Is a creativity coach the same thing as a life coach?

Creativity coaches are similar to life coaches, but focus more specifically on your creative work and ambitions. These coaches help you develop your artistic and humanistic talents. Creative career coaches around the world have helped thousands of artists, writers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and other creative souls to accomplish their dreams in new and creative ways. Any individual that can benefit from outside-of-the-box thinking to achieve their goals should consider working with a creativity coach.

What are the differences between coaching and therapy?

Although coaches and therapists occasionally help clients with similar problems, their work is not the same. Here are the main differences:

Focus: Therapists analyze their client’s past as a tool for understanding present behaviors. Coaching may touch on these concepts as the client breaks down limiting beliefs, but the ultimate focus of coaching is always on the present and the future. In other words, therapists focus on “why” certain behavioral patterns occur, and coaches work on “how” to work toward a goal.

Goals: Therapy helps clients explore and understand their subconscious and unconscious mind. It aims to reach a deep understanding of behaviors and patterns with a goal of overall mental health. The goal of coaching is to help clients get “unstuck.” Coaching is about action and results. Coaches measure their client’s success with key performance indicators and specific behavioral outcomes. They help set goals, provide accountability and celebrate wins.

Framework: While both coaching and therapy use talk sessions with a trained professional, many of the similarities end there. Therapy involves more unstructured sessions that are guided by the client as well as the type of therapy. Coaching sessions are much more structured and focused on actionable strategies and visible growth. Coaches also do not diagnose the people they work with, while therapists determine illnesses and pathologies so their patients can be clinically treated.

Duration: Therapy can be a long-term commitment – many people go to therapy for years or even their entire lives. In contrast, a good coach sets clients up with the process and skills they need to eventually coach themselves. Coaching isn’t meant to be forever. 

What are the differences between coaching and consulting?

Coaching and consulting are two related services that differ in significant ways. Here are the main differences:

Focus: Consultants typically focus on a specific, external problem that needs immediate attention, applying an expertise that the client does not have. The focus of coaching is to identify and enhance the client's inner abilities, which they can broadly apply to many areas of their life.

Goals: Coaching is often the preferred tool when someone needs support with behavioral changes, such as improving their time management. Consultancy typically does not focus on behavioral change and instead looks at more industry specific or technical topics. Because of these differences, a coach often customizes their approach to each client.

Framework: Coaching requires developing the client's abilities to solve a problem themselves using a wide range of tools, such as goal setting and accountability. Conversely, consulting involves directly helping the client solve their problems. This can be in the form of training or other “hands-on” exercises.

Duration: Projects that involve consultants usually have distinct end dates. Conversely, coaching often lasts until the client achieves their goals. While a coach may implement a timeline at the start of the partnership, the coach and the client may adjust this timeline as they learn the speed at which the client tends to overcome challenges. If the client enjoys working with the coach, they may work with that same coach to master other topics, continuing the contract.

What should I look for in a coach?

When hiring a coach, here are some important qualities to look for:

• You have chemistry with them.

• You make actionable agreements together.

• They help you see what's possible.

• They listen to you.

• They ask the right questions.

• They tap into your experience.

• They don’t just present solutions, they expand your thinking.

• They don’t give recommendations, they empower you to choose.

• They believe in ongoing, rigorous training for themselves.

• They hire their own coach and work with them consistently.

When is coaching not a good choice?

Before you choose who to work with, decide what you really want and need. Here are a few good questions to ask yourself:

• Do you need help processing something hard from your past?

• Do you need someone to show you how to build your business?

• Do you need someone to teach you how to do a new skill?

• Do you need someone to help you prepare for marriage?

If you said yes to any of those three questions, you don't need a coach. You need a therapist or a consultant.

What is your coaching curriculum?

My coaching program uses models and methodologies I have developed over 30 years in design and the visual arts. I use a combination of virtual meetings, one-of-a-kind frameworks and coaching software to help my clients achieve the maximum value from their investment. Because everyone has different goals and needs, each of my clients benefits from a customized curriculum, tailored specifically to them. I will help set goals, facilitate progress, provide accountability and motivation.

My specializations include:

• Designers – I have worked in brand design for over 30 years. Currently, I’m the global creative director at PwC. This gives me a unique skill set to coach designers and the teams who work with them.

• Visual artists – I have been creating art since age 3 and gained a unique perspective from specialized study in Florence, Italy.

• Problem solving – My unique process framework outlines clear, actionable steps to solving a wide range of problems in creative, business and life.

• Success coaching – My entire career has been focused on turning exciting creative ideas into reality. While working at Nike, I collaborated with some of the most successful athletes in recent history, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant–to name just a few. This experience taught me a great deal about what it takes to succeed at the highest levels… and what some of the pitfalls can be.

• Self-esteem – I believe that everyone has unique creative abilities, but our current culture lacks effective methods of identifying and nurturing those abilities. I train others in developing creative abilities that our world needs, pushing past obstacles and being fairly compensated for their good work.

• Communication – As part of self-esteem training, I coach others in communicating their ideas with clarity and strength on a wide variety of platforms. This can mean public speaking, team communications, sales or developing a consistent digital presence.

• Collaboration – As a catalyst in the creative industry, I have continually helped “creatives” to work with others. On