From One Creative Human to Another

The reason I became a Creativity Coach and a Creativity Counselor...

 ...is because of my own story.  I understand those who have Creative Personalities that were misunderstood, unsupported, unrecognized by society at large, resulting in their needs being unmet, and the ultimate suppression of the creative strengths of their own.

Ultimately Counseling for Creative People Started...

...from the ways I am helping myself. The philosophy I developed for creative minds stemmed from a search to help myself, and that is why I am so passionate about it all.  That is why I know it works.

Coaching for Creative People Started...

I know living blindly to your own creative needs is painful, and to suppress your creative identity is a numbing, unfulfilling and a meaningless life for you as a creative person.  I know the struggle of transformation from that to coming home to your creative self.  I know it is possible and worth it.

Coaching and Counseling for Creative People

To that end, I want to be more open and authentic about where I came from, and how it is going, in order to  give my fellow Creative Minds the endless support have I have always endeavored to give, with all my heart.

Healing of a Creativity Coach

I am painting a series about my origin story right now that is both emotionally difficult and healing. Creatively healing from past difficulties through artwork is something I strongly encourage as an important part of Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching.  Opening these past chapters is allowing me to integrate them into my life, after wading through what I had locked down about them. This is difficult, and very healing. My past loses control over me as I work. ​

History of a Creativity Coach

I have shared versions of my personal history before, to give context to my work in Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching. Essentially I was raised with a lot of rules that were not conducive to my creative soul.  It was oppressive.  Confusing.  Disorienting.  Guilt inducing.  Shaming.  Not only did I learn narratives that didn’t support who I was, but also blamed  me for it.  Naturally, I grew into a young person who was anxious, depressed and unhappy.  I felt less- than, broken and doomed.  ​

Needs of the Creative Mind

Vital needs of a Creative Mind are to make your own meaning of your life, not take information for granted, and to form you own opinions.  I was stubborn, tenacious, and determined.  I was willing to lose everything to find my own way.  I guess you could say I did do that.  I challenged everything I knew and fought every system I had for the sake of authenticity. It was not pretty, nor was it fearless.  But creativity is the master of invention, and I refused to give up. ​

Creativity is Healing

Throughout it all, making art grounded me.  I painted endless portraits of myself, of women, of iconic religious women, of myself as iconic religious women, of feminist themes, of female empowerment and patriarchy. I explored and delved endlessly.  I studied psychology while I studied art.  I explored the human mind and neurotransmitters and operant conditioning, sociology and anthropology, I explored my own relationships. The most important step I took during this time in my authenticity, was to claim it, and step away from where I started my life, saying firmly, “not this.” This choice cost me support and safety for the sake of my authenticity.

Creative Sketchbook Journal

With little more than conviction to move forward, I came to Maryland with a tiny bank account, a lot of loans, 3 jobs, and a rented room for graduate school.  I knew no-one here, but it didn’t matter.  These choices were my own! Over the next few years I went through some of the most major challenges, while discovering some of the most important knowledge thus far in my life.  I often encourage my Creative Artists to do something I call “creative sketchbook journaling,” and it is something that has sustained me, too.  I remember writing in my pages during this time, “When you are down and out: This is when you discover what you are made of”. And that certainly defined that time for me.

Creative Personality

This period is where I learned, through my own research, that I had a Creative Personality.  That this was a cluster of characteristics, like passion, powerful emotions, powerful drives, thirst for meaningfulness, individuality, authenticity and more that I had been encouraged to shut down, control, suppress, ashamed of, and even be medicated for.  I knew there had to be others like me.  I reflected upon how art had always grounded me throughout my life, and wondered about the relationship of creative practice to creative people.  I wrote a graduate thesis finding the more creative your personality, the creative work was essential to your overall wellness.  Creative people need to be creative to be well! How fundamental!  But, my life had shown me that creative people were discouraged away from their natural personality traits and creative endeavors to fit into more main stream expectations.

The Pursuit of Meaningfulness

What followed graduate school was a purpose and a passion.  I felt at last that I understood my life in a meaningful way and had a direction to move in.  I would develop a philosophy to help myself, and use it in my career as a professional counselor to help others.  I spent the next portion of my career in hospitals, clinics, outpatient programs and more, designing interventions, groups and anything that seemed helpful for creative people.  I began to recognize aspects of creative personalities with more and more ease.  My mission was simple: find the overlooked creative people, help them discover their creative personalities, embrace them, and thrive!

Helping Creative People Embrace Creative Personalities

Helping Creative People identify their creative personalities, and find tools and support to harness the strength of their natural personalities is absolutely life changing- for them and for me.  Maintaining my own healthy creative practices along the way is my own life-long journey.  It is crucial to what I do as a Creativity Coach and a Creativity Counselor, because when I do not care for myself, I am in no shape to help others, and, I am at my best as a helper when I have fresh new tools and perspective to share.

Helping Creative People Thrive

This is my life in every way! From my practice to my preach- my life purpose is to help creative people thrive. I believe a good life is a meaningful life.  My meaning has been found, in a way, by manifesting that. I live my life creatively, with passion, emotionally, authentically, and out loud.  Life is not without struggle or pain, but I know myself and I know where I’m going, and they are all my own choices.  How simple.  Will you give yourself this same permission? I would love to support you!

Start Creativity Counseling or Creativity Coaching Today!

​If you are interested in real, impactful and lasting life change for your creative mind, I would love to help you.  Let's connect and launch your life to the next level!  I have three steps you can take, right now from my site if you are ready to take an important step forward in your life: 
1) Join my Artists in Residency Program.  This is a Free, Online Community of Artists where you can build support, accountability and a network of Creative People as a stepping stone towards reconnecting and committing to your authentic, creative self. 
2) Book a Free Consultation.  All new clients to Creatively, LLC are entitled to a 15 min, free consultation to sit with me and discuss your needs, services available, and we can problem solve and hand-pick best next steps to help you succeed.
3) Book a Coaching Package. Are you a working Creative in need of specific support? I offer a range of Coaching Packages- let's get started with one that is right for you. 

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