Why I Chose to Become a Creative Facilitator

For me, to be a creative facilitator is to be an ally and a guide, to help people navigate the many obstacles that arise on the creative path, with the intention of helping them fulfill their vision and share it with the world. It’s a role that blends artistry, empathy, and deep listening. But it’s also a story that began with my own heartbreak.

Finding My Way Back to Creativity

I met Erin Halligan Clare in Austin in 2019, at a time when I was trying to find my footing again after the breakup of my band. That loss was devastating. We had made two records together, and I believed we were just beginning to grow into our sound.

For anyone who has ever said, “Just start a new band,” it’s clear they don’t understand the intricate chemistry, persistence, and alchemy it takes to build a musical group. When that bond dissolves, it feels like a painful divorce or the death of a good friend.

That’s where Erin and her creative facilitation workshops at Story Bar came into my life. Her space was the first place I felt I could openly explore my creative voice again while holding the grief of what I had lost. There was something magical about the way she guided each of us through our creative processes—gently, skillfully, and without judgment. I remember thinking, I don’t know how she’s doing this, but I want to learn how to do that someday.

The Call of the Muse

After one of her sessions, I asked Erin if she would ever consider teaching what she did. I didn’t know it at the time, but that question became like the call of the muse, inspiring her to begin shaping her intuitive practice into a comprehensive training for others.

Erin soon moved to Asheville, and I didn’t have the chance to study with her then.

Fast forward five years: I now live in Asheville myself, and this summer, I finally completed the immersive three-month Creative Facilitation Training with Erin at Story Parlor.

What the Training Meant to Me

It’s hard to put into words how meaningful it was to spend the summer exploring and invoking the creative process with twelve other students. I came away feeling deeply validated, realizing I’m not alone in my passion for supporting creativity in others.

I also discovered that there are tangible ways to help people move through creative blocks, rediscover creative joy, and transform their relationship to setbacks into more empowering beliefs.

I’ve come to believe that creativity is a fundamental human need. When that need isn’t nourished, we often experience symptoms: depression, burnout, or a sense of disconnection from ourselves. But when creativity is supported, something profound happens: we remember who we are and we feel a deep sense of belonging.

Why Creative Facilitation Matters

Creative facilitation is about more than helping someone make art, start a business, or be more creative in their work. It’s about restoring a sense of aliveness and possibility in a person’s relationship to their own creative process. It’s the art of midwifing ideas into form, through deep presence, curiosity, and compassionate structure.

It invites people to meet the inner critic with understanding, to listen for what wants to emerge, and to reimagine what “success” looks like through a lens of authenticity and wholeness. In a time when so many people feel creatively blocked or disconnected, I see this work as a form of care, both personal and cultural.

What I Hope to Offer Others

Now, on the other side of the training, I’m stepping into the next chapter, facilitating workshops and supporting other creatives in one-on-one coaching as they bring their visions to life. I hope to create spaces where people can reconnect with the joy of making, where creative expression feels less like performance and more like coming home to oneself.

It feels like a dream come true, one that began years ago in a small creative circle in Austin.

Thank you, Erin, for listening, for answering the call to create this training, and for building a community that celebrates the transformative power of the creative process.

If you’d like to learn more about creative facilitation, visit Inward & Artward School of Creativity.

Explore My Upcoming Workshops

If this story resonates with you and you’re curious about exploring your own creative path, I invite you to check out my upcoming workshops and events here.

Each offering is designed to help creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders reconnect with their creative voice and share it with the world—gently, courageously, and in their own timing.