Earlier this month I started working with a coach to help me figure out how to tap more deeply into my creative side. Specifically, I want to be more intentional about the goals I have for my
photography work, and to create processes and accountability to help me meet them.
For the past three years I’ve spent a lot of time working on my photography–out shooting, editing at home, drafting social media posts, prepping photos for sale at Botanica here in Provincetown. And I’ve had some vague goals around building an audience and earning more money from my work, both of which I’m doing slowly but surely.
Yet I’ve had a general, nagging feeling that I could be doing more with photography.
As I’ve written about before, this kind of sustained creative work wasn’t part of my life or career until very recently. Part of my work with a coach is to help me become more comfortable with spending time and energy on a creative pursuit, rather than political or policy work, which consumed my life in the past (and those things are still in my life through my consulting and coaching gigs, but in a much different way than in the past).
Beyond that shift in my mindset, I want to get clarity on why creativity matters to me, why I am drawn to photography, and what kinds of goals I should establish for the next year or so of this work.
It feels good to take this step, yet I initially felt trepidation sharing any of this here. For one thing, for a coach to get a coach seems kind of meta to me–is it really worth talking about? I want this blog and my coaching work to be practical and useful to my readers and clients, and not just personal fluff.
Second, I debated if it was weird to share with my current or past clients–and potential future clients–my coaching needs. Would it, I wondered, dissuade people from seeing me as someone who could coach them?
I raised this concern with a fellow coach, and her reaction stopped me from overthinking it. “Jeff,” she said, “you can feel shame in having a coach once you’ve perfected being human.”
OK, then!
That thought rang very true to me, and it resonated with how I’ve been thinking about myself as a coach–and as someone who writes about coaching. My intent with coaching generally was never to market myself as someone who has it all figured out. I am confident that I have skills and experience that can help others in a coaching context, but I’ve also always wanted to be honest about my own struggles and how I navigate them. So sharing this part of my coaching story feels authentic and aligned with my larger purpose.
Plus I’m very excited to share lessons from getting coached here, with you, my 12 readers!
(Just kidding! My audience is small but mighty–and growing. Thank you if you’re part of it.)
And until next time, be well!
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