from you.

The reality is that less than 1% of the general public is going to be interested in what you do. If you try to reach ‘everybody’ then you will be wasting an awful lot of your time, money and energy!

If you focus on your niche instead then you are much more likely to get interest and ultimately sales. You won’t be spreading yourself too thinly. By focusing on a smaller group of potential clients and people you want to work with, you will …

• get to know your ideal clients’ needs quicker
• become an expert and people love to work with experts
• become more efficient and effective in what you do for them because you understand their needs and you can batch produce similar products
• be more likely to create products or services that your ideal clients love to buy
• stand out in the market more because you specialise (because you don’t try to appeal to everybody)
• raise your profile faster because it’s clear what you do, and the right people will see you regularly in the right places.

Instead of being a small fish in a big pond, create your own pond!

Stop trying to be everything for everybody, and focus on what YOU do best and who wants to pay you for that. This is one of the most fundamental productivity tips for creatives; not just to improve your productivity but also your marketing and even the prices you can charge potentially (because people are prepared to pay a premium for experts!).

GET INTO ACTION:

What is your niche? Define clearer what you do and for whom.

What do you need to focus on?

What do you need to let go of?

Can you clarify this on your website, your ‘about me’ page or your social media introductions?

2. Is it urgent or important? Or both?

Are you constantly busy? Very rarely have the time to work ON your business or focus on the creative work you want to do? Do you spend hours on social media and emails or are you moving your business and life forward with activities that really matter to you?

My 2nd strategic productivity tip for creatives is to check if you are working on the important things.

Most human beings work on what presents itself as most urgent. It’s natural, it’s in our nature.  We get a little anxious and want to get it done.

But this often means that we spend a lot of time on emails which means that your workload is being led by other people’s demands and deadlines, rather than your own.

I discovered in Stephen Covey’s classic self-development book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People this very simple but very effective time management and productivity strategy to help you take charge of your workload and what you really want to do and achieve (rather than being told by others what to do):

GET INTO ACTION:

Firstly, identify what is important and what is urgent, before deciding what you will work on. The best way to do this is by creating a diagram with 4 squares and label them as follows:

• Urgent + important
• Urgent + not important
• Not urgent + important
• Not urgent + not important

Get yourself a pile of Post-It notes and write every job on your to-do list on one piece of sticky paper. Do a brain dump of all the activities that you need to work on, not only business activities but also those relating to your life. Then look at all these individual jobs and allocate them to one of these quadrants (you can do this on the floor or a wall).

Just simply doing this quick brain dump in 10-15mins. can really help you to see what you have got on your to-do list. I do this exercise when I am feeling overwhelmed and don’t know what to prioritise. Instead of worrying and carrying so many activities in my head, I get them onto individual pieces of paper, which helps me to calm down and to get an overview. Then allocating them into these 4 groups helps me to prioritise what I need to work on immediately, in the short term and in the longer term.

You can watch a free 25 min video of me talking about the ‘urgent versus important exercise’, and how it can help your creative business if you click here.

This urgent versus important exercise can have a deep effect on your productivity and time management. Most people spend time on activities that are urgent. If you really want to do something about being chronically too busy, then Covey suggests this strategic time management approach:

Covey suggests that if you want to feel less overwhelmed you’ll need to spend 25% of your time on tasks that are not urgent but important – the more strategic aspects of your life and business.

This is about planning, preparing, developing your skills and avoiding crises. For example: your vision, improve systems, self development, marketing, relationships, your health.

If you do that then less things will become urgent because you are prepared. You will start to take charge of your day and make time for the important things in life and business, rather than responding and reacting to what comes your way.

Understanding this concept really helped me to become more focused and productive by making more regular time available in my diary to work ON my business and not just reacting to others.

I now try to focus on planning and finances on Mondays for example, when I will also have my meetings with people I work with and with my accountant. I check then if there are any invoices outstanding, and what I need to focus on that week and month. I get in touch with people. It also helps me to set boundaries between my work life and family life by being more aware of how important rest days are to create a sustainable business, and that I chose to spend time with my family in the evening and weekends rather than responding to more emails.

