(My Calm & Slow Business Manifesto)

Manifestum Negotii Mei Tranquilli et Lenti

  • I want a gentle online presence without psychological terror

  • one where I don’t burn out so much

  • one that is conducive to my INFJ personality

  • one that suits my nature as an HSP (highly sensitive person)

  • one where I don’t have to hustle so much all the time

  • one where there is still lots of room for my creative passions to flourish

  • one where there’s space to build nourishing relationships with people

  • one where I don't need 100 tech tools to keep it running

  • one where I can grow without a tightly curated content calendar or posting schedule

  • one that allows room for illness, holidays, bad mood days, and low energy days

  • one where my business feels like a warm hug or a lovely cup of tea

  • one where I create offerings that feel cosy, calm, useful and valuable to me and my potential readers or clients

  • one where it’s okay to not scale large

  • one where I infuse all aspects of it with love

  • one where serenity and peace are the driving forces

  • one where my email lists don’t terrorise my mind

  • one where I don’t need to attend 1000 mastermind groups or webinars to get off the ground

  • one where it’s okay to experiment, fail and play

  • one that is aesthetically pleasing and a website that doesn’t have a million calls to action, pop-ups, opt-ins, and such

  • one that I don’t have to compare my business with anyone else’s

  • one where I attract the right people naturally, rather than heavily market to the wrong people

  • one where my home and family life don’t suffer because of it

  • one where I build more intentional connections with other creatives

  • one where I can move at my own slow, gentle and calm pace

  • one devoid of aggressive lead magnets and sales funnels

  • one devoid of AI use, especially generative AI

  • one I build without the noise of mainstream social media

  • one that has slow, intentional community woven into it

  • one that doesn’t need constant engagement

  • one that is an extension of my creative, philosophical and moral values

  • one that doesn’t use fear-mongering, artificial deadlines, and other shady marketing practices simply to make a quick buck

  • one that has integrity baked into it

  • one that avoids corporate speak that is cold, unapproachable and pretentious

  • one that doesn’t make people think I’m a superwoman and can do it all, or can change their lives overnight (I can't!)

(Written Nov 11th, 2026 , by a soft-life-loving girlie, who enjoys matcha, watching period dramas, taking long walks, vegan chocolate, time in nature and anything cosy.)

Nota bene:

This manifesto is a vision I hold for the type of online business I’m striving to build. One that is intentional and aligned with my values.

I yearn for a soft and calm business. That is a natural extension of my creative presence. Where I craft an online presence to my liking. Sprinkling it with beauty and soul as I please.

Let’s ditch the false scarcity, the fear propagandising, the constant overwhelm, and the loss of our peace. Instead, dreaming of a possibility where we flourish through our creative passions. Where adding value to the world can co-exist with also enriching our lives both financially and emotionally.

Over to you

If you’re reading this, you can align with my intentions. Perhaps you can craft your own quiet business manifesto. If you do, and post it on your blog/digital garden/website, feel free to leave me a link to your manifesto on my guestbook or through my contacts page, with a link to your manifesto, and I'll check it out.

You can also link back to this post if you like, but no pressure; you don’t have to. I want to spark a tiny revolution in the hearts of artists, writers, solopreneurs & gentle creatives. Or anyone aspiring to have an intentional online presence.

Resources/useful

Back to athenaeum