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Author: The Austin Creativity Coach

The Art of Showing Up

April 2, 2022
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| Categories: Accountability, The Art of...
six stylized zoom portraits based on carla sonheim workshop

It's spring in Austin, Texas and the weather is finally bright, sunny, and a perfect temperature to be outside for that one week before the pollination season begins (and we all start to wonder if it's allergies or COVID again). By all means, get outside, enjoy the day, and take advantage of this window of joy. When you are done enjoying the day, come back and let's chat about showing up for yourself and your creativity by scheduling, hosting, and/or attending a zoom meet-up. After two years of endless zoom calls, why would I recommend using zoom meet-ups to motivate you to show up to your writing desk or art studio? Because they work if you let them. Virtual meet-ups continue to provide an opportunity to jump start "studio or writing time" while keeping you in the studio or at your desk. There is no wasted time driving or FOMO…

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The Austin Creativity Coach’s Guide to Winning NaNoWriMo

October 18, 2019
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| Categories: NaNoWriMo, Writing
nanowrimo 2019

So you’ve always wanted to write a novel. Why not take this idea for a test drive during National Novel Writing Month and join 300K+ aspiring novelist in the insanely fun annual write-a-thon challenge “NaNoWriMo”. The challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days and starts on November 01 at 12:01 am, smack in the middle of winter festivities. NaNoWriMo founder, Chris Baty thought — if there is no perfect time to start a new project—why not chose the most imperfect time? NaNoWriMo is fun, challenging, exhausting, and rewarding. Try it. I’ve taken part and won from 2009 to 2017 in between working full time and raising three kids children. If I can do it, so can you. Deciding What to Write. Aspiring writers use NaNoWriMo to start their first manuscript draft or to work on their fifteenth draft. There are no set rules just a loose framework to challenge you to write almost every…

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Finding Flow in Repetitive Art Making

October 4, 2019
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| Categories: The Zentangle Method

The InktoberTangles art challenge The Zentangle community started the InktoberTangles challenge, inspired by Jake Parker's month long art challenge "Inktober" created in 2009 to improve drawing skills and develop positive drawing habit. If you are interested in the Inktober Official 2019 Prompt list, click here. The rules are simple, make a drawing in ink, post it (using hashtags), and repeat. You can see my Day 1 drawing @theaustincreativitycoach.com The rules are a little looser for the InktoberTangles challenge. The only rule the Zentangle community follows is using the tangles prompt list. Draw a tile a day using the daily listed tangle or combine the tangles into a larger piece. The prompts list was created by Stephanie Jennifer, CZT21 click here to view the list and links to step outs of all tangles and hashtags to find inspiration. My Day 1 InktoberTangles2019 Tile This year I've been experimenting with backgrounds using…

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The Art of Networking Part 2 -Volunteering

July 27, 2019
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| Categories: Business, Networking, Volunteering
gallery teacher in front of a group of student at a museum

How to use volunteering as a useful tool to gain contacts and references. If you’ve been practicing your networking skills at creative events, maybe you’re ready to move on to an outer circle and meet professionals in your field. Why not try volunteering in your community. Stay close to home and lend your expertise at a local school, neighborhood library, or community park. Or go further out in your community and seek out an organization that works in your creative field. Getting out in the community may help you network but also inspire your work in new ways. Volunteering Volunteering for an organization is an easy way to meet new people and make a difference in your community. Through volunteer efforts you can acquire or enhance existing skill sets, obtain a certification, gain confidence, and attend professional events. Whether you are looking to gain early work experience or change careers,…

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The Art of Networking

June 28, 2019
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| Categories: Business, Networking
Audience members at an event

(for those anxious about networking) We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know that counts so much, as who you know,” and that connections can have a bigger impact on success than talent alone. Making profitable connections through networking is a skill that takes practice and an important part of every creative business. But how does an artist practice their networking skills if walking into a room full of strangers brings anxiety? Start Small Start with the people you know and who know you.Nurture these friendships.Help friends and let them help you.Acquire valuable information.Exchange information valuable for employment or business. Networking doesn’t have to be done at a big boring corporate networking event. It can be done anywhere, including a friend’s art opening, an open mic night, a book signing, a dance class, a theatre performance, or any number of events in your local arts community. Even at…

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All About Creativity Coaching

March 10, 2018
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| Categories: Creativity Coaching FAQs
The Austin Creativity Coach

What is Creativity Coaching? Creativity Coaching is a specialty focusing on the subject of creativity and addresses challenges specific to artists, writers and creative professionals. Creative challenges can range from how to start, fear of rejection, the inner critic, creative blocks, and how to market creative work, to resistance and procrastination, time management, and inspiration. The Austin Creativity Coach works with creative professionals and entrepreneurs to help them reach their goals faster but also works with self-proclaimed "non-artists" to help them understand the value of a creative practice in their everyday life and the corporate world. What is a Creativity Coach? A Creativity Coach is trained and knowledgeable on how to work with artists, writers and creative professionals. A Creativity Coach is a personal cheerleader, advocate, and accountability partner that helps clients recognize their individual challenge areas and create a plan to achieve their goals. A Creativity Coach is not…

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