The Complete Creative

Brie Stockwell— Life Coach to Creative Pros
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast about creating a complete life as a creative professional with life coach to creative professionals, Brie Stockwell. Where meaningful work supports a life that feels good The Complete Creative is for creative professionals and creative entrepreneurs who don’t want their work to come at the cost of their health, relationships, or inner life — or quietly lead them toward burnout. Hosted by life coach Brie Stockwell, this podcast explores what it means to build a creative career that fits inside a full, grounded life, through both the inner work of alignment and the outer work of practical change — rather than one held together by constant effort or urgency. Each episode offers thoughtful coaching, perspective shifts, and honest conversations about: Creating sustainable creative work without living in burnout or constant pressure Reconnecting with creative energy when life feels overextended Designing rhythms that support both ambition and wellbeing This isn’t about ...

  1. 3d ago

    Why Your Work Feels Heavy (And What to Do Instead of Pushing Harder)

    Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “Maybe I just need a better system, more discipline, more clients, or a vacation”—only to discover that the heaviness is still there? In this episode, I’m exploring something many creatives and business owners experience but rarely stop to examine: the difference between work that is hard and work that feels heavy. Hard work can be meaningful. It’s often where growth, learning, and creativity happen. But heaviness is different. It lingers. It follows you when you’re away from your desk. It drains your energy and keeps pulling at your attention. Instead of rushing to fix it, what if the heaviness is offering valuable information? In this episode, I share how to recognize when you’re reaching for quick fixes, why your brain wants immediate answers, and the questions that can help you uncover what’s really happening beneath the surface. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, misaligned, overcommitted, or simply tired of pushing harder, this conversation offers a different approach. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between hard work and heavy work Why “working harder” isn’t always the answer Common bypass fixes that keep us stuck How expectations, misalignment, and worry can create heaviness Questions to help you identify the real source of overwhelm Why heaviness is information, not failure How small shifts can create more lightness in your work and business   This episode is part of the Work Your Way Summer Series — a collection of conversations about rethinking work, creativity, and the way you move through your days. Explore the full series here.

    23 min

  2. Jun 18

    The Right-Sized Business: Creating Success on Your Terms with Amber Smith

    What IF the primary purpose of your business isn't to serve the world, it's to make you rich? And, service is just the byproduct? That's the kind of assumption-flipping you hear from Amber Smith, my coach and the author of Quiet Wealth, who joins me this week to talk about what she calls a "right-sized" business — one built around what you actually want, instead of what scaling culture told you to want. Amber shares the moment she sat in a room full of entrepreneurs planning their company exits and realized she didn't want one — she wanted to know her clients' names, not just their account numbers. I share my own version of that: deciding I needed a "me Monday," immediately judging myself for it ("who takes a full day during the "work week" to do whatever they want?"), and then realizing that day isn't selfish — it's the seed for everything I create the rest of the week. We also get into the practical side: how "the math has to math" — what you charge has to actually fund the life you want, on the hours you actually want to work. And how an energy audit (looking at what gives you energy versus what drains it) can show you what to keep, change, or hand off entirely. One of my favorite moments was when Amber said: "It's good for the world when you get what you want." That idea has stayed with me since we recorded. In this episode, we talk about: What a right-sized business actually means, and why it looks different for everyone Building your business around your life — instead of shaping your life around your business Why "the math has to math": pricing and working hours that actually fund the life you want Using an energy audit to spot what's draining you and what's worth doing more of Why experimentation (and noticing dread) is often how you find clarity Defining success on your own terms — and why that number is different for everyone This episode is part of the Work Your Way Summer Series — a collection of conversations about rethinking work, creativity, and the way you move through your days. Explore the full series here. If this conversation has you wondering where your energy is actually going, you might want to check out the Energy Alignment Intensive — a 30-day program to help you see what's working, what's not, and where the small shifts are. Learn more here.

