The Right Brain Business Plan: Q & A with Jennifer Lee

I’m super delighted to have a Q & A with Jennifer Lee today. Her brand new book, The Right Brain Business Plan, offers oodles of creative options for entrepreneurs who shudder at the thought of a traditional business plan. Every creative entrepreneur should have a copy of this book which is chock-full of exercises, worksheets, success stories and so much more.

Tell us a bit about the back story behind the The Right Brain Business Plan.

The Right-Brain Business Plan was born on my kitchen table during the November 2007 Art Every Day Month challenge. I was working on my 2008 business plan and decided to do something creative with it since I had to make art that day anyway. So I collaged a vision board on the front side of an accordion book and then next day I wrote all of the details of the plan on little cards that I stuck in envelopes on the back of the accordion book. And the first RBBP was born! It then blossomed into a 9-page illustrated, handwritten e-book in the spring of 2008, workshops and e-courses and now the book and my Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit. The whole evolution has been quite organic!

I’d love for you to share a little bit about how you integrate intuitive painting and the expressive arts into your work as a coach.

I’m a Certified Intuitive Painting and Expressive Arts Facilitator through Chris Zydel and every now and then I lead intuitive painting playshops that help people connect with their inner muse. It’s an eye-opening process because you see your interior world of imagination and emotions unfold right in front of your eyes. I incorporate other forms of expressive arts into my coaching through inviting clients to draw, paint, sculpt, collage, dance and sing – whatever mode or combination of modalities that inspires us at the moment. Not every coaching session has an expressive arts element in it, but when the moment is ripe for it, the creative process can be a powerful learning tool.

What are three words that best describe you?

Creative, grounded, intuitive.

In your opinion, what do you think holds people back the most from living their entrepreneurial dream?

Fear.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as a creative entrepreneur?

Take risks. Put yourself out there and make sure you have great support.

Who or what has been your greatest source of inspiration?

My inner muse, Sparkling Sage. I’ve always had an active imagination and that has definitely inspired lots of my creative work.

What has been a guiding principle for you in your creative process?

Trust my intuition. Listen to my inner muse when she speaks to me and if I can’t act on it now, then write it down because it’ll serve me later.

How do you shift from those moments of feeling creatively stuck to letting the creative juices flow?

Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking a break and going outside for a bit or sleeping on it. Other times, it’s more agonizing with a lot of internal beating myself up about why I can’t move forward with something. For those more extreme times I might journal, or get out some oil pastels and just draw out my frustration. I sometimes look back at what it’s taken me to complete other projects to remind myself that it’s a journey, or I might lean on my Nurture Huddle for some support, encouragement, and inspiration.

What is the next dream, goal or project for you on the horizon?

On a personal level, I’m wanting some vacation time with my hubby – a weekend away once the book launch craziness settles down and a longer trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 10 year anniversary later this year. On a professional level, there’s so much on my own RBBP . Here are just a couple of highlights: launching my forthcoming RBBP Kit and working on getting a retreat together for this fall.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Just to thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed by you. I love that we share such so many passions and it’s always inspiring to connect with kindred spirits.

Tell us how we can find you online and what is the best way to connect with you.

You can find out more about The Right-Brain Business Plan at http://www.rightbrainbusinessplan.com and the free video summit going on through March 11th at http://www.rightbrainersinbusiness.com. My coaching website is http://www.artizencoaching.com and my personal blog is http://www.lifeunfoldsblog.com. My latest obsession is Instagram for the iPhone – I’m @jennlee there. The best way to connect with me is probably through Twitter – I’m @artizencoaching

Jennifer Lee, the founder of Artizen Coaching and author of The Right-Brain Business Plan, spent a decade climbing the corporate ladder before pursuing her creative dreams. Through her popular workshops, coaching practice, and writing, she empowers others to follow their passions. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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