Category: Creator Insight

  • What Are The Hidden Costs of Emotional Labour in Hierarchical Workplaces?

    What Are The Hidden Costs of Emotional Labour in Hierarchical Workplaces?

    In our upcoming series, we will explore the concept of rewards, specifically focusing on emotional labour and its implications in the workplace. High rewards often require specific activities, utilizing both hard and soft skills. While job descriptions may list certain tools or tasks, many roles demand additional emotional and interpersonal skills that are not explicitly mentioned.

    Emotional Labour in Complex Organisational Structures

    In highly hierarchical environments, emotional labour becomes crucial. These complex structures necessitate humanising the work to improve output, success, and business relationships. Despite being business transactions, interactions still occur between people. However, capitalism has transformed these soft skills into extractable and scalable commodities. Yet, increasing demands for empathy, flexibility, kindness, and cooperation do not necessarily enhance outcomes. Instead, they often lead to employee frustration, stress, and feelings of underappreciation.

    The Impact on Marginalised Groups

    Marginalised groups face additional emotional labour, often expected to conform to a predominant workplace culture. This added pressure can lead to disenfranchisement and hinder business growth. Performative acts, especially from women who strive to be validated for their emotional labour, often go unrecognised. The system does not remunerate these efforts adequately, instead framing them as part of the job without proper acknowledgment or reward.

    The Need for Structural Change

    Many women realise that their emotional labour isn’t fairly compensated. While some believe in contributing to a better workplace environment, such communal efforts don’t fit into a capitalist framework and may even be punished. The current system values measurable output over the soft skills crucial for a healthy work environment. Therefore, employees must build frameworks that appropriately remunerate these skills, recognising them as inherent powers rather than areas for development.

    Building Awareness and Taking Action

    Understanding the dynamics of emotional labour and its value is the first step. Building awareness around these skills and advocating for their recognition within corporate structures is crucial. If you haven’t already, consider courses that help you navigate these complexities and empower you to stand strong in your abilities.

    Join us at MCJ Studio to further explore these topics and embrace a more equitable approach to emotional labour in the workplace.

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  • How To Use Workflow Automation For SOP?

    How To Use Workflow Automation For SOP?

    Creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) is often a tedious task. If I had access to a tool like SOPBoost for developing manuals and SOPs, it would have saved me countless headaches. Working in a corporate setting, I’ve consistently encountered outdated manuals and disparate working methods, which no one bothered to document properly. Keeping these documents updated is crucial, particularly with changes in CRM systems or departmental processes.

    Uniformity in work procedures is vital. When training new team members, it should be simple to hand them a comprehensive, up-to-date manual. The convenience of using a tool to revise existing SOPs or create new ones cannot be overstated. The end product is yours to keep and modify as necessary.

    The process is straightforward: fill in a form with around five questions, and the generated manual will be delivered to your inbox. You’ll receive one free revision, including a feedback link to refine the document further. Download it as a Google Doc, Word file, or PDFโ€”it’s that simple. This tool will significantly reduce the time needed to create or update a manual, cutting down from days to just minutes.

    For smaller to medium-sized businesses and creative teams, SourceBoost is a valuable asset, dramatically shortening the SOP creation process. Why wait any longer? Embrace a more efficient way to manage your SOPs with SOPBoost.

    Discover more about how SOPBoost can transform your documentation process at MCJ Studio.

    • Improved standard operating procedures
    • Efficient manual creation
    • Uniform work processes
    • Time-saving solution
    • Streamlined team onboarding

    Get Started with SOPBoostToday

    Enhance your team’s efficiency in SOP creation and manual updates. Visit MCJ Studio to learn more.

  • How To Use Workflow Automation To Create Automatic Posts?

    How To Use Workflow Automation To Create Automatic Posts?

    Why spend hours creating blog content when you can automate the process in minutes? Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or creative, this guide is for you. Let’s get started on building your automatic blog post generator.

    Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Generator

    First, sign up for a free account with Make Automation. Note that free accounts have limitations on data use and workflow creation, known as scenarios. These scenarios automate workflows by importing or exporting data. Remember, if you need more than the free tier offers, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid account.

