We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lori Gouhin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lori, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The concept for The ARTwork of YOU began to take shape through a blend of uncertainty, introspection, and my passion for art.
As an abstract artist, I’ve always been fascinated by the freedom it offers, the ability to interpret and convey emotions in a uniquely personal and uninhibited way. I felt this intuitive connection between my creative process and my inner state. This connection, I realized, was far more meaningful than I’d initially understood – it wasn’t simply about creating art; it was a journey of self-exploration, understanding, and growth.
At the same time, as a life coach, I noticed many individuals striving to increase their self-awareness, improve their mindset, and achieve their goals. I observed that many were disconnected from their inner creativity. I saw how this disconnect hampered their ability to envision and manifest the changes they sought in their lives. It was as if they were artists in front of a blank canvas, armed with all the colors and brushes they needed, but somehow, they had lost touch with their power to create something.
A moment of clarity came to me as I realized the overlap between these two aspects of my life. The creative principles I embraced as an abstract artist could also be applied to life coaching. Why not help people explore their inner selves, goals, and dreams as an abstract artist would approach a blank canvas- with color, emotion, and the freedom to change and adapt? In other words, help people utilize the creative process for personal development and goal achievement.
The idea that excited me most was the potential to help individuals explore their inner and outer creativity to empower them to ‘paint’ their lives as they desire. In a world often dominated by overthinking and not challenging the rules, I wanted to encourage a flow of intuition and emotion, a release of creative expression many have tucked away since childhood. I wanted to help people understand that they are not set in stone but evolving masterpieces, like works of art constantly in flux.
At its core, The ARTwork of YOU is about helping people understand they can change their lives by making conscious choices about what to add, what to subtract, what to change, and what ultimate image of themselves they want to bring to life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am an abstract artist and certified life coach passionate about personal growth and creative expression.
Creativity has always been a personal passion for me. I am a self-taught artist, and exploring this discipline began as a creative outlet. The decision to share my work with the public in 2018 was motivated by my desire to connect with others through creative expression and my love for entrepreneurship.
Thankfully, my artwork resonated with people, and I’ve been fortunate to sell original pieces throughout the USA and internationally. A sense of fulfillment comes from knowing that my creations are valued by collectors, many of whom have returned to invest in my work multiple times. My focus on selling only original work at this time is intentional. Each piece is unique, embodying a particular moment, emotion, and energy.
Parallel to my journey as an artist, I’ve been certified as a life coach for over a decade. The idea of having a coaching practice has always been driven by a heartfelt desire to help individuals grow, to guide them in shifting their self-image, overcoming mindset limitations, and achieving their goals. I’ve stayed current with education and best practices, continually seeking ways to serve people more effectively.
For a long time, I wondered how to merge these two paths. I felt like I was straddling two identities – an artist on one side, a coach on the other – and it was essential to me that one didn’t detract from the other. It took a while, but I finally realized that these two passions did not need to compete; instead, they could uniquely complement and enrich each other.
This is how The ARTwork of YOU was born. It’s a coaching program that uses my experience as an artist and my skills as a coach to help people show up in their life as the masterpiece they are. The program invites individuals to approach their lives as an evolving canvas where they can create the life they desire. We dive into the process of self-awareness, mindset shifting, and goal achievement, using creativity as a powerful, intuitive tool.
What sets me apart is this unique combination of art and coaching and the personal approach I bring to each. The ARTwork of YOU is more than a business; it represents my life’s journey and the lessons I’ve learned. Having walked this path myself, I offer expertise, empathy, understanding, and accountability. One of the things I am most proud of is being able to help people open up to their inner creativity to improve their lives.
I want potential clients and collectors to know that my work—an abstract painting or a coaching program—is always driven by authenticity, passion, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. I am committed to providing value, whether that’s through artwork that brings joy and inspiration into their living spaces or through coaching that helps them transform their lives.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A pivotal moment in my journey as an artist occurred when I decided to sell my artwork publicly. This was a significant step for me, as it involved putting my deeply personal creations into the world and hoping they would resonate enough with people to be bought. Despite my hopes, the start could have been faster. Six long months went by without selling a single painting.
Each day that passed without a sale cast doubts on my decision. I also faced unsolicited advice from fellow artists, suggesting changes to my art. This was particularly surprising as an artist since my work reflected my inner world and personal creativity. It felt intrusive.
However, during those six months, my resilience began to take hold. Every great endeavor requires patience and persistence; success is rarely immediate. I kept in mind why I had decided to sell my artwork in the first place: to share my perspective, to inspire others with my creations, to connect with people on a deeper level, and to feed my entrepreneurial spirit. I reminded myself that my art’s value wasn’t tied solely to its commercial success. But also to the joy of creation and self-expression it offered me. This time in my journey taught me the importance of staying true to my artistic vision, even when faced with external pressures or slow progress. Eventually, I sold my first painting. The wait made the sale even more rewarding, validating my resilience and commitment. These experiences have enriched my journey, and today, they inform my approach as a life coach, enabling me to guide others through their personal and creative challenges.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I used to think wanting more in life was wrong or bad ( more means different things to everyone ). It was a lesson carried over from childhood- something my parents and my religion taught me at the time. It was the “right” way to be. I carried this lesson well into adulthood. I thought wanting more meant I wasn’t grateful for what I had. It was as if wanting more would rock the boat. It might even cause me to lose what I did have because I didn’t appreciate it enough. There was this underlying thought that what I had should be enough. These thoughts created limiting beliefs about what we ( me ) deserve.
I did an exercise on “changing your past” several years ago. The basic premise was to rewrite painful memories from various perspectives. For me, it was transformational in healing old wounds. I then applied that same practice to my lesson ( belief ) from childhood that wanting more was wrong. I changed everything by rewriting that belief from as many different perspectives as possible. Not all at once, of course, but the thought gradually disappeared. Doing that work helped me know that adding The ARTwork of YOU to my business model was appropriate.
Unlearning this lesson was a transformation that allowed me to grow as an artist, coach, and entrepreneur. What once seemed like a virtue was holding me back beyond measure.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lorigouhin.com
- Instagram: @lorigouhin
Image Credits
Erin Dietrich