Using Creative Dissatisfaction: A Coaching Cue Card

Do you wish your creative work or experience was different? That prickle of creative dissatisfaction comes with the territory. 

We can choose what to do with this feeling, and there are several choices. Just let the irritation or fretfulness be? Try to talk yourself out of it? Dig in and work with it productively? While there might be something creative in any of those responses, this cue card offers can provoke enough insight to feel like you do have that choice. 

Using your creative dissatisfaction cues

1. What do you want to feel more of in your creative life?

   Perhaps that’s free, grounded, surprised, immersed, confident, supported, calm, proud, focused, bold, or more likely something else. I want to feel more ___________________. 

2. What were you doing and what were the circumstances when you felt more of that?

   The situation when I felt more ________ was _______________________________________.

3. Seeing what has worked in the past, what’s something that could move you toward feeling more of what you’re looking for in your creative life now?

   I think ____________________ could bring me more ____________ in my creative work and experience now. 

4. Is there a next step you’ll take toward more of what you want from your creative work?

   I plan to _____________, and this is how I’ll go about making that work: _________________________. 

Experiment, evaluate, evolve. Do What Works. 

Coaching cue cards give you a sounding board with yourself, a way to uncover insights and set your own path forward for a situation you may experience. They invite you to do a little self-coaching about something that can affect your progress and satisfaction with your creative work, whatever that is. 

Coaching cues look easy (and usually are) and maybe a little too self-evident until you take the time to write down your answers and find a moment of insight or inspiration.

Self-coaching doesn’t replace professional coaching or anything else. It does offer a way to navigate your creative experience with more clarity and a surer touch.