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In Her Own Words is an ongoing Q&A series spotlighting honest conversations with women working across the creative industries. In this edition, part of our Work-Life Balance & Boundaries theme, we speak with Helen Holden, founder of creative practice MakeCreate.
When Helen Holden launched her creative practice MakeCreate nearly a decade ago, she hit the ground running — working seven days a week, raising two young children, and saying yes to every opportunity. Like many women in the industry, she internalised the pace and pressure of agency culture, feeling that slowing down meant falling behind.
Over time, Helen began to reframe what success looked like, learning to protect her creative energy, set clear boundaries, and build a working life that prioritised her wellbeing and values. Now also training to become a counsellor, she shares her reflections on balance, boundaries, and breaking up with the hustle.
Have you ever struggled with setting boundaries in your career, and how did you handle it?
When I started my own creative practice almost 10 years ago, I started at a fast pace. I had secured a pipeline of work for the first three months, and I had overstretched myself pretty much from day one. Saying no didn’t feel like a safe option. I was working almost seven days a week with two young children. My purpose was to gain as many new clients as possible, and I wore many hats during the process.
Over time, I learned that not every hour had to be a working hour. I was programmed to work at a rate and pace reflected in the creative agencies I had worked in up until deciding to set up my own practice; it took a long time to retrain habitual patterns of process and adapt to my own way of working and trusting it. The biggest lesson I had to learn was trusting my own process. Being aware of my own strengths and weaknesses and where I needed support to deliver on certain tasks or I had to simply say no to clients if I could not meet their expectations.
How do you protect your creative energy while managing deadlines and demands?
Balancing creativity with deadlines and demands has been a constant learning process. There is never a clear deadline (in my opinion) as clients change milestones constantly, so you have to be agile and open to changes but also communicate the impact of change. I learnt that structure is key: setting clear priorities, scheduling focused creative time, and knowing when to step away and recharge. Boundaries played a huge role. I became intentional about when and how I engage with my client creative work to avoid burnout.
I have high-functioning ADHD, which is a great asset because I can very quickly engage and focus on tasks, but I also know that I need to rest and reset my schedule. Being a single mum reinforced this even more. I had to be efficient with my time and avoid creativity being ‘task orientated’ on another ‘to-do’ list. I also know what I need to do to activate my creativity; I like to exercise, so I make sure I do this daily as it supports my ability to engage creatively to my full potential. I work from home, but I have very strict rules around what time I start work and what time I finish so it doesn’t creep into my responsibilities as a parent and the attention I need to prioritise my two children.
Have you ever felt pressure to constantly ‘hustle,’ and how do you push back against that?
In the early years of becoming my own boss, I bought into the mindset of believing that success meant always being busy – networking, producing work and saying yes to every opportunity. But over time, I realised that relentless hustling wasn’t sustainable – it drained my creativity and left little room for real growth. I had to work smarter, not just harder and be intentional about where I invested my time. I learnt to trust the value of my work without feeling the need to prove myself through overworking.
Now, as I am retraining to be a counsellor and juggling both business models, I can see even more clearly how vital it is to step away from the hustle culture and focus on meaningful, sustainable work. To push back, I set boundaries, prioritise rest and remind myself that productivity isn’t the only measure of success.
What does a balanced life look like for you, and how do you work towards it?
For me, a balanced life is one where my creative work, personal growth, and responsibilities as a single mum coexist without constant overwhelm. At times, running my own business can sometimes feel elusive. Wearing so many hats, work can easily bleed into every aspect of life if you allow it. I’ve learnt that balance isn’t about perfect time management; it’s about making intentional choices.
As I retrain as a counsellor, I see balance as a mix of meaningful work, time for my children, and space for myself. I work towards it by setting boundaries around my energy, recognising when to slow down, and allowing rest to be just as valuable as productivity. Creativity and emotional wellbeing both need breathing space. Giving myself permission to pause with purpose and prosperity.
