"Creativity doesn't have to be a solo act," declared one of my clients as we discussed the ways coaching spurs her creative productivity. True, and during this unfolding process, what I like to call "laying down a path by walking," I prompt creators to free their originality ~ that which comes from oneself as the origin. We follow its lead through uncharted terrain to make creative intentions reality. We work. We play. We laugh. Former dissertation writer Amal Elyas, Ph.D., said this about our collaboration:

You seem to know when to only listen and when to probe.
I really do not know how it works, but at every session I end
up with all I need to get the process of creativity going.
And I know it is me who created.

From childhood through my own development with a variety of mentors, I heard this message: "Free expression. Let one thing follow another." I accepted the invitations.

My ongoing practices of improvisation and body/mindfulness strengthen attention to what unfolds in the present. A former dance/movement therapist and creative arts director, I have engaged adults from all walks of life in experiences leading to creative insight and fulfillment. My awareness of the necessity for fresh responses and productivity grew during work in publishing in New York City, followed by teaching at the universities of Calgary and Victoria, Atlin Centre for the Arts, and the Victoria School of Writing.

The FAME Cards, a creativity tool that I designed to evoke ideas, images, and sensations, have roots in inspiration from dance artist and pioneer Barbara Mettler. With her as mentor, I experienced the power of open-ended structures to foster creative expression and artistic growth.

~ First coached creativity as a teenager
~ Coaching practice began informally in early 1990s
~ Designated Certified Experienced Coach, 2005; practicums with 100 creators worldwide
~ Designated International Association of Coaching Certified Coach (IAC-CC), 2006
~ Co-author ofSharing the Certification Journey, compiled and edited by Janice Hunter, 2007

Favorite creativity books and a "tools, not rules" writing book:
Stephen Nachmanovitch's Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art
Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
Eric Maisel's Fearless Creating (Inner Workbook)
Oriah Mountain Dreamer's What We Ache For: Creativity and the Unfolding of Your Soul
Steven Pressfield's The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win...
Daniel H. Pink's A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age
Roy Peter Clark's Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

Free resources related to creativity or the dissertation journey:
Suzanne Falter-Barns's "Creativity Coaching: 7 Lessons from Artists"
Hugh Macleod’s downloadable ChangeThis manifesto "How To Be Creative"
Robert Genn's "The Zen of Art"
Ben Dean's newsletter "All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide"