Life's Negotiations

Twice this week I was asked how decisions around commitment or motherhood relate to coaching. I figured it was a sign to revisit the definition of this new field.

Coaching is for someone looking to move ahead with their lives, or understand themselves better to make decisions more aligned with who they are. Deciding about a relationship or whether/when to have kids is a perfect example of the latter.

Coaching clients can work with therapists simultaneously and on similar topics. The value there is getting a different perspective from each expert.

This is a generality to give you a sense of how coaching differs from therapy, and how it's useful:

I'm reading, "The Private Lives of the Impressionists" by Sue Roe about my favorite period in art history. Connecting these paintings to historical events and the friendships among the artists brings more to the interpretation of their beloved work.

Between the soap opera of love affairs and illegitimate children, I'm struck most by how little they were thought of by fellow artists and patrons at that time. It's surprising, when you consider how prevalent Monet's reprints are today (let alone Van Gogh's who came a few years later and similarly struggled for acceptance).

For these artists - Monet, Pissarro, Cezanne, Renoir, Manet, Degas - to stay true to their inspiration and keep creating despite the ridicule and poverty they endured, took possibly a combination of ego, insanity, determination, vision, and camaraderie.

I often skip the horoscopes of women's magazines and the newspaper. I'll admit that I'm curious what the hubbub was about, but kinda scared as well of learning too much about my future. Frankly, I like that it's up to chance (seemingly).

Lately though everyone I know is into astrology. Case in point:

April is tax season and for the self-employed (me) that means a trip to the accountant with every slip of paper I can find from the previous year.