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The Creative Life

Coaching for creatives

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Group coaching

Group coaching for creatives

As creatives, we’re stronger together

I talk a lot, in the articles on this site, about Brian Eno’s idea of scenius, about the collective intelligence of a scene or group. Yet it still surprised me to find how powerful it can be, for creatives from different fields to meet and share their challenges, their experiences, their blocks and their successes. 

I started working with groups early in 2021 to offer a more affordable way of accessing my coaching. But the support and friendship that quickly grew within the groups made them about much more than the content and coaching that I deliver.

We shared new insights and resources, victories and set-backs. And realised that writers, artists, designers, photographers, makers and musicians more in common than may first appear. Tools, tips and techniques that apply in one discipline can often easily be adapted and applied to other fields, so we all learn from each other. 

We meet via Zoom for 10 weekly sessions. The course is flexible, and I’m happy to adapt it to your needs and to whatever comes up in each session. It roughly follows the format of my free 10-day course. (And if you haven’t tried that yet, sign up for it here.)

But in the groups we go much deeper, with plenty of time for questions and coaching, for support and accountability. Each group has a maximum of 12 people, so there’s also plenty of opportunity to get to know each other, and time for everyone to get some coaching from me.

It was like giving my creative life an MOT. I just kept thinking, “Why haven’t I done this before?”

Louise Harries, designer and lecturer




Here are some of the things we cover:

  • Really own what you do, and talk about it with confidence
  • Structure your time better, and manage multiple projects
  • Improve your focus, and know what to prioritise
  • Form habits and routines that support your creative work
  • Learn how to market, pitch and sell your work without feeling fake, pushy or icky
  • Connect with your audience or customers in an way that is authentic and genuine
  • Price your work and your services more confidently
  • Increase your income by building multiple income streams
  • Gather your tribe, build your audience – and your support team
  • Learn how to manage your time and energy better
  • Get clear on your why: exactly what you want from your creative life

I cannot to express how much difference this coaching programme made. Sheryl’s highly enjoyable delivery and insightful instruction has given me a totally unexpected confidence, and a new sense of calm and strength.

Jo Sax, photographer

How it works

We meet weekly, via Zoom, for 90 minutes. Between sessions, I’m available via email to answer questions, give support or feedback. 

At the end of the course, you will also get a free copy of my book Making It as a reminder of all we’ve covered, the action steps, tools and resources. 

My next group won’t be till autumn 2026. If you want to be first to hear when booking opens, subscribe to my newsletter.

A useful, practical course that looks at how you run your time, market yourself and treat yourself as a freelance creative. I loved the mix of different professions in our group.

Paul Digby, artist

Success Stories

Here’s what members of previous groups say about the ten-week group programme

This course was invaluable.

Sustaining a creative career is such a high-wire act – working out how to nourish ourselves, how to flourish while making sure deadlines are met and bills get paid.
Sheryl gets it. She’s kind, wise, energising and inspiring, if you’re looking for a guide that will help you to bring out the best of yourself, while developing ways to manage your biggest challenges. This course was invaluable, I learned so much and I’m so glad I invested in it.
Daisy Buchanan
Author and podcaster

I can’t recommend this enough

I signed up for Sheryl’s course feeling disillusioned, tired and scared at the end of a gruelling, year-long creative process.

She helped me to work out how to restart the business part of my practice in a way that was healthy and manageable, and encouraged me to find time to make things too. I can’t recommend this enough.

Callum Cummins
Musician/recording engineer/producer

Sheryl is an extraordinary listener.

I’ve always loved the story of The Three Bears and I’m telling you that Sheryl is ‘Just right’! She has a direct, simple approach tempered with a touch of whimsy. She deeply knows the process and pitfalls of the creative life and can be vulnerable without being self-effacing. She is extremely insightful and gets right to the heart of things very quickly but remains respectful and is not pushy or proselytising. And above all she is an extraordinary listener. You can feel her acceptance and empathy and know she is rooting for you. I’ve taken her 10-week group coaching programme and am starting one-on-one coaching. Can’t wait to see what will unfold this year!
Jennifer Armstrong
Musician and storyteller, US

I feel stronger, clearer, more focused

My intentions in joining the group were that I would be part of a team of creatives – I work on my own, but I really miss working with other people – and that I’d find a bit of clarity on my direction for the future.  I definitely got that – and more. I feel part of a team of the most amazingly cool people. And I really feel able to project myself in the right way, seek out the right work, and feel proud of what I do. I feel much stronger, more focused and clearer. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s stuck, looking for a creative community, wanting to join a gang of great creatives, or needing a creative lift.

