Inside Creativity Coaching

40 Inspiring Case Studies from Around the World

Eric Maisel

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780367219833
• eBook ISBN: 9781000546781
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Mental Health in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

In Inside Creativity Coaching, 40 creativity coaches from around the world describe their work with creative clients in this first-ever case study examination of the art and practice of creativity coaching.

Curated by one of America's foremost creativity coaches, these rich narratives examine how creativity coaches work with writers, painters, musicians, craftspeople, and other creatives on issues such as motivation, procrastination, blockage, and performance and career anxiety. Packed with concrete tools and techniques, the book draws on inspirational success stories from across the globe to help coaches better understand and serve their creative clients. It will be a valuable resource to creativity coaches, coaches interested in developing a specialty, and creatives and performing artists looking to overcome their challenges.

Covering a diverse range of disciplines, Inside Creativity Coaching is a must-have book for both aspiring and experienced creativity coaches, and anyone interested in helping creatives.

1
Risk and Detachment

The Keys to a Successful Design Career

Ariel Grace

“I doubt they’ll let me try again,” Taylor lamented in despair, trying to hold his voice steady. I could tell that his heart was tightening as his voice quieted. We were speaking on the phone, but I sensed he was swallowing tears, trying to remain strong.

He explained how frustrated he was: “I worked so hard, I stayed up all night, and they totally tore my work to pieces.” I sensed a hint of self-righteousness hiding behind his feelings of not having been appreciated. He wanted to lash out, to blame the people he was working with for being so heartless and cruel. His career dreams were being crushed inside of a chaotic deadline that was overextending him on multiple levels. Or, at least, that was the story he was telling me.

Just a few weeks before, we had worked together to discover his true dream of moving from a research profession to a user experience designer. He was so excited. In working together, he disclosed that he was fearful because he didn’t know if his skill set would be “good enough” to be recognized as a designer. He didn’t trust that people would take him seriously because he hadn’t built strong skills in that area. He felt that he couldn’t completely start over in his career because he needed to make a living. I encouraged him to find opportunities at his present job, even if it meant taking some risks. Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction.

Taylor began to look for any opportunity he could find to take on design work. However, in his enthusiasm to do a great job and move forward with his dreams, he quickly overcommitted and overextended himself. He was determined to prove that he could excel. He volunteered to lead a design effort in a high-risk, poorly managed project. The intentions were good with everyone involved, but the experience quickly went south.

Taylor worked day and night trying to “get it right” and produce something that would work for the required design needs. He spent hours by himself creating the “perfect” designs before he showed them to stakeholders. He knew they were going to love it. They were rapidly approaching their deadline for development, and the stakeholders were getting impatient. When he reviewed it with them; they were very unhappy with the designs and highly critical about the direction he had gone.

Not only that but now they were potentially going to have to go to development without design input because of the deadline being so close. The call ended with Taylor feeling ashamed and disheartened. He was unaccustomed to receiving criticism for his work. It felt very uncomfortable, and he quickly got defensive. In the end, he had to scrap everything, which felt like a personal affront to his efforts and creative expression. Taylor was devastated, not only because he had tried so hard to perform but also because he was losing his hope about his future in design.

As we unpacked what had happened, Taylor and I realized there were several breakdowns in expectations and communication that had occurred during the frenzy to get the work completed. To start, Taylor had not explained his level of expertise when he volunteered to do the work because he was fearful of the potential rejection of not being able to take on the project. Not sharing his truth and his vulnerability created a situation in which the expectations of his level of skills were distorted.

After some scenario dialogue work together, Taylor realized that he should have been clearer and set stronger boundaries about what type of design work he could truly support. Also, when Taylor received such strong criticism, he felt defensive. This can be a natural response when someone is used to being a top performer and is unaccustomed to not hitting the mark. He wanted to blame someone. That is what anger creates—a desire to lash outward or protect one’s self from further injury.

He got frustrated with himself instead of continuing to have conversations with the stakeholders. He directed his anger inward and created even more angst. We discussed the idea of “failing fast” and that there really are no mistakes in life. Eventually, he was able to create some self-compassion for what had happened. Together we designed a meditation and breath work practice for Taylor. This helped him to be able to work with his discomfort when something came up that made him feel “wrong,” “not good enough” or like a “failure.”

After realizing that what he felt was a “failure” was actually a series of misunderstandings and unclear boundaries, Taylor was able to shift his perspective about what had happened and forgive himself for rushing to conclusions. From this place, he realized that the criticism he received was not actually as aggressive as he had originally thought. Rather, he was feeling defensive and angry in the moment. Taylor was able to go back to the stakeholders and explain what had happened from a place of humility, respect, and care. He apologized for not being clear, explained that he had the best of intentions, and made amends with the team. It felt really uncomfortable to have the conversation; in the end, however, the team’s relationships actually improved through honest conversation about the situation.

In coaching Taylor, I helped him to develop an ability to create personal detachment from his artistic expression in a work context where form and customer fit are often more important than personal expression. So often creatives get this confused and bring their passion for pure expression of art to scenarios that do not require it. Moving through discomfort and growing as a designer allowed the opportunity to discuss options for more shared design and better outcomes for the customers.

