I’ve been thinking about how the rise of the internet has given us all the opportunity to connect, share and create new ways of being in the world. In the last decade, a whole bunch of new jobs has come to the surface, jobs that we have made for ourselves. The Internet has given us all the opportunity to enable ourselves and find ways in which we can be of value, how we can share our services, get paid for them and be in service of the people we deeply care about. I have recently embraced the idea of calling myself a ‘Creative Coach’. I’m not sure what you make of it, what emotion does it spark inside you or what hearing this brings up in your mind so I thought, I’ll share my subjective version of what a creative coach like myself can help you with, why I feel so deeply connected to it and why I’m wildly passionate about it.
A creative coach can help you with…
feeling less alone and more hopeful
When I compare the vision of the life I want to live, the small world that I’ve created around myself and the real life – there exists a gap. People in my real life still don’t get what I’m trying to do. What does living a creative life even mean? I get it. The normal we have seen, the normal that has been modeled to us doesn’t really encapsulate any of this. I have felt lonely. I have felt like being an outsider in my own life. I have felt like an alien. It feels like a radical act to go against the grain, against every box that I have been taught to tick as I move forward on the adulthood path. If it wasn’t for the mentors that I’ve found online, friends that I’ve made on Instagram and the connections I have found by just being here and showing up – I would’ve probably given up a long time ago.
This is why it is important for me to share this message, be there and make my tribe feel less alone and more hopeful. Sometimes hearing that we are not the only ones going through whatever we are going through, feeling the way we are feeling and listening stories and experiences of others going through something similar can be everything we need to bring us hope and connection back in our lives.
We are all trying our best, struggling and somehow making our way out of the mayhem. We all feel lonely, demotivated, uninspired, lost and consumed by the stories and limiting beliefs we have set up around who we are, who we can or cannot be and around our abilities as a creative human being. After all, we are all human and this is all part of the human experience. In such times I believe having gentle support can work wonders in bringing our attention to this simple idea of being human first.
I really do believe, we are capable of living a life on our own terms, in our own way and in our own time but taking that leap is not easy especially when it is not modeled to us. Having someone by your side to share stories of people who are challenging the should do’s and following their heart and intuition can be a life-changing experience. At least it was the case for me.
You are not alone and you don’t have to do this alone.
Cultivating an unshakeable self-belief and a relationship with your intuition
While growing up some of us didn’t have ‘you are enough’ modeled to us. Most of us didn’t have the privilege to be this way of being in the world. We ended up believing someone else knows it better than us. Someone else has a better answer to every question that we have. The reason why we have so much trouble in listening to ourselves and our intuition is mainly that we still believe someone else knows it better than us. These beliefs were superimposed by the marketing and consumer culture where the only intention was to get you to buy what they were selling by making you believe how incomplete you are without that product in your life.
I feel strongly against this idea. I believe nobody knows what’s best for us better than we do. Nobody can do our lives for us. As a creative coach, I promise to help you cultivate an unshakeable self-belief and a connection to your intuition. Together we can cultivate and nurture that way of being in the world. Together we can model this opposite and gentle approach. Doesn’t matter if it was or wasn’t modeled to us before. But we can model it for future generations.
I really do believe that ‘you are enough’ needs to have more place in our lives and mindsets as it will allow us to connect deeply and engage with the world from a place of compassion and unconditional love. If ‘you are enough’ is something you are craving for too wherever you are in your journey now, it is never too late to cultivate it. Also, it goes without saying that it is not a one time things. It is something you nurture, water daily and it grows.
I feel so strongly about this way of being in the world mainly because I have seen what it can do for you. I can see the difference in the way I approach and engage with the world now than before. Earlier I was consumed by the constant hustle to make myself feel worthy and now I feel a sense of calm and groundedness as I continue to nurture this belief and a connection with my intuition. I can’t wait for you to experience this too! No, I’m not suggesting I’m the only person in the world who can teach you how you can cultivate ‘you are enough’ stance but yes, I’m asking you to pay attention to this ‘you are enough’ stance and the opposite the next time you make a purchase. You were born with inherent worth.