    44 min

  3. Jun 11

    Work Your Way: Human Design and the Way You’re Meant to Work with Allie Kuhland

    What if the reason work feels harder than it should isn’t because you’re doing it wrong? What if you’ve simply been trying to work in a way that doesn’t fit who you are? Many creative professionals spend years chasing productivity, pushing through burnout, and trying to follow someone else’s formula for success. We tell ourselves we just need to be more disciplined, more organized, or more consistent. But what if the real issue isn’t effort—it’s alignment? In this episode of the Work Your Way Summer Series, I’m joined by high-performance coach and Human Design expert Allie Kuhland for a conversation about energy, burnout, decision-making, and why understanding your natural wiring can completely change the way you approach work. Allie shares how Human Design helped her recover from burnout and create a more sustainable relationship with work. Together, we explore how understanding the way you’re designed to make decisions, use energy, and contribute your gifts can help you stop forcing productivity and start creating a way of working that feels more natural, effective, and fulfilling. Whether you’re building a business, navigating a career transition, leading a team, or simply wondering why work feels harder than it should, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what becomes possible when you stop trying to fit someone else’s mold and start paying attention to how you’re uniquely designed to operate. In This Episode We Discuss: What Human Design is and how it works The five Human Design types and how they approach work differently Why burnout often happens when we’re working against our natural strengths How Human Design can help you make better decisions The difference between forcing productivity and creating alignment Using Human Design in business, leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurship How understanding your energy can improve both your work and your life Signs that your current way of working may no longer fit you Why success doesn’t have to come at the expense of your well-being Questions We Explore in This Episode What is Human Design? Why does work feel harder for some people than others? Can Human Design help prevent burnout? How do the five Human Design types approach work differently? How can entrepreneurs use Human Design in business? What does it mean to work in a way that fits your natural strengths? How do you know when you’re working against yourself? Is there a more sustainable way to build success? One of the core ideas behind the Work Your Way Summer Series is that there isn’t one right way to work. You have more agency than you think. Working your way doesn’t mean avoiding hard work or escaping responsibility. It means discovering how to do your work on your terms within the life you’ve chosen. This conversation is an invitation to question inherited assumptions about productivity, success, and work—and to explore what becomes possible when you start working in a way that fits who you are. Explore the Work Your Way Summer Series This episode is part of the Work Your Way Summer Series on The Complete Creative Podcast—a collection of conversations exploring a simple but powerful question: What if work could feel better? Through conversations with coaches, authors, entrepreneurs, creatives, psychologists, and thought leaders, we’re exploring how to build a healthier, more sustainable, and more aligned relationship with work. Read more about this episode here: https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/post/human-design-creative-work-allie-kuhland Explore the full series here: https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/podcast/work-your-way-summer-series About Allie Kuhland Allie Kuhland is a high-performance coach and former sales leader who blends Human Design with practical business strategy to help people build careers, businesses, and lives they’re excited to wake up to. Website: www.alliekuhland.com

    49 min

  4. Jun 5

    Work Your Way Summer: What Does It Mean to Work Your Way?

    A few days before recording this episode, I celebrated my birthday. I love thinking of birthdays as a personal new year—a chance to pause, reflect, and look at where life is taking us next. As I looked back on the past five years of building my coaching and photography businesses, one question kept rising to the surface: What does it mean to work your way?   Many of us start by following someone else’s roadmap. We take the courses, follow the advice, try the strategies, and look for the “right” way to build a business, career, or creative life. But over time, I’ve learned that success isn’t about finding the perfect formula. It’s about discovering what works for you.   In this first episode of the Work Your Way Summer Series, I’m sharing lessons from five years of experimentation, growth, pivots, and refinement. We talk about building a business that fits your life, creating work that aligns with your values, and questioning the assumptions that keep us feeling stuck.   Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative professional, freelancer, or someone working within a larger organization, this conversation will invite you to think differently about how you work and what success means to you.   In This Episode What “working your way” means Lessons I’ve learned from five years of building businesses Why not every successful strategy is the right strategy for you How alignment creates momentum, creativity, and opportunities The role relationships have played in growing my business Why curiosity is one of the most valuable tools for growth How to build work around the life you want to create A preview of what’s coming in the Work Your Way Summer Series Questions We Explore How do you build a business that fits your life? Can you create success without following someone else’s formula? What if the way you work matters just as much as the results you create? How do you define success on your own terms? Where do you have more choice than you think?   Resources Mentioned Work Your Way Summer Series Explore the full summer series, including podcast episodes, Work Your Way Live group coaching sessions, and Work Your Way Breakthrough Sessions: https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/podcast/work-your-way-summer-series Key Takeaway Working your way isn’t about rejecting responsibility or throwing out structure. It’s about creating work that supports the life you want to live and making intentional choices that align with who you are, what you value, and where you’re headed. This episode kicks off the Work Your Way Summer Series, where we’ll explore creativity, money, energy, identity, success, rest, community, and what becomes possible when you stop forcing yourself into someone else’s model and begin creating your own.

    29 min

  5. May 28

    The Upper Limit Problem: Why We Make Things Harder When Life Gets Better

    Something unexpected happened after I sold my house, moved into full-time travel, and watched momentum build in my business.   Instead of feeling energized by all the good things happening, I slowed down. I stopped posting. I stopped showing up in the ways that felt normal. And, it all felt pretty confusing.   In this episode, I’m sharing something that helped me make sense of it: the Upper Limit Problem, a concept from The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks that explains why we sometimes pull back, procrastinate, or make things harder right when life starts getting better.   If you’ve ever found yourself getting close to something you really want and suddenly feeling stuck, overwhelmed, resistant, or weirdly uncomfortable… this conversation is for you.   We’ll talk about the difference between burnout, misalignment, and upper limits, how creatives often sabotage momentum without realizing it, and what it looks like to gently expand your capacity for success, visibility, joy, and ease.   In this episode, we explore: • What the Upper Limit Problem actually is and why it happens   • Why creatives often pull back when things start going well   • The difference between burnout, misalignment, and self-protection   • Signs you might be experiencing an upper limit (without realizing it)   • Why growth, visibility, success, and ease can feel unexpectedly uncomfortable   • A simple mindset shift to help you move through resistance with more compassion If growth feels uncomfortable right now, nothing has gone wrong. You might simply be learning how to let something good become normal.   Mentioned in this episode:   • The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks   • Work Your Way: A Summer Reset for Creative Humans — coming next week with solo episodes, guest conversations, free monthly Zoom sessions, and limited breakthrough coaching sessions   Don’t miss the summer series: Follow The Complete Creative in your podcast app so you’ll be notified when new episodes drop.   ----more---- Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

