I am a curious explorer of the world around me, and a homebody who loves to travel. I have long been a seeker of beauty and a writer who uses words to wrangle questions about how to live well. I am also a nature lover and fledgling gardener who is experimenting with growing my own food. I am a Reiki Master trained in the Japanese tradition in Tokyo, and a trained yoga teacher who loves to write my own meditations. And I’m a mama of two young girls, a self-help author whose five non-fiction books have been translated into more than 25 languages, and an award-winning entrepreneur and producer of online courses that have helped thousands of people to find personal, professional and financial freedom. I also love teaching writing and mentoring writers. More than 35,000 people have taken one of my writing courses, and my Book Proposal Masterclass has produced numerous book deals for my wonderful students.

I have been fortunate enough to have lived, worked, and travelled in 50+ countries on every continent, which led me to writing my first book Freedom Seeker: Live more. Worry less. Do what you love. I now live in Devon, a rural part of England, but Japan is my second home and the inspiration for my second book Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life.

A UK and USA bestseller, Wabi Sabi has been translated into more than 25 languages. In it I share life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese wisdom, gathered throughout my twenty-year love affair with Japan. With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life’s challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism. It has been recommended by TIME Magazine, the Sunday Times, British Vogue and Psychologies Magazine among others, and Apple USA ‘must listen’ (audiobook) and was described as ‘a truly transformational read’ by Sunday Times Style.

The long-awaited follow up to Wabi Sabi, called KOKORO: Japanese wisdom for a life well lived, is out on April 4.

My other books:

• The Way of the Fearless Writer: Ancient Eastern Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life is perfect if you want to find ease, joy and wonder in the mysterious process of writing.
• And then there is Christmas. I have been obsessed with Christmas since I was a little girl, which led me to writing my third book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A little book of festive joy, designed to inspire a new approach to Christmas where you create the kind of celebration you need this year, and take good care of yourself through the winter.
• I also wrote a book in lockdown in 2020, all about the pandemic and how to navigate the inevitable change we are all facing. We Are in This Together: Finding hope and opportunity in the depths of adversity has been described as “A manifesto for being human on this planet at this time”.

My mission is to inspire you to find a way to do what you love, celebrate your messy, perfectly imperfect life and find happiness right where you are. Together with my husband Mr K, I run three different businesses – Do What You Love (Founder), Make Art That Sells (Co-Founder) and Make It In Design (Co-Founder), all of which offer tools, resources and online courses for living an inspired life and have helped more than 100,000 people in 100+ countries worldwide to do more of what they love. I also teach about writing books, both online and in workshops at places like Arvon.

I am the mother of two small sweet girls, who make me laugh every single day. You can get a peek into my perfectly imperfect life on Instagram @bethkempton.

I love speaking to people about the things I care deeply about including personal freedom, courage, adventure, doing what you love, rule-breaking, alternative careers advice, and building soulful businesses. I am as happy doing this by shining a light from a big stage in front of hundreds, as I am facilitating intimate workshops for a handful of people, and have been described as a “genius storyteller” (*blush*). Check out my upcoming events here and testimonials from previous events here. You can see me in action here and listen to my podcast here. Please get in touch if you’d like me to speak at your event or deliver a life-changing workshop for you. Your audience will be inspired into meaningful action and leave with clarity and confidence! I also teach a number of online courses designed to help people find personal, professional and financial freedom.

I have taught at mind body spirit centre 1440 Multiversity in California, Arvon (the UK’s national writing centre) and hosted wellness retreats at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage in Devon. My next retreat, co-hosted with Kelly Rae Roberts, will run at 42 Acres, Somerset, England in May 2023 and is open for registration now.

My podcast The Calm Christmas Podcast is the UK’s #1 favourite Christmas podcast and has been recommended by Vanity Fair, Great British Podcasts and the Radio Times. I also have a podcast for writers, called The Fearless Writer Podcast. You can find them on Apple, Spotify or here on my website.

I am the mother of two sweet girls. They are very little and fill my heart with love. Becoming a mother has been both the most challenging and most wonderful thing I have ever done. I wrote a lot about this in my book Freedom Seeker, because I knew I had to find a way to be me, as well as be mother to them, in order to be the best mother I could be. This is definitely a work-in-progress! I also champion other mothers (and fathers) going back to work on their own terms, finding ways to use their talents flexibly, and designing lives that work for them and their families. I also talk about dealing with the guilt that comes with making time for creativity when you have a busy family life, in my book The Way of the Fearless Writer, and on The Fearless Writer Podcast.