We recently connected with Klara Lindberg and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Klara, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
It all started out when I worked as an Art Director in advertising, I loved the agencies, my colleagues, and the creative work, but a lot of times I struggled with my own creativity and my identity as a creative. I compared myself to other creatives and their skills and constantly tried to become more like them. It didn’t work at all, of course, instead of getting inspired I only focused on my flaws which made me feel scared and lost in my own creativity.
That is why my goal is to help people find their own unique creative brand within their industry. I guide them to identify their strengths and skills, and help them communicate it to their audience, whether that means companies, clients, grandmas, agencies, studios, or someone else.
I find that we often put so many limitations on ourselves, focusing on what skills we don’t have and what we lack, instead of seeing what we are capable of, what skills we do have, and maybe what we want to improve. While it’s easy to look at others in our industries and want to compare ourselves to them, or even be more like them, I think it’s better to discover what your own brand is. What makes you different? What makes you stand out? My job is to give my clients and students the flashlight that’ll help them find those answers. Often, they already know these things but can use some help identifying and communicating them.
Klara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have worked as an advertising industry professional for over 15 years in both agencies and within educational institutions, starting out as an Art Director working at agencies in Stockholm and New York like Great Works, BBH NY, and 72andSunny NY. Today I’m a creative coach for individuals, tutoring and mentoring students and teaching classes and creative workshops at Advertising and Design schools like Miami Ad School in the US and Forsbergs in Stockholm.
When I coach someone we always start from their situation and where I can help. My aim is to guide clients through to limitless and brave creativity and help them identify and communicate their creative path and brand. Always based on creative freedom, with no judging or pressure. It doesn’t matter if they’re completely lost or have only a vague idea of what they want to do. I also help with portfolio consultation, mentoring creative projects, giving practical creative tips, creative career decision advice, creative stress and pressure management, etc.
In 2020 Magnus Frederiksen and I wrote a book called “Brain Food – A Daily Dose of Creativity,” with creative daily challenges, providing new exercises every day of the year to help people tap into their creativity in easy and interesting ways. We believe that anyone can be creative within their passion, it’s not just a magic talent some few people have, you just have to take time and practice just like anything else.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
When I decided to quit my advertising job without having a new job lined up I got some, very valid, reactions based on fear and safety. How could I give up a great job for something unknown? Back then I knew my brand wasn’t being an Art director, even though I loved many parts of it. One part that was great was the identity of an Art Director, I loved having a title people outside of the industry would understand immediately, something that gave me a solid and valid identity in society. Being my own company, and realizing what I wanted to do was a completely made-up title to fit my brand was scary and still is. When I call myself a Creative Liberator & Educator I have to do more explaining today than when I worked at a well-known agency, and sometimes I feel the urge to give some proof that this is my job and identity, just as valid as any work title. I can also find it encouraging to find a title no one else has, that’s what a unique brand is, and as long as I can explain what I do it serves its purpose.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
In the beginning, being self-employed, I thought I had to do it all myself and figure everything out by myself. But I realized quickly that I was completely lost and needed help to realize my vision. What got me here today is help from a lot of talented people, one particular is Benita Conde at Create Radical Love. She guided me, helping me find my passion and path. I recently contacted her again after maternity leave and I felt stuck, comparing myself to other parents coming back to jobs at companies, and being self-employed it was just emptiness. It was also a struggle balancing being a parent and having my own company, I couldn’t get around and I thought I had to choose either of them to be able to have some success. I decided to get some help, and Benita was the right choice, I had to reprogram my perception of being a parent and Creative Liberator, finding a balance and going back to the things that I love. Taking away the musts and pressure and seeing everything merging and balancing, both in parenthood and my own company. Creativity, or anything else for that matter, doesn’t have to be a lonely game.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creativeliberator.com
- Instagram: @creativeliberator