What Others Say...

"I started my coaching sessions with Jade after being referred to Blank Canvas Coaching by a client who previously worked with her company. In a 

short space of time she has been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and has been undoubtably one of the best decisions I have made so far in my career. She has given me the confidence and reassurance that both personally and professionally I am moving in the right direction. One of my favourite parts of the sessions are outlining all of my goals that I need to complete before the next session, this has really helped me gain direction and structure from each session and created consistency and steady progression in my work. I look forward to our meetings each week, so to say she has been a huge support as a coach so far on my journey as an artist is an understatement! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

L. Neville, Artist

"Working with Jade helped snap me out of a negative phase in my art career and work. She is an excellent listener, and very skilled at zeroing in on the heart of a problem. After only one session, I had a completely different understanding of how I could better align with my purpose as an artist. She helped me understand that building a career is not about finding entities which fulfill a need, but by creating genuine connections with people who care about similar interests. After three sessions, I felt like I was on a positive path with my artwork, and life. Months later I am continuing to see how our sessions have helped shape a strong path forward. I highly recommend her coaching to others!"
Stephanie C, Artist, New York, NY

"Jade's ability to draw out clarity and visions for moving forward is incredibly assuring and inspiring. Surprisingly strong results and ideas were already taking shape in only two sessions. Jade led me through the multi-dimensional chaos of ideas, thoughts and concepts to one clear vision and strategy for moving forward. 

Working alone in my studio is a bit like looking through my own eyes; I can see everything outside, but I can't see myself. Coaching sessions work like the mirror to my artistic mind, concepts and ideas. Something previously unseen/hidden becomes obvious. 

I'm tremendously thankful to be coached by Jade Mitchell, and I highly recommend Blank Canvas Coaching". 

Olga Bialunska, Artist

"At 41, mid-career, having had some large life events and settled into a new home in a new city with a young child, I found myself and my work, all out of focus. I wasn’t able to work as much as I had and was in total isolation in a new studio, with no artistic community. I was recommended Jade by a friend in the art world and, her credentials preceeding her, was excited to receive some good advice and surrender to the professional help I both craved and needed. 

In the first session, I was able to fully open up to Jade, not only about my practical everyday as an Artist, but in the context of my past and the ongoing complexities of life, which, for me, are intrinsic and inextricable from what I make. Jade was able to morph into life coach, confidante and artistic coach from minute to minute, which was imperative at those early tentative stages of developing a relationship. To her credit, Jade always managed to condense the miasmas in my head to one or two practical clean statements of approach for the week to come. 

Over the arc of our relationship, Jade has been a mirror to help me see myself in my every day work, the simple strategy of arrangement of my time and studio, to prioritising areas of work to get them to work hardest for me. For example I had several half finished pieces which I prioritised and got into the market, so I could concentrate on creating new work. This is obvious with hindsight, however working alone, one cannot always see with such clarity and, Jade was able to clear the fog from my eyes enough to justify, what I already knew to be so, and allow the confidence to move down that path. 

Working as I did, on my own often meant that my ideas were almost always consigned to paper, pending further review when ‘X’ fell into place. Jade’s involvement helped me hold myself to account, setting weekly goals and someone to whom i needed to show progress and, that I had resolved to carry out my commitments. 

Jade was my artistic community when I really needed someone who understood, not only the process and the perennial insecurities which plague the Artist, but also the basic practical steps for creating exhibitions and the entrepreneurial aspect of building the commercial side of one’s career. Her extensive understanding of the financial and cultural structures upon which one’s creativity is eventually draped, is hard won and utterly invaluable. I felt privileged to gain advice from such a rare source. 

Apart from that, Jade is a friend, a breath of fresh air and a light through the clouds which so often encroach, when one is trying to forge on to the next summit. I would highly recommend her and intend to maintain our professional relationship for as long as she is available to do so." 

Joel Parkes, Artist

"I am an artist who booked six sessions with Jade. My focus was on how I could show the current body of work I had built. Jade made me realise the importance of networking and building professional relationships, something I had neglected until meeting her. She also encouraged me to explore the full potential of my existing connections. Her coaching style challenged my preconceptions, making me rethink things in a far more interesting way. I would recommend Jade’s coaching unreservedly as I found it hugely helpful".

