About 

Creativity has always been my superpower.

Growing up in Mississippi in the early 1960s, I never quite fit in. As a boy who felt different in ways I couldn’t yet name, I quickly learned that survival often meant blending in. I became a master at reading the room, anticipating what others wanted, and shaping myself to meet their expectations.

But underneath all of that, there was a current of something deeper—a quiet, powerful force that helped me feel alive. I had an intuitive sense of space, a way of transforming environments to make people feel at ease. That was creativity. It was how I connected with the world. It gave me a place when I wasn’t sure I had one.

For decades, I poured that creative energy into photography, styling, and art direction. My work received recognition, and on the surface, I was successful. But behind the scenes, I was always creating for someone else—for the client, the audience, the approval. I wasn’t creating for me. I’d lost touch with the source.

I occasionally gave myself permission to create something personal. But it never lasted. I would slip back into the cycle of over-delivering and over-adapting. Deep down, I was still seeking validation—trying to prove my worth through output and excellence. My creativity, once a lifeline, had become a performance.

Maybe that sounds familiar.

Maybe you’ve spent years creating for others — clients, colleagues, audiences — but now you’re wondering what your voice actually sounds like. You’ve accomplished things that should feel fulfilling… but deep down, you sense something essential is missing.

And then the reckoning came. The moment I realised how much of my life had been lived for the gaze of others. When the penny dropped, it dropped hard. I couldn’t unsee it. I had built a career but not a creative life. That question landed with force:

What would it look like to create from a place of authenticity?

So, I went inward. I studied, read, reflected, and became certified as a Creativity Coach. I earned a Master of Fine Art. I returned to creative practice—not for show, not for sale, but for myself. I made things with no brief, no deadline, and no audience. And through that, I remembered something profound:

Creativity isn’t just about what we make. It’s about how we live. It’s a way of being. A way of listening. A way of coming home to ourselves.

Now, that’s the work I do.

I help people—artists, professionals, creatives and creatives-at-heart—reconnect with their creative voice. I guide them to soften perfectionism, to listen to their bodies, to create from presence instead of pressure. To experiment. To trust. To unfold.

Because whether you’re preparing for an international exhibition or just trying to remember who you were before the world told you who to be — you deserve a creative practice that feels like yours. One that isn’t driven by proving, pleasing, or productivity, but by presence, permission, and play.

How My Professional Experience Informs My Coaching

Creativity Coach

With over four decades of experience in the commercial advertising industry and a lifelong devotion to the creative arts, I now work with clients to unlock their true creativity—free from constraints, shame, or outdated models of success. Whether you’re a professional artist or rediscovering creativity after years away, I offer tailored support that blends deep listening, strategic insight, and embodied practice.

Freelance Creative

I’ve worked in New York, Dallas, and Sydney with clients including The Woolmark Company, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Prada, Tom Ford, Martha Stewart, JC Penney, and Macy’s. My skill set includes:

  • Navigating higher education in Fine Art

  • Mentoring creatives in commercial image-making

  • Self-promotion for exposure and employment

  • Sole trader business management

  • Interpreting and challenging design briefs

  • Balancing personal and commercial creativity

Founder of HydroSkin

As the founder of HydroSkin, I’ve built a boutique skincare brand from concept to shelf. My coaching is informed by every step of that journey:

  • Brand ideation and development

  • Product design and packaging

  • Website and e-commerce design

  • Social media strategy and customer experience

  • Automating systems and scaling sustainably

If something in this speaks to you—

If you feel the nudge, the restlessness, the quiet ache to finally create from your own truth

Let’s talk. Email me directly parishstapleton@mac.com

This is the work I was made for. And if you’re ready to begin, I would be honoured to walk beside you.

You’re not broken.
You’re unfolding.
And your creativity is waiting for you.