Chris Do on Finding Clients and Growing Your Creative Business
Chris Do shares practical lessons on how creatives can find clients, specialize their services, show their work, and build a stronger creative business.
Articles
Welcome to Creative Pulse — a vibrant community of freelancers and commercial creatives who are passionate about their craft.
This blog is a curated collection of resources for freelance creatives. This is where you will find articles and advice featuring some of the industry’s most renowned designers, photographers, video professionals, copywriters, and more.
We believe that success is more than just brilliant work. It’s about making progress, collaborating with people you respect, and upholding your values in every project you undertake.
These resources for freelance creatives are designed to inspire and guide you through the challenges and opportunities unique to this industry.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, you’ll find valuable tips and strategies to get ahead in your craft while staying true to your principles.
We delve into topics that matter to you – from navigating client relationships to adopting best practices in your workflow.
Our aim is to empower you to make choices that benefit your life and work.
Join us as we explore the evolving landscape of commercial creativity. Through our articles, you’ll learn how to balance your creative expertise with our industry’s commercial demands. This is your space to grow, learn, and thrive as a creative professional who stands out for all the right reasons.
How to Get Bigger Clients — Without Waiting for Referrals
If you want to get bigger clients, you need to be proactive When I first started my creative business, referrals felt like magic. A few projects here, a few there — friends, past coworkers, people who wanted to help me succeed. And honestly? Referrals are still my favourite way to get clients. But here’s the[…]
How To Reignite Your Creative Spark with Zain Meghji
How to get unstuck, advocate for bold ideas, and thrive as a commercial creative Feeling stuck in your work or like your best ideas aren’t landing? In this replay of our Reignite Your Creative Spark talk, creative strategist, drag performer, and former TV host Zain Meghji shares how he moved through burnout and found purpose[…]
How to Write an SOP: A Step-by-Step Guide for Freelancers
SOPs allow companies like McDonald’s to rake in billions, even though a third of their employees are hormonal teenagers. BUT being a freelance creative isn’t the same as running a burger empire. If you’re worried that systems might dull your creativity—or make you appear robotic to important clients—you should check out the biography of the[…]
3 tips for making meaningful client work with Jarren MacDougall and Parker McLean
If you’re a designer, marketer, or creative lead—whether you’re independent, in-house, or at an agency—this session will help you finish more fulfilling work with clients who stay engaged from start to finish.
The Jealous Curator: Danielle Krysa Talks About What It Takes to Stay Creative
How Danielle Krysa Went from Local Creative to International Art Star We had a blast hosting Danielle Krysa — the artist, author, and curator behind The Jealous Curator — for a live on-stage interview in Vancouver. She sat down with local creative and author Dan Nelken to chat about creative blocks, finding your voice, and[…]
3 Must-Have Contracts For Freelance Creatives & Studios with Jaime Bell
Contracts Crash Course: The 3-Part Plan to Legally Protect Your Creative Business Protecting your creative work can feel overwhelming, but building a professional business requires strong legal foundations. This guide summarizes the essentials of client contracts and online legal documents, drawing from a recent crash course delivered by Canadian business lawyer Jaime Bell. Freelancer contracts[…]
How Multidisciplinary Creatives Can Thrive in 2025—with Alexis Young
In this talk, we explore how multidisciplinary creatives can build a fulfilling, sustainable career—without having to choose between their passions. To guide us, we invited Alexis Young, a touring musician, designer, agency owner, and creative director. Alexis has firsthand experience navigating the pressure to specialize—and the fallout of resisting it. She shares the mindset shifts[…]
Personal branding for freelancers: How top creatives get noticed and win work with Annabelle King
Discover how to develop a personal brand that helps you stand out.
Brand Design Secrets from Local Legends – Creative Pulse Panel + Social
Design Vancouver’s Brand Design Spotlight allows you to connect with veteran designers as they answer your questions — and share their process, wisdom, and industry predictions.