About/ Coaching

I'm Julia Weston, a mixed-media artist, creativity coach and teacher. Recently I moved to Clevedon, in North Somerset with my partner Pedro and aged cat, Vasco. And so far it's been the very best of moves!

Earlier this year we had a shedstudio (second incarnation - the insulated one!) built in the backgarden of our home and it's here that I spend my days exploring whatever has captured my attention recently and preparing classes. I also use the space to teach catch up sessions for students or private classes.

I'm both a printmaker and a painter - working on cradled panels and on paper in a wide range of mediums including acrylics, inks, collage and mono-printing from anything I can find to hand.
I take inspiration from a growing consciousness of what it is about life that lights me up - be it worn surfaces or repeated patterns or local beach weeds - and from frequent visits to Portugal and I tend to become obsessed with an idea, which I then explore at length.
Currently I'm entranced by frequent walks around the coast here, particularly Poets' Walk: different times of day, the vibrant sunsets and ever changing moody skies are drawing my attention and I'm beginning to explore how to use this rich visual stimuli in my artworks.

Working in sketchbooks is a fundamental part of my practice and it's how I often start my sessions and find my flow as well as allowing more freedom and explorations into my art.

I'm also constantly learning by taking courses led by practicing artists whom I admire. Nicholas Wilton's CVP 12 week intensive programme, which I took in Spring 2021 and again in 2022, was one such course which has really deepened my painting practice and my understanding of so many aspects of creating.

I'm an elected member of ArtCan, an artists led non -profit arts organisation and a member of Global Artelier 21, a collective of 9 artists who met during CVP in 2021.

https://www.artcan.org.uk/about-us/

https://www.globalartelier21gallery.com

Additionally, I've worked in education for over 25 years and adult education for about 20 years including running teacher training sessions in art for groups of up to 50 teachers.

And it's these combined skills - in art and teaching - that I'm utilising for in-person classes and short courses at the beautiful Clevedon Craft Centre. It's a huge joy bringer to be able to share my passion for what I love most in life - creating art and all that that involves.

Creativity Coaching

Why am I offering coaching?

I have an active art discipline and feel fulfilled when I create. I understand my life more through making art and I’ve pursued creative practices throughout my life, in one form or another.
In my education coaching I have helped solve problems, educate people, cheerlead and build confidence, responded to situations as they arose and listened to what people have to say. I have a desire to bring these 2 parts of my life together.
I've been working with coaching clients (read reviews below) to build my experience and I'm now ready to offer online sessions (or in person if you happen to be local) - whether one off or a series of 3 - to artists who feel they need some kind of help.

What does it cost?

I’m offering an introductory rate for online coaching sessions with me - 3 sessions for £125, to be taken within 4 months; or a one-off session for £50.

Each session is approximately an hour long and you have email contact with me, should you like it, in-between sessions if you book the series of 3. Before we meet for ther first time, I ask you to complete a set of questions in order to help us both understand how to target the time best.

What are my strengths?

· A desire to help people

· Creative problem solving

· Explorative playing! And the power of play in artmarking

· Digging deeply into my inspirations / finding my own voice

· Finding my way out of ruts

· Finding my flow in studio practice

· Journaling to understand what my art is about or why I’m drawn to certain things

· Exploring what I love in art and life and incorporating that

· Building a body of work

· Busting some negative beliefs (e.g. I can’t finish work!)

What I’m not offering coaching in:

· Anything to do with technology – websites, Insta, You Tube – there are way better people out there to help you!

· The business side of art – as above.

Reviews:
The insights I’ve gained from my coaching sessions with Julia are still unfolding into my art practice weeks later. Her first questions of me before starting, were invaluable in helping me get clear on where I was heading, and we built from there. Julia inspired me to look at my process and mindset more deeply, but in a gentle and fun way. Each session stimulated new ideas and things to try, that ultimately helped me to break through.

As a working artist, Julia has great insights to offer. I was drawn to the creative freedom and play she shows in her own work. And I was amazed that she could so quickly see into my inner struggles.

I have wanted my writing and my art practice to overlap more visually, and Julia was the perfect coach to help me with that; she had ideas and examples at the ready. She listened “between the lines”, asked amazing questions, and now I’m off, super inspired and trying new things!

Julia’s questions were unusual and really took me into places that I’d not explored before. I am still journaling and creating work with the insights she helped me gain. So good!

I can’t speak highly enough about working with Creativity Coach Julia; she is a pleasure to work with, thinks outside the box, asks refreshing questions, and helped me breakthrough a tiresome conundrum- all coached in such an enjoyable way. Thank You so much!

Tara L. Poet, Artist

I definitely would recommend you as a coach . I love that you come prepared into the meetings - it shows interest, and it means you can get to the point fast. The questions you asked before were very good - I love that you asked ´what hasn´t worked in the past?´ - more time to focus on other possible ways ahead! I love your sincere enthusiasm and encouragement. Sincerity is EVERYTHING, it builds trust. I would especially recommend you to artists who have somehow lost their spark - I think you´d be incredible for them, and you have such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to play!

Cindy K, Artist

I believe I have gained so much from our zoom meeting. I have more confidence and am exited about the steps that we agreed on by the end. These are varied: reading, exploring and play.

It was great that we had a starting point with the application for the place and I was amazed that you picked out the areas we needed to work on going forward. As a first session I was so happy and feel confident that I will achieve what I want in time to come.

As for any changes I think ‘from only one session’ that you have it just right. Wouldn’t change anything. I feel at ease and that if I needed help or was stuck etc. you would do your best to help which is what you are doing now.

Sally W, Artist

I think being listened to by an empathetic person with similar interests was hugely valuable; it made me listen to myself more, perhaps that's what the talking therapies are all about enabling you to think... how true is that? and is this what I really want?

What I most took away was that I'm not alone in my thinking and it's ok to not be driven by marketing strategies and on-line groups, better to find what works for me on a more personal/local scale.

Jane R, Artist