What does a Coach for Artists do (and not do)
I get asked frequently, what is it that I do as a Coach for Artists, and how can I can help fellow Artists grow as humans and as Artists. I will make a video talking about this in due course, first though I wanted to write about it, to explain in robust terms how I work, what I am here for, what any Coach is here for, in the hope it helps some Artists out there find the confidence to reach out and work with a Coach. Whether that is me or not isn’t the point, this is not a marketing post trying to sell my services, although I am happy to work with you if you so wish, and if I can help. Rather, this is an educational post to hopefully shed light on what may very well be a confusing topic for many (and understandably so, we don’t know what we don’t know!)
First let’s take a scenario. One of my clients is a writer, hoping to become an author, you might say I am their book coach! The main point of note to begin with, is that my job as their coach is not to teach them how to become a better writer. Much as I wish I were able to do that, that is not my place. A coach should be clear about what their role is, and what it is not, and in the case of being a coach for a writer, there are plenty of professional writing courses, writing mentors, even published authors that a writer can learn from, all of whom are uniquely qualified to instruct a writer in the fine literary Arts, none of whom I wish to attempt to replace.
So with that out of the way, what is it exactly that a Coach can do for an Artist, in my client’s case, as a writer.
You might think of a coach’s role as creating a safe space for their client, one where they can explore their goals and dreams of becoming a published author, in whatever form that may take. A coach is non-judgemental, they are not here to provide answers or help the writer craft their book outline. The coach is a sounding board, someone to bounce ideas off, even if they don’t always provide the response you were hoping for. To clarify though once again, a coach is not here to write the book for you! You have to take the leap yourself, this is your Art.
In my own case, as I explained in my last blog, being an Artist myself (a musician), I do appreciate the Artist’s struggle. I also write, obviously, you are reading this! That is not to say I am an author though. I have dozens of first pages of books and even movie scripts which I have written over the years which have never got any further! Working with my own coach they might challenge me why that is, help me explore the blockers and help me to take that next step to writing page 2, page 3 and so on. What being an Artist and a Coach does position me uniquely to be able to do, is to empathise. I am part of the tribe, you might say, I speak the Artists language and can cut past a lot of the noise and get right to the heart of the matter. This is indeed why coaches specialise in their chosen niche, in my case, Coaching for Artists. There is value in working with someone totally independent, there is also value in working with a specialist in your own particular niche. Both are correct approaches.
To use a music analogy, think of a coaching relationship like being in a soundproof recording studio, working with a music producer. Rick Ruben describes his role of music producer as kind of like being the musicians coach. He cannot write the music, he cannot play the instrument or tell the singer how to sound when he/she sings. He can offer advice, probe with suggestions to get the Artist thinking about trying this or that, if the moment and the Art calls for it, and generally be there to help the Artist bring their vision to life. Such is the case with my writing client and my role as their book coach. My role is to help them bring their Artistic creation to life, not to write it for them, to be that person who is in their corner, behind the scenes, offering motivation, encouragement, inspiration. My role as their Coach is to help them be accountable when needed, and to offer a confidential, non-judgemental safe space in which they can talk through their plans and goals.
I can, as their coach, veer off topic if I think it will add value. For example if we find ourselves going down a more spiritual or holistic path, I might start to take us into mindfulness or meditation as a topic (I am a Master Mindfulness Practitioner). This is something to help the Artist clear their thoughts, or at least come to the point where they can observe them. If this is in service of the client, if this is something they have asked for, or something I as the coach feel will add value in that moment, then it’s all good. The Artistic and the Spiritual overlap heavily, which is another reason I have been drawn to this, being a spiritual person myself as well as an Artist.
To further illustrate the point, lets look at how a session might go from my writer client’s perspective. Perhaps the writer wants to talk about how to get from a to b in their new book. Maybe they want to sound me out about a problem they’re having with a character or a situation in the book. In one of our coaching sessions, these and more are all the kinds of things we can work on. For example, I might ask my client to tell me the problem that’s on their mind. They would explain in as much of an unfiltered way possible, what it is that they are struggling with.
It is often the case that just by talking something through with someone who is non-judgemental, even if the conversation is rhetorical, it helps to work things out in your mind, to un-jumble the thoughts, talk through what is just noise, get rid of the distractions and get right to the point you were looking for all along.
It’s much like Michelangelo famously said:
“the sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”
The coach, when working with an Artist, is the person you can turn to for guidance on which bits of superfluous material to chip off next. The coach won’t say what is right and what is wrong, that is not their place, they are not the Artist, you are, this is your session, your time, your dollar. They may though ask how that particular challenge makes you feel, why you think it’s a blocker, what have you tried so far that has worked and not worked. The coach might ask some lateral questions, get you thinking of the problem from a different perspective and hopefully leave you feeling inspired, ready to keep moving forward, clear in your goals and actions, and secure in the knowledge that you have someone valuable in your corner as you pursue your Artistic journey.
You are not alone. Being an Artist does not have to be a solo venture, having a team around you add’s value, it is a net positive, not a negative, and in some ways can be seen as an investment in your career and future growth as an Artist and as a human.
If you want to learn more about my role, please visit my website or get in touch. Also please follow me on instagram for more posts on Coaching for Artists.
Thanks for reading.
Phil