Choosing One Focus and Letting the Rest Fall Into Place
If you are feeling scattered right now, you are not behind.
Many multi-hyphenate creatives enter a new year with momentum and pressure at the same time. Big ideas. Multiple roles. A desire for clarity, income stability, creative fulfillment, and a life that actually feels good to live.
What I have learned over the years is this:
Sustainable creative careers are not built by doing more.
They are built by choosing the right focus, over and over again.
This simple creative reset is the structure that allowed me to sustain a long performing career, step away from academia, build multiple income streams, and return to acting full time on stage and on camera without burning myself out.
It is not a hustle system.
It is a clarity system.
A simple 3-part creative reset
1. Choose one focus
Ask yourself this question
What is the single outcome I want by the end of this week?
Not the entire plan. Not the whole year. Just one meaningful outcome.
For multi-hyphenate creatives, that might look like
• taking the first step toward a new business or offer
• asking for a raise or role shift at your day job
• updating your website so it reflects who you are now
• clarifying how your creative work and income streams connect
• creating one piece of content that supports long-term visibility
When everything feels important, choosing one focus is how momentum returns.
If your focus right now is your online presence, this tutorial walks you through how to set up a website that actually supports your creative career.
2. Pick the smallest next step
Once you choose your focus, your job is not to finish everything.
Your job is to take the first right action.
That might look like
• outlining one service or offering
• drafting a single page of your website
• choosing one income stream to strengthen first
• making one aligned decision instead of ten scattered ones
Clarity compounds when you simplify.
If you are navigating multiple income streams or trying to make your creative work more financially sustainable, this video breaks it down in a grounded, realistic way.
3. Create one protected hour
This is where most creatives struggle.
Put one hour on your calendar this week for the thing that actually moves the needle.
No scrolling.
No admin.
No busywork.
Just focused time for the work that creates clarity.
If social media has been pulling you in too many directions, this video explains how stepping back helped me reset my focus and creative energy.
One question to ground your week
What do you want your creative life to feel like this year?
More steady
More profitable
More spacious
More visible
More honest
Pick one word. Let it guide your decisions this week.
Want a daily version of this reset?
If you want a quick, five-minute practice you can use every day to reset your focus, energy, and direction, download my free Creative Reset.
It is designed for performers, creatives, and multi-hyphenates building sustainable careers without burnout.
If you want help clarifying your focus, aligning your creative roles, or building a strategy that supports both your income and your artistry, I offer one-on-one coaching sessions.
You can learn more or book here.
Ashlee Espinosa, MFA is an actress and creative mentor who helps performers and artist entrepreneurs build aligned, multi stream creative careers. Her work blends artistic intelligence, clarity, and grounded strategy to support creatives who are ready to own their platforms, expand their visibility, and grow with confidence.
Every Tuesday she shares a letter with mindset tools, creative clarity, and guidance for your next chapter.
