Abstract
Professional digital platforms promise global, borderless marketplaces in which freelancers and clients can engage in mutually beneficial exchanges. Yet the global architecture of these digital spaces often introduces persistent frictions that undermine creative realization. Drawing on the componential theory of creativity and paradox theory, this study investigates these inherent tensions through a sequential mixed-methods design: 40 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across 17 countries (Study 1) and a large-scale analysis of 27,427 unsolicited online community discourses (Study 2). Our analysis reveals four dualistic tensions,
organizing, performing, belonging,
and
learning
, that systematically constrain the creative processes of freelancers navigating professional digital platforms. This study advances international marketing scholarship by showing how platform mechanisms shape creative realization in cross-border freelancer–client relationships, particularly under culturally heterogeneous service norms and Global North–South economic asymmetries. We also provide actionable guidance for freelancers, clients, and platform owners seeking to improve cross-border creative collaborations.