(This interview is continued from the October 30 2010 Artellagram... )

Artella: How has your ARTbundanceTM training affected your work and/or life?

Karen: I think the most important part of the training was that it changed ME, which led to changes in my coaching and my life. It was like I had permission to do things in a way I hadn’t thought of—challenging ideas about my earlier coach training. My coaching began to focus more on creativity and imagery as tools to help clients paint a bigger picture of their lives through their own self-awareness and confidence. My own life continues to evolve in many creative and enjoyable ways. The process of creating art ( not the product) lets your right brain out to play, and mine plays a lot more now. In general, I think that even if I never used ARTbundance techniques as a coach, the self-development and deep inner awareness I got from the training was life-changing. I thought I knew myself pretty well, but doing the ARTsignments uncovered areas I hadn’t thought about in a long time—and there they were, in a drawer in my mind, waiting to be looked at.

Artella: In your mind, how are creativity and spirituality related?

Karen: Without a doubt, I believe all creativity has spirituality as its source. Spirituality, however you express that, taps into something larger than yourself. It’s like dipping your mind into a big deep pool of ideas wearing scuba gear so you can see everything clearly and breathe easily. When you resurface, ideas and possibilities are right there in your head.

Artella:What kinds of people do you most enjoy working with? Who is your ideal client?

Karen: I enjoy working with Boomer women who are at a crossroads or have changing life roles and are looking for “What’s next?” My ideal client is ready and willing to commit to change and willing to play a bit. My ideal client tends to show up in many forms, so although I do have an “ideal client,” I think you have to let go of a hard definition. Not every client that is your “ideal client” is right for you, and some that don’t quite fit the definition are just right. The best I can say about that is be open and willing.

Artella: ARTbundance™ Coaching is based on nine ARTbundance™ Principles. Do you have a favorite Principle, or one that you really enjoy activating in other people? Which one, and why?

Karen: Choice is one of my favorites, along with gratitude, as I mentioned before. Choice isn’t just about picking from things that come your way—it’s creating the choice itself. By attracting what we want instead of what we don’t want, we create choice. I love to help clients see choice—first to recognize that there is one, also to learn to create their own choices. It is my favorite because seeing and making choices is what helps forward momentum happen.

Artella: What does your future hold? What projects are you working on now?

Karen: My future continues to unfold, and every day is a new adventure—I just love that. I have two companies that work together—Think You Can (www.thinkyoucan.net), which is my coaching company and Rich Chicks (www.richchicks.org), which is a financial education company for women. One of my life’s other passions (besides coaching) is to help women take care of themselves financially—to be financially literate. Rich Chicks addresses that area, and I am working on digital products of the classes we currently teach in person. My coaching style is also about abundance and creating prosperity in one’s life. I am working on a Vision Quest class series for Think You Can. I have a book in the works (don’t we all?) and I’m having a lot of fun.