This exercise has also helped me to keep my own priorities clear and it has made it easier for me to say NO to people and projects because I know what’s important to me and my business (see below under ‘saying NO to meetings’ too).

3. Are you doing the right things at the right time?

If you want to improve your productivity then being effective as well as efficient is important. Are you doing the right thing at the right time? Many creative businesses are seasonal, with very specific busy and quiet periods. Knowing this can be a huge advantage so that you are not trying to sell at the wrong time of the year.

In a way running a business is like gardening. You need to make time for preparing the ground, selecting your seeds and plants for the year and plant them at the right time, you need to nurture them and take out the weeds (and get the slugs off too!), before you can harvest and you will have a quiet time again to replenish.

If you plant your seeds at the wrong time of the year then nothing will happen.

If you want to create a successful and sustainable and successful business then you need to start with when your clients are most likely to buy. Do you know? For many creative businesses the 3-months period before Christmas is when they will get the vast majority of their sales.

So, if you need to sell your products between September – December (retailers will purchase two months before consumers) then you need to work backwards from that to get ready. This means that you need to photograph your work in the Summer, and that you need to design and create ideally between April – July.

Becoming more aware of what you need to do at what time of the year will help you to be more productive and juggle the different parts of your business (finance, marketing, production) better. Instead of being frustrated by the quiet times of the year you can start to use these to get ready, or to do some extra business training.

GET INTO ACTION:

Are you doing the right things at the right time of the year? Do you know when your clients are most likely to buy from you, and when you need to be ready to launch new collections? Do you work ‘backwards’ from launches to identify when you need to photograph your work, promote it, price it?

Are you making the most of the busy and quiet times in your business? Not every month is a good selling month. Make sure that in the quieter times you work on your website and branding, or learn new business skills.

Do you plan your activities, or do you just do everything when it suits you?

How can you get better organised and be ready in time so that it is much more likely that you will sell your products and not waste your time?

4. Make time by blocking time

Time blocking is a really simple but a very effective productivity technique. Especially if you have got loads of different responsibilities or you ‘forget’ certain jobs.

The basic idea of time blocking is that you allocate ‘themes’ to certain days of the week or parts of the day, and that you put specific jobs together.

For example on Monday morning I focus on planning and finance, and I write or deliver workshops mostly on Tuesday – Friday mornings.

This blocking time technique will help you to focus (again!) and to stop multi-tasking. I make time for the important jobs in my business, and the less important jobs are done around them e.g. social media, not important emails.

Of course, not every week is a ‘perfect’ week, so often on Sunday evening or Monday morning when I plan out my week ahead I allocate different jobs to that week including writing, marketing, client calls. I put little sticky notes throughout my diary with specific jobs on them. That means I can plan recurring jobs months ahead, but at the same time, it gives me a bit more flexibility as I can easily move them from a Tuesday to a Thursday. My old-fashioned weekly paper diary might look like a yellow dotty duck, but this system works for me!

This is a major tip: You really need to block time in your diary to get the important work done.

GET INTO ACTION:

Get your diary out and start planning your next month.

What needs to be done? What is important? Think about strategic jobs that you need to focus on such as creating a database, reaching out to specific clients or photographing your work better.

How much time are you spending on marketing versus making?

What are the important jobs in your business (and life!) that you want to work on?

Start creating space in your diary for these jobs. What days of the week would work best for you?

5. Match the job with the right energy

Do you feel like you need to be in ‘the right mood’ for certain jobs? That you can’t really get creative if you have only got two hours?

It really helps to know how your personal energy works throughout the day and connect that to what you need to do.

Very often we waste our best energy and brain power on social media and emails in the morning!

The fact is that most of us are at our best before lunch time, after that our energy gets depleted. Make use of that knowledge: Do your ‘deep work’ in the morning, and easier and repetitive jobs in the afternoon or evening.

Daniel Pink researched what the best time is to do things, and when we are most likely to make mistakes, which he published in his book When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Indeed not only are we more likely to be at our best in the morning but also we are more energised on Monday mornings than on Fridays (if we had a weekend break!).