    Now, let’s focus on generating content from existing sources such as videos or documents. You can use these materials to create blog posts for your website. I use this method with WordPress, allowing me to review and edit the content before publishing. The key is to ensure that your output is credible, aligns with your voice, and is based on your data.

    Content Repurposing Workflow

    I often repurpose videos from TikTok into blog posts. Alternatively, you can use pre-written text, but you need to structure it for website use, ensuring it is SEO-optimised with headings, metadata, and more. Fortunately, there is a template in Make that simplifies this process. I’ve customised this template to suit my needs because I frequently use TikTok videos.

    How the Workflow Functions

    The workflow begins by importing a video from Google Drive. The video is then transcribed, and the transcription is saved in a Google Sheet for further use. The transcription is stored as a piece of text in a Google folder, making it versatile for multiple purposes.

    Start Automating Your Blog Posts Today

    Automate your content creation and free up time for other creative activities. By following this guide, you can effortlessly convert your existing content into SEO-friendly blog posts. For more insights and tailored solutions, reach out to MCJ Studio.

    Contact MCJ Studio today to optimise your content strategy or go to subscribepage.io/thecreativevault for our training.


     

  • How To Discover Your Power As A Creative Leader?

    How To Discover Your Power As A Creative Leader?

    Learning new tricks is possible if you believe in your inner magician. With the constant influx of updates, technology, and methods, change is inevitable. Whether you are an artist, a creative, a founder, a startup, a service provider, a manufacturer, or a business of any size, the core question remains: are you open to the idea of transformation?

    The focus should not be on the end resultโ€”an attitude that only breeds anxietyโ€”but on the process of transformation itself. Your current circumstances are the physical manifestation of your past actions and thoughts. Understanding this will illustrate that you have the power to change your future by taking action now.

    The issue many people face is reverting to old habits. Long-lasting change requires openness to new possibilities. The key is not obsessing over the specific outcomes you desire but embracing the journey of transformation.

    A common concern for many is content creation. For example, people often hesitate to make videos due to uncertainty about posting. Remember, even simple effortsโ€”like speaking to a camera and adding textโ€”can make a difference. Your audience size, whether 1,000 or 20,000, depends on the work and dedication you put in.

    Sprinkling your unique magic and energy is crucial. If you desire growth, you must take consistent action, embodying the behaviour and mindset needed to achieve your goals. Align your actions with your desired outcomes, maintaining a clear awareness of who you are and where you aim to be.

  • How To Balance The Structured World Of Business With Being Creative?

    How To Balance The Structured World Of Business With Being Creative?

    The creative journey often feels like a battlefield where a multitude of tasks vie for attention. As creatives and artists, we revel in the transformative power of our work. Each stroke of the brush, every chosen colour, is a deliberate act of creation. It’s as if you are right there, silently observing from the corner of the studio, sharing in the experience. This level of intimacy and creativity is where the true magic lies.

    But this artistry is not without its complexities. Balancing creative expression with the myriad of administrative tasksโ€”emails, marketing, client communicationsโ€”can be overwhelming. We acknowledge these demands as part of the business, yet they siphon energy away from our creative core. This brings us to an essential consideration: how does one ensure these efforts yield meaningful results?

    The challenge lies in our finite nature. While our creativity and innovation seem boundless, our time and energy are limited. We are often bombarded with countless options for promoting our work, making it difficult to see where the true value lies. How do we ensure our investment in these activities is worthwhile? How do we make sure our creative energy isn’t wasted on tasks that offer little return?

    One solution is recognising that even creativity benefits from structured processes and efficient operations. The act of painting itself follows a method, an organisation of thoughts and techniques. This same approach can be applied to other facets of our work. By structuring our activities, we create an ecosystem where creativity can flourish without being disrupted by peripheral tasks.

    Consider the impact of an organised workflow. It was through such a process that I secured commissions for the murals you see here. By building a solid structure around my activities, I allowed my creativity to soar. This kind of strategic thinking is not foreignโ€”it’s an extension of the order we naturally impose on our creative projects.

    We are fortunate to exist in an era offering numerous opportunities. The key is to selectively embrace those that genuinely make a difference. Understanding our limitations and identifying areas where we can delegate or streamline tasks frees up time for what truly matters. By establishing a systematic approach to our non-creative tasks, we can focus more on our artistic endeavours.

