Krista Kankula believes that we all have imaginative ideas and boundless creativity within each of us. And when we express and explore that desire to create that pulses through us, we’ll spark more joy, meaning, and possibilities in our lives and the lives of those we’re creating for.

As a creativity facilitator and coach, Krista helps creative business owners channel their desire to teach and lead and turn their piles of ideas into new offerings and passion projects.

Embracing Play

“I love bringing play into the mix,” Krista says, “both as a mindset and approach, because not only is it essential for our creativity and imaginations, it helps us shift from just focusing on what’s not clear/not working, to what else is possible. I think so often when we’re feeling stuck, we tend to try and do all the problem solving and designing in our brain and it can be hard to be objective, be curious and see new possibilities when we’re keeping all of that in our head.”

Krista brings this element of play and messiness into her 1:1 coaching program as well as her workshops. This allows her clients to get all of their ideas and visions swirling in their heads onto paper and through brainstorming, storytelling activities, and asking questions. “Giving ourselves the space and tools to be playful not only helps us explore and find the clarity we are looking for it also makes the process more fun and joyful.”

Finding Clarity in Messiness

When I met Krista, she had been leading creativity workshops for a while, but her business shifted a lot and she was starting to feel stuck and unsure of how to communicate what she does in a way that resonated with her audience and community.

“At that time I felt like my WHY was foggy,” Krista told me, “and I was drawn to how you invite people into this process of articulating your why and then building your work and business from that. When we worked together you were able to uncover the truth that was really beneath what I was feeling frustrated with. You helped me see and articulate the possibility of developing a new service and way of storytelling that integrated my strengths, unique approach, and what I create for clients. And you helped me see that in a way where I felt excited about my work and my business again.”

After our latest Shift Session, Krista went on to create her next offering and iteration of her creative coaching process: The Express to Expand Method, designed to help creatives get to the truth of what they most want to create in the next season of their business or creative practice. It’s a playful and collaborative way to get the clarity, focus, and concept needed to turn ideas into a new offering for her clients’ businesses or passion projects.

“When you talked about making the process intentionally messy and me really owning that as my process and method, that felt like such a big permission slip,” Krista says. “It was something I felt hesitant to talk about and wondered if it belonged in the world of online business. Also when you talked about letting the messiness reveal the truth of what you want to create, I was like YES. That’s exactly what my process has been about, but I had never articulated it in that way. I left the session feeling incredibly seen and understood by you, with a concept for this new offering and with so many inspiring notes and ideas to build off of.”

I love that our Shift Sessions blended so well with Krista’s own creative approach and helped her find clarity around her next offering! Sometimes we need that permission and space to pause, connect, and allow someone else to witness our journey as we discover our next right step. Sometimes we need to be supported as we work through the mess!

Krista agrees: “Both of the shift sessions I’ve had with you have made me feel deeply heard and seen by you. Your gentle way of inquiring brings out so much truth and clarity. I know I’ve caught myself in the past wanting to rush through the messy parts. I’ve ignored the need and intuitive call for a purposeful pause because I was too excited and sometimes too afraid to pause or slow down. I think the more we allow ourselves the space to listen and tune into what we need, focus on creating at our own pace, and embrace ‘experiments’ as both a mindset and practice, we’ll strengthen this discernment and willingness to revel in the mess!”

Moving Forward

Krista is now moving forward with the next stage of her business and supporting creatives in their businesses and creative practices.

“My vision for Revel in the Mess is for it to be this playground for creatives, where they can be supported and encouraged in taking their radical, weird, and unconventional ideas from their imagination to fruition. I really want it to grow as a community, with online and in-person experiences.

It’s been a privilege to watch her gain this clarity and turn it into something incredible. She’s definitely one to follow, so keep an eye out for more magic that she is bound to create.

To learn more about Krista and the Express to Expand method, visit her at revelinthemess.com and sign up for her newsletter, and you can also find her on Instagram @revelinthemess.