This is a lens for artists and other creative professionals, and the people who manage them. Whether you work as a freelancer, or in a small or large creative business - such as an ad agency, a design studio, a computer games developer, a fashion designers or an architect's practice - there should be something here to support your creativity, career and commercial success.
I've been coaching creative professionals for over 10 years, and this page gives you an overview of my coaching website and blog, plus some of the books I recommend to coaching clients.
My Wishful Thinking Blog
A blog about creativity, coaching and business, how they fit together and whether the seams show.
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Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has spent a lifetime researching happiness and fulfilment. In this book he presents his theory 'creative flow' through a series of fascinating interviews with almost 100 highly creative individuals, plus his own insightful and thought-provoking insights about the nature of creativity.
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 10/07/2008)
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition)
Superb compendium of creative thinking techniques (thinkertoys), divided into 'linear' and 'intuitive' thinkertoys, plus a section of thinkertoys for teams.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD: How You Can Be More Creative
Another great book of ideas for creating ideas. Includes chapters on 'the second right answer', the value of being foolish and why it's sometimes right to be wrong.
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 10/07/2008)
A Kick in the Seat of the Pants
Breaks the creative process down in to four basic roles or mindsets to adopt at different stages: the Explorer, Artist, Judge and Warrior. Because creativity is about much more than simply coming up with ideas.
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 10/07/2008)
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre
This is an amazing book, by the founding father of modern improvisational theatre. What he says about acting is applicable to any form of creativity, and will change the way you think about yourself and those around you. With my interest in creativity and hypnosis, I was drawn to the book by the chapter on 'masks and trance', but the other chapters, on 'spontaneity', 'status', and 'narrative skills' are just as (ahem) entrancing.
Amazon Price: $19.11 (as of 10/07/2008)
Listen to my interviews with managers in the Creative Industries
- Research Interview Podcasts
- The link will take you to a page of podcasts of my interviews so far. I'll be adding more over the next few weeks, and eventually publishing my researh paper as a free e-book on the blog.
Join the Squidoo Creativity Group
Create some creativity...
A group for lenses about creativity of all kinds - in the arts, sciences, business, technology and beyond...Share ideas and inspiration, connect with creative people and promote your company or creative portfolio.
Here's the Creativity Group and here's your invitation
Shapeshifters Worldwide Network for Creative Professionals
Shapeshifters is made for professional creatives (single entrepreneurs, microbusinesses, firms) from all around the world.
Shapeshifters is a new kind of working tool for transnational trade and exchange between small creative businesses. independent entrepreneurs in the creative sector connect with like-minds on other continents in order to develop and promote their products and services on a peer group level.
A viennese graphic designer wants to collaborate with a mexican sign maker; a boston architect is looking for a weaver of custom-made runners; young south african fashion designers aspire to show their work in milan: this is what shapeshifters is all about.
Latest posts on the Shapeshifters site:
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Tantrums and Talent: How to Get the Best From Creative People
Essential reading for managers in the Creative Industries. See my separate Squidoo lens about Tantrums and Talent.
Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
Management and Creativity: From Creative Industries to Creative Management
Challenges stereotypical assumptions about 'creatives' and 'suits' by showing that 'creativity is not just about spontaneous discovery and inspiration, it is also a self-conscious, deliberately managed process. Similarly, management is not only shaped by rational processes, it also involves insight, intuition, creativity and risk'. An erudite but very readable book that will help both managers and creatives understand each other better and work together more effectively.
Amazon Price: $42.75 (as of 10/07/2008)
Coaching for Performance, Third Edition (People Skills for Professionals)
The classic book on coaching to help managers get the best out of their teams. Not specific to creative businesses, but the coaching approach is ideall suited to working with creative teams, because it focuses on developing individual talent and harnessing it for the good of the team.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
Confessions of an Advertising Man
Another classic. Written with Ogilvy's inimitable zest, with authoritative chapter titles such as 'How to Manage an Advertising Agency', 'How to Get Clients', 'How to Keep Clients' and 'How to Build Great Campaigns'. It was written in the 60s so inevitably some of the examples are a bit dated, but it's hard to resist Ogilvy's optimism and enthusiasm for the whole business of creativity.
Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 10/07/2008)
My Wishful Thinking Business Coaching Site
'If your business is creativity, your business is people'
Like Gaul, it's divided into three parts - see the modules on Imagination, Collaboration and Direction below...
- Wishful Thinking Creative Coaching
- The home page, with links to the three main sections, as well as my services, latest blog posts and current projects.
1. Imagination
Creative Thinking and Execution
In many ways, creative professionals are a unique category of workers. Although they enjoy rewards and recognition - like money, promotion and awards - their main motivation for working is the intrinsic interest of the work itself.They often don't see themselves as part of a conventional 'business' culture, and develop idiosyncratic work habits to facilitate their individual creative process. Yet these very idiosyncrasies create the work that is your key competitive advantage as a creative business.
While there are plenty of technical and skills-based training programmes for creatives, there are very few programmes designed to develop their core creative talent.
This is why I offer a range of coaching and training options tailored to their particular needs. Most 'creative thinking' workshops are too simplistic for the needs of professional creatives, who need a more sophisticated approach that is flexible enough to facilitate their individual creative process.
Visit the 'Imagination' page of the Wishful Thinking site
2. Collaboration
Creative Partnerships and Teamwork
In the Creative Industries, creativity is not just a case of isolated thinking by a group of workers designated 'creatives'. Although the creatives are critically important, they work within a complex network of human relationships, involving many different people:* Professional Creatives - Writers, Designers, Photographers, Musicians, Actors
* Creative Directors, Producers and other Team Leaders
* Account Managers
* Engineers, Programmers and other Technical Experts
* Researchers
* Marketers
* External Creative and Business Partners
* Freelancers
* Clients
* Audience and Customers
I offer a range of coaching and training services that will facilitate better communication and collaboration across your whole creative network.
Visit the 'Collaboration' page of the Wishful Thinking site
3. Direction
Inspiring, Managing and Developing Your Creative Team
Managing a creative team is uniquely challenging, and can be uniquely rewarding. This is partly down to the nature of creative business, in which each product is effectively a new prototype, and partly down to the character of a workforce composed of professional creatives. The situation is further complicated by the range of different types of managers in creative businesses, who may have very different concepts of 'management' itself.Senior Creatives
As in many other industries, the top performers are usually the ones considered for promotion to management positions. So the best graphics designers, copywriters and games designers become Senior Designers, Team Leaders, Art Directors and Creative Directors. And like their counterparts in other industries, they discover that performing yourself and managing others' performance are very different skills.
Professional Managers
These are managers with a strong business background, but little or not experience of a creative role. Their advantages as managers include: good business knowledge; awareness of the manager's role as distinct from that of a creative; an ability to 'step back' and leave room for others' creative input. Achilles heels include lack of first-hand experience of the creative process, and a perceived culture clash between 'suits' and 'creatives'.
Creative Entrepreneurs
These are the founders of a creative enterprise, the people whose vision and drive are responsible for the creation and initial development of the company. They can combine a visionary, inspiring style of leadership with a very 'hands on' approach to management, liking to maintain involvement in all aspects of the running of the business. Their advantages as managers include: vision; infectious enthusiasm; creativity; and commercial awareness. Achilles heels can include: a fear of losing control, making them reluctant to delegate responsibility; a sense of urgency that makes them reluctant to invest time in 'people management'; and the business can become over-dependent on them, causing bottlenecks.
Visit the 'Direction' page of the Wishful Thinking site
Coaching and Training Services for Creative Companies
- Coaching for Creatives
- Coaching services tailored to the specific needs of professional creatives. (I promise I won't tell you to 'Think outside the box'...)
- Coaching for Managers
- Business coaching for people who manage professional creatives. With someone who understands the creative process AND commercial realities.
- Training for Managers - 'Coaching Creative Professionals'
- Having trained over 200 managers in coaching skills, and coached hundreds of professional creatives over the past 10 years, this course is a distillation of my learning about coaching, creativity and management. It is an opportunity for your managers to hone their coaching skills and facilitate outstanding artistic and commercial performance from your talented creatives.
- Bespoke Coaching/Training Programmes
- I can design and deliver a bespoke coaching and/or training programme that addresses any of the 'people issues' that impact on your performance as a creative business - from the micro-level of individual creative thinking, to the macro-level of your interaction with clients, business partners and other organisations.
Books for Freelance Artists and Creatives
Creating a Life Worth Living
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/07/2008)
Marketing Your Creativity: New Approaches for a Changing Industry (AVA Guides)
Amazon Price: $22.76 (as of 10/07/2008)
My Coaching for Freelance Artists and Creatives
As well as my work with creative businesses, I provide a coaching service for professional artists and freelance creatives. I have over 10 years' experience of coaching novelists, actors, graphic designers, visual artists, classical and popular musicians, DJs, composers, copywriters, film directors, programmers, architects and others.Typical coaching goals include:
# Developing your creative talent
# Overcoming writer's block or another kind of creative block
# Overcoming stage nerves
# Dealing with criticism and rejection
# Staying motivated and enthusiastic when things get tough
# Balancing creativity, work and personal life
# Making a living as an artist
# Selling your work - on-line and offline
# Making creative partnerships work
Coaching is available face-to-face in London, or by telephone.
Visit my 'Coaching for Creative Freelancers' page
My Poetry Blog
When I'm not facilitating other people's creativity, I write poems. I'm also one of the editors of a fantastic poetry magazine called Magma.
My poetry blog links to my poems and reviews that have been published recently. I also use it to enthuse about poets I'm currently reading.
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How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 10/07/2008)
Creating Minds: An Anatomy Of Creativity Seen Through The Lives Of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Str
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Creators on Creating (New Consciousness Reader)
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/07/2008)
Strategies of Genius, Volume One
Amazon Price: $19.96 (as of 10/07/2008)
Strategies of Genius, Volume Two
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