    32 min

  6. Apr 23

    From Reaction to Intention: Mastering Your Emotional Awareness

    You know that moment after you hit send… and instantly wish you hadn’t? Or when you snap, shut down, or spiral—and later you’re like, where did that even come from?   In this episode, I’m talking about what’s happening in those moments—and how to catch it before it takes over. This is a follow-up to the Think, Feel, Do framework, and we’re focusing in on the most powerful part: what you’re feeling in your body, in real time.   When you start to notice it as it’s happening, you get your choice back. And that changes how you show up in your work, your decisions, your relationships… all of it. We get into: Why your reactions feel instant (and why they’re not) What’s happening in your body right before you react How to catch the moment before it spirals The small shifts that help you respond the way you want to A simple way to build this skill without overthinking it   Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction. You can also explore my Energy Alignment Intensive, where I combine coaching with a custom AI tool to help you evaluate how you're spending your energy and realign your creative work with what actually matters most. Learn more here: https://creativemindscoach.com/energy-alignment-intensive/

    18 min
  7. How to Make Resistance Easy: A Creative’s Guide to Getting Unstuck

    Apr 9

    How to Make Resistance Easy: A Creative’s Guide to Getting Unstuck

    There’s a moment every creative knows well—you sit down to do the thing that matters most… and suddenly you’re doing literally anything else. Checking email. Reorganizing your desk. Thinking about the project instead of actually starting it. In this episode, I’m walking you through what’s sub-consciously happening in those moments—and how to move through resistance in a way that feels simple, doable, and even… kind of fun. Because resistance isn’t a sign that something’s wrong. It’s a signal that what you’re working on actually matters. And when you understand how your brain is wired—and how to work with it instead of against it—you can get unstuck faster than you think. In this episode, I share:Why resistance shows up (and why it’s not a character flaw) The real reason your brain avoids meaningful work How to recognize resistance in your behavior, body, and thoughts The difference between procrastination and what’s actually happening A toolkit to move through resistance without forcing yourself My favorite question that instantly makes things feel easier Resources + Mentions:Think → Feel → Do episode Substack Live (Imposter Syndrome) episode Access free workshop (Imposter Syndrome Fix) HERE Impostor Syndrome Rehab (4 week program): https://studio.creativemindscoach.com/imposter-syndrome-rehab Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

    39 min
  8. Selling My Home: Lessons on Navigating a Big Life Transition With Ease

    Mar 26

    Selling My Home: Lessons on Navigating a Big Life Transition With Ease

    Selling my home took almost a year… and instead of being stressful, it became one of the most easeful transitions of my life. That wasn’t an accident. In this episode, I’m sharing what actually made the difference—from the emotional side of closing a long chapter to the practical shifts that helped me move through it in a completely different way than I used to. This wasn’t about forcing a positive mindset or pretending things felt easy. It was about learning how to move with the process instead of against it—and what opened up because of that. If you’re in the middle of a transition (or can feel one coming), this conversation will help you stay grounded, trust yourself more deeply, and create a little more ease along the way. In this episode, I talk about: Why big life transitions can feel heavier than expected—and what’s actually happening underneath that How I shifted from stress into a more grounded, intentional way of moving through change The mindset that helped me navigate a year-long home-selling process without burning out What it looks like to honor both excitement and grief at the same time How to create more ease, even when things feel uncertain Mentioned in this episode: If decision-making has ever felt exhausting or overwhelming during a transition, this episode will support you: How Decision Fatigue Drains Creatives (and What to Do) If you’re curious about the framework I reference in this episode: The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd Connect With Me If you’d like to continue this conversation: Join me on Substack where I share more writing and ideas around creativity and business: https://thecompletecreative.substack.com You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativemindscoach Work With Me If you're ready for deeper clarity in your creative life or business, you can start with a Clarity Call, the first step inside my Creative Compass framework, where we begin shaping your personal vision and direction.

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A podcast about creating a complete life as a creative professional with life coach to creative professionals, Brie Stockwell. Where meaningful work supports a life that feels good The Complete Creative is for creative professionals and creative entrepreneurs who don’t want their work to come at the cost of their health, relationships, or inner life — or quietly lead them toward burnout. Hosted by life coach Brie Stockwell, this podcast explores what it means to build a creative career that fits inside a full, grounded life, through both the inner work of alignment and the outer work of practical change — rather than one held together by constant effort or urgency. Each episode offers thoughtful coaching, perspective shifts, and honest conversations about: Creating sustainable creative work without living in burnout or constant pressure Reconnecting with creative energy when life feels overextended Designing rhythms that support both ambition and wellbeing This isn’t about ...

Information

  • Creator
    Brie Stockwell— Life Coach to Creative Pros
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Brie Stockwell— Life Coach to Creative Pros
  • Show Website
    The Complete Creative

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