Kieren Jones Stories, Projects & Creative Work

Kieren Jones

Stories, Projects & Creative Work

Latest Articles

Opinion

Being 'Raw and Real' Online Is Backfiring — Here's Why Vulnerability Isn't a Strategy

Everybody told you to show up authentically, so you did — and now crickets. The problem isn't your honesty; it's that 'authentic content' has become its own performance. Here's what's actually going wrong and how to fix it.

Creative Career

The Creative Collab Money Talk: How to Nail the Numbers Without Wrecking the Relationship

You've got a great collaborator lined up and a killer project idea — and then someone has to bring up money. For most independent creatives, that conversation is where things get awkward fast. Here's a practical playbook for getting the financial side right from the start.

Opinion

When to Walk Away: A Creator's Guide to Killing Projects That Are Draining You

Every creator has that one project — the one they keep coming back to, keep tweaking, keep convincing themselves is almost there. Sometimes perseverance pays off. But sometimes, holding on is just a slow leak on your creative energy. Here's how to tell the difference before it costs you too much.

Creative Career

Two Heads, One Brand: The Unexpected Power of Creative Partnerships

There's a myth floating around creative spaces that building a personal brand means doing everything yourself. Turns out, the fastest path to standing out might actually run straight through someone else's audience. Here's why leaning into collaboration could be the smartest move you make this year.

Opinion

Stop Chasing Trends: Here's What Actually Makes a Personal Brand Stick

In a creative landscape that's more crowded than ever, the conventional advice about building a personal brand — post consistently, ride the algorithm, find your niche — isn't enough anymore. The creators who are actually building something durable aren't doing it by following the playbook. They're doing it by being genuinely hard to replace.

Creative Career

When Your Favorite Work Doesn't Pay the Bills: Rethinking What Goes in Your Portfolio

The stuff you're most proud of isn't always the stuff that gets you hired — and that tension is something almost every creative runs into eventually. Figuring out how to show the full picture of who you are without confusing potential clients or collaborators is one of the trickiest parts of building a personal brand. Here's how some creators are actually pulling it off.

Creative Career

5 Smart Ways to Turn Your Side Projects Into Your Biggest Career Flex

That short film you made on weekends or the newsletter you've been quietly building? It might be worth more to your career than your actual resume. Here's how to stop treating your passion projects like hobbies and start using them like leverage.

Opinion

Selling Out or Leveling Up? How Creators Are Navigating the Algorithm Without Losing Themselves

Every creator eventually hits the wall — the moment when the numbers start dictating the art. This piece digs into how today's most interesting voices in entertainment are handling that tension, and what it actually costs to play the algorithm's game.