we are self-employed
Coaches, creatives & Solopreneurs

Co-creating for a better future

  • Coaches

    Creative Space works with accredited coaches who are certified with the ICF (International Coaching Federation) and/or the EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council).

  • Creatives

    Creatives in the Creative Space community are professionals from a variety of creative discipline who support in the business creation process & strategy with design, outreach and visibility.

  • Solopreneurs

    Creative Space Solopreneurs come from around the globe, and are actively supporting the SDGs and IDGs, and people and planet with their sustainable projects and businesses.

members voices

Meet some of our members, who are solopreneurs. coaches and creatives co-creating a better future for their business, themselves and for our planet.

“How else can I support your journey as a solopreneur?
As a coach, I'm happy to be your thinking partner, helping you clarify your direction, leverage your strengths, and create strategies to act. 

I help solopreneurs undergoing transition, improving performance, achieving work-life balance

Mariann Nagatsu — Core Team Member , Coach and
Solopreneur at Creative Space

I am a certified organisational coach and learning designer with over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. I help solopreneurs undergoing transition, improving performance, achieving work-life balance, developing leadership skills, dealing with impostor syndrome, and enhancing personal growth. As you coach, I'll help you clarify your aims, uncover blind spots, harness strengths, create strategies and act. More about my approach and work with other client groups on my website :). Happy to work with you! 

As a solopreneur, I thrive on the energy and inspiration that comes from co-creation and collaboration. So it’s probably not a coincidence that I have joined Creative Space Core Team already since the very beginning. For me, ideas start flowing when I have a great conversation partner. Having conversations with people in similar shoes, yet with very different hats, have helped me to build confidence as a solopreneur and discover new opportunities beyond my initial scope. This has been crucial in both my personal and professional growth.

One of my strengths is breaking down complex tasks into manageable, 
actionable steps and then starting to walk. As tennis champion Arthur Ashe said, 'Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.' A great example is when I collaborated with brand design advisor Anders Tallvik as a Skills Sharing project to develop my own brand. Zero budget, great learning, inspiring outcome, ongoing partnership. In the end, you don't have to be an expert in all areas. However, having a trusted network of people you can turn to for expertise is invaluable as a solopreneur. Since then, I've become a strong advocate for Skills Sharing and happy to help other members find ways to develop their businesses through this approach. I'm excited to see what new opportunities will emerge from Skills Sharing initiatives and co-create these initiatives further. 

I'm a creative strategist and brand architect
with over 20 years in UK broadcasting and media.

Charlie Palmer — Core Team Member, Creative
& Solopreneur at Creative Space

I thrive on creating bold, innovative brand identities that blend deep audience insights with creative flair and am driven to develop brands with purpose. I also excel at unifying complex elements into engaging narratives across multiple platforms.

As a solopreneur, one of my biggest challenges is the isolation that comes with working alone.

Without people to bounce ideas around with, I often get stuck in cycles of procrastination and perfectionism, endlessly redrafting my work because I’m trying to anticipate every possible flaw. This has made it hard to put anything out into the world confidently. I’m actively working on letting go of that perfectionism, but it’s definitely a process.

Since joining Creative Space, I’ve found a lot of value in collaborating on strategy and creative ideas. I’ve particularly enjoyed advocating for the use of language models to help capture and refine thinking, which has become an important part of my creative process. It’s been rewarding to help shape the direction of Creative Space, even if we're still in the early stages.

Looking forward, I’m really excited about creating a dedicated idea-bouncing space within Creative Space, where small groups of three to four people can come together to solve problems collaboratively. I’m passionate about helping others tackle their challenges, and I believe that working on other people’s problems can often spark unexpected solutions to your own. This kind of group dynamic would not only give me the feedback and interaction I need as a solopreneur but also create a space where others can benefit from the same collaborative energy.

I’m a strong advocate for integrating technology, like language models, into creative processes, and I enjoy participating in discussions that lead to clear, actionable ideas. I look forward to co-creating solutions with others and helping to build a dynamic space where we all benefit from each other's ideas and support.

