What is a Creativity Coach? How to become a certified one

This is the ultimate guide to becoming a creativity coach. 

Today, I’ll show you how to start a creativity coaching business that gives you freedom, flexibility, and, most importantly, fulfillment. With results like these…

Ready to get started? Keep reading. 

What is a creativity coach?

A creativity coach helps people identify, develop, and apply their creative potential. 

The Creativity Coaching Association defines a creativity coach as someone who helps clients to “develop [their] artistic and humanistic talents.” 

As a creativity coach, you might work one-on-one with clients (for example, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, educators, or people in corporate roles) to unlock their creative potential and think bigger by giving them the right tools, techniques, and support.

Creativity coaches can help with things like:

• Identifying creative strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots
• Exploring new ideas and approaches
• Setting creative goals
• Getting out of creative ruts

You can also help clients reconnect with their creative passions.

And creativity coaching is needed. Research shows that creativity is linked with less stress and depressive symptoms and increased positive emotions.

Now, you might be wondering:

“Can I really build a successful creativity coaching business? Are there people who want my coaching services?”

Yes! The question is: How do you help them?

For example, a professional writer is struggling with writer’s block. A creative coach can help them find that creativity again. 

Or, someone who works in corporate wants to become more creative and improve their work performance. That’s also a situation where a creative coach can help. 

Take my student Jasmine, who has worked in creative fields for 10+ years. Today, she offers creative life coaching to help people figure out what they want to do with their lives:

Creativity coaching using techniques like mindfulness, meditation, brainstorming, and freewriting to achieve their goals.

But what, exactly, do creative coaches do? Let’s take a look.

What do creativity coaches do?

I’ve helped thousands of people start their own coaching business. And there are a few things the best coaches do to help their clients.

In your case, as a creativity coach, that means helping each client tap into their creative potential. 

Let’s talk about how.

Give actionable advice

Whatever advice you give your client has to be easily acted upon. 

That means creating a step-by-step plan for your client, with each month being a different step that takes them toward their overall goal. 

For instance, if your client wants to be more creative in their everyday life, your plan might be:

Month 1: Develop time management skills

Month 2: Set priorities

Month 3: Establish routines that allow for creativity every day

Help clients set goals 

Helping your client set and reach goals is the most essential part of the creativity coaching process.

Instead of just one overarching goal, you should also set subgoals for your client to work on between sessions.

Subgoals are call-specific goals that work together to help the client reach their primary goal. They’ll help you structure your sessions, track progress, and offer accountability.

You can learn more about setting goals in this guide.

Motivate clients

When your clients are working toward a goal, just knowing someone is in their corner can make all the difference.

That’s where you come in. 

As a coach, you’ll provide a vision and guide them, ensuring they believe they can reach their goals (even if you can’t promise it).

Offer actionable steps  

Sometimes, clients run into roadblocks. That’s normal!

But it’s up to you to offer the candor they need to get back on track. 

When your clients struggle, you’ll keep them accountable by helping them unravel their thoughts, reframe their perspectives, and move forward. 

You have to be honest about what they need to do to make progress – and although those conversations aren’t easy, they’re crucial to the creative coaching process.

I talk more about how to coach in this video: 

Next, we’ll talk about the kind of clients you’ll help.

Who should hire a creativity coach?

Most people assume creativity coaches are for writers, musicians, and artists.

But they also help people who: 

• Work in a creative industry
• Need guidance for a creative vision
• Need help developing creativity
• Want to reconnect with their creative side
• Want to explore new outlets (like transitioning from short stories to novels)
• Want to boost confidence and consistency in their creative abilities

Keep reading to discover the benefits of working with a creativity coach.

Benefits of a creativity coach

Working with a creativity coach allows clients to:

• Discover their creative vision with guided exercises, exposure to new art forms, and prompts that help clients discover what speaks to them.
• Eliminate unhealthy habits in the creative process by identifying bottlenecks and offering habit replacement techniques such as time management and self-compassion practices.
• Overcome self-doubt by learning to challenge and reframe limiting thoughts, celebrate past achievements, and build confidence through exposure and vulnerability.
• Set creative goals using actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed while better tracking progress and celebrating milestones to stay motivated.
• Increase personal growth by stepping outside their comfort zone to try new things, embracing feedback, and focusing on how their creativity impacts other aspects of their life.

Is this something you want to help others do? Then keep reading to learn about becoming a creativity coach.

How do you become a creativity coach?

What you need to become a creativity coach is the right experience and the ability to help them get the results they want.

But there are a few more steps to consider, which I’ll tell you about now.

Find a niche 

First, figure out your niche, or what you offer your clients.

The more specific you get, the better – it will help you stand out.

Creativity coaches could specialize in niches like:

• Creative career coaching
• Creative wellness
• Educational creativity
• Nature-inspired creativity
• Creative motivation
• Overcoming creative blocks
• Inspiring creativity in children

For more ideas, I’ve compiled a list of more than 100 profitable niches to get you started.

