My journey
I’ve had my own highs and lows with being a freelancer; lockdown was a real challenge - my mental health went down the toilet, I lost direction and my creative practice felt like a mean sibling I’d rather ignore. Seeing a coach really helped me - I had someone to be accountable to, I started to understand what motivated and hindered me, and I got nimble with setting goals and meeting them. It was so helpful to have someone to splurge my thoughts on without fear, and knew they’d be threading them into a plan for me to leave with at the end of the session. It felt like magic!
My background as a creative producer, group facilitator and educator means I’ve been lucky enough to work with hundreds of artists – from musicians to illustrators, poets to puppet-makers. I have always been a kind of interpreter between viewpoints, a deep and careful listener and have tons of experience making complex information tangible and actionable. In 2023, I decided to start my own mentoring and coaching practice, and trained with the brilliant Ceri Hand. I’ve since been working with some amazingly interesting and talented clients.
My mentoring + coaching practice
I hold my sessions with empathy and kindness and strive to create a brave and supportive space, where we can challenge limiting beliefs and set ambitious goals.
My sessions can help you with:
Your Creativity
Getting past creative block
Feeling like an imposter or ‘not enough’
Pushing your practice to the next level
Building a sustainable and consistent practice
Building an audience + sharing your work
Making decisions about your direction
Your Career
Building a vision + mission for your practice, brand or business
Writing a business plan
Financial wellbeing + making more money
Job and funding applications
Developing your CV or portfolio
Making career decisions
Career transitions
Other stuff
Improving your confidence
Understanding your strengths, emotions, motivations and how to use them
Feeling regulated and in control
Reducing anxiety
Who I work with
If you’d like to work with me and you work within the creative industries, I’d love to hear from you. My previous clients have included:
Visual artists: illustrators, designers, graphic designers
Writers: poets, authors, journalists
Performers; actors, dancers, musicians
Creative producers, creative business owners and managers
Educators: creative educators, art teachers, yoga / movement teachers
What is mentoring / coaching?
Through coaching, I act as a thinking partner to pull out themes, question your thinking frameworks, make connections and map out next steps for you as a creative. I help you focus on the positives and get out of indecision, work with you to build creative exercises or goals into your everyday.
In mentoring sessions, I am more flexible to give advice and direction on your specific creative projects and artwork, although I do use tools from my coaching practice. I may share certain techniques, recommend resources, films, books and set creative homework to support our conversations.
In both methods, I essentially work closely with you to build up a toolkit so you can step out of your comfort zone, feel proud of your achievements and get results - creatively, emotionally and financially.
Also - please note that neither mentoring or coaching can act in place of therapy, and I am not a trained therapist :) Sessions happen online over Zoom. They can be booked as blocks of four over a time period of two months. I recommend starting with a block of four with the intention to continue for a period of six months.
Rates
TRANSFORMATION PACK | Four x one hour sessions | £350
The pack includes an additional 30 minute intro call, resources, introductory prompt questions around your practice or business and why you are seeking coaching or mentoring
I am available in between sessions to answer questions and be an accountability partner if the client needs to inform me of actions taken with goals
If you are looking for an affordable way to get connected, unstuck and more creative, I run a regular course online called Creative Cohort. We make, draw, write and share and it is gorgeous! Send me an email or check insta to find out when the next one is running.
Relevant Training
A Creative Approach to Goal Setting, Lucy Hare and Sharon Baker, 2023
Become a Master Mentor, Ceri Hand and Lina Asrarguis, 2023
Life Coach Certification + Training, International Academy of Life Coaching & Entrepreneurship Life Coach Certification, 2023
Navigating Neurodiversity Workshop, Genuis Within, 2023
Pedagogy For Change teaching course, DRH Lindersvold Denmark, February 2022
Anti-Racist Training, Cubitt Arts, June 2021
Visual Tools for Learning, Teaching Times, June 2021
A Toolkit for Online Facilitators, Lyrix Organix, January 2021
Diversity Training, The Diversity Trust, October 2019
Dementia Awareness Training, Arts4Dementia, October 2019
Relevant Experience
Manages creative learning programmes at Apples and Snakes, a spoken word and poetry organisation, 2023
Delivers courses for survivors of domestic violence at Futures Theatre, 2023 - present
Delivers course 'Illustration: From Brief to Concept' on cross-discipline collaboration at Central Saint Martins, 2022 - present
Managed creative career development programme ‘Future Academy’ for 50 young people at The Face Magazine, 2022
Delivered regular Continued Professional Development training in schools, galleries and museums for teachers, creatives and educators 2018 - 2022
Managed learning programmes at House of Illustration, 2017-2022
Worked as Community Manager at design + technology company Bare Conductive, 2013-2016
Testimonials
“I first met Grace as her student at CSM then went on to be her mentee. My experience with her has been mind-blowing. The combination of an emotional and practical approach has taken me to another level, providing me not only with technical skills but also self-awareness. This enabled me to step out of my comfort zone without feeling intimidated.
Grace not only creates a comfortable atmosphere with her positive and friendly personality but also demonstrates outstanding professionalism in listening, interpreting, guiding, flexibility, and organisation.
Despite English being my second language, her patience in listening and efforts to understand my culture make me feel at ease discussing my feelings, and I can hardly sense the language barrier. In just two months, I already see the world differently, and I have become more aware of myself, moving closer to my goals. I am excited for the journey ahead, and I believe that, together with her, I can make my dreams come true.”
“I did two coaching sessions with Grace, the first exploring my practice and my creative blocks and challenges over the past few years. Right at the end of the session Grace skilfully manoeuvred me from talking about what was hard about making round to what was exciting about it. I suddenly felt that I had lots of ideas brewing that I hadn’t even realised
were there.
Grace helped me decide on and set three goals for the following session, that were ambitious but not overwhelming - it was brilliant to have someone to both value the work and hold me accountable to it. The second session we looked at what I’d made and talked about where I could take these things next. I was quite shocked that just an hour of talking to someone could do so much to get me back on the
art making train.
Grace was amazingly patient and asked really useful and specific questions. I genuinely feel creatively revived after our two sessions and am hoping to have an open studio in the next couple of months with all the things I’ve been making since we spoke.
I highly recommend Grace as a coach, as well as being incredibly skilled and experienced in working with artists - I found it so helpful that she was a peer who struggles with some of the same challenges as I do, such as balancing freelance work with making art or finding the line between a socially engaged practice an our own individual interests.
Grace doesn’t pretend to have all the answers but she shares a curiosity and a sharp intelligence for tackling
the questions.”
“Having had much counselling in the past I found that coaching was a more proactive way to handle my career and life issues. Rather than looking retrospectively at past moments it equipped me with constructive methods to break out of any negative behaviours I may have had and therefore prevented my spiralling patterns. Quite simply, it has helped me to have a more positive outlook and given me tools to help me sustain that.
I always left our meetings feeling more positive, stronger and calmer than when I went in. My sessions with Grace have enabled me to become a more focused and ultimately happier person. ”
“Grace has a holistic approach to supporting individuals in their growth. You feel safe and respected as she works hard to understand and affirm what your needs and hopes are in the conversation. But you also feel positively challenged to make meaningful changes and developments following your time with her – which is exactly what is needed!”
“Grace helped me come out of my shell and focus my attention fully on developing my body of work. She taught me to keep playful and recognise habits that were draining me.”
“The best thing about working with Grace is her genuine care for her clients. She’s really patient, funny and responsive. Everything’s tailored to your personality and needs.”