20 Questions Interview
with Jill Allison Bryan

Singer/Songwriter, Creativity Coach

1. What's your name?

Jill Allison Bryan (I also answer to Mom, Sis, and Schatzi — depending on who's calling).

2. Where are you from?

Dallas, Texas (but I've lived in Novi, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Nashville, Tennessee, Lubbock, Texas, Denton, Texas and the U.S. & British Virgin Islands as well).

3. Who are you today?

I'm a happy human who wakes up every day with a passion for life, love, creativity and good coffee.

4. What do you do? (Elevator speech)

I'm a singer/songwriter, certified Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach and the founder of Creative Oasis Coaching™. I help people create the time and space to experience the joy of creative fulfillment in all aspects of their busy lives. I practice what I preach by writing, recording and performing original music and infusing my life with creativity every chance I get.

5. What's your story (how did you get here)?

Years ago when my daughter began kindergarten, (she's in middle school now — how did that happen?) I realized that, although I love being a mom, somewhere in the midst of those years of diaper changes, first steps, mountains of Cheerios and PBS cartoons, I'd let some pretty wonderful parts of myself slip away. Where was the writer? Where was the musician, the entertainer? I had dozens of creative ideas I wanted to pursue, but no idea where to begin. I was overwhelmed, procrastinating and cranky. So I went looking for a way to change all of that.

First I took an Artist Way course, and though that was a great place to begin, it was connecting with Jill Badonsky and Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaching, and being coached by her that changed everything (cue the choir of angels background music — 'cause this felt like nothing short of miracle!).

After a few weeks of creativity coaching with Jill I was making music again. Within a month or two I was booking gigs, performing around town and writing new material. And within two years, I had written, recorded, co-produced and released my debut solo CD, "Dancing in Limbo," created a wildly fun and successful CD release as silent art auction which raised more than $10,000 for Women for Women International, completed the training to become a certified Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach and started my own business, Creative Oasis Coaching™. This from a legendary procrastinator, queen of self-sabotage and when it came to follow through — not so much.

6. Why is creativity important to you?

I truly can't imagine my life without creativity. I'm so thankful that creativity infuses all aspects of my life from deciding what to make for dinner to what I wear to writing and recording a new song. It just makes life brighter, better and more fun! I love the Albert Einstein quote: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." My personal twist on that is that I choose to live as if everything is a creative possibility!

7. When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?

Since childhood I've been called to sing, write and act. I was called to be a creative in advertising as a copywriter after college. But when I found creativity coaching it was as if everything I'd been passionate about my entire life had been leading me to this ideal career.

8. How did you embrace it?

I already knew through personal experience that creativity coaching worked. When Jill asked me what I thought about taking the training to become a certified KMCC coach, I thought it would be fascinating to see behind the curtain and learn how it worked from the coach's perspective. By the time I had created and held my first creative retreat and experienced coaching a few people one-on-one, I knew that this was what I was meant to be doing. I had the thought, "Oh, so this is what I want to be when I grow up! Finally!"

9. How did that feel?

It was fantastic! It still does. It seems that several times a week I'll have a great session with a client or super fun group class or even a personal experience that reinforces my gratitude to have discovered and embraced creativity coaching.

Continue to Interview page 2 »