I’m a business coach specialising in the Creative Industries and professional artists and creatives. I deal with the ‘people factor’ in the creative process - the imagination, collaboration and direction that are essential for creative and commercial success.

I’ve spent over 10 years coaching creative professionals in all kinds of media - including novelists, actors, graphic designers, visual artists, classical and popular musicians, DJs, composers, copywriters, film directors, programmers and architects. I’ve also delivered coaching, training and consulting for organisations including Channel 4, the BBC, Transport for London, Gist, Vodafone, BT, Servier Laboratories, the Arts Council and Arts & Business.

My creative and business interests have converged with Wishful Thinking Creative Coaching, a specialist coaching and training service for creative businesses such as design studios, ad agencies, film and TV production companies, computer games developers, architect’s practices and fashion designers.

This blog is about creativity, coaching and business, how they fit together and whether the seams show. It’s a space for me to share my ideas and enthusiasms, and to connect with creative people.

In 2006 I passed the MA in Creative and Media Enterprises at the University of Warwick, with distinction. My MA dissertation was a research project on Perceptions of Coaching in the UK Creative Industries. You can listen to podcasts of my research interviews with managers, directors and development professionals across a range of creative industries. In 2008 I will publish a revised version of my research report on this site.

My creative coaching has been featured in publications including Creative Review, Mslexia and The Author.

I’m also a poet and one of the editors of Magma poetry magazine. You should read it - it’s a great read, and will surprise you if you think modern poetry is elitist gibberish. You can sample it for free on the Magma website. I edited Magma 34 which is archived with audio podcasts on the UK Poetry Library website. My poetry blog is Mark McGuinness|poetry.

The photo of me is by Christina Jansen at Valentino.