Laura Hall
Journalist/writer based in Copenhagen

I felt a renewed sense of purpose

The past couple of years have been pretty strange because of the flux that the world was in. So when I started the course with Sheryl, I was looking for a bit of reassurance, and for a way forward.

I was feeling a bit stuck, both creatively and in terms of how business was flowing. Sheryl has a wealth of information and tools available for her to share that gave me the pep I needed. I felt a renewed sense of purpose, I felt inspired, motivated, and well supported throughout the course and out the other end. And it was all done through kindness and a really strong sense of not being so hard on myself.

I will be recommending Sheryl’s courses to everyone, and I’ll definitely be joining her again at some point in the future!

Benjamin Youd
Photographer

Why haven’t I done this before?

This whole course was like giving my creative life an MOT. I just kept thinking, “Why haven’t I done this before?”

Louize Harries
Designer, lecturer, materials researcher

Anyone would develop their potential after taking this

Elizabeth Vickers

I loved this course. Sheryl ran each week in a constructive way, planning the theme and then letting the conversations develop. She was spot-on with her advice, allowing each of us to have a voice and then guiding us to achieve what potentially was possible. She listened. She guided. I think anyone would develop their potential after taking her course. I’ve now started to give advice to others with Sheryl’s voice in my head!

Elizabeth Vickers
Photographer, UK

An incredibly rich and varied course

Rhiannon Tise

This was an incredibly rich and varied course, full of practical advice and tips for creative minds. Sheryl has a wealth of experience and an honest approach. She’s supportive, positive, and always keen to find a solution to a niggling artistic or creative problem, or even just give a friendly virtual hug if you’re feeling frustrated or lacking in confidence about your current creative output. The course enabled me to rethink the way I approach potential collaborators and the weekly group discussions and sharing of ideas has developed my confidence in talking about my own work and career to date.

Rhiannon Tise
Writer for radio, theatre and TV, UK

Practical but fun.. I met some wonderful humans

Melissa Viviers

I loved the down-to-earth and practical but fun coaching style and the people in the group – a testament to Sheryl and the tribe that she attracts. I was scared of ‘compare & despair’ when I signed up, but I’ve met the most wonderful set of humans. Even though we are from different creative disciplines and in different phases of our careers, we all benefited from Sheryl’s coaching and sharing our own experiences, learnings or challenges. It was interesting to see the similarities in what we experience even though we are all so different.

Melissa Viviers
Photographer, UK

Transforming!

Jo Cox Photographer

I cannot to express how much difference Sheryl’s coaching programme has made. It enabled me to take the scattered pieces of my creative life and build a tower: something I have been trying to do for a few years. Her highly enjoyable delivery and insightful instruction has given me a totally unexpected confidence, and a new sense of calm and strength. I cannot thank her enough. Her coaching is transforming!

Jo Sax
Photographer, UK

A useful, practical course

Pail Digby

A useful, practical course that looks at how you run your time, market yourself and treat yourself as a freelance creative. Each week allows you the space and time to look at how you work and how you can improve this. I loved the mix of different professions and geographical locations in our group. My biggest a-ha moment came when I realised that I was waiting for funding – for permission, really – to begin a major new art project. When there was nothing stopping me starting straight away!

Paul Digby
Artist, UK

Fun and inspiring

The group sessions were fun and inspiring. As a result I have upped my day rate, I have a better relationship with my clients and I’ve realised that I am standing on the green grass! I’ve also made connections with other members of the group and given them a few assignments. Thank you for the ride! It’s been a pleasure.

Susi Paz
Shoot producer, picture/footage researcher, UK

It changed the way I view my time and priorities

The course changed the way I view my time and priorities as a creative. My mindset has gone from one of a hamster in a wheel, to realizing I have the power to control my own schedule. Instead of being ruled by an overbooked calendar and self-imposed deadlines, I’m making decisions that are best for me – energetically, as well as financially. Sheryl helped me refute my own negative self-talk or bad habits and see that I am not trapped or a victim of anyone else’s requests of me unless I allow this to be true. Thank you for giving me the space and tools to create my own best work systems!