I also talk more about finding your niche here: 

Find creativity coaching clients

Marketing your business might seem intimidating, but there are a few easy ways to get your first-paying clients.

Get in touch with your friends, family, and colleagues. 

Chances are, at least one person in your network could use some creative help, so feel free to offer your services to the people you already know. 

It might feel awkward at first, but it’s one of the best ways to get started.

For instance, Jasmine, who I mentioned above, got in touch with coworkers and that’s how she landed her first clients.

Head to social media and join relevant communities.

Niche-specific communities on social media, such as the subreddit r/Creativity, are full of your ideal clients!

When you find the right community for you, hold off on talking about or pitching your creativity coaching services. Instead, focus on getting involved in the conversation and offering valuable advice first.

Get your voice heard on blogs and podcasts.

Being a guest on popular blogs and podcasts will help set you apart from other creativity coaches by positioning you as an expert.

Find a few that you’d be a good fit for, come up with a compelling angle, and pitch yourself as a guest!

Whichever route you take, only use one of these methods. You can always branch out as your client roster grows.

Create a creativity coaching offer

You can price your creativity coaching services in a few different ways, including per month or per session.

But per package is the best route for new coaches.

A three-month package, priced at $1,500, is a great offer. It should include two monthly calls and an extra line of communication, such as email or a WhatsApp group.

Your first offer doesn’t have to be your only offer. Think of it as a way to make your services accessible to new clients.

You’ll change your prices as you move through your career and grow your roster.

I go into more detail about figuring out your creativity coaching offer in this article.

Hold a creativity coaching session

The key to a successful creativity coaching session isn’t scripting each session word-for-word.

(Although, you can do it if it helps you feel more confident, especially when you hold your first coaching calls. That’s what I used to do when I first started coaching.)

Instead, focus on finding the right structure and making them goal-oriented.

It all comes down to knowing how to guide clients toward their main goal.

That’s where subgoals come in. They’ll help you structure your coaching sessions, track progress, and offer accountability.

I explain how to hold the perfect creativity coaching session in this guide.

We’ll talk about certifications next, so keep reading!

Top 3 creativity coaching certification programs

The biggest misconception in coaching is that you need a certification to get clients.

Really, you just need relevant experience and a proven method of getting your clients the desired results.

That’s not to say you can’t get a certification, but it’s important to keep in mind that the certification industry isn’t regulated. 

As you decide, look for one accredited by an organization like the International Coaching Federation or offered by a reputable institution such as a university.

You don’t have to choose a program specifically for creativity coaching. You could do something like arts coaching or life coaching – it depends on what you want to coach people on. 

If you choose to get certified, here are three of the best options.

Note! I haven’t taken these certification programs myself. These recommendations are based on online research and reviews. Always do your own research to understand if a program is the right one for YOU.

Creativity Coach Certificate & Diploma

Creativity Coaching

Offered by leading creativity coach Dr. Eric Maisel, this self-paced program consists of 52 weeks of lessons and 20 pre-recorded webinars. By the end of the course, you’ll be an Independent Creativity Coach and have access to resources from Noble-Manhattan Coaching.

Duration: Maximum of 18 months to complete the course

Accreditation: IAPC&M

Price: £2,500 ($3,200). Payment plans are also available.

Expressive Arts Coaching Certification

Flow Coaching Institute

The foundation of this certification lies in the belief that using art during coaching sessions helps clients maintain a positive outlook on any goals they might be facing. 

Therefore, coaches learn to use creative and aesthetic techniques to enhance the flow of each session and deepen their bond with the client. Lessons include coaching through visuals, mandala arts, and group mentoring.

Duration: Two months, live online sessions

Accreditation: ICF

Price: CAD $1,990 ($1,500).

iPEC Coach Training Experience

iPEC

While this certification isn’t focused on creativity coaching, iPEC’s program is a great option for anyone looking to break into coaching. 

The program is self-paced and consists of three stages. It includes mentoring, expert coaching, and access to a resource library with things like tools and templates to use in your sessions.

Duration: 10-12 months

Accreditation: ICF

Price: $13,395. Payment plans are also available. 

Keep reading to learn about what kind of salary you’ll make as a creative coach.

How much does a creativity coach earn?

The average creativity coach earns about $52,600.

But there’s no limit – many make over $100,000 annually. 

In fact, several of my students make six- and multiple-six-figures per year in similar niches. It all depends on things like your number of clients and niche.

Next steps 

There you have it! Everything you need to know about becoming a certified creativity coach.

A creativity coaching business can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling business. But not only that – you also create a life that’s more flexible and fun. 

But to do so, you need the right strategy.

I’ll show you the exact steps in my FREE blueprint, which you can download here:

Read more:

What is Life Coaching?

Top Qualities of Great Coaches

How to Start a Successful Coaching Business