Elaine Patterson Reflects on the Power of Creative Reflection and the Art of Coming Home to Ourselves

PHOTO: Elaine Patterson — Writer, Coach, and Creative Soul, Bridging Nature, Art, and Leadership from London to the Lake District

Awakening Creativity and Inner Leadership

Elaine Patterson discusses the vital role of reflection in leadership and life, sharing insights from her books on creativity, inner wisdom, and finding joy, authenticity and compassion in modern times.

Elaine Patterson brings a rare blend of depth, warmth and creative insight to the worlds of leadership, professional development, and personal growth. As founder of the Centre for Reflection and Creativity Ltd, and a passionate advocate for the power of reflective practice, Elaine invites us to pause, reconnect, and awaken to the beauty and wisdom that lives both within and around us. Whether walking through the Cumbrian fells or guiding professionals across the globe, her work radiates with a soulful energy rooted in nature, artistry, and heartfelt enquiry.

In this reflective and inspiring conversation for Reader’s House Magazine, Elaine explores the transformative role of reflection in leadership, the journey of coming home to oneself, and the delicate interplay between creativity and professional practice. From her acclaimed books Reflect to Create! and Homecomings ~ 52 Ways Back to Ourselves to her collaborative work in The Compass Rose, Elaine’s vision is as clear as it is compassionate: to nurture a more conscious, connected and creative way of living and leading in our ever-changing world.

Elaine Patterson inspires with depth and heart, offering soulful guidance that uplifts creativity, fosters reflection, and transforms both life and leadership.

How did your background in executive coaching and coaching supervision influence the development of your book “Reflect to Create! The Dance of Reflection for Creative Leadership, Supervision and Professional Practice”?

I came to see that reflection is THE meta capacity for insight, learning and change. I see it as a necessity – not a luxury – to all that we do to be the best that we can be.

I wanted to challenge the dreary plodding image that reflection often has when it is squeezed into the margins in the workplace and in professional practice.

I want to show it was possible to make the processes of creative reflection fun, awakening, enlivening and empowering from which profound transformational change can be birthed. My MA research also proved to me that reflection is an act of creativity whether it be to stop what is no longer working, to improve what already exists and to create anew.

And that this speaks to our innate desire as human beings which we all share which is to continually learn and to endlessly create.

Could you elaborate on the concept of ‘reflective practice’ and its significance in creative leadership, as discussed in your work?

As Einstein famously said ‘problems cannot be solved from the consciousness which created them’. Doing more of the same is no longer enough. ‘Reflective practice’ is an umbrella term for the regular discipline of reflection which can take many forms – but most importantly can put us in touch with the seeds of the new – of what is wanting to emerge if we can learnt to become still, pay exquisite attention and truly listen.

Reflective practice takes many forms including journaling, meditative walking, crafting, art, poetry, music coaching and supervision and the key is to find the menu that works for us.

I believe that it is the ethical duty of anyone who works with people to have a regular reflective practice where they can push the pause button and reflect deeply on what is happening within them and around them. Because who you are is how you work.

In “Homecomings ~ 52 Ways Back to Ourselves,” you offer reflective soliloquies and creative resources. How do you envision these aiding individuals in reconnecting with their authentic selves?

I wanted to explore what it means to belong and how we can come home to ourselves as a foundational practice for our times. The jewel of great price is remembering to know ourselves and to come home to ourselves before we can act in the world with compassion, authenticity and integrity. I feel that this has never been more important and necessary if we are to live in the midst of all that is happening within us and in the world with joy, beauty, generosity, compassion, courage, kindness, wonder, reciprocity, wisdom and grace.

The 52 reflective soliloquies and supporting resources are designed to invite readers into their own reflections.

And I believe that finding our way back to ourselves can be as frustrating and elusive as it is enriching – as we try to catch the threads of wisdom that life is trying to show us. It is a continual process of feeling lost and found, of arrival and departure, of disconnecting and re-connecting and of forgetting and remembering. The destination is always moving and can never feel complete because we are already changed in our setting off. As we learn to hold these frontiers for ourselves, our understanding of life and living deepens with each encounter.  

I hope that this book will become Readers’ own companion self-care kit which feels relevant and contemporary each and every time that they open it.

As co-founder of PattersonPrenticeDesigns, how do you integrate your passion for the arts, nature, and creativity into your professional practice?

With my partner Karyn Prentice in PattersonPrenticeDesigns our abiding friendship and our shared love of the arts, nature and creativity is our starting point and our connecting point from which everything else is birthed and infused. Our passions lift our work from being ordinary to being soulful and extraordinary in a world which needs both radical hope and loving kindness in spades!

Your book with Karyn Prentice “The Compass Rose – 8 Ways to Awake your Creativity and Re-Source your Life” introduces eight cardinal points as touchstones for creativity. Could you share how these points guide individuals in reclaiming their innate creativity?

We believe that we are all innately creative – but we also fully understand how our creativity can get educated out of us or lost in the busyness of our ‘to do’ lists’. Every choice we make can be creative – from what we choose to wear designing a new product – if want to make it so! We believe that our creativity is our soul speaking through us in the world.

We therefore designed the eight cardinal points as touchstones where readers can explore ways to claim (or reclaim) their innate creativity. The focus is on what we call the ‘work before the work’ – of designing through the eight cardinal points the spaces, places, activities and people who can both support, inspire and nourish our own creativity – which of course will be different for each of us.

Reflecting on your extensive experience in executive coaching, what are the most common challenges leaders face when attempting to incorporate reflective practices into their routines?

I feel that the most important challenge is leaders is failing to appreciate what reflective practices can do for them – and their teams – to open up different kinds of learning conversations be even more brilliant. They just need to be prioritised. And it starts with the leaders who can role model this approach within their own teams and organisations. People cannot be commanded to be more reflective. The preconditions and the permissions need to be set so that it is seen as a necessity and not a designer luxury. And to remove the guilt and associations attached to reflecting rather than being seen to be endlessly busy.

“People cannot be commanded to be more reflective — the preconditions and permissions must be set.” – Elaine Patterson

Considering your international work, how do cultural differences influence the application of reflective practices in leadership across various regions?

We are all human and therefore I believe that we all love to learn. The key therefore is for each person whatever their background is finding what works uniquely for them and their own context.

What advice would you offer to fellow authors aiming to blend creative reflection with professional development in their writings?

Just try it! Do what works for you! Enjoy yourself! Allow yourself to be amazed and delighted!