Kate Lyon - Inspiring Creative Stories

In hot north-western Australia is a school principal who has been nurturing her creativity and seeing the value it brings to all areas of her life for the past year or so. Kate Lyon began Flourish: The Art of Creative Living without a lot of painting experience, however her skills have developed in leaps and bounds as she’s continued to allow herself to play, explore and have fun with the creative process.

I love hearing how Kate has found creative expression has supported her in achieving goals that had previously challenged her for years, in both her personal and professional life. She shares how being able to let go of her “attachment to the outcome and to enjoy the process in a playful way” has had a profound effect on her confidence at work, too.

Kate took the time to answer my interview questions and I’m so happy she did! I love seeing her creative space, hearing how creative expression has helped her in all areas of her life and much more. Let’s dive in!

Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your paintings? I would love to know what led you to pick up a paintbrush?

I trained as a teacher and now am a school principal. I grew up in a family that encouraged and fostered skills in music and creativity. I always saw myself as being crafty, but not artistic or a ‘natural’ talent. I had no trouble following a pattern, recipe or sheet of music, but did not have the confidence to draw, paint or develop my own creations. Recently I realised that I was no longer being creative at all and I missed it.

I came across Nicola a while ago through a life coach and tried a few of her free offerings. So when she released Flourish, I knew that this would fill that gap in my creative life and I signed up straight away.

What are some of the challenges you face when it comes to expressing your creativity?

A challenge I faced initially was overcoming my fear of failure, the thought that my work would not be good enough. As with many women, I often struggle to carve out the time to paint, even though I know how much it re-energises and relaxes me.

Can you please describe your creative space? Where do you like to create?

I set up a little trolley with my painting supplies and keep it in the living area of the house where the natural light is best. After using the kitchen table for a year, my husband bought me an easel for my birthday and I now enjoy standing up to paint. This has also enabled me to start playing with larger canvases.

I love to paint in the back yard when the weather is cool and I can enjoy the sounds of the birds and the breeze. I always paint to music and often include essential oils in some way. If the family is home, I put earphones in and everyone leaves me alone.

How did you develop your skills?

I systematically worked my way through the Flourish modules, downloading the playsheets and watching the videos. Seeing Nicola model each technique and process made me feel like I could achieve it too. Once I completed a few pieces, I developed more confidence to apply the skills in other ways.

I love how Flourish addresses mind-set, attitude and creative blocks. It provides ways to be inspired in everyday life. I now snip images from magazines, keep greeting cards and use photos and nature as inspiration for painting. Nicola’s gentle encouragement and suggestions helped me to overcome a few creative blocks I experienced during the program.

When do you like to be creative? How much time do you spend in the studio during the week on average?

I prefer to set aside several hours on weekends to paint when I can relax into the process. I tend to set my space up and complete a painting in one sitting, although I would like to develop the practice of also being able to paint in shorter periods of time
so that I can paint more frequently.

Does your creativity support you? If so, how do you feel it supports you?

My creativity has done so much to nourish and enrich other areas of my life. In the year of Flourish, I achieved goals in my personal and professional life that had challenged me for years. Being able to let go of my attachment to the outcome and to enjoy the process in a playful way has had a profound effect on the confidence I have in my work. It has resulted in a deepening of my growth mind-set which has enhanced my learning and development in everything I do.

Thank you so much for sharing your creative life with us, Kate!

If you would like to make creativity a priority in your life, I would be honoured to paint with you and support you in making that intention come true. I invite you to explore Flourish: The Art of Creative Living and all details about this fun-filled, supportive, year-long creativity school, right here.