parish stapleton

Not exactly.

There is some overlap with coaching in that we talk, reflect, and work toward clarity. But Creative Identity Work is not therapy.

People often come wanting more focus, direction, or momentum. This work approaches those questions through the relationship between identity and practice.

It focuses on how you think, what you value, how you work, and what you create, especially when the conditions around that work are changing.

This work is for people who feel a growing gap between who they are, how they work, and what their work now requires of them.

It may be relevant if you are navigating industry change, questioning direction, struggling to maintain coherence in your practice, or finding that established ways of working no longer fit your current life, values, or priorities.

It can also be relevant if you are building something new and need a steadier relationship to identity, practice, and decision making.

No.

Many people who come to this work do identify that way, but not everyone does.

What matters more is whether creativity is central to how you think, build, make decisions, or shape your life and work.

You may be an artist, designer, writer, founder, independent practitioner, or someone in the middle of rethinking what your work is becoming. The point is not the label. It is the relationship between identity and practice.

Sessions are conversational, but not unstructured.

We begin with what feels most present or most unclear. That may be a moment of disorientation, a decision, a recurring pattern, or a broader shift in identity and practice.

From there, the work is to clarify what is happening, what matters, and what may need to change. The aim is not just insight, but a steadier and more coherent relationship to your practice.

A one to one session can be useful when something specific feels unclear and you need perspective, orientation, or a place to begin.

A longer arc allows for more continuity.

The 8 week Foundation Phase creates a defined period to stabilise identity and practice, while the 6 month Creative Identity Recalibration allows for deeper and more sustained work over time.

Some people begin with a single session. Others know from the outset that a longer period of structured work will be more useful.

People engage with this work in different ways.

Some begin with a one to one session and return as needed. Others work in a more sustained way through the 8 week Foundation Phase or the 6 month Creative Identity Recalibration.

What matters most is not frequency on its own, but having enough continuity for the work to deepen over time.

All sessions take place one to one on Zoom.

This allows the work to be accessible across locations and keeps the process simple and consistent.

Each session is followed by a short email that helps carry the work forward between meetings.

Depending on the session, this may include reflections, points of focus, or a simple way to continue working with what has emerged.

That usually becomes clearer quite quickly.

If something specific feels unclear and you need perspective, orientation, or a place to begin, a one to one session is often enough.

If the work feels more layered, ongoing, or difficult to shift in a single conversation, a longer arc is usually more useful.

Some people know immediately that they need a defined period of structured work. Others begin with one session and decide from there.

You can begin by booking a one to one session through the Creative Identity page.

Before we meet, you will receive a short set of questions to help establish context and bring focus to the conversation.

From there, we can decide whether a single session is sufficient or whether a longer arc would be more useful.

If you need to reschedule, please give at least 24 hours’ notice.

Missed sessions or late cancellations are not refundable, but with enough notice I am happy to arrange another time.

Yes.

Many people begin that way.

A one to one session can be a useful place to bring a specific question, a moment of disorientation, or a broader sense that something in your identity and practice needs attention.

For some people, that is enough. For others, it becomes the starting point for a longer arc of work.

Yes.

Many of the people I work with are based overseas.

Because sessions take place on Zoom, the work can be held across locations as long as we can find a suitable time zone overlap.

Focalizing is an embodiment based approach that works with felt experience rather than analysis alone.

It supports attention to the signals of the body, especially where someone feels stuck, pressured, or disconnected. Rather than treating those signals as interference, Focalizing works with them as useful information.

In practice, it helps people develop a more attentive relationship to themselves and can support greater clarity, steadiness, and connection over time.

It does not involve physical touch.

No.

Some people come with a defined project, transition, or decision. Others come with a broader sense of disorientation, fatigue, or uncertainty about what their work is becoming.

A clear project can be useful, but it is not required. The work can begin wherever you are.

Yes.

I work with both established professionals and emerging artists, particularly those stepping into a more demanding phase of practice or trying to establish a clearer relationship to identity, direction, and work.

What matters most is not your label or stage, but whether this work speaks to the questions you are actually living.