I’ve used this knowledge about my own energy levels to my advantage. And although I am far from an early riser I do know that my brain is at its best in the mornings. So now I do most writing and creative thinking or big planning at the beginning of the day when I am fresh, and more repetitive jobs (such as emails, editing or social media) in the evening. This has had a major impact on getting stuff done!

When I want to develop bigger ideas, plan out new online workshops or ebooks then I know I need more and especially solitary time. My husband and two kids go a couple of times a year away for a long weekend to grandpa and grandma, so that I can have a solid 12 hours of working ‘it’ out and getting a good head start. Once I have done the ‘big’ thinking I can divide it up into smaller jobs that I can get done later.

GET INTO ACTION: 

What would work for you? What energy do you need to get different jobs done? Look back at your diary and switch certain jobs around to the morning, and others to the afternoon or evening. This is one of the most useful productivity tips for creatives, especially if you have loads of different responsibilities and projects on the go.

And sometimes you just have to push yourself a little, stop thinking, stop waiting for the ‘right’ mood to appear and just create the ‘right mood’. Change your internal dialogue, put some relevant music on (whatever that is), and get started! You might surprise yourself with how easy it actually is to stop procrastinating!

6. Energy givers & energy suckers

Who or what gives you energy? Who or what sucks your energy?

Who are the radiators in your life?

Who are the drainers?

There are certain jobs, people and projects that give me loads of energy and inspiration. A joy to work with and for, and I will create my best work. Time seems to fly, and I get into the ‘flow’.

However … there are also people who suck my energy, who make me stressed, and who really tire me out. And then I get cross about them and myself in my head, having endless disagreements, taking even more time up than necessary!

It is not always possible to choose and select who you work (or live!) with, but I have found that as a small business owner I have got far more freedom in this than most employees. So I use that knowledge – I try to work mostly with people who inspire and energise me!

Especially if you are setting up your own business or have a stressful time (such as a trade show, product launch or a difficult project) make sure you surround yourself with people who support you, who are enthusiastic about what you do, who want to see you succeed. Some people might be scared of your potential success, or are worried about how your business will impact their lives. They might mean well but frankly, they aren’t very brave themselves or want ‘to protect’ you from any disappointments.

If you want to start and grow your own business you will need all the emotional support you can get. So if your nearest and dearest don’t offer this then find somebody who can be a critical friend – who will listen regularly to your stories, who will challenge you and inspire you, who keeps you accountable and who can give constructive feedback.

And it isn’t just about people. It is also about helping yourself, and finding something to do that ‘gets you out of your head’ and gets you doing things. A nice brisk walk, cooking a wonderful unexpected dinner for your partner, baking a banana bread with your kids, pottering in your garden, cutting down the hedge, putting some 1980’s music on and dancing like a teenager, … (yes, these are all personal examples that work for me …)

GET INTO ACTION:

Become more aware of who or what energises and nurtures you. It’s so so important!

Starting and growing a creative business is a challenge! Knowing what support you need is so important, and do ask for help.

Where can you find like-minded creative people to support you? We all need a little support at times – even the most confident amongst us. Don’t see this as a failure, reaching out to others and getting support is crucial on your journey.

Hint: Our Business Club is a great online community to find ambitious creatives like yourself! But also check out our Facebook page for regular opportunities to meet others across the UK.

7. Make time for flexibility: Pretend Friday’s don’t exist

Do you struggle with getting everything done? Always got more on your to-do list then you can actually achieve?

I know. I know. I am the same!

The thing is that most of us are super optimistic in guessing how long a job takes. And then we run out of time. Especially at the end of the week!

The reality is that most of us don’t leave enough time in our diary for ‘unplanned’ activities. For things that will come up. Because … inevitably something will pop up! Classic case of not ‘if’,  but ‘when’.

According to time management gurus CEO’s need around 2 hours each day for these emergencies.

So what happens if we don’t make time for them in our diary? They get pushed into our evenings and weekends.

Sound familiar?

I came across this time management / productivity tip a while ago (can’t remember the source, sorry). Keep your Fridays empty in your diary. Basically don’t put anything in them at all. Pretend they don’t exist!

