Creating Your Own World With Courage

A Coaching Model By Monica Le Crom, Transformational Coach, NETHERLANDS

The Courage of an Artist in Front of a Blank Canvas

Artists are admired for the beautiful worlds they create in their paintings. Creating the world you want for yourself, and around you, follows a very similar process to creating a painting. You are the artist of your life, and you can make it as wonderful as you wish. We all start our lives with a blank canvas, we all get the same access to creativity within us. We might get different materials, but in the end, whatever comes on the canvas of our lives is what we have put in, it will express our convictions, and our vision of the world. Our message to humanity.

For an artist, it takes courage to face the blank canvas. It takes courage to show up every day and continue the painting. Sometimes flow is there, and sometimes it is just a struggle. Sometimes inspiration comes, and sometimes it keeps us waiting. Sometimes mistakes are made and the painting we put so much effort and love into may seem ruined. And it takes courage, resilience, and faith, to see the possibilities in the mistake and turn the painting around. And then sometimes, as the artist battles for his creation, discoveries are made, new ways of expressing are learned, and spontaneously a beautiful creation is born. It takes courage, openness, and flexibility. It is a continuous path of growth and of testing your limits. Just like life is.

Courage and Its Importance in One’s Life

Building character and confidence is also necessary, as our painting will be exposed to everyone’s gaze, comments, and criticism. Believing in yourself and striving to bring the best of yourself into this world. Perhaps a new message. A different way of thinking. Something status quo might not like.

As a coach, I am here to support you in creating your world with courage. Discovering and creating the amazing artist you are and the painting that will shine on the canvas of your life. The expression of your Spirit, of who you truly are. This model shows the steps we will follow to create your world.

To create a work of art is to create the world. Kandinsky

How to Create Your World With Courage Like An Artist

Connect

The first step an artist takes is connecting. Connecting to the place, topic, or subject he wants to portray. Taking in the scene, in a vivid way, the colors but also the sounds, the smells, the whole atmosphere.

But also, connecting with himself, his Spirit. As Leonardo Davinci said, “where the Spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art”. How does this scene make him feel, deep within himself? What is the message, the inspiration he will be the instrument to bring to this world?

In the same way, we need to connect to our true Selves to find our purpose, our dream. What matters truly to us. What brings us joy. We need to connect to the vision of what the picture of our life could be to create it. Connect to how it would look like, smell like, sound like. How we would feel. So that it feels truly ours: what will our world be like?

The coach will support you with deep thought-provoking questions to explore what is meaningful and important to you. In this way, you will establish this connection and find your purpose, your vision, and the image of the world you want to create around you.

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes. Carl Jung

Observe

Once the vision is clear, the artist starts the process of observing. This is the reality check. The artist observes and checks the main shapes, depth, perspectives, colors, light, textures, and bigger and smaller details, all elements that will build or influence his painting. But also, what makes it interesting, that is, what will make it something worth looking at.

 In the same way, when we create the painting of our life, we need to check reality against our vision. Where are we exactly today? What are the main shapes we need to establish to build the basis? What elements do we have, and which are we missing? What are the bigger lines and what are the details? What is the depth of our knowledge and what light do we still need to bring in? And what does our dream effectively bring to the world? How will it express itself? And possibly what difficulties are there we will need to consider?

The coach is here to take you through this reality check. Through his questions, he will create awareness of where you are starting, and what is needed to build your dream. He will help you establish for yourself the gross draft of your picture and the direction on the steps to take.

Awareness and observation is the best medicine to handle your success. Sahil Hakim

Artistic Decisions

Once the artist has become very familiar with his subject, not only with the vision he has for it but also with how reality plays in it, he needs to make some artistic decisions to make his painting truly a work of art. He will not paint every detail as is. What is the best composition? What is the best perspective and angle? What should he give focus on, what should be just hinted at, and what should be left out? What style and materials will he use? What will be his palette – colors, tones? This is his plan for the painting.

The coach will partner with you to define how you will build the world you want to be in. What is realistic to put in it. What makes sense and what do you need to address. What is nice to have but maybe not so necessary? And what is superfluous? What might distract you or derail you that needs to be left out? Where should you put your focus and effort? What talents and skills will you use? From this step, we come out with a roadmap, a clear, practical path to create your dream.

Life presents many choices. The choices we make determine our future. Catherine Pulsifier

Prepare

Once we have our plan mapped out with the different elements we need to include, we need to prepare for the painting, our journey.

• Materials: all the logistical stuff that we will need along the way to fulfilling our vision
• Eliminating distractions: whether we are painting or working on executing the elements of our vision, we need to be able to do so without distractions that will derail us.
• A quiet place: where we can focus and get in the flow, working in the most productive way
• Cheatsheets: with motivational quotes and pointers, our WHY we do this that reconnects us to our vision every day. A place to put the lessons learned along the way that we need to apply

The coach will partner with you to build the environment, structures, and accountability methods that will most support you in your journey.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin

Paint

Then we need to show up and do the work. Every day, ownership, perseverance, determination, and dedication. There will be good days where we are in the flow and the image in our head gets expressed easily. There will be others where we struggle at every step. But every day we show up, and we get closer to where we want to be. Even if only a step.

No matter what happens, if we look at it with a child’s sense of wonder, we will discover new possibilities in the heart of struggle itself. Every day we show up, we will learn. We will learn new things and we will master further what we already know, making it easier. And if we are present at the moment these learnings will translate into the joy of the process and the journey. A child’s joy of experimentation and discovery.

And as we go along towards our vision, our project will go from the rough setting of the bases to a more refined work, all the way to the finishing touches of beautiful art creation. Perfection is not required, this we leave to God. And there is beauty in those small defaults, it makes our work vulnerable, authentic, relatable, and unique. Perfection is not required, but perseverance is.

The coach will be your accountability partner. He will challenge you to review your vision and conduct regular reality checks to ensure your plan is still viable and, if not, to help you observe the new situation. He will invite you to courageously take the decisions and steps that might be needed and to adjust your plan. He will encourage you to reconnect to your vision and you’re why, whenever you feel lost underway. And he will celebrate your progress and achievements along the way.

Success comes from curiosity, concentration, perseverance and self-criticism. Albert Einstein

Sign

Finally, as your painting is finished, sign it. This work of art is the voice of your Self being expressed. This is what you came here to do. Signing your work is celebrating it. It is ready to be shared with the world. It is ready to bring joy to others. So go ahead, share the beauty and the joy.

The coach will be your companion in this journey, the one that challenges you and cheers you, and the witness of your success.

The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So, write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. Neil Gaiman

References

Article in cravepainting.com