‘Crazy Creative People’ – Building a creative business around mental illness With Beth Kirby


“I built my career around my weaknesses. I created a career where the only person who can fire me is me.”

Beth’s blog|Instagram|Retreats|Pinterest

If you’ve ever spent any time on Pinterest, Instagram or reading recipe blogs, you’re probably familiar with Beth Kirby’s work. What you might not realise is that she built her incredible, unstoppable, heartbreakingly aspirational brand off the back of a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder and a failed marriage with zero photography experience – and she’s more than happy to tell you about it!

Beth’s work has inspired me for a long time, so it was a lot of fun to finally get to chat with her 1 on 1, and share our passion for the world of online community building for anyone who feels like they don’t fit in with the norm.

Things we talk about in this episode:

  • The stigma and taboos around mental illness, and the resulting shame or hopelessness.
  • Building a business that works around your health needs
  • Beth’s diagnosis of Bipolar type 1, and how it’s impacted on her working life
  • Separating your symptoms from your self, and escaping the blame trap
  • The importance of outsourcing and delegating the stuff you aren’t good at to help your business grow
  • Getting a handle on your finances and accounts, and the learning curve that comes with it
  • Not waiting until you’re ready to get started, and ’embracing the public learning curve’
  • How there is always room at the top, and people are always evolving and making space in different niches
  • The difference between copying and inspiration
  • The incredible power and opportunities of the Instagram and online creative community

Links we mention: