I’ve worked with people from all kinds of walks of life, but a common thread among many of them has been a creative/artistic/writerly/musical streak or background. Living creatively and authentically are core values for me, and my life has been deeply informed by my various passions for music, film, literature, video games and the visual arts, so I always welcome getting to collaborate with creative folks. Many years working in a theatre and coming into contact with all kinds of creatives that way also deepened my awareness of what it can mean to be a worker in the arts.
Creativity and living a creative life can be joyous while also bringing us into contact with things like…
- Self-doubt
- Fear
- Blocks
- Fatigue
- Perfectionism
- Safety and risk
- Motivation and focus
- Rejection and confidence knocks
- Crossroads around work and career choices
- Navigating freelance/self-employed life and entrepreneurial decisions
- Intersections with other parts of one’s identity, e.g. gender, sexuality, race, neurotype
- Values conflicts – balancing passion and vision with financial realities, business considerations, etc.
I understand all of the above, so I enjoy getting to know other people’s creativity – the process, the passion, the language and meaning of it – and offering a supportive space where this part of their life/identity, whatever that looks like, can be given centre stage, witnessed, and advocated for. The world needs creators and creators deserve to be respected and supported. Sometimes they might also need a little help in kindling their creativity, or rekindling it if the spark has dulled. 🔥
So, what might creative support work look like? Well, each person will bring something different to the table, but our space might centre around…
- Helping you to start/finish/navigate/stay motivated with a particular project, piece, collection, or commission
- Clarifying your creative goals and supporting you in bringing a plan/idea/product out from your imagination and into the external world
- Making decisions and choices around a change of some kind (e.g. a potential career move, a possible collaboration, a shift in creative direction)
- Reconnecting you with your creativity and rekindling the desire to create, if this has faded or been crowded out by other things
- Some combination of the above, or something else entirely!
This work tends to be goal and action-oriented, but we can certainly also be curious about underlying mechanisms that might be at play, for example if you’ve found yourself blocked.
Whatever the case may be, I appreciate that creative lives may need flexibility around things like scheduling, so we can collaborate on a rhythm for meeting that suits us both, including the option of ad hoc ‘as needed’ sessions. If you have a particular project or idea that you want to get moving on, I can also offer 6-session blocks at a reduced rate. For many people, having a dedicated timeframe like this can really aid motivation and the building of a creative routine.
Similar to my approach when facilitating therapeutic workshops, I won’t act as an editor, critic, or authority on the ‘quality’ of your creative life or what you create. What I will be is a steady presence offering the same non-judgemental curiosity, compassion, encouragement, challenge, and spirit of collaboration that I give everyone who works with me – with your relationship to creativity at the heart of the work. To quote a song from (probably) my favourite Björk album, ‘Vespertine’:
It’s not meant to be a strife / It’s not meant to be a struggle uphill.
I hope working with me will help you feel this around your creativity too.
If all this sounds good and you’d like some support for your creative life/process, drop me a line.
Oh, and here are some nice words from writer and creative mentor (and mentor to me!) Meg-John Barker – creator/co-creator of ‘Rewriting the Rules: An Anti Self-help Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships,’ ‘Queer: A Graphic History,’ and much more:
I highly recommend Simon to support people in their creative projects. He has a depth of experience and skill across creativity and therapy which makes him particularly well equipped to support both the practical and emotional challenges that come up around creativity. He’s also brilliant at helping people to ignite, and fan the flames, of their creative impulses. I always come away from our sessions together buzzing. Whether you’re an established creative in need of support, or someone who wants to cultivate any kind of creative practice, Simon is an excellent person to have by your side.
Nozomi Counselling & Psychotherapy 