Creative Coaching | Be Obvious To Seem Original


Three panel illustration of speccy man thinking

Amy asked me to come up with a description of what I do – so that she can refer people to me for coaching with a creative twist. A daunting request!

Close up on worried JP Flintoff: "She Will Want Something Startlingly Original"

The questions that troubled me included:

- How to get across the variety of ways in which I might use creative practices – writing, illustration, performance – without knowing which of those will be right for any particular person I work with?

- How to convey the benefits for the person being coached, when I don’t even know who they are yet, or what they’re looking for?

***

Not for the first time, I fell back on telling a story about myself – this story you’re reading now – in hope that it transmits something useful for others.

I come back to myself, so that you can come back to yourself.

Four panel cartoon of speccy man having a realisation. "It's better to be obvious..."

I remembered something I was told when I did my coaching training.

Illustration of a woman explaining to speccy man "The Life Purpose is...."

If that applies to me, it applies just as much to the people I work with.

So it doesn’t matter if I’m being “creative” or using supposedly tough analytical skills I developed working as a writer and editor on the Financial Times and The Sunday Times.

My job, when I’m coaching, is to help people find their own purpose, and live it.

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Testimonials

JP is outstanding in his approach to coaching, and the outcomes we created through our conversations were breathtaking. I wholeheartedly recommend... wonderful learning and life-changing outcomes
Chrissy Levett
John-Paul spoke my language. He helped me get out of my own way. He made me even more confident - no mean feat!
Michael Obiora
I thought, maybe we can make a little headway and you, like, ballooned it and it was, wow, what have we got?! You have some kind of magic there
Liz Blaxell
You took the talk somewhere I had not expected. As a CEO, people don't challenge me directly, but you pushed and challenged me in a way I've not had for years. I've learned a lot
Grahame Hindes
I still value our last conversation so much – it’s helped me focus on unloading a whole bunch of life baggage to unlock my creative side
Helen Caton Hughes
You coached me out of a hopeless rut in my life. The big thing was to teach me to value delight over duty. That liberated me so much
Sophie Howarth

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Find out more

If you like the sound of this coaching, please contact The Iversen Practice and tell them how you found me.


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Keywords
  • coaching