I think we can agree that to reflect on one’s work brings benefit – yes?? CSA held a community day last week for our supervision graduates and we had the wonderful Jackee Holder (www. jackeeholder.com) inspiring us on the theme of using creative writing to aid reflection on our coaching. The group were suitably inspired as we worked and played our way through various reflective exercises and woke up to what we were capable of. We explored free fall writing, 7-minute reflections, creative evaluation, working with free association and even plotting our next article! So much was stimulated in a short space of time.
What occurs or me now, as I think about the day, was not only that we were energised and genuinely inspired (how often does this happen??), but that it is easy to dismiss the more creative aspects of our work, rather than to engage with them enough, so that we really get the benefits.
Is there a form of creativity that you are ignoring or that has lapsed, that could resource you just now?
I also noted how delighted everyone was to re-connect and to have a community of practice, a forum for shared learning, where conversation was genuinely resourcing.
Do you have sufficient, honest, open conversations with other coaches – conversations that send you home fuller, eager and ready for the next client??
I often notice as I work with supervisees how lonely our work can be. That sounds a bit odd, given that we are always communicating (!), but our work is generally not witnessed and we are usually in a room with a client or group getting on with it as best we can. We have to dig out time for reflection, for supervision or for a quality of connection with other professionals that supports and resources us.
May I encourage you to find suitable sources of renewal and refreshment.
And watch this space for announcements of Jackee’s future workshops!
Edna Murdoch April 2013
