What is Creativity Coaching?

Many people understand “Life Coaching” as a relationship wherein a trained individual helps another achieve certain desirable life goals and dreams. Creativity Coaching provides the same kind of support but with a concentrated focus on the creative personality and involves individuals who identify themselves as creative persons. A creative person can be described as any individual who is serious about their art, regardless of proficiency or amount of time dedicated in pursuit of honing that art, and regardless of the degree of financial support garnered from their art. In simplest terms, the creativity coach supports the artist through all aspects of the creative process, including, but not limited to, overcoming obstacles, mulling over the meaning of creating, planning projects, maintaining dreams while accepting reality, managing time, and completing stated goals.

Photo by Tony Flaco

Creativity Coaching differs from therapy or other similarly helpful professions in that coaching is more concerned with supporting the client’s state of being than with analysis of the client’s condition. Objectives generally emphasize discovering what creative pathways the client wishes to explore and supporting such exploration through experienced guidance and compassionate interest. When a client is confronted with an obstacle involving confusing or traumatic past life experiences, the creativity coach is on hand to assist in navigating murky waters and untangling that which has become tangled in the psyche, ultimately allowing the individual to return to the important work of living and creating. Even though the focus of creativity coaching is on creativity, coaching of any kind is holistic in nature and considers every aspect of a client’s well-being.

It is very common for coaching relationships to develop through telephone and email communication, or even through a Skype connection. Phone sessions typically occur every week and last between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the situation, the client, and the coach’s parameters. Typically, coach and client stay in touch through regular email communication between telephone calls. Because coaching does not depend on a meeting location, it is possible to coach, or be coached, anywhere that email and phone connections are available.

Creativity Coaching often yields a high return for clients. Still, it is a relationship and so requires a commitment from both parties. As such, certain characteristics and attitudes are particularly useful to possess when embarking on a journey with a creativity coach. These include: willingness to release resistance, willingness to honestly self- reflect and willingness to truly work towards stated goals.

As a Creativity Coach, I offer a 20 minute free introductory session for interested individuals and am taking new clients. My clients range from novice writers discovering their voice to accomplished musicians putting together a next CD to visual artists arranging their next gallery showing. Whatever your creative endeavor, I am here to help you on your journey.

My email is writeone.lisa@gmail.com – write “Creativity Coaching” in the subject line.