    Imagine being able to step back and let your organisation and processes handle the administrative tasks, allowing you to dedicate more energy to your art. This balance is achievable, and it starts with recognising the power of efficiency in creativity.

    Embrace the opportunity to refine your approach, and discover the potential of structured creativity. For more insights and resources, connect with MCJ Studio.

  • Automating Financial Workflows in Fintech: Strategic Solutions for Creative Founders

    Automating Financial Workflows in Fintech: Strategic Solutions for Creative Founders

    Streamlining the Financial Sector with Workflow Automation

    If youโ€™re building in financial services and focused on workflow automation, thereโ€™s substantial potential to transform how your team handles the daily flood of communications and reporting requirements. One persistent but underestimated challenge in financial operations is managing the high volume of emails between departments, clients, and vendors. Efficient automated email management in fintech doesnโ€™t just cut through noise; it gives your business the edge in real-time financial reporting and customer support.

    • Set up automated workflows to monitor inboxes, searching for core terms that signal priority actions or client queries.
    • Connect incoming emails with your existing knowledge base so responses are relevant and accurate, saving hours each week.
    • Add a layer of contextualisationโ€”such as sender department or client segmentโ€”to tailor replies and maintain personalisation in every touchpoint.

    This approach is particularly effective for common queries and follows the rising trend of financial process automation for customer support and compliance. If further detail is ever required, escalation remains as simple as a call or direct transferโ€”no automated system replaces human touch where nuance matters.

    Automating Reports and Financial Admin with Data Exports

    Legacy applications are commonplace across finance, with many not supporting direct automation. The solution: leverage data exports. Most financial admin systems output to CSV, Excel, or Google Sheets, enabling workflow-driven reporting automation to accelerate financial data analysis and custom report generation.

    • Build reporting flows triggered by updated dataโ€”think new client onboarding reports or churn analysisโ€”automating the process from raw export to formatted report.
    • Use advanced text generation and summarisation tools to create investor briefs, internal performance reviews, or even custom onboarding documentation from accessible data.
    • Always validate outputs for accuracy before sharing, ensuring compliance and quality control.

    Automated financial reporting workflows are at the core of operational efficiency trends, removing error-prone manual steps and clearing the way for rapid, decision-grade data delivery across finance teams.

    Simplifying Manual Creation: On-Demand Docs and SOPs

    Training materials, standard operating procedures, and compliance documentation are vital yet often neglected due to their time-consuming nature. Rapid documentation automation streamlines the creation of manuals, onboarding sheets, and SOPs, drawing from current templates, short Q&A sessions, and historical versionsโ€”cutting production time from hours to minutes.

    • Instantly generate structured, up-to-date manuals for recurring training or compliance events by answering a few targeted questions.
    • Request quick revisions as regulatory requirements or internal processes evolve, keeping teams aligned without administrative backlogs.
    • Ideal for founders or teams producing financial documentation every few weeksโ€”affordable, as-needed, and always accurate.

    By automating documentation and training manual creation, creative founders and strategists in finance, arts, and culture can redirect energy toward impactful, strategic projects rather than administrative overhead.

    Getting Started with Financial Workflow Automation

    From automating financial compliance emails to generating real-time data reports and updating procedural documents, the path to operational excellence is clear for forward-thinking fintech leaders and creative directors. Strategic workflow automation not only saves time but establishes a foundation for precision, agility, and continual improvement in financial services.

    Looking to automate and future-proof your finance operations, manual production, or documentation systems? Visit MCJ Studio to connect with experts in workflow automation and discover solutions tailored for creative and financial pioneers.

  • Stop Settling for Performative โ€œGood Girlโ€ Work: Strategic Soft Skills and Creative Value

    Rethinking Value in Creative Industries

    If youโ€™re strategically minded in art, culture, or creative fields, itโ€™s time to recognise how being a โ€œgood girlโ€ or quietly performing for validation inside large organisations fails to deliver the rewards you deserve. Performing compliance and showing your excellence might win applause, but it rarely gets you paid for the real valueโ€”especially your creative thinking skills and emotional labour. Whatโ€™s missing is a framework that translates those highly creative skills in the workplace and creative problem-solving abilities into clear, tangible returns for you.

