Are you a writer or an artist that sometimes struggles with self-belief? As in, “I love creating artwork/stories/paintings/photographs/novels but are they any good?” Or maybe you have a million ideas and you can’t decide which one to focus on? Or perhaps you’re facing the opposite dilemma; the blank page, the unmarked canvas; will you ever have another good idea again? Welcome to the world of being creative. You are not alone in any of these thoughts. The most successful artists and writers face these thorny issues regularly, but they work through them and come out the other side. Of course, established artists have their past success to encourage them, how do emerging or mid-career creatives clamber over this rocky path?
There are many different methods, but a peer support group is a great way to reduce your isolation, talk over your issues with those that know them intimately and be bolstered by the knowledge that you are not facing these challenges alone. And whilst it’s true that a tea or coffee with a fellow creative can do you a world of good, a more structured support group, using coaching methods, can really develop your creative work and lead to personal self-development.
This spring I will be running peer coaching training in Brighton for Creative Future. Drawing on many years of supporting artists and writers in my previous role as Director of Creative Future, and recent work as an accredited coach, I will be teaching coaching techniques to participants, enabling them to establish a peer coaching group that can support them through tricky dilemmas and personal growth.
This training will not include creative exercises or critiques, we will be learning; how we listen and how to listen well, how to ask questions that can encourage and inspire, how to maximise our creative flow. We will be looking at how to achieve our goals by using the resources we already have and how to create a peer coaching group that can provide ongoing support from those who participate in the training. If you attend, you may choose to share a creative dilemma or explore how to find more time for your creative work. You choose the issue; the group will help you find the solution – not by advising you, but by asking astute questions which will get you thinking how to resolve the problem. Coaching, whether 1:1 or in a group, is an empowering process – the person who brings the issue gets to work out the solution – via a safe space with structured questions and attentive listeners. By being part of a group, participants also get the chance to learn from each other, network with creatives and learn key coaching skills – valuable for all life relationships, not just creative ones.
I’ve seen magic happen in the coaching process. I’ve experience it for myself too, breaking through years of ‘stuckness’, creative blocks and personal dilemmas. But don’t just take my word for it, here’s what previous participants have said;
“As a result of my peer coaching session I’ve been motivated to write – I’ve finally finished my story because I felt accountable to the group.” – Louisa
“The peer coaching session enabled me to see that it wasn’t writing OR living my life but that I could write AND live my life. It has freed me up to do things which mean I am going on rocketfuel now, I’m really fired up.” – Vanessa
“The sessions have been empowering as coaching enables one to make own choices rather than being told what to do.” – Paul
If this sounds like something that would benefit you, book your place on the Creative Future peer coaching training, there are only ten places available, so act fast! Normally, this training costs hundreds of pounds but this amazing opportunity is available for a very small fee. We’ve no idea whether it will get funded again, so grab the chance now. I just ask that you commit to as many sessions as possible and it is essential that you can attend the first three. I guarantee it will change your life for the better.
To book, click on the following link:
https://www.creativefuture.org.uk/events/peer-coaching-training-brighton/
Peer coaching training, Friends Meeting House, Brighton, starts Thursday 19 March, 1-4pm, 8 sessions in total.
To find out what previous participants have said, and to see what a peer coaching session looks like, check out the two brief videos here. For more information on me, coaching and what others say about how coaching has helped them, see my website. And if you’re so inclined, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
I look forward to working with you soon.
Keep up the great creative work!
Dominique De-Light
www.dominiquedelight.co.uk
