Posts by Ingrid Lill

The other day, someone commented on LinkedIn: “It’s impressive that you’re so consistent. Posting a lot! Where do you get all the ideas from?” This made me think. Routine, systematic, repetitive stuff isn’t my natural zone. But I also know you can’t build a business without routines! My solution? “Playify” my work. And what do…

Intro written by 3.7 thinking mode and me. When Robots Meet Creativity: Testing AI for Content Creation Remember this drawing I made about “robot mode” for admin tasks? it would become. Back then, “robot mode” meant focusing on mundane tasks: organize, upload, schedule, notify. Get stuff done without the creative spark that makes our work…

Why Look at Archetypes? Brand archetypes give you a shortcut to your brand identity and emotional connection to your clients. They’re powerful frameworks that can help you: Choose colors, imagery and symbols that feel right for your brand Find the perfect tone of voice for your writing Create a consistent vibe that attracts your ideal…

I sat down with career coach Mark Crossfield to sketch out the 3 myths keeping talented professionals stuck in jobs that don’t fit anymore. Mark wrote a wonderful book about Mid-Career Change that is both encouraging and creative! The most eye-opening insight: Clarity comes from action, not thinking. You can’t think your way into a…

I was brainstorming for next week’s workshop when it hit me: The perfect business isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about building a flywheel where every step fuels the next. Here’s my flywheel recipe: Inner Growth (creative confidence): You become someone who shows up consistently and with energy. Connection to Others (magnetic messaging): A clear, authentic message…

My first “professional” photo shoot was a disaster. Yes, the pictures looked crisp, and the lighting was even. But I looked stiff and tense! A few years later, I tried again. This time, I looked frumpy. And my beautiful studio looked cluttered in the background. After that, I retreated to selfies. “Who needs photos when…

I’m excited to share a powerful visual campaign making waves in the fight against plastic pollution. Meet Jennifer Timrott, a VisualMinds member living on Germany’s northern coast. Her passion project is to reduce plastic waste in the North Sea – and worldwide. Jennifer doesn’t have a business – she’s working for free. But even a…

Holiday in Sweden First we spent a week in the family’s holiday house in the Swedish forests. We went for long walks in the rain, collected mushrooms and did some house repair. Also, I painted an old table top inspired by Swedish folklore.It was fun to incorporate the day’s conversations and activities into the artwork.…

Ever feel stuck with your brand? Here’s a secret: It’s okay to change! As a brand designer, I’ve always preached consistency. But you know what? For solopreneurs like us, flexibility can be a superpower. I just gave my own brand a makeover. Here is my logo evolution over the years:   In the beginning I…

Coaches often grapple with the concept of niching. The fear of limiting oneself can be paralyzing, yet the benefits of focus are undeniable. The Visual Minds Model offers a solution to this dilemma, introducing a dynamic approach to niching that balances specificity with adaptability. Understanding the Visual Minds Model At its core, the Visual Minds…

Less is more. And leads to more and more If you want to create effective social media posts, it helps to have a plan. What I notice again and again is that people want to say everything in one post. This leads to convoluted posts, emails and websites that nobody wants to read. Content marketing isn’t a…

Am I neurodivergent? Are you? I had a coffee conversation with a fellow entrepreneur, who is “neurodivergent. He talks about it openly on his website. He is also multi-talented, interested in many things, and craves things being visual. We had so many things in common that I started thinking I’m at least a little bit neurodivergent,…

Are you struggling with finding your niche? Instead of boxing yourself into a niche, try creating a thing.  A thing could be a service that you can show, promote, and sell. If you like doing it and you get good feedback, you can build your brand around it. Here is the recipe:  Of course, there are…

Do you have a clear roadmap for your customers to reach their desired outcome? If not, why not draw it out? We did just that in our last Visual Minds meeting. While teaching, I was also learning. It was surprisingly challenging. But it is difficult to break complex processes down into easy-to-understand, meaningful chunks and…

  What’s your almost-forgotten-because-it’s-so-ingrained superpower? It might help with your positioning! Because in your business, you want to show off your uniqueness. There are countless wellness coaches, graphic designers, and brand strategists out there. All of them do good work. What makes you different? You have collected superpowers in your past experiences. 😮 Maybe you…

Hello, I just got an email from a Visual Minds participant: “You need to convey the amount of personal coaching members get from you. This is powerful stuff! Visual Minds is a business coaching program that combines your expertise in teaching “drawing for business” and your insightful creativity on how to improve our message.” This…

Do you have a creative urge and want to use sketches in your business? Yay! But. If you post drawings of landscapes, coffee cups, or your scary-cute dolls, people will probably like them and comment with “beautiful, you’re so talented.” But will it bring you clients? Probably not. Instead of creating random stuff, communicate your…

Sometimes I use ChatGPT to generate reference images for my illustrations. In this case, it wasn’t very helpful. Here is an excerpt from our conversation: Ingrid Can he go much closer to the suitcase with his head, looking for a small item buried in the stuffed suitcase ChatGPT I encountered issues again while attempting to…

Are you good enough to pursue [insert whatever you want to do]? Probably not. I wasn’t when I started posting drawings on social media. But I knew I wanted to bring more creativity to my professional life, so I documented my attempts at building a business — with ugly drawings. And, what do you know…

The way I define “superpower” is maybe different from the norm. It is NOT superhuman strength and perfection. Possibly, it is quite the opposite. It is to be utterly human and still get what you (and your clients) want.    I strongly believe that showing your imperfections is a superpower – now that AI is creating…