    Creative Soft Skills: Two Illustrative Examples

    Letโ€™s consider two examplesโ€”one familiar and socially accepted, the other more provocative yet insightful. Think about therapists. Their emotional labour for client wellbeing is universally recognised and valued. Therapists succeed because they create systems that allow them to select suitable clients, set sustainable rates, and maintain accreditation. Their interpersonal skills for business success arenโ€™t just soft skills; theyโ€™re the backbone of a service that is financially and personally rewarding. Critically, therapists set boundaries to preserve what I call generative power: the creative and emotional energy behind their work, protected from being endlessly scaled or extracted.

    On the other extreme: sex workers, escorts, those whose labour combines physical and emotional skills. Despite social stigma, their business model demonstrates something crucial. Time, attention, listening, creating fantasy and emotional supportโ€”each act is a billable asset. Clients pay for creative value in service industries, whether itโ€™s companionship, listening, or social performance. The principle stands: emotional and behavioural abilitiesโ€”from empathy to active listeningโ€”are not simply โ€œnice-to-havesโ€; they command fees when presented with clarity and self-awareness.

    Applying These Lessons in Organisations and Independent Practice

    So how does this translate for artists, founders, creative directors, and leaders in structured companies or cultural organisations? First, acknowledge your skills. Self-awareness for career advancement is the non-negotiable starting point. Itโ€™s about knowing the intrinsic, often rare blend of creative thinking, emotional depth, and unique problem-solving strategies you bring. These qualitiesโ€”unlike technical expertiseโ€”arenโ€™t infinitely scalable, but they can be framed for strategic impact and rewarded accordingly.

    Rather than pursuing endless external validation from hierarchical entities, shape your own systems. Build frameworks that value the depth, not just the breadth, of your skills. This preserves your generative power and positions you to negotiate for better pay, stronger influence, and greater fulfilment. Simplifying creative thinking for organisational growth means youโ€™re not a commodity but a catalystโ€”someone whose value comes from perspective, adaptability, empathy, and the confidence to challenge assumptions.

  • Adapting to the Changing Job Market

    We are in a time where job redundancy is increasingly common, whether due to political, strategic, or economic reasons. However, new opportunities for work are also emerging. This shift calls for a strategic reassessment of our roles and capabilities. OpenAI, for instance, has already expanded into sectors such as finance, coding, banking, health, and sports, fundamentally altering how we view labour.

    Understanding Job Redundancy

    It’s crucial to acknowledge that job redundancy often results from the optimisation of operational procedures. Various tasks can now be performed cheaper through outsourcing or automation. If you’ve been laid off, it’s not because your job title is redundant, but because specific tasks you performed can be done more efficiently elsewhere.

    Reinvent Your Skill Set

    Consider the description of your previous roles and identify the core skills and activities within them. These elements can be repurposed to create multiple new opportunities. Jobs are disappearing, but new ones are arising. Adapt to these changes by developing new skills or enhancing existing ones. Remember, your job title is not your identity; it’s the skills and value you bring to any role that matter.

    Think Beyond the Traditional Job Title

    For example, a teacher might excel in communication, a skill that can be applied in various fields beyond the classroom. Similarly, a nurse may find alternative ways to contribute to the health sector even if they are laid off. The idea is to leverage your intrinsic skills and apply them in new, valuable ways.

    Stay Proactive and Future-Focused

    If you’ve been in a job for years, it’s easy to think of yourself solely in terms of that role. But it’s essential to broaden your perspective and look for opportunities to develop yourself continuously. Don’t wait until you’re made redundant; always seek ways to expand your skill set and explore different opportunities.

    Reflect on how emerging technologies, such as those seen with CHAT-GPT-5, are influencing sectors like healthcare, banking, and IT. The skills you have today might not be enough for tomorrowโ€™s job market. Diversify your abilities and be prepared for future shifts.

    Your value comes from the unique skills and perspectives you bring into any job. Think beyond your current role and explore new pathways. Start thinking now, as complacency is no longer an option.

    Call to Action

    Be proactive and future-proof your career by continuously developing your skills. Explore how MCJ Studio can help you navigate these changes and leverage your unique talents in a rapidly evolving job market.