Cultivating and nourishing an unshakeable self-belief that we are enough. We are worthy. We are the best judge of what’s best for us in our creative work and life and nobody can do our lives or our work for us. Believing that we are capable of becoming who we are meant to become and not giving in to the inner critic but to engage in conversations with it. Listening to our intuition, trusting it and engaging with our creative work and life from a place of wholeheartedness. As a creative coach, it is my responsibility to help you in finding your own answers and take you out of confusion and in cultivating a connection to your intuition. Also, support in finding your own answers to cut through the noise so you can listen to yourself and the voice that matters the most, your very own.
Figuring out ways to be in conversation with your fears
I don’t believe there is not a way to overcome your fears for once and all. This understanding has come via my own personal experiences and by talking to amazing creatives that I’ve had the chance to connect with until now. (You can read client stories this way)
Every time we start a conversation about fears and what’s holding us back I find myself explaining that our fears exist for a reason. No, they can’t be dealt with for once and all. No. it doesn’t work like that. One way that I have figured until now which shapes up my methodology and approach towards dealing with our fears is to be in constant conversation with our fears. Figuring out ways in which we can have healthy conversations with our fears, diving deep and finding where they are really coming from, what is it at the heart that is destabilizing them and making us feel this much afraid and how can we turn that narrative around.
Fear of failure, fear of not being good/ creative/perfect enough, fear of being seen, fear of being called out, fear of being humiliated, and the list can go on and on. The reasons why I felt afraid are different and unique to me and the reason why you are feeling a certain fear is different and unique to you. I can help you figure out this uniqueness. The reasons are different for all of us. Sometimes they are so empowering that we can’t really do all that diving deep work alone and need a helping hand. It is okay to ask for help when you feel like you are in need. This is where I can help as a creative coach. I can help you to navigate those deep waters and we can together figure out healthy ways to be in constant conversation with your fears in order to keep you moving forward and not stuck in one place forever.
Believe it or not, I’ve spent my whole life being afraid. I have seen how such fears can creep up and impact our creative work and lives. I know how helpless and hopeless one can feel at such times. I know how hard it can be to simply acknowledge them at those hours of despair. I have been there myself and that is why I feel so passionately about helping you navigate this space.
Finding ways to keep showing up despite feeling afraid
As I said above, there is no way to find a fix for your fears for once and all. But there are ways to keep showing up despite feeling afraid and lost. Together we can figure out what that looks like for you. Together we can lay that groundwork and reframe those limiting beliefs to enable you to keep showing up despite feeling afraid.
Honestly, I’m afraid too! All the time. But I’m learning and figuring out ways to keep showing up and sharing my work despite feeling afraid. I’m eager to share what I’m learning and what has or hasn’t been working for me.
Figuring out what kind of life do you really want
I think, as a creative coach, it is my responsibility to ask you questions to bring you closer to your deepest desires and vision of the kind of life you want to live. It is not easy to simply answer this question, ‘what do you really want?’. Sometimes it takes us the route of getting clear on what we don’t want to land on what do we really want from our lives.
It also encompasses valuing personal growth, self-discovery, and evolution. It takes more than simply learning new ways to be in the world. It requires a lot of unlearning too. Self-discovery and growth are also about taking responsibility to keep working towards becoming a better version of ourselves. Not living life on auto-pilot. Together we can hold space for contemplation and introspection and gratitude along the way to bring you closer to your version of success which will eventually enable you to live your truth out loud.
As a creative coach, I can help you in figuring out your values, beliefs and building your life intentionally on what does and doesn’t feel right for you. Naming and claiming your vision and taking small intentional steps towards your goals.
The scope of our work together also includes finding ways to enable you to give yourself permission, to be a beginner, to be human, to be different and to make mistakes along the way if that’s what it takes to keep moving forward and keep showing up for the work you almost feel compelled to do. Giving yourself permission to be seen, to claim some space for your story, your message, and your ideas, to experiment, to not to be perfect, to be gentle and not too hard on yourself, and to never stop growing. This is the kind of permission that only you can give yourself. But as a creative coach, I can help you initiate such conversations.