I build schools, playgrounds and learning spaces for children in the rural area of Tanzania

Ahmed Shams — Solopreneur at Creative Space

Hello, I am an initiator, a pioneer, a solopreneur and an engineer. I build schools, playgrounds and learning spaces for children in the rural area of Tanzania. As a nature loving person, I plant trees and create fruit gardens in our school premises. I work hand to hand with the local communities while using local materials to realize our projects.

Working with projects in such remote areas which are far from small towns is never easy. There are many challenges facing me and my projects. One of challenges is that many people would like to see me doing what I do in the urban centers and not in villages. Secondly, it is hard to get people to visit the projects physically and this means there is less support for the project. Nevertheless, incomes derived from the villages are always small, so making our projects struggling for sustainability.

HELP NEEDED If I could ask for help, then I would need good fundraisers for my projects. I always believe there is someone out there who would like to work with us and is enthusiastic with what we do. Our doors are open and we are ready to work with that person.

I am dedicated to exploring the future's challenges and possibilities.

Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge — Podcaster, certified Mentor, and Solopreneur

I'm a podcaster, mentor, and solopreneur with a background in petroleum geophysics, now dedicated to exploring the future's challenges and possibilities.

Through my podcast Stories for the Future, I inspire optimism and action, focusing on the energy transition and helping others align their careers with purpose, impact, and excitement for what lies ahead

In Creative Space, I've found the co-working environment I was missing as a home-based solopreneur: friendships, advice exchange, and people who celebrate your successes and support you through struggles. After years of working alone with its ups and downs, I cherish the autonomy and creative freedom of being my own boss. However, I've learned to recognize when I need help and the benefits of seeking it.

As an accredited business mentor, I focus on the personal and values-driven aspects of starting and running your own business. With four years of experience hosting and producing my own podcast, I'm passionate about all things audio and am happy to advise anyone interested in this path.

This season, my podcast concentrates on building bridges and bursting bubbles in the energy transition. I'm working to create more platforms for difficult yet crucial conversations to take place.

I am a conceptual brand identity advisor

Anders Tallvik — Core Team Member and Creative at Creative Space

I am a conceptual brand identity advisor who helps you figure out who your brand really is at its core and how to express it. By coaching you through the brand discovery process, I help you develop you a clear brand identity, tone of voice, visual direction, and guidelines for implementing it all.

I came across Creative Space at the exact right moment in my career as a self-employed creative.

I was struggling with direction for my business, so the idea of meeting other people on the solopreneur journey to explore solutions together was very attractive. In the process of co-creating Creative Space, Mariann Nagatsu and I decided to experiment with skillsharing as a way to develop our respective businesses, and it was a success! I was left with a clear sense of direction for my business, and she got a visual identity out of it. It made me realize that my approach is similar to that of a coach, which was an eye-opener and helped me decide that conversations are really at the core of my design process.

I'd love to coach more impact-minded people through the brand discovery process to create great brand identities that go deeper and express their core mission and vision boldly! That's something I bring to Creative Space. I'd be interested in having additional members coach my business process and approach; for example, I'd love to develop methods for staying the course and inspiring myself during those weeks when I'm stuck behind a computer screen with very little "coworker contact." More than that, I want to FIND OUT what I could do with my business through the rich and beautiful conversations within this space.

“The idea for Creative Space originated from a combination of desires, challenges and experiences — I began as my own test case”

I support solopreneurs committed to creating a better future.

Ruth Nelson-Andorf — Initiator of Creative Space, Creative, Coach, and Solopreneur

As a solopreneur, I co-founded the Creative Space community with a mission to uplift solo business owners who dedicate their work to the well-being of people and the planet through sustainable business practices.

