About

Hi, I’m Nicky

I’m the creator of Diamond Minds, helping people like you breakthrough your blocks by using imaginative journaling, coaching and creative writing.

I used journaling during the stressful periods in my life – moving countries, moving homes, relationship breakdown and single parenthood. Now I use it for creative thinking, gathering insights, renewing motivation and strengths-finding!

I love working with individuals and organisations brimming with ideas, hungry for growth, with creative sparks and love for their work popping from the moment they wake up! And yet, there is something getting in their way. That’s where I come in. I help clients move from block to breakthrough using creative approaches of journaling and coaching. I am creative and enthusiastic – and grounded and practical. In journaling I invoke imagination and play as, often, writing from “I” can be tiring. What is needed to jolt us out of our habitual or negative thinking are creative prompts.

I always thought the world didn’t end at the end of my street!

Growing up on the tiny island of Guernsey, I felt the pull of the other side, beyond St Peter Port Harbour! And stepping out, I…

….spent about a decade working overseas – Russia mostly, in Moscow and Ekaterinburg. I also lived in the Czech Republic, Japan, Italy, France and Germany. I went on many work trips to Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria for human rights organisations.

……I co-founded and ran a number of companies. Raise Your Game, a social enterprise which supported the young unemployed start their own businesses in London, and coached young students in pupil referral units and youth offending. Even earlier, I co-founded Communicating Cultures which worked in Russia on an ethnic minorities and the media project with partners the BBC Training School in Ekaterinburg and the Interethnic Cooperation Centre which is still going strong!

……wrote….all kinds of writing…short stories, poems, flash, creative non-fiction, journals, research. I love helping people tap into their wild imagination, have fun and satisfaction from creative writing of all kinds. Here’s a ditty

About Diamond Minds

Are you a stretched start-up or freelancer lacking time for reflection?
Do you feel if you take a day off you’ll fall behind?
Are you constantly feeling like there’s no end to your to-do list?

If yes, then journaling (one2one or group sessions online or offline) are for you. Journaling is becoming the productivity and mindset development tool for busy professionals. Leaders of great companies use journals for reflection, clarity, decision making and developing a growth mind-set.

Also one-to-one coaching or team coaching can help you raise self-awareness so as to enhance your skills and performance.

Vision

Everyone harnessing the power of journaling and coaching to build their best life

Mission

Activate your inner self to find your voice, gain clarity and thrive through journaling and coaching.

Values

Writing is power spontaneous, messy, anything-goes-writing gets you closer to your emotional truth

Honesty is energy in touch with your true inner self to do your best work

Creativity is freedom activate your imagination to set you free

Resourcefulness is innate everything you need is right here

Reflection ignites pause leads to insight and innovation

Courage on the edge of our fear is where we grow

Services

Journaling for professional development and wellbeing

Let’s start your journaling habit for a more productive you. One page at a time.

As a journaling coach I stimulate your free writing with imaginative prompts – from poems, fiction, songs, images, headlines, book titles, curious questions and sentence starters and more. We use different forms of writing – a letter, a manifesto, a list, poems, shapes, mind-maps, dialogue, sketches, recipes and more. I ask coaching questions to help you tease out key points and extract learnings. I offer tips and techniques to keep up a journaling practice.

I have an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes. I published an article based on my research into the impact of online journaling with corporate executives in 2018. Find it in the Lapidus Journal (spring 2019). Also, I’ve written many blogs and articles on journaling for professional development – for Enterprise Nation, the Small Business Research and Enterprise Centre and Coaching Perspectives, the magazine of the Association for Coaching.

Coaching & Facilitation

Career, business & wellbeing

Coaching is transformational. I have been coaching since my first training course way back in 2008! I have a wealth of tools and approaches to assist you in developing your career, bringing a business idea into reality, or managing life-changing relocation assignments.

I am a creative thinker, deep listener, ask probing questions, help you reflect and draw out insights, commit to action and keep on track.

I am currently a freelance therapeutic coach to small business owners with Rethink. I have articles on coaching and journaling published in Coaching Perspectives, the magazine from the Association for Coaching.

Peer Coaching – Sharpen Your Saw
This coaching is brilliant for learning from others to develop your professional skills and mindset. We summarise our current block, we listen, we question, we reflect on what we hear and declare our action steps.

Team Facilitation – half days/full away days.

Using imaginative, confidence-boosting exercises to help your team re-energise, reconnect to values, remember their personal calling to the work they chose. Bespoke sessions.

Creative Writing Courses

Creative Writing Workshop Leader – own private groups plus delivering for East Sussex Libraries, WEA, Beyond Form and earlier for Chapel Park Community Centre (St Leonards).

Start Your Story,
Boost Your Creative Writing
Start Your Memoir
Place and Identity
Reading for Wellbeing
Writing for Wellbeing
Writing the Edgelands
Shapes of Story

Personal Development Courses – multi-award winning educator!

For Morley College, Lambeth Adult Learning and Reprezent (social enterprise)

Accredited personal development courses – Award for Most Inspiring tutor
Employability coaching courses – Award for Innovation in course design

Thought Leadership Writer and Educational Materials Writer

Various including British Council Insights, Learning and Work Institute (formerly NIACE) toolkit and various English language teaching publishers.