As a working artist in mixed media fiber art, I bring a practical understanding to creativity coaching. I know the territory of juggling artmaking with other life responsibilities. I believe it is up to the artist to find ways to deepen trust in one’s inner sources of creativity. This is often difficult in the face of cultural pressures to tune outward to the needs of other people, the moods of the market, and the latest "in" technique.

Following a lifelong love of fiber arts, I completed a City and Guilds Design Certificate Program with Gail Harker (9/97 to 12/99). I am personally familiar with midlife changes, multiple "jobs", and refocusing on art and craft later in life. Since 1999, I have been creating and learning with a passion. I am familiar with finishing and not finishing work, getting my work seen and not seen, and the risks and joys of the path from creative spark to having one’s work out in the world. You can have a look at my art work at www.dianereardon.com/arthome.

As a psychologist, I bring a background in research, and in individual and group psychotherapy. I earned my Ph. D. at Claremont Graduate School and then spent 10 years in clinical research on the faculty at UCLA. I then worked with adults to make changes in their lives until my retirement from psychotherapy practice on Whidbey Island, Washington in 2003. I keep current  with the latest psychology research that can support artists in their creative work. The forward-looking findings from the new field of positive psychology are exciting and I enjoy translating them to those to living creative lives.

As a creativity coach, I offer

I completed post-graduate training with the College of Executive Coaching for certification as a Master Personal and Executive Coach (MPEC) in 2004. This is a 17-month in-depth coach training program that requires demonstration of coaching skills in an in-person certification process.

I am a member and faculty for the Creativity Coaching Association, the premier certification program for creativity coaches. I have taught their core course "Building the Coaching Relationship" since 2005, and served as both supervisor and consultant to coaches in training. I subscribe to the code of ethics of the International Coaching Federation.

Although I am open to many areas of your life as they affect accomplishing your goals, neither my background nor my school of coach training espouses any particular philosophical or spiritual approach. Coaching helps you make the changes you want to make, using your personal resources which include your own values and beliefs. My goal is to help you develop ways of gaining confidence in your own perceptions and honoring your inner guidance.