  • Why Creative Intelligence Is Moving Behind Paywalls

    Why Creative Intelligence Is Moving Behind Paywalls

    The conclusion of this series is in the link at the bottom of the page. That’s where you need to go to find the rest of the information. This isn’t a request, but a statement. The details are layered and my mind approaches topics from various angles, aimed at delivering information without overwhelming you. Understanding this is crucial for your personal development and success.

    Your achievement will be uniquely yours. It won’t emulate Rembrandt, Basquiat, or Versace. To uncover what’s next, head to the link in the bio. This is where the final piece lies.

    The Shift to Paid Intelligence

    Have you noticed that much of the valuable information for artists and creatives is now behind paywalls? Social media platforms are evolving, incorporating AI that accelerates their development. This shift is happening rapidly, and AI’s influence is becoming increasingly prevalent in both industrial and creative sectors.

    AI cannot replace true creativity. It depends on human interaction. Despite the rise of AI-generated art, the essence of creativity remains deeply human. However, the way information is distributed is changing. Social platforms use AI to train systems based on user input, even without explicit consent. The consequences of this shift often become apparent only after the fact.

    Protecting Your Creative Assets

    It’s essential to reconsider how you use your intelligence, especially if you are highly skilled or have a significant skill gap. Relying solely on online resources won’t suffice. Institutions like schools may increase tuition fees, pushing you to seek practical knowledge in the real world. Yet many are hesitant to engage socially or expose their work to critique.

    If platforms continue to use AI to harvest creative contributions, artists may migrate to other avenues. Consequently, freely accessible information might decline. A practical approach is crucial; embrace both free and paid learning opportunities to enhance your artistic skills.

    The Importance of Gatekeeping

    Complaints about paywalls arise because this intelligence now serves as input for AI training. Formerly open and free communities may start implementing gatekeeping to protect their valuable information from being misused by AI systems.

    If you value being part of a community that nurtures artistic and creative growth while safeguarding its intelligence, now is the time to join. Subscription prices are likely to increase, making it wise to invest now while rates are still manageable.

    Many artists invest large sums in scams, hoping to gain quick entry into prestigious art fairs. However, genuine progress requires steady, diligent effort. Intelligence is the new gold, sought after by corporations to train AI, yet offering no royalties or intellectual property rights to its original creators.

    Time to Think Critically

    Start thinking critically about these developments. Why is specific information disappearing from the internet? Such considerations are crucial as we navigate this new landscape. Begin your journey of critical thought now.

    See you at the link in the bio.

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  • The Exhaustion of Monetised Self-Improvement

    The Exhaustion of Monetised Self-Improvement

    Many people are becoming increasingly tired due to the current economy’s obsession with monetising personal development and self-improvement. The relentless focus on self-improvement as the ultimate goal, rather than a tool for achieving broader ambitions, has escalated to an unsustainable level.

    Self-Improvement: A Tool, Not a Destination

    The idea of self-improvement has been marketed as an end in itself, leading to widespread frustration. What many fail to recognise is that self-improvement is a methodโ€”a set of tools designed to be used in pursuit of larger goals. The market is flooded with countless ways to enhance oneself, but these are often sold as final solutions rather than means to an end.

    This saturation has led to disillusionment. People are becoming fed up with programmes and methods that promise ultimate betterment. It’s not the techniques themselves that are at fault, but the misconception that they are the final objective rather than steps on a longer journey.

    The Cost of Misunderstood Self-Help

    Monetising self-help has turned personal growth into a commodity. This creates a cycle where individuals are perpetually chasing the next big thing in self-improvement, without ever feeling truly accomplished. The market’s portrayal of these programmes as ultimate achievements, rather than tools for ongoing growth, is misleading and exhausting.

    The critical insight here is to shift our perspective. Instead of viewing self-improvement methods as final destinations, see them as instruments to be integrated into your life to achieve your real goals.

    At MCJ Studio, we understand the difference between using tools for development and being overrun by their commercialisation. We aim to help you focus on what truly matters: achieving your goals with the right tools, not being distracted by the endless pursuit of self-improvement for its own sake.

    Ready to change your approach and focus on meaningful goals? Discover more at MCJ Studio.

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