Gary Moreland here, guest blogger, author and talent coach.
If you want creative air talent, master this one-word coaching style.
The coaching style is “Encouragement.”
Air talents are not technicians who analyze problems, write code or tighten screws.
Air talents are more like artists. They create. They make people feel something.
Artists do not create better art because they were criticized or scolded. Criticism shuts down the artist’s creativity.
Artists must be brave to release parts of themselves into a nasty world just waiting to criticize and reject.
A talent coach must help them be brave, shield them from inappropriate criticism and be a friendly, but truth-telling, filter that they can trust who will protect them from doing something crazy.
This means the coach must be an artist too–a coaching artist!
Coaching artists honor the truth of these words from Paul Tournier, Swiss psychologist:
In all fields, even those of culture and art, other people’s judgment exercises a paralyzing effect. Fear of criticism kills spontaneity; it prevents men from showing themselves and expressing themselves freely, as they are . Much courage is needed to paint a picture, to write a book, to erect a building designed along new architectural lines or to formulate an independent opinion or original idea.
And finally, Francis Ford Coppola on the biggest barrier to being an artist:
Self-confidence always. The artist always battles his/her own feeling of inadequacy.
Be the artist for the artist. And see creativity blossom.
Gary believes encouragement is powerful in families, too. He’s written a whole book about it. Find out more at afamilyshapedbygrace.com.