So then you will have plenty of time at the end of the week to finish all those ‘loose ends’. You will have a bucket of time to deal with emergencies, administration, emails etc.

What’s interesting is that from a productivity point of view people who did this as an experiment actually didn’t get more done than people who planned their Fridays full. But what did happen was that people who kept Fridays free felt better at the end of the week because they felt they had done more and finished more jobs. Interesting indeed!

GET INTO ACTION:

How can you schedule more time for unplanned activities in your diary? You might not know exactly what you will be doing then, but you always have got the odd jobs to get off your to do list at last!

Do you recognise this behaviour and then end up doing loads of work in the evenings and at weekends? And feel guilty about it? We would love to hear from you, please share your experiences in the comments box below.

And have a go with planning more physical ‘flexibility’ or ‘catch up’ time into your own diary and let us know how you get on.

8. Stop multi-tasking

You probably have already heard this from the experts: multi-tasking actually slows you down.

It is scientifically proven that the time it takes to swap and change over between the two (or more!) jobs you are working on will really slow you down. Even a quick interruption of reading an email, might mean that it takes you around 8 minutes or so to get back to the job you are working on!

But, maybe like me, you actually love having different jobs on the go at any one time? But sometimes this can get a bit out of hand, so I remember this little story (sorry can’t remember its origin!):

Imagine that every job that you have to do is like a monkey running around.

There are nice monkeys, awkward monkeys, difficult monkeys, big monkeys and small monkeys.

It is your job to put the monkeys back in their right cage, and only when you have locked the monkeys up is your job finished. So you might be able to manage with 8 monkeys running around, but adding the 9th might turn it into complete chaos.

This metaphor really helps me when I am running around like a headless chicken to decide which ‘monkeys’ to put back in their cage first!

It also really helped me with a boss who was unable to delegate by jokingly asking him ‘Whose monkey is this, yours or mine?’

GET INTO ACTION:

What would it take for you to stop multi-tasking?

To focus and finish a job before starting another one? Have you got loads of unfinished business … then this time management tip is a great one for you to work on!

9. Work part-time or have some kids!

OK, I know this sounds a bit contra-intuitive but I actually really believe that I get more done BECAUSE I am really busy and have got kids!

As the saying goes: ‘Want to get something done? Ask a busy person!’

I run The Design Trust as a ‘part-time’ business as I have got two children. Most days I have only got between 9.30am and 3pm to work (and then evenings and weekends …). Having this very clear daily time structure really helps me to stop procrastinating and get things done.

Having clear boundaries will really help you to be more productive.

Too much time and freedom actually leads to procrastination.

Since I have had children I have found it much easier to say ‘no’ to jobs that are not suitable for me or which don’t pay the bills. I deliberately limit the amount of meetings I have (more about that later), and I regularly challenge myself at 2.30pm to get something finished before 3pm (when I have to go and pick up my kids). I make getting some quick jobs off my to do list a game, and it works for me!

Also, I have noticed that when I am really struggling and working very hard on solving a problem, that I find the solution when I am actually on the school run, cooking dinner or ironing school uniforms! Just a little bit of distance and physical exercise helps me find the answer. It’s scientifically proven that your unconscious brain will solve the problem for you when you are doing something with your hands, rather than ‘working’ hard with your brain on it.

So, having some boundaries in terms of time (because of family responsiblities, other jobs or whatever) can be really useful, rather than frustrating.

This leads us to the following productivity tip for creatives …

10. Set a deadline, and announce it publicly!

Setting deadlines can really help you improve your productivity!

Instead of never-ending-projects, get clear on WHAT you want to achieve and by WHEN.

Break big jobs down into smaller chunks and shorter time frames so that you can see your progress. Put deadlines in your diary and celebrate them when you achieve these milestones.

Having a deadline will really help you to focus (again!) and to build in more accountability.

And this is another counter-intuitive productivity tip for creatives especially: Take part in an event.

I have supported many designers and makers over the years getting ready for their first trade show or craft fair. I have seen how helpful doing a show can be to start developing your business. When there is a clear goal such as a show, then it becomes clearer what and when other things need to done – not just designing and making work, but also getting a website and other promotional material ready, costing and pricing the work etc.

