About the Studio
The Studio helps creatives build the systems behind their work, so they can create, grow, and show up online without it taking over their lives.
So when big opportunities come, you are ready for them and if you’re already growing fast that you have support to keep creating & scale sustainably.
Together, we build a system that fits your actual life.
What This Means
clarity on your priorities
having structure behind your work
the right toolkit for you
creating intentionally and without constant overwhelm
Meet the Founder
Gill is an Irish filmmaker, video editor and actor with a background in cultural studies, including film, literature, and art. She also does screenwriting, painting and digital artwork (by hand, not AI).
Why work with the Studio?
Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work directly with the leaders and decision-makers of major organisations, which has given me huge insight into how the cream of the crop actually work. This professional experience has taught me so much. My focus has always been on learning from the best and having an impact.
I like to get things done and done well. I strive for excellence and always ensure that I get to the heart of an issue or that when I spot something that's out of place that I investigate. For example, I once noticed a small error on a project and my pattern-recognition Spidey senses started tingling. I checked if it was the only one. It turned out that it was part of quite a large issue across multiple projects, so I designed a system to address it and a training plan to be used by a team to find and fix all the inaccuracies and anomalies before it caused a real problem.
This is all part of risk mitigation and operating a system at scale. I don't leave stones unturned if I can help it. I've also been through creative burnout myself and I know what it's like to juggle responsibilities alongside a creative life (I've had “day jobs” and I'm a parent).
I like to use a mix of coaching and mentoring techniques when I'm working with someone on a problem they're facing. I find it's usually more helpful for them to learn and remember how to apply the solution themselves.
So I promise you that once we chat about the struggles and pain points around your creative ventures and dreams that I'm going to put my problem solving brain to work. Together we'll find solutions tailored to you, whilst drawing on my own experience across multiple industries and organisations (including the University of London, top international law firms, YouTube and Google).
Why did I create the Studio?
I realise that many creatives struggle with managing their time, energy and admin. I created the Studio because I wanted to help with that and let creatives focus on what’s important to them, not the boring stuff (that ironically I personally find very interesting).
I also created it based on my own experience of burning myself out. I spent years writing late into the night only to abandon the project in my drafts.
I remember once painting a scene of a coastal landscape with detailed flowers only to paint over the canvas on a whim with a giant wave. That wasn't even the issue though, the problem was that then I wouldn't create anything for months and months, feeling terrible about this.
So finally I managed to change my relationship with creativity. I spent years in high-stakes tech and legal environments, working with complex systems and risk, before I found filmmaking.
That was when I realised that I was applying clear structure to the creative process (thanks to years of project managing, scaling operations, developing workflows and finding the best ways to collaborate with people across a broad network of teams).
That helped me to realise that systems were actually what allowed me to focus on my creativity. They enabled me to keep going.
There's a myth that creatives are simply messy by nature, but I believe that a lot of the time they just aren't working in a way that flows with their way of thinking.
That’s why I typically focus on understanding what that style is before moving onto designing a system that will work best with it. Sometimes it can involve knowing when to add novelty rather than rigid rules.
Photo: Ishmael Claxton
I use the word systems a lot, but I like to think of it more like rituals, rhythms, routines, architecture, or everything having a home and being in the right place, ready to grab when you need it.
Remember that the goal isn’t perfect structure, the goal is to create and do it in a way that makes it easy to keep going in the long term.
I really get the struggle of trying to balance your life and creative energy with all of your other responsibilities. I constantly use the tools and frameworks of the Studio myself so that I can create more sustainably.
