What is a Creativity Coach?
I’m often asked, what is a creativity coach?
A coach in any focus area or discipline is someone who supports you and guides you in the transition from where you are now to where you want to go. A creativity coach is one who helps people who create with every aspect of their lives and businesses, understanding that creative people and creative businesses are different.
Creativity Coaching is life coaching for creative people or business coaching for creators or a combination of the two. Anyone who creates original work — whether it’s music, art, writing, food, tech, craft, design, theatre or you name it– has unique needs when it comes to developing and promoting those ideas and a creativity coach helps those creators bring their visions to life.
In the world of business, a creativity coach helps creators focus on real, strategic growth specific to a creative enterprise and helps them build personal and professional support systems that actually work for them, not against them. Whether you are a creative entrepreneur, aka creativepreneur (yes, there really is such a thing) or intrapreneur (you behave like an entrepreneur in a large organization) or an artpreneur, someone desiring to bring your art to the world, you’re success will come much easier with the right support in place.
As your creativity coach, I serve as a supportive guide, an accountability partner and as a cheerleader, too. I help you create structure – little routines and rituals that make taking action fun instead of frightening– and I encourage you to focus on solutions, rather than obstacles. Together we uncover your dreams and I help you to tap into your creative energy to give clear attention and focus to the things that are most important to you. And, I help you shift back into alignment with those deepest intentions to create whenever you drift off course or get stuck.
Here’s what I know for sure: I’m a smart, creative, seeker of knowledge. I can do lots of things. Heck, I can create something out of almost anything! Yet, even with all my years of successful managerial experience, tons of the best personal, leadership and business training available I was still having trouble getting out of my own way when I left my executive role in hospitality and chose to become a creative entrepreneur as Creativity Coach. I had a very loud voice in my head that yelled “What are you thinking? That’s crazy!”, “You can’t do that!”.
Everything began to change for me when I hired my first coach. My coach supported me when I was scared, helped me gain clarity and gently pushed me to start getting honest with myself about who I wanted to be in the world and what I wanted to create. She gave me the gentle nudge I needed to push past my limits and to begin to see new possibilities for myself.
Listen to Your Inner Wisdom
My coach helped me learn to turn off that voice — the voice of my Inner Critic– and to get in touch with my Inner Wisdom instead.
Most importantly, she gave me permission to begin to dream again. She held my hand while I navigated my way through lots of hard choices and she celebrated with me as my confidence grew.
And her supportive, compassionate voice of clarity was always there when I needed it.
I’ll never forget the day she said softly:
“You already have it, Nanette. You have gifts to share that only you can. You have everything you need inside of yourself to be and to create whatever you want. You wouldn’t have those dreams if you didn’t already have everything you need. Trust yourself.”
This is your truth, too.
I believe this with all of my heart and all of my being.
Just as she believed in me, I will believe in you and your vision.
And just as she encouraged me, saying, “Now, let’s get started. Just do it. It’s the process of creating that brings success — the result doesn’t have to be perfect!”, I will encourage you.
Soon I could see how often I stopped myself from completing a project or avoided stepping up to take on something new because I was afraid the result wouldn’t be perfect. Now I live by the mantra – “Progress not Perfection” – not only because it reminds me I don’t have to be perfect, but because it reminds me to stay in motion.
Embracing baby steps was the key for me. Once I accepted that my actions didn’t have to be herculean to be considered important or valuable, everything about my daily process changed. Over time, a constant struggle was replaced with simple, gentle and almost effortless daily practices in my life and my business.
And as I stepped into embracing my new identity as a Creativity Coach, completing my training and certification with the Creativity Coaching Association, I devoured all the teachings of the creative masters like Julia Cameron in “The Artist’s Way”, Shakti Gawain in “Creative Visualization”, Eric Maisel in “Fearless Creating” and Twyla Tharp in “The Creative Habit”. As I shared these practices, and more, with others, and incorporated them into my own life, I developed a framework for these life-changing lessons with the baby steps philosophy in mind.
It wasn’t long before I began calling this the “12 Baby Steps Foundation Formula“. Soon I was making this outline available as an introduction to creativity coaching for anyone who was curious. Over the years, thousands of people have embraced the “baby steps philosophy” and used this outline to form their own rituals and routines and to support the evolution of their creative endeavors. Many, like me, have experienced the re-birth of their creative energy and have used that energy to fuel whole new lives.
Now it’s your turn. Do you have an urge to create— art, music, craft, a business, or anything– but you’re not quite sure how to start? Or, maybe you’ve gotten started, but now you’re stuck and don’t know which direction to take and you’re chasing too many options? Or, maybe, you started, but you were afraid that your completed work would never live up to your expectations so you set it aside? Or, are you simply curious about creativity coaching and want to know more the various ways you can receive inspirational and motivational support?
If this is you, then I encourage you to reach out to request a free Creative Discovery & Clarity Session with me. Send an email to Nanette@wisewellwomen.com. Write “I’m curious about Creativity Coaching” in the subject line and I’ll respond personally. I’ll send along an introduction and some thought-provoking questions for you to give attention to prior to schedule our session.
I wish for you everything you dream, and more!