Doing a show is a great way to create a time framework with clear (public) deadlines for you and your business – especially useful if you haven’t got any projects to work on and your diary is pretty clear.

One of the actions that really helps me personally to get accountability and to beat my procrastination is to announce a launch date in a very public way.

With big jobs such as launching our websites (have done that four times in the last 10 years!) or launching a new book or course, then announcing it to our audience in the run up with a date has really helped me to focus and to stop procrastinating. Because I feel I ‘owe’ it to our clients and my pride wouldn’t allow me to delay ….

GET INTO ACTION:

How can setting a deadline and especially creating public accountability help you to get things done?

Could you get the support from a friend or mentor to help you commit to a specific action or deadline?

11. Are you a perfectionist who is frankly ‘overdoing’ it?

I see many creatives work on jobs for far too long, they ‘over work’ it (which doesn’t actually make it any better!), filling up all their time with ‘work’ and making. If you have got two jobs on the go you will get them done in time, but the reality is that if you would have three or four jobs then you still would get them all done in time.

Time just seems to be filled up with ‘work’ – whatever that ‘work’ is …

Did you know that this has actually got an official name?

Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Indeed: If you leave it till the last minute, then it will only take one minute …

Next time, just get some extra work in, the quality of your work might actually improve!

This is a really common problem, especially for new creative professionals – especially if they started as a hobbyist and are moving into turning their passion into a business. You love what you do. You make most of your time. But spend too little time on actually marketing yourself and the other aspects of growing your business. Often it is because you don’t really know what to do. You know about making, so that’s what you do.

Spending too much time on making something isn’t just a problem because you won’t spend enough time getting clients, but also because the time you spend on creating products isn’t calculated properly into your cost price, and therefore you won’t charge enough.

Wake up! If you want to create a sustainable, profitable business then you do need to spend around 40% of your time on making, 40% on marketing, 10% on administration and 10% on research and development/training.

GET INTO ACTION:

Are you aware of how much time you are spending on creating your products?

Are you ‘overdoing it’? Start keeping a time record of how long a project really takes, rather than guessing.

When you start a design project or commission, write down in a simple log on which days you worked, how long you worked on it and what you did. Log every single bit of research, phone call or email with the client, your meeting and travel time. Doing this properly will give you a really good insight into the time it takes to create a project.

And it might even be the start to you charging the right amount of money for your hard work! 

12. Productivity tip for creatives = Make an impact

Do you feel like you have a never-ending-to-do-list?

Join the club!

To be honest we all have more jobs on our list (or several lists, or in our mind, and on our phone ….) than we are ever able to do!

When I feel overwhelmed I will often ask myself the question: ‘What’s the number one thing I can do to move this forward? What can I do that will make the biggest impact?’

I will then:

• Do loads of small quick jobs in succession so that I can cross off loads of things on my to do list. I sometimes use an alarm clock set at 15 mins, or I use the ‘alarm clock’ of having to pick up my kids at 3.15pm from school and see at 2.45pm how many emails I can get done before I have to rush off. Make it a game!
• Commit to working on something that I have been putting off for too long. Recently I had been deliberating about 3 emails that I had to send off. They kept me awake. They were in the back of my mind all the time. So one day I just decided to tackle them, there and then. First thing in the morning (see above!). And you know what? It took less than an hour to get these three emails done! And it had taken me weeks of worrying. Ahrghh!
• Work on something strategically to help me save time in the longer term and to avoid chaos. (see above under ‘Is it important or is it urgent?’)
• Build deeper relationships with potential and existing clients. Making time to meet people, talk to people or send something in the post. I need to market The Design Trust as much as you need to promote your creative business. Social media and emails are great for raising your profile, but actually making time to build a closer relationship with clients is important to connect, learn and indeed get clients. Sending an email to check if somebody is okay, or saying ‘thanks’ can really have a huge impact.
• Work on something that I know will have a deeper impact then normal. I spend time on writing an email that I know will really resonate with my clients. It is scary, but sharing my own anxieties and worries often really connects with people. And of course, making the time over the years to create our diary planners took a lot of time (time I frankly didn’t have either. I really needed to make time for these big jobs!), but the impact on our business and our clients’ businesses has been phenomenal.

