Creativity Coaching Isn’t A Fad

 Creativity Coaching Isn’t a Fad — It’s a Response to a Real Need
Let’s set the record straight: creativity coaching isn’t just some flash in the pan trend. It’s not woo-woo, wishy-washy, or a weird side-hustle for failed artists. It’s a grounded, growing profession, and the data backs that up.

So… what actually is creativity coaching?
Creativity coaching is specialised support for people who want to live and work more creatively, whether they’re professional artists, side hustling makers, or anyone with a spark they’re ready to stoke. A good creativity coach isn’t just waving pom-poms from the sidelines; they’ve usually walked the creative path themselves. They know the highs, the lows, the blank pages, the burnout, the breakthroughs.

It’s not therapy. It’s not business consulting. It’s personal, purposeful, and tailored to helping you show up for the creative work that matters most to you.

“But I’ve tried brainstorming and it was a waste of time…”
You’re not alone. Some creatives have had a bad run in with group brainstorming sessions or forced idea workshops that left them feeling drained and underwhelmed. And the research agrees, classic brainstorming (especially in big groups) often leads to fewer quality ideas, groupthink, and watered down contributions.

But here’s the thing: those critiques are about outdated processes, not coaching.
One-on-one creativity coaching isn’t a whiteboard full of post-it notes, it’s a deeper, more focused way of supporting your creative mind and your real-world progress. The difference is night and day.

A growing global movement (yep, even here in NZ)
Coaching as a whole is booming. In 2024, the global industry pulled in around $6.25 billion, and it’s heading for $7.3 billion by 2025. That’s not small change. And within that growth, creative coaching has quietly carved out its place. There’s a clear shift happening: more people want support that honours the messiness, meaning, and magic of creative living.

This isn’t just a corporate trend, it’s a human one.

Creative minds need more than motivation, they need momentum
Research shows that when coaching integrates creativity, things like flow states, play, intuition, and problem-solving, clients don’t just feel inspired. They take action. They stick with their goals. They experience real, lasting change.

When creativity is treated as central, not a nice-to-have or fluffy bonus people flourish. Ideas turn into outcomes. Dreams into deadlines. That novel gets written. That business gets launched. That self-doubt gets a polite kick in the pants.
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Bottom line? Not all creative exercises are created equal. But real creativity coaching done well, with care and structure and lived experience, helps people do better work, live truer lives, and feel more at home in their own creative skin.

And in a noisy world? That kind of support isn’t a luxury, it’s essential.

James Price
Creative Coach | Aotearoa born, globally focused
Website: www.jamesprice.pro
Email: james@jamesprice.pro