Talia Manrique Dinwiddie
Photographer, USA

Literally everything I needed for a more prosperous and fulfilling freelance career

Sheryl’s creative coaching course was packed with literally everything I needed to know to have a more prosperous and fulfilling freelance career. It was structured in a logical and easy to follow manner and covered everything from growing your income to marketing yourself to expanding your networks, as well as the importance of play and rest. Sheryl was an encouraging and supportive presence throughout and it was lovely to work with other creatives in the course and cheer each other on. I’d recommend her coaching to anyone feeling stuck in their creative career, or wanting to take it to the next level.

Annabel Ross
Writer, US/Australia

Packed with great ideas, practical advice, useful exercises

What can I say about Sheryl’s ten-week creative coaching course? Highly recommended!
I signed up looking to connect to other creatives, gain insights and advice and learn how to move my own practice forward in positive, yet realistic ways. The course delivered all of the above and more, packed with great ideas, practical advice, useful exercises and delivered in a supportive environment. Sheryl is fantastic. She just gets it, and she empowers you to make smart choices, reflect proactively and determine future directions. And my fellow course-members – what a great bunch of people!
Professor Lawrence Zeegen
Design educator, speaker and writer, UK

Rich, insightful content

While delivering rich, insightful content, Sheryl mixes in personal stories with her long experience supporting creatives. She is adept at drawing out the contrasting experiences the group’s members, so that sessions are not lectures, but broad, discursive explorations of a theme. Even the areas of the course that were less relevant personally provoked fascinating insights and ideas, while Sheryl’s follow-up notes and resources direct your thinking beyond the session.  The content more than lived up to my expectations, and the group became a fascinating, motivating collective, providing insights into the ways other creatives work. We’ve even stayed in touch beyond the course and met IRL! I finished the course refreshed, revitalised and bringing new perspectives to my work and working life. Can’t recommend this highly enough!

Michael Wharley
Photographer, UK

I’m allowed not to be perfect

“I now feel I am allowed not to be perfect, I am reminded that it’s OK to work in ways and structures that suit the creative psyche. Over the course of a creative life, we make many things: there isn’t one static moment of perfection. We are all allowed to develop.”

Alison Eddy
Art director

I learned so much!

 I learned so much in the 10 weeks, new skills and mindsets to approach various creative and business challenges. It will take 6-12 months to apply it all, but my sales increased even during the course.
Jacqueline Mok
Creative entrepreneur

I’ve become braver and bolder

The high professional level of every participant was a great asset. We had a lot to offer each other in knowledge and support. The weekly accountability really helped me get things done quickly. I’ve become braver and bolder at reaching out to people and organisations I want to work for, and in writing funding applications for arts grants.
Grete Hjorth-Johansen
Photographer

Invaluable – I’m a happier photographer because of it

Being a creative is a lonely experience, made worse when the well of work runs dry. Sheryl generously shares her arsenal of life and work hacks that illuminate pathways to a happier, more stable and more positive approach to the creative ups and downs.

The course also gives you a VIP pass to an amazing and diverse cohort of creatives, all happy to share their time and experience to help each other.  It was invaluable, and I am a happier photographer for it. I no longer have to beat myself up when not shooting for money, as Sheryl helped me think of downtime as a creative resource, not a black hole of despair.

Danny Burrows
Photographer

The best gift I could give to myself and my career

Joining Sheryl’s coaching group was the best gift I could have given to myself and my career. Her words of wisdom empowered me to be bold and unapologetic, to dream bigger, and most importantly, to rediscover the joy of creativity—a spark I had lost over the past few years.

Genevieve Godbout
Illustrator, Canada

Like a big hug every Tuesday evening

I really enjoyed Sheryl’s course. I appreciated her down-to-earth style, and the support of the group was like a big hug every Tuesday evening. We’re planning to continue meeting up virtually and put the good ideas into practice.

Elaine Ewart
Poet, UK

Experienced, and not afraid to say hard stuff

“Sheryl is strong, experienced, and not afraid to say hard stuff. But she also doesn’t take herself too seriously! I highly recommend signing up for her newsletter, joining one of her courses, and hiring her 1-on-1 to help you in your unique creative hopes, fears, dreams, blocks, and projects.”
Jonathon Stalls
Artist, author, activist, US

It gave me so many tools.

The course really drove home to me the importance of rest and renewal within creativity, rather than pushing on through to force yourself to be productive when you are exhausted. It gave me so many tools – some I am still rediscovering through the handouts – and I know that I will keep returning to the material for years to come!
Bonnie Radcliffe
Writer and designer, UK

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