The inspiration for Creative Space came from a blend of personal aspirations, challenges, and experiences. After working with an international environmental NGO and immersing myself deeply in animal rights advocacy, I was left grappling with feelings of overwhelm and burnout. It became clear to me that solopreneurs tackling these important issues would often feel even more isolated, lacking immediate support from those who truly understand their mission. As a freelance designer, I had my own share of long, solitary nights in front of the computer. Now, as a certified coach, I am frequently asked how coaches build their businesses and whether it’s possible to sustain a living through coaching alone.

Through these experiences, I recognized a profound connection between different professions and realized how much creatives, coaches, and solopreneurs could gain from one another. That’s how Creative Space was born—a community where self-employed professionals committed to supporting people and the planet come together to collaborate. I began as my own test case, reaching out to like-minded individuals who now form our core team. Together, we’ve become co-creators, each benefiting from the skills and expertise of the others.

Today, Creative Space is a growing international community of passionate, purpose-driven individuals. Each member is focused on thriving in their business, and they understand that the best path to success as a solopreneur is through a supportive, trusted network of peers. It’s a symbiotic environment where every interaction is both giving and receiving, fostering a sense of mutual growth.

One of my greatest ambitions is to continue pushing my own boundaries and to empower other solopreneurs to do the same as they embark on their own journeys to make a positive impact.

I guide creatives and coaches on their self-employment journey

Jessica Lohmann — Creative Space Member and Founder of Ethical Brand Marketing

I joined Creative Space to connect with other creatives and coaches, so I can support them in their marketing journey and also improve how I facilitate my own marketing programs.

I guide creatives and coaches on their self-employment journey by helping them craft ethical, results-driven marketing strategies that align with their values, attract mission-aligned clients, and build thriving businesses with purpose.

The story of creative space

Creative Space is an idea from initiator, Ruth Nelson-Andorf to create a network of people supporting each other with business development while simultaneously incorporating coaching for personal growth.

What was the reason for creating Creative Space?

The reason for creating Creative Space came out of a combination of things;

I wanted to:

  • combine my professions of designer, environmentalist and coach into to one hybrid profession

  • return to the drivers seat and create my life the way I wanted it to be

  • create a social impact to support other solo business owners who were doing the hard work of supporting people and planet

  • ensure that I practice self-care by honoring my boundaries and needs, plus creating and maintaining a psychologically safe and supportive environment

  • be able to work remote from the island of Crete

What were your main challenges while creating Creative Space?

I had just left my job at Greenpeace and was still recovering from burnout. I was certain that I wanted to become self-employed again, but this time I was sure that I didn’t want to do it alone. I had strengths, and wanted supported in areas where I’m not that strong. I also had to develop my business with zero capital. On a personal level I was also transitioning from a marriage of almost 30 years to staying friends and parents with separate lives. I knew that I was taking on a lot, and did not want to enter the burnout route again.

I turned out that my challenges were the aspects which helped form Creative Space

How did you overcome your challenges?

Coaching and practicing self-reflection and self-care. As a coach I had experienced how coaching can help us leave the problem focus and go toward solution focus. Learning more and more about myself, helped me understand how I work and what I need and how to go about achieving what I want.

One main aspect was having a professional network around me of strong and caring people. Some of these people now make up with myself the core team of Creative Space. Mariann Nagatsu who is an amazing coach helped me with her powerful questitons in gaining clarity around what I wanted to create and how, and how I would like to show up as a solopreneur. Anders Tallvik is our Creative Advisor who has taken on the task of bringing clarity into the Creative Space branding and visibility. Charlie Palmer has supported with all things around strategy and .the creation of our Creative Space Bible which is the core around everything we do. Veslemøy’s offers valuable outreach in topics around podcasting, and facilitating our Friday Check-Ins . These are just a few of many areas in which the core team works together to support my vision of creating something special from which we will all benefit.

What do you envision for Creative Space?

I see a community of people who enjoy working together to create the thriving business of their dreams, supporting each other in growth and overcoming challenges together. And from an online community we continue our collective intentions in live offline groups around the globe.

My intention for Creative Space is to be able to support Solopreneurs who started off like myself, and needed support to create a business which supports people and planet.