Many people have an instinctive recoil when they hear the word creativity, and it may well remind you of childhood painting disasters and school music lesson mishaps. I can certainly empathise with that from my own experience!

But I think of creativity as something different from both artistic talent and innovation. I believe that creativity is the ability to connect with and express the deepest levels of the Self in a unique way. It is about finding creative energy from the bit of you that connects you with your purpose in the world.

Recent findings in neuro-science suggest a strong link between creativity and empathy, and motivation and happiness. Being able to creatively express your whole self, to engage and communicate with others at a deep level, can be personally liberating, deeply motivating at work, and enriching for relationships with family and friends.

That creative energy can be expressed in many different ways: in how you talk, or smile, or tell a joke; in a landscape painting, a poem, a piece of music; or it could just as easily be through an entrepreneurial project, a motivating team meeting, or a coaching engagement with a colleague.

But whether it is in the arts or sciences, in technology or economics, in a creative design company or an engineering firm, an individual or a group, creativity emerges from this deep connection with the inner Self and one’s authentic purpose.

I believe that coaching and creativity can play an important role in helping people find that sense of inner purpose in a way that is personally enriching and that helps them achieve more harmonious, meaningful and constructive relationships.