Finding focus, direction, and motivation
When there are infinite possibilities of what you could be doing, a never-ending to-do list in front of you, conflicting advice and the voice of your inner critic standing in your way – I can help you in staying the course, finding your focus and direction that is in alignment with your goals as a creative and I can share my encouragement whenever and wherever you are feeling low on motivation.
As your creative coach, my focus will always be in simplifying and minimizing the overwhelm for you. Together we will create space for vulnerability, for feeling the feelings, for sharing your truth and for owning your story. We will direct our energies on enabling you to be unapologetically yourself. Not only becoming clear but also making an action plan that suits your personal needs and strengths to bridge the gap between you are now and where you want to be.
Reassuring that you are on the right track
For me, reassurance was one of my biggest need when I was first starting out. It might not be your biggest need but there is no denying the fact that reassurance that you are on the right path, doing the best you can – can bring you a lot of calm and encouragement in staying the course. In the beginning, it is also important because we usually don’t have all the answers especially at that stage and it brings forward a sense of discomfort. I can help you in embracing that discomfort as it is an inevitable part of the creative process.
As a creative coach, I will encourage you in showing up and sharing even if that means showing up afraid and taking up space, in doing the work and doing it on your own terms in your own unique and messy way and in your own time at the pace that feels right to you. My mission will be to help you in cultivating enough courage to share your truth, your story, your ideas, your experiences, how you feel and what do you believe in. I will reassure you to keep allowing yourself to want what you want and not judge yourself for it, allowing yourself to choose a path that hasn’t been walked before by many and the only way forward is to carve out a different and unique path that suits you, feels right to you and brings you joy. I will keep encouraging to become the bravest possible version of yourself by sharing and owning your stories however messy, raw and unedited it might be. Some guided support can work wonders in embracing the discomfort, the messy middle and uncertainty that comes up when we choose to walk through the unknown territories.
Supporting, holding accountable, and guiding you every step of the way
Supporting you, listening to your insecurities, making you feel safe, seen, heard and not alone every step of the way is important for me as a creative coach. My approach is collaborative, warm and encouraging. For me, when I was first starting out, having the comfort of sharing my insecurities and run them by my coach was a huge help. It really made me feel supported in ways I can’t possibly verbalize it. I can’t put a price on that. That is why I’m passionate about encouraging deep, meaningful and soulful conversations and making space for real connections to happen. Having someone by your side who gets it, understands it and who has been where you are now and who can now hold you accountable to make your dreams happen for you is priceless.
Seeing that there are other ways
I believe there are other ways. We can start by questioning the existing mindset. I will be encouraging you to find your answers and by making you see there are other ways of being in the world and it is okay if your version looks wildly different than others. I will help you in slowing down and simplifying. Our work together will also be about believing that the journey is, in fact, the destination. I will help you in falling in love with the doing instead of obsessing for perfection. Together we will be striving for progress, not perfection. We will cultivate meaning and enough confidence that you’ll feel at peace with not having all the answers right away but you’ll feel okay with having faith in the process instead.
An example of that would be, you don’t have to be just one thing. You are a human being and no, you were not born to be fit in a box. You contain multitudes and so does your creative work. I have spent a good few years switching from one job title to another in a hope to find my one thing as I believed the lie that we have to be just one thing, an expert on that one thing to be considered worthy of having an opinion about it but I have learned to question it. What if I don’t want to be an expert but a learner?
Sharing Personal stories, experiences, and insights
Learning through personal stories is a way I think we learn better. By better here I mean, we get to hear their story and how they made it to the other side without the pressure of doing just the same or having to do something similar instead it helps us in figuring out ways which will work for us and feel right for us. As a creative coach, I will be sharing my very own personal, stories, experiences and insights with you.
This is my take on being a creative coach. I’d love to know what comes up for you when you hear the title ‘Creative Coach’.
P.S. If working together is something you are interested in – I’d be so very honored to support you in your creative wholehearted journey. You can find out more about what it would be like working with me and all the relevant details here. I am currently taking on new one-to-one creativity coaching clients. This is for you If you’d like some support, gentle hand-holding, practical advice and lots of encouragement from me to take the next step on your creative journey.
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