If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know I’m a big believer in the idea that bookkeepers are secretly some of the most creative people on the planet. Sure, we deal in numbers, rules, and statements like “please stop claiming your dog as a business expense.” But underneath all that, we are problem‑solvers, pattern‑spotters, storytellers and honestly, we are often a little bit magic.
Which is exactly why I think every bookkeeper should have a creative hobby.
Not “should” as in guilt‑trip, but “should” as in, your brain will thank you, your clients will thank you, and your family will DEFINITELY thank you. Let me explain.
Creative hobbies make you faster at emails.
I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous. But the more I’ve leaned into creative writing, the faster and clearer my professional writing has become. When you write for fun (think travel blogs, silly stories, and chaotic updates on your life), you learn how to get to the point and stop overthinking every sentence. You also lean into developing and writing in your own voice. Suddenly your emails stop sounding like a tax ruling and start sounding like a human. A fast human. A confident human. A human who can explain GST without sending anyone into a coma.
Creative writing is basically strength training for communication, and communication is half our job.
Storytelling helps you explain numbers.
Numbers are just stories wearing sensible shoes. When you can tell a story, a real one with shape and meaning and a “here’s what matters conclusion,” you can explain financials in a way clients actually get.
Storytelling helps you turn a P&L into an interesting narrative and turns a KPI into a plot twist. It may even inspire you to hit your clients with a “here’s the hero’s journey” happy ending.
Clients don’t remember the numbers. They remember the story the numbers tell. And the better you get at storytelling, the better you get at being the translator between “what the numbers say” to “what the business needs.”
Hobbies keep burnout at bay.
My current creative quirk of choice is my weekly art class at The Art School Co. Every week I walk in, pick up a brush, or pencil, and immediately feel my nervous system exhale. They use GoCardless and Xero for their invoicing, which all feels so familiar to my everyday life that it honestly feels like an added warm blanket of comfort. I know, I’m weird. But once I’m in the studio, my brain switches to a completely different mode.
Being creative lets me stop thinking so hard and stops me from obsessing over problems and from trying to “logic” my way out of everything. And here’s the kicker, when I stop thinking, I find solutions. It’s like my brain goes, “Oh, you’re painting a wonky lemon? Great. I’ll just quietly solve that workflow issue in the background.”
For me, creativity is not a luxury. It’s maintenance.
Creative play makes you better at problem solving.
This week has been HUGE for me. After four years of trying to build the perfect KPI practice dashboard (including two unsuccessful app‑partner collaborations), something finally clicked. I started playing with the XBert MCP linked to Claude, and suddenly I’m producing mega‑fun automations and building the dashboard I’ve been dreaming about for years. It feels like the universe finally handed me the right Lego set.
And I genuinely believe that all the creative play I’ve been doing (writing, painting, switching my brain into different modes) is what made the breakthrough possible. And of course, Claude didn’t exist four years ago, so there is that. I was just ahead of my time.
Creativity doesn’t just make my life nicer. It makes my brain more flexible. More curious. More able to see solutions I couldn’t see before.
So, if you’re a bookkeeper, I encourage you to find a creative hobby. Not only because it’s “good for you,” but because it makes you faster, clearer, calmer, more resilient, more fun, and honestly, better at your job.
Go paint something or write the story. Dance, doodle, bake, sculpt, stitch, sing, or glue macaroni to cardboard. It’s your choice. Your business (and your brain) will thank you.
Stay cool and hit the art!
