We are always exploring different aspects of the coaching industry as we look for those strategies, tools, and resources that make us more excellent as coaches. One unique branch of the coaching profession is the coaching that goes on with “creatives,” which is a broad term encompassing artists of every kind. In today’s show, we’ll help you understand the different niches available within this realm of coaching, along with the creative endeavors of our coaching community.

Coleen Chandler is a Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Creativity High-Performance Success Coach. She has a unique ideal client population that is intriguing, and she has an interesting journey into coaching creatives. Working with this population brings unique challenges, which Coleen shares with us today, along with the importance of tapping into and respecting the art. In this interview, we explored her emphasis on creating clarity, confidence, and focusing on the creativity and resiliency of her clients. She talks about the challenges that come with working with this population and how she partners with other professionals to create success in this client experience. Coleen has been a professional coach for over 15 years and has a varied background in performing and financial coaching before she landed in her sweet spot of creative coaching. Coleen is the founder of Your Best Creative Life, through which she uses her multifaceted approach to help her clients balance their professional, creative, and personal lives.

Show Highlights:

●    How Coleen came into the world of creativity coaching

●    How Coleen sabotaged herself because of fear in her early career

●    Why Coleen left her creative performing career to get a “safe” degree in finance

●    When Coleen’s life wasn’t working for her, she turned to coaching to get her life back in shape

●    How Coleen’s creativity blossomed, and the world opened up for her again

●    What we need to be aware of in coaching creatives:

○    Have compassion

○    Have faith that their path is right

○    Put the art first

●    How to show the creative that their art matters

●    How the creative mind works, with high highs and low lows

●    The distinction between a coach’s work and a therapist’s work

●    Why the coach of creatives has to give strong and unconditional support

●    Why creatives might reach out to a coach

●    Coleen’s thoughts about the challenges of addiction in the creative world

●    Why Coleen’s clients look for the clarity that coaching brings

●    Why Coleen’s clients require a lot of relationship work in coaching

●    Coleen’s words of wisdom about coaching creatives: “Broaden your horizons. Take chances to be a bolder coach. Do the work to learn more. Don’t be afraid of words like obsession and perfectionism.”

Resources:

Coleen’s website: Your Best Creative Life

Find Coleen on LinkedIn: Coleen Chandler

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