Essentially, through his “failure,” Taylor realized he was maturing and growing, not only into a better designer but also into a stronger leader and group facilitator. To meet his creative expression needs outside of work, he began to play the guitar again and channel some of his artistic expression into writing songs.

As we continued to work together, Taylor realized he needed a more “safe” and low-pressure opportunity to learn and to grow his portfolio. We discussed the concept of “disposable designs,” iterations, and testing his work with multiple customers, before showing it to stakeholders. This maturity curve is often something that happens with people who desire to creatively express and to turn that product into a business. It takes time to figure out how to marry form and function with customer needs.

I encouraged him to create small, real-world examples outside of work, with low-fidelity, sketchy designs, and test them with people. Taylor began to feel more comfortable in his ability to convey creative ideas and move into his next steps of becoming a user experience (UX) designer. He then signed up for taking courses in digital design and began to feel more confident that he would be able to find work in this field.

As we continued to work together, Taylor began to feel more comfortable in adopting this new identity. He began to talk about his new way of working in casual conversion more often, creating new and unexpected opportunities for him to try out his skills. Eventually, Taylor made the transition to being a true UX designer, blending his research skills and his love for design into a multi-passionate career and growing as a person along the way.

As it turned out, what seemed at first like a “trial by fire,” high-pressure experience turned into one of the largest growth and learning opportunities of Taylor’s life. He was able to become a better communicator, set clear boundaries with his time and effort, and create more balance in his creative expression. He no longer worked until the wee hours because he no longer felt like he needed to prove himself to anyone.

His experience of his own intrinsic worth became less attached to his way of working. His skills became more deeply rooted in his ability to navigate his life experiences with honesty and self-trust. It took a while to grow into the creative job that he wanted, but eventually, Taylor realized it was never really about the job and always about the person he wanted to become.

Learning Points

1. Take steps toward your creative expression for work or play that feel safe and low risk when you are getting started. Size is up to you, and what matters are how much it makes you feel uncomfortable and how much discomfort you are willing to work through.
2. If you are trying to pivot your career into a creative position that requires a lot of new skills, consider what type of courses, learnings, and real-world opportunities you need that will support your growth.
3. If you can begin to “feel and act” like the person you are wanting to become and speak about your desires in casual conversation, over time you will feel more comfortable actualizing into that person and obtaining the skills you need.

Self-Coaching Questions

1. Is there a skill set or creative outlet that you have not let yourself try but that you keep secretly wanting to express? Are there particular things that “keep coming back” even when you push them aside? What might happen if you began? What fear is stopping you?
2. Have you blocked yourself from beginning because something has to happen first? (An example would be, “I will start a band when I find a guitarist.”) Jot down some of the “lies we tell ourselves” about why you cannot create in a certain way.
3. Have you set yourself back in your creative endeavors because you received criticism? Have you pushed yourself too far beyond your comfort zone and then shut down? What would it take to reopen to your desire?

About Ariel Grace

Ariel Grace helps closeted and blocked creatives and soulpreneurs become wildly successful and well paid and birth their soul’s gifts into the world. She has led creative teams for more than a decade and deeply understands the tension between art and service. She believes that what is missing most from our world are soulful connection and playful, creative ways of being. There is always a way for the burnt-out creative to design a next level life. Check out Ariel’s latest offerings at https://linktr.ee/arielgracefull.

2
The Timid Creative

How a Writer Found Her Resolve

Clare Thorbes

Julia approached me because she wanted to write a children’s book but couldn’t seem to get anywhere with it. She was unsure of her writer’s identity and doubted her ability to pull off the project. She wondered whether the whole idea was too silly because her mind seemed to be taking her in all sorts of fanciful directions.

During our first phone call, I asked whether she had ever submitted anything to a publisher. She said that she had. Her first story had been rejected, and though she tried again, she received another rejection letter.

“Congratulations,” I said. “Many writers never get past the first rejection. Do you think rejection is a normal part of the writing life?”

“I’m not sure. I imagine someone with real talent would get accepted.”

“Would you like to research published authors who faced rejection early in their careers?”

“Yes, that might help.”

Julia learned that many of her favorite authors had experienced a string of rejections. Some ended up self-publishing but attracted the interest of mainstream publishers after their story proved popular with readers.

“What struck me was the various ways these writers dealt with rejection. In some cases, they didn’t take it personally at all.”

“It’s great that you noticed that, Julia. We do have a choice in how we react. One author I know got a rejection letter that ended with, ‘Sincerely sorry to have read this manuscript.’”

Julia laughed and said, “Maybe I could develop a rejection benchmark. If it isn’t cleverly written, I won’t let it penetrate, and if it is, appreciating the wit will take some of the sting out of it.”

We talked about other rituals Julia could develop around rejection that would acknowledge the wound but allow her to carry on. Julia hadn’t heard of Ellen Langer, the author of On Becoming an Artist, and I quoted a passage to her, “Evaluations are made by people based on their experience and their own needs. They are not handed down from the heavens . .. if we don’t take the compliment, we’re not vulnerable to the insult.”

