Here is what I know…. classes and supplies and videos and books are tempting, they lure us in with the promise of becoming a great artist or a wildly productive creative. But the truth is this — to become a great artist, to become a dedicated creative, you must practice. To learn to draw you must draw, to learn to sing you must sing, to learn to write you must write… there is no shortcut. (Sorry!)
How do you build the practice, the structures, the motivation to do this? How do you not crumble into a million bits when you see the results of your first drawing attempts? How do you approach your creative work, no matter what your medium or modality, with a sense of play and wonder and also discipline?
I work with people as a Creativity Coach to help you answer these very questions. I help you become the creative you want to be by helping you build your practice.
YOU
You have always had the idea to develop your creativity. You have something you want to make, some dream that keeps tapping you on the shoulder.
You want to find the time to pursue your creative interests, but maybe you struggle to find that time.
How do decide where to begin? How to choose?
Or maybe you struggle to give yourself permission? (Just so you know, this is common!)
It can be really hard to claim our own creativity, to show up to our artist self without buckling under the words of those around us, to all of the “shoulds” of life, or to our own inner critic.
Maybe you’ve started various projects or practices, you have drawers or bins full of paint or paper. You have a sense there is more here for you. You have a feeling you could do this but…how?
And, how to stick with it even when your first attempts fall so short to the vision in your head?
I want you to know that I understand and I’m here to listen, to your words and to your heart.
Read my article in Psychology Today — Small Steps to Big Creative Results
ME
Let me tell you a little bit about me.
I am a creativity coach and teaching visual artist in Washington state, in the US. I’ve been working with creative people since 2018 - teaching, mentoring and coaching. Everyone is creative just in different ways.
How do you want to play?
I like to work with people who have a desire to express themselves creatively but who are stuck somehow either internally or externally.
I’m experienced in visual art, working primarily with ink and watercolor in sketchbooks, and have a long history creating and crafting textiles.
However, my coaching work is not limited to those areas. I love food, I love to cook, travel, garden, I love to play with words and am endlessly curious…. I could go on! Ultimately, I see creativity as something that infuses all of life.
I understand the resistance and many of the fears you may have to trying new things, working towards goals, finishing projects and putting yourself out there.
US
How does this work exactly?
The first step is to email me (anyatoomre@yahoo.com) and schedule a complementary 30 minute virtual session via Zoom. This lets me get an idea of what you want to focus on in coaching and it also gives you a chance to meet me and ask any questions you might have.
Step into your own creativity.
The majority of times I’ll invite you to consider committing to at least four 60-minute sessions spread out over 2 months.
But, the coaching engagement is about you and what you are wanting and needing in your creative life. We will work together to craft the details, building a structure that can best serve you.
If you’d like to work with me, send me an email (anyatoomre @ yahoo.com) and we will get something on the calendar.
I also teach a variety of scheduled online sketchbook workshops if you’d like to explore playing with visual arts. If you want to try something new or want to start keeping a creative habit, please join me. Beginners are always welcome.
I look forward to hearing from you and working together to move you forward with your creative work!
Creativity and Art is for ALL of us. If you see yourself in the above, I invite to reach out. So much is possible when we allow ourselves to believe.
In this video, I provide some starting concepts on the creative process and describes some strategies to keep motivation going over time.
If you liked this, I have this and another video, Completing Projects, as my contributions to The Great Creativity Toolkit below. I have an affiliate link, and if you chose to purchase the Toolkit from my web site, I will get a certain percentage.
The Great Creativity Toolkit
It takes a lot to live your dream of succeeding as a writer, painter, craftsperson, filmmaker, or other creative person. There’s no magic bullet or single piece of advice that’s going to make that dream come true. But there’s a ton of great information in The Great Creativity Toolkit, Eric Maisel’s program for creatives like you. He gathered together more than 40 of the world’s top creativity coaches and asked them, “What one lesson do you want to share with creatives?” And they shared! What you get in The Great Creativity Toolkit is the best of the best—top creativity coaches providing their top lessons for creatives! This really isn’t to be missed. Check it out here!
Testimonials
“I decided I needed creative coaching after going to the San Diego Science Museum which had an exhibit showing how “play” is good and “adulting” (doing necessary boring tasks) is bad. I realized I spent too little time at play and too much time adulting. My good luck was that at about the same time Anya Toomre, who had taught me diary drawing at a class at Redmond Library, sent an email announcing that she also did creative coaching.
“She has now been creative coaching me for about two months. The first issue we worked on was my fear of letting anyone know that I wanted to be/maybe could be creative. By discussing my apprehension I began to take small steps redefining myself with friends and family. Anya also worked on my hesitation to do new projects because I need to get skills to match my ideas. In this regard, she helped me find my best time of day for working on skill improvement and encouraged me to work on the skills every day. Recently, we have been working on freeing up my drawings from reality and letting more abstraction/experimentation occur.
“The happy result of all this coaching has been that I now find myself analyzing common situations and turning them into personal experiences, whether it be a simple birthday card, a personalized gift, or a diary drawing celebrating what I find beautiful in my everyday life. Thank you, Anya.” - Rona Goodman, Washington
“I started feeling frustrated and blocked at the moment of drawing every day. I could not enjoy the simple act of opening my sketchbook. I used to draw every day and suddenly the blank of the page was not a playground for me anymore.”
“Anya helped me get unstuck. With her guidance I was able to look into what was holding me back from creating.”
“And I don't think I would be enjoying my creative time again without Anya's coaching.
“Thank you Anya!”- Ina Bernardi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Anya's classes are fun, interesting and collaborative. I loved the relaxed atmosphere which gave me the opportunity to really stretch myself and try new things. There is no pressure to perform, but Anya is always there to help guide your creative process. Taking an art class with Anya is like sitting down at a coffee house with an old friend. – Shannon Naugle, Washington