Tariq Richard Husein, Artist

"In a moment of my life where I was feeling trapped and confused about the current situation of pandemic and my own personal one, I came across Jade’s contact and she has been guiding and helping me over these last months, to find some clarity and focus. Ever thankful for her precious advice and thoughtfulness.“

L.G. Artistic Director, Germany

"We talked through four sessions which I found thoroughly inspiring and helpful. I took careful notes after each session and when I go back now from time to time, I see the genuine in-depth analysis which you provided.

Nina Simone once said: Freedom means having no fear. Sometimes onstage, she added, she would reach that kind of state. How do you free yourself from fear? This speaks mountains to me in relation to my own work as an advisor. I often have fears hovering over me along the many steps there are in the acquiring works of art for a private collection. Working alone adds another layer of vulnerability. Having shared with you my experiences, you were able to pin-point  areas which I could give greater reflection. Pronounce those issues which I dared to pronounce and ask myself more questions as to why I was avoiding these sore areas.

I felt a sincere kindness in your approach which over the hour created an encouragement for me to be kinder to myself. In the hectic inside chaos of the art world, we can quickly spin into forgetting what grounds us & more importantly, why we are driven to love working in the arts". 

Sarah J McDonald, Contemporary Art Advisor & Curator, Paris, France

"The three sessions we had were really beneficial for me because it allowed me to reflect on my career. I felt very motivated after each session and I was able to gain confidence in myself. I am now more assertive about what I want and don't want".

Léa Sitbon, Sales Researcher, White Cube Gallery

“Working with Jade was particularly useful in a time of transition for me. Our conversations were essential in helping me identify my strengths, weaknesses and fears in a subtle manner. She encouraged me to work with and around them to become (or aspire to become) a more well-rounded professional and strive in a professional setting to the best of my ability. 

Building on my past professional experience, she helped me gain my confidence back. Her personal experience was essential in this process, as she built on her knowledge of and past work in the creative industry to identify what was right or wrong both in my performance and behaviour and in that of my past and future employers. In my experience, the two tended to meld together, thereby increasing my feeling of failure. As such, her experience was a true asset and necessary tool. 

While being highly knowledgeable and experienced, Jade only referred back to her personal experience when necessary and in very adapted contexts. She did not seek to reproduce any pattern and adopted a very individual, tailored approach.”

RL, Account Executive, A R T Communication + Brand Consultancy, Berlin

"Having someone to coordinate your thoughts away from the negative and help you to see your situation in perspective does help remove you from the natural feeling of stagnation and frees up the mental block 'of how to move forward'".
Adam Dix, Artist, London

"Jade has helped me focus on who I am and with time, my research has become more aligned with my core beliefs. This has been a tremendous breakthrough for me. I have also begun to question what it means to 'value' oneself in a demanding career as an academic."

Higher Education Academic, Hampshire

"When I first sat down with Jade over four months ago, I knew I was not where I wanted to be. I had no focus; my head was spinning from my many challenges and difficulties and I really couldn't see the wood for the trees. Jade, with her calm and friendly manner, helped me hone right down and identify small but very tangible changes that I could make to improve my health and wellbeing and from there I haven't looked back. 

I have had counselling, CBT and attended the eight week mindfulness course and all of these have helped me but Jade has managed to help bring all of what I've learnt together, along with my meditation and yoga practices, and as a result, four months on, I feel stronger and much more in control. 

If you, like me, are a bit lost and either want or need something that you can't quite put your finger on, then Jade could really help you to find the clarity you need to see what your goals really are and how you can achieve them".

T. Alevropoulos, Teacher, SENCO, Windsor

"Before meeting Jade I was at a point in my life where I felt I wasn’t achieving my personal goals. Life was “have to” rather than “want to”. I felt each day was disappearing too fast and becoming too repetitive. I had never considered life coaching but a friend suggested I give it a go. I connected with Jade and I instantly realised what a life coach can help me achieve. Jade made me feel at ease with her warm demeanor. She was very easy to talk to and helped me look for solutions. 

Jade has helped me achieve the personal goals I was hoping for by equipping me with a new and positive approach to life. Her pragmatic and meaningful advice has really helped me view things differently. I will be putting into practice what I learnt from these sessions on a daily basis. 

I highly recommend Jade to those looking to try life coaching". 

Lauren, Windsor