When we spoke again, Julia said she had managed several pages of writing that week. “I really only have to please myself. Of course, that’s another issue.”

“Hmm, sounds like some inner critic involvement. Can you tell me what’s been happening with that?” I asked.

“Well, I’m questioning every plot and character choice. I’ll write for a bit; then after I read it, I tear it up in disgust. I keep thinking it’s so implausible, but these silly ideas just keep coming. It’s been like this for years.”

“What would happen if you wrote until you’re spent for that session and then put the writing away without looking at it?”

“I guess I could try that and see whether it makes a difference.”

Julia reported that she had written almost every day the previous week and had yet to look back at the results. “It was quite freeing, knowing that I had postponed judging the work.”

“Yes, it’s like trying to wear two different hats at the same time, isn’t it?” I left her with the question, “How else could you manage your inner critic because you’ll eventually have to look at your work and revise it?”

A week later, Julia said, “I told my critic, quite graphically, to leave me alone. But then I realized it’s just trying to protect me. So, I decided I would start by looking for the good bits I want to keep instead of immediately hunting for flaws. I actually looked at a whole chapter of writing but with compassion this time—although I didn’t ignore the things that needed fixing.”

I congratulated her and encouraged her to continue refining her revision process. I suggested we come back to how she was feeling about the content during our next call.

Julia cancelled our next appointm...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Risk and Detachment: The Keys to a Successful Design Career
• 2. The Timid Creative: How a Writer Found Her Resolve
• 3. The Unauthorized Artist: Coaching a Self-Taught Painter
• 4. A Meaningful Writing Career: How Values and Creative Work Can Align
• 5. A Musician's 'Impossible Dream': Overcoming Stage Fright With Creativity Coaching
• 6. Della's Dream Comes True: Subpersonality Work With a Blocked Writer
• 7. A Change of Scenery May Be Just the Ticket: How Creativity and Travel Can Help Reinvent Midlife
• 8. An Artist Prepares: How Dreams Can Come True Sooner Than You Expect
• 9. Start Where You Are: How a Blocked Creativity Coach Finally Wrote Her Case Study
• 10. A Filmmaker Returns to Health: Creativity Coaching for Overall Wellbeing
• 11. Out of the Woods: A Talented Artist Returns to the Marketplace
• 12. How Samson Grew His Hair Back: A Photographer Prevails
• 13. When Pain Strikes: Building a New Life After a Divorce
• 14. Foiling Perfectionism: The Magic of Lowered Expectations
• 15. How Confidence Breeds Creativity: A Retired Reporter Breaks Free From Self-Doubt
• 16. The Ugly Sculpture That Wasn't: Jennifer Rediscovers Her Creative Identity
• 17. Small, Simple, and Every Day: Constructing a Creative Life
• 18. A Writer in Search of a Practice: How Coaching Launched a Hundred Consecutive Days of Writing
• 19. We're All in This Together: How Group Creativity Coaching Provides Support
• 20. A Whirlwind Trapped in a Coffee Cup: Fearing Art-Making When Art Is Linked to Suffering
• 21. A Colorless World: How Creativity Coaching Restored Vibrancy to One Painter's Life
• 22. Art as Money: Creating for Yourself and Not Just for Success
• 23. Helping a Designer Grow Her Confidence: Steps to a Design Career
• 24. Phyllis Draws a Postcard: Time-Limited Creative Exercises in Session
• 25. Using the Enneagram in Creativity Coaching: An Example at Point Nine
• 26. How Lynn Got Her Sew-Jo Back: Clearing Physical and Mental Clutter to Unleash Creativity
• 27. The Coaching Side to Private Tutoring: Preparing the Ground for a Successful Outcome
• 28. The Guitar or the Code: From Tech Day Job to Full-Time Musician
• 29. Alison the Ambitious Academic: Managing Overwhelm and Inefficiency Caused by Competing Demands
• 30. Alex Markets Himself as An Artist: An Artist Learns to Believe in Himself and His Art
• 31. "I'm Just Not Good Enough": How to Stop the Naysaying and Fulfill Your Creative Potential
• 32. Burning Down the House: One Writer Rewrites Her Book From Scratch
• 33. Wooing the Muse With Wellness: How a Foundation of Health and Well-Being Can Spark New Creative Energy
• 34. Working With What Is: Committing to Creative Work While Facing Obligations
• 35. Refilling the Creative Well: Finding Voice and Flow Through Writing and Journaling
• 36. Orange Disks and Orange Balls: How a Visual Storyteller Stopped Self-Sabotaging
• 37. Bumping Into Walls: Navigating the Maze of Creativity
• 38. The Cracks in the Pavement: Liminal Spaces and Creativity
• 39. A Leadership Journey to Purpose: Personal Breakthroughs From Leading Others
• 40. The Magic of an Escape, a Goal, and a Deadline: A Playwright Finishes Her Musical and Writes a Play in a Week
• Appendix: Tips for Creativity Coaches and Prospective Coaches
• Appendix: Supplemental Reading
• Index