From Creativity to Leadership: The DPA's Innovative Approach
Finding Direction in Creative Leadership.
The last few years have seen me work through what it means to be me professionally since my life-changing leap and breakthrough a few years ago.
The Donna Preece Academy is now The DPA, or Dynamic Potential Academy, to highlight our impact as a community of creative thinkers and doers unified by greater leadership, wellness and life fulfilment.
In the last 18 months, I have, through the power of The DPA, have:
I ran approximately 20 well-being events, such as Connect and Create, hosted in local venues, and partnered with great like-minded businesses, with fantastic impact results.
I won a bid to facilitate and produce artwork with Artspace, the Life Path Trust, the Community Rail Partnership, and Avanti.
Branched into living environment well-being projects
Been featured in the Saturday Telegraph well-being supplement
Began working in care homes, supporting residents with creative well-being sessions
All this seems great; all the communications and social media I posted looked good. But as a small business owner, this was what was happening:
Marketing and recruiting for the Wellness events required a tremendous amount of work. I barely broke even and struggled to balance promotional demand with my efforts.
People's perspectives around creativity, especially as a well-being resource to priorities, aren’t quite there yet: From the focus group research I conducted in partnership with Coventry University and their Citizen Social Scientist project in the Autumn of 2024, it’s clear there’s still a way to go around education and awareness for everyone to understand what is meant by “well-being” and “creativity”, especially when it comes to their opportunities and preventative healthcare.
Why Direction Matters in Times of Change.
These two main areas of realisation have led me to admit that, from a business perspective, my previous approaches weren’t working for me. People aren’t quite ready yet. And with the economy as it is at the moment, people can’t prioritise well-being in this way, especially without support, space, guidance, and education for it.
However, I am used to returning to the drawing board and, from the dawn of a new year, can see the world from a new approach.
So now I am leaning into my experience and talents as a creative and facilitator. I’m steering The DPA towards transformational Creative Leadership development, such as executive emotional intelligence training.
What Is Creative Leadership Today?
Creative leadership is leading in a psychologically safe way to nurture innovation and wellness in teams for effective and long-lasting results. Results that impact the leader, team and organisation to be successful through an emotionally intelligent collaborative environment. Leading in this way enables organisations and individuals to tackle uncertainty, change, and complexity and turn obstacles into opportunities.
As always, my approach will be creatively enriched by neuroscientific activities with well-being at the heart of the space. These psychologically safe environments are the foundation of openness and innovation. I will be enabling people to learn transferable skills, such as;
Emotional intelligence and personal growth.
Strategic thinking, problem-solving and decision-making.
Confidence-building and communication skills.
Team building and conflict resolution.
We use activities like Design Thinking and LEGO® Serious Play® to develop deep connections and understanding. These self-reflective activities, combined with creative approaches and games, create a fun learning space and a deeper connection, building skills that strengthen leadership abilities.
It has all the creativity and fun of the previous DPA, with all the practicality and more profound impact of application in the wider world.
In future posts, I’ll explore how emotional intelligence, creative practices, and powerful questions can help leaders stay connected to their direction, especially in complex times.
In other news:
The last few years have enabled me to be accepted into an MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health at Warwick University course. I plan to continue my Neuroscience and Creativity research and develop my knowledge there.
My partnership with CJD and Golden Years Health Coaching has become a more profound opportunity to offer Creative Well-being resources to ageing and broader communities through funding from UnLtd.
What’s next?
Ready to explore your next steps as a creative leader? Explore our Creative Leadership offer. I work with clients to develop creative and well-being-fuelled leadership and team-building training.
Or take a look at our Wellness Sessions for preventative burnout, where creativity is utilised as a versatile and accessible tool for well-being and self-understanding; these areas are so essential for us to embrace for future-proof leadership that lasts and leaves a healthy legacy.
You can also check out published research: What are the Barriers to using creativity for well-being? This was conducted in 2024 with the support of Coventry University.
Do you have any thoughts on this topic? Do you want to up your leadership skills game? Feel free to comment, connect, book a call or email me.
I hope you’re enjoying the rollercoaster of life.
Donna ♡
