We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Guntur. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.

Caroline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

People think I was born organized, but that’s not true at all. I learned what I do through a mix of schooling, experimentation, and curiosity. For myself, the change came when I saw that I needed it, but in hindsight, that was too late. That’s why I try to spare my clients the same mistakes now – even though it’s not always possible.

If I could speed up the process, I would’ve sought prevention instead. A mess becomes a mess when you leave it for too long. Perfectionism was my nemesis though, and I think that’s the case for many people. As a creative, if you feel like you can’t do something just right, you might not try at all. And that’s counterproductive. Starting is the first step… and not letting the quality of your work (as a beginner) stand in the way of progress.

Caroline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always been fascinated by how people work, think, and create, so what I do now is perfect for me. I really enjoy helping people get things done in a meaningful way, and what makes me different is that I’m a creative at heart. I’ve learned systems and operations and how being organized supports your goals. More than anything, I want potential clients to know that my work is about freedom, not restriction. You can’t be productive when you don’t feel supported, so my job identifies how to best set up systems around you that holds everything together like glue. When you don’t have to do it yourself, all of a sudden, you have plenty of time for the fun stuff.

I found my way into organizing almost by accident — I enjoyed organizing for myself, and then I decided to offer it to others. After years of doing in-person organizing in homes, I shifted into the digital space because I saw how overwhelmed people were by their photos, files, tools, and systems. Now, I help creative entrepreneurs streamline their lives so they can work more intentionally and have more breathing room. My services include digital organization, systems design, productivity coaching, and online courses that guide clients through building workflows that actually fit their personalities and goals. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions, so everything is customized to work. It’s a wonderful thing, really.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is seeing ideas turn into something real—watching that spark of inspiration become a system, a solution, or a transformation in someone’s life. I’ve always believed that creativity is only half the magic; the other half is execution. Ideas are wonderful, but it’s the follow-through that moves the needle. So when I can inspire someone to take that next step—whether it’s organizing their digital world, simplifying their workflow, or finally acting on a project they’ve been sitting on—that’s when I feel most fulfilled. I love helping people bridge the gap between intention and action, because once they experience the momentum that comes from doing, not just dreaming, everything else starts to open up for them.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

One of the most impactful books I’ve ever read is *Steal Like an Artist* by Austin Kleon, because it finally broke me out of the creative block I’d been stuck in for years. I used to sit around waiting for my ‘big’ original idea, convinced that everything I wanted to say had already been said by people much smarter than me. Kleon’s reminder that ‘nothing is original’ and that ‘some things are worth repeating’ completely changed my life. It helped me see that the creatives I admired weren’t inventing everything from scratch; they were honoring their creative genealogy, putting their own spin on the influences that shaped them. That realization freed me to stop reinventing the wheel, stop fearing unintentional plagiarism, and start actually creating. It taught me that finishing what you start and putting consistent work into the world matters far more than coming up with something no one has ever thought of.

Today, I embrace the idea that my voice is unique because *I’m* unique. My experiences, methods, and way of simplifying the world don’t belong to anyone else, so when I create, I’m not trying to be the only one — I’m simply adding my link to the daisy-chain of artists and thinkers who came before me. And that’s what I hope to inspire in others: use your voice, execute on your ideas, finish what you start, and don’t be afraid to contribute to the conversation. Someone out there needs to hear it from you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theswedishorganizer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolineguntur/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caroline.guntur/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolineguntur/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarolineGuntur
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolineguntur
  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tsorganizer/

Image Credits

All copyrights are mine.