You see: ‘impact’ to me can mean different things on different days!

Do you want to reach a wider audience, or reach them deeper?

GET INTO ACTION:

How can you have a bit of fun and get as much done as possible?

What is important to work on today for you and your business?

What big but important projects do you need to make time for?

How can you build deeper relationships with your clients and stop wasting your time on social media?

13. Say NO to most meetings

What takes up a lot of your time that makes you feel less productive?

Have you noticed that most meetings take one hour?

But actually you might have finished the main discussion part within 10 minutes or so?

I live in North London and for me to have a meeting in Central London takes at least 45 min for travelling one way. So a one hour meeting often ends up being a three hour round trip!

And the reality is that I, as my own boss, don’t get paid for meetings (unlike the employees who I meet!).

Over the years I have had to become really ruthless with who I meet. (sorry, no ‘oh, let’s have a coffee’ for me, thank you!). So what do I do instead?

• I try to see if we can meet online. I use a conference software called Zoom, which is similar to Skype, and that works really well. Often we have a 10 min conversation, can still wave at each other and talk about other things, but it saves me a lot of time in terms of travelling.
• I have a clear agenda of what we need to talk about. In advance, I will try to focus on what the meeting is about via email. This helps to make the actual meeting more productive.
• I try to block book (see above) meetings together and ideally after lunch (see above). Doing two or three meetings together (either in person or online) saves me a lot of time. Plus I feel in the right ‘mood’ to talk to people then too. It can get a little lonely because most of the time I work by myself from my home office, so having these meetings later in the day helps.
• I go to trade shows, craft fairs and Open Studios to catch up with creative clients quickly. At a good event, I can meet many creatives and colleagues really easily. Sometimes a 5 minute chat and seeing their new collections is all that it takes. And I contact colleagues I want to catch up with in advance to see if they are attending and arrange meetings at the event.
• If I don’t think it is a potential ‘match’ for The Design Trust I will try to refer people to other, more relevant, organisations.

This approach has really saved me loads of time!

And the meetings I go to now have a very clear purpose, are productive and I enjoy them much more as they aren’t a drain any longer!

GET INTO ACTION:

Ask yourself these questions:

Are your meetings as effective as they could be?

Are you meeting the right people?

Are you making the most of events to catch up?

14. Don’t do it all alone!

Somehow many creative sole traders think that they have to do EVERYTHING themselves …

Let me tell you: You can’t!

Focus (again!) on those things that you are best at, and get other people to do the other parts. I know that that might be difficult, especially when you are starting out, but it is very likely they will do them quicker and better than you!

I know, I still find it hard to let go and delegate. I am a bit of a control freak and perfectionist too!

But if you want to create a successful business then you can’t do it all by yourself.

As the African proverb says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

GET INTO ACTION:

Firstly, look at your strengths and where you make the biggest impact. What you are really good at? If you want to grow your business then you need to become the CEO and your job is to coordinate all the different aspects of your business, supported by others.

Write a job description for yourself where you want to be in one year from now. What job title will you have? What are your main responsibilities and tasks during a typical week? Write job descriptions for other areas too, and group them as much as possible e.g. in marketing, production, finance.

Very often creatives talk about taking on an assistant without thinking it through what this person would do. Often it is a mini-version of themselves! That’s not very effective … and it’s unlikely that somebody has got all the skills you require.

Instead, break up the various roles and identify potential freelancers that can do specific jobs for you. Get a photographer to do your pictures (one of the best investments you can make!), ask a bookkeeper to set up your financial systems, work with a designer on your branding and website, ask a friendly copywriter to help you write your website or marketing copy, get help from others to do your domestic chores.

This doesn’t always need to be expensive. Often using an expert can save massively in time and minimise frustrations.

But also be creative and swap your skills or products with others – you might be surprised how open many others are for some bartering!

So, there you go! The Design Trust’s 14 productivity tips for creatives! Did you find this blog post useful? Where do you struggle? Did you try any of our suggestions to get into action? We would love to hear from you below in the comments box.