What Is Creative Coaching?
Photograph by Dan Hooper for Unsplash
It’s a heavy burden – the creative call. You want to make a film but you don’t have the credentials. You’re making strides as a professional musician but you want to compose your own songs for your next album without derailing your whole career. You want to finally write that book where you just say things as you see them but you’re too scared. You want to set up a company so you can do things your own way but you’re terrified of risking it all. You need to get back to work after a roaring success but you’re paralysed by the fear of being a one-hit wonder.
Pursuing a creative endeavour can be lonely. It’s full of contradictions that you can barely explain to yourself, let alone others. It’s full of compromises, of fear and yet, when it has its grip on you, it won’t let go. There’s that constant yearning. But it often feels too bewildering. So we dip our toe instead, circling around the thing we really want to do. Instead of writing, acting or directing ourselves, we go into publishing, journalism, agenting, production or casting to support other writers, actors, directors and musicians. Or we follow the rules and do what makes economic sense, letting others dictate our careers. But it leaves us feeling unresolved because we know what we really need is to express ourselves fully.
Creative coaching is about helping you unlock your vision, nurture your voice and overcome the inevitable obstacles which so often destabilise ideas and projects. As a coach, I support my clients to achieve success so they can find the confidence to speak up loud and clear, reconnecting with the joy of creativity. It’s too easy to forget what a gift that is – that feeling that there’s something you have to do before you die – a purpose, however elusive – a sense that you’ve been blessed with inspiration.
Imagine if you woke up in the morning looking forward to the day’s work, knowing you have something really important to do that you can’t wait to share with the world and knowing you have a companion you can check in with to ensure you’re not tripping yourself up or going off on a tangent, stopping you from getting distracted – knowing there’s someone by your side, rooting for you, determined to help you succeed. Imagine the pride you’ll feel when you can finally present that work you have in you, which you didn’t even know was there.
For many years I’ve been working with budding creatives and with accomplished professionals – as a lecturer, coach, consultant and mentor. The fear, those feelings of self-doubt, of isolation – they never go away. Being a creative, myself, I know how lonely the process can be, and how the right kind of support can help you move mountains. I still receive coaching to this day. It helps me see clearly, to stay with the joy of my project, to remember why I’m doing what I’m doing instead of giving up. It’s a shortcut, and it’s a treat.
Good creative coaching is like setting off on an adventure with a companion who sees the potential in you and propels you forward. Rather than taking a leap into the unknown and knowing you might keep jumping back to safety, a good coach will help you stay the course, one step at a time. You’ll be embarking on a journey with a trusted adviser, a confidant, a person who you can talk to without feeling judged, or risking your reputation. A good creative coach takes you to the edge of your comfort zone and into your personal domain of genius. You will be challenged, but you will grow and you will produce work in which you take great pride.
Whether or not a coach is what you need at the moment, have a think about the following question.
Right now, if you could find the ideal support in a companion, how would they assist you?
My mission is to help you unfollow the rules, make a bold move into the next chapter of your creative career without burning out or selling out. If you’d like to find out more about working with me, click here to see how I’ve helped my clients.
I wish you all the very best with your creative endeavours!
Charlotte