The One-Thing Rule: How Creatives Grow Without Burnout
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You just spent three hours creating content for your business.
You posted about your new Skillshare class on Instagram, shared your latest painting on Facebook, sent an email about your Etsy shop's holiday collection, and wrote a blog post about your upcoming workshop series.
You hit "publish" on everything.
Yet, you feel like you’re shouting into the void. Nothing seems to be gaining any traction.
Despite having incredible work: gorgeous paintings, thoughtful courses, and a beautifully curated shop, you’re not growing. But you are scattered and on the verge of burnout.
Let me introduce you to the “one-thing-rule” that I use to help focus my energy and keep moving forward with my marketing efforts without burning out.
The Scattered Energy Problem for Creative Entrepreneurs
You’re a multipassionate creative, so it might feel natural to want to create, market, and sell everything all at once. You've got new artwork that you're excited about, a new workshop you're proud of, some artwork in your shop that isn’t getting the attention it deserves, and maybe a seasonal collection you really want to share with the world.
So you do what feels right: you post about the artwork on Monday, mention the workshop on Tuesday, highlight the shop pieces on Wednesday, and by Thursday, you're promoting that seasonal collection.
You're covering all your bases. But here's what actually happens when we scatter our energy this way.
Your audience gets confused about what they should care about. When everything feels equally important in your messaging, nothing stands out as the thing they should focus on right now.
Your energy is spread thin. Instead of diving deep into the story behind one offering, you're skimming the surface of everything.
You end up feeling frustrated because you're working incredibly hard but not seeing the results that match your effort.
The One-Thing Rule: Focus Your Marketing on One Thing Each Month
The one-thing rule is simple: every month, choose one main thing to focus your promotional energy on.
Not one thing forever. Not one thing to the exclusion of everything else. Just one primary focus for your marketing efforts each month.
So maybe February is all about promoting your Valentine's Day Skillshare class. You're not hiding your jewelry or pretending your paintings don't exist, but when you sit down to create promotional content, when you plan your Instagram posts, when you write your emails—everything is supporting that one goal.
Then March might be about promoting your spring jewelry collection. April could be focused on a new series of paintings you're releasing.
Why Focusing on One Thing Works Better
When you focus your energy on one thing for a sustained period of time, a few magical things happen:
Your messaging gets clearer. Instead of trying to explain everything you do in every post, you can really dive deep into one offering. You can tell the story behind it, share your process, get people excited about it.
Your audience knows what to expect. People start to anticipate what you're sharing because there's a cohesive thread running through your content.
You create momentum. Instead of scattered posts that get lost in the noise, you're building sustained interest around one thing. That interest builds on itself.
You actually finish promoting things. How many times have you started promoting something, then gotten distracted by promoting something else, and never really gave the first thing the attention it deserved?
How to Create a Promotional Calendar That Aligns With Your Energy
This is where the magic really happens. Instead of waking up each day and wondering what to post about, you can plan your year around the natural rhythm of your business and your life.
Maybe your promotional calendar looks something like this:
February: Valentine's Day jewelry pieces or romantic-themed art
March: Spring collection launch
April: Easter/Mother's Day gifts
May: Art show or market prep
June: Summer-themed work or classes
July: Whatever you're most excited about creating
The beauty of planning this way is that you can align your promotions with holidays and seasons, but you can also plan around your own energy and creative cycles.
Building Content Around Your One Focus
When you know what your focus is for the month, creating content becomes so much easier.
Let's say March is your spring jewelry collection month. Now you know that:
Your Instagram posts can show different pieces from the collection
Your Instagram Stories can share behind-the-scenes of you creating these pieces
Your blog post can be about the inspiration behind the collection
Your email to your list can offer early access or a special discount
Your Pinterest pins can showcase the jewelry in spring settings
See how everything works together instead of competing for attention?
The Permission to Do Less (and Market Better)
Here's what I love most about the one-thing rule: it gives you permission to do less while actually accomplishing more.
Instead of trying to promote five different things mediocrely, you get to promote one thing really well. Instead of scattered efforts that feel exhausting, you get focused energy that actually moves the needle.
And here's a secret: you can still mention your other work occasionally. You can still post about your latest painting even if it's jewelry month. The one-thing rule isn't about becoming a robot—it's about having a clear primary focus.
Adjusting Your Focus for Your Real Life and Energy Cycles
Some months, life happens. Maybe you planned to focus on promoting a new collection, but then you have a family emergency or get sick or just don't have the energy for a big promotional push.
That's when you give yourself permission to do something easier. Maybe that month becomes "25% off everything in the shop" month. Simple, low-energy, but still focused.
The goal isn't perfection—it's sustainability.
What Changes When You Focus Your Creative Energy
I've seen this transformation happen over and over again with my clients. When they stop trying to promote everything and start focusing on one thing at a time, their businesses change.
They make more sales because people understand what they're being invited to buy. They feel less overwhelmed because they have a clear focus for their efforts. They enjoy their marketing more because they get to really dive into the stories and details that make their work special.
And honestly? Their audience appreciates it too. Instead of feeling like they're being sold to constantly, people feel like they're being invited into something special.
Join the Conversation
What would it look like to focus your energy on just one thing this month? What's calling for your attention that could benefit from sustained, focused promotion? I'd love to hear what you decide to focus on.