Member Stories
Louise Toft
Louise Toft has spent over 35 years in therapy (working not receiving!). She tells us about balancing the creative aspects of working as a Life Coach and running the online retail business of her acclaimed artist sister, Sam Toft.
Louise Toft is a doyenne of the Pixel community. Often a riot of pattern and colour, she has a personality to match. Her cakes are legendary and her chats funny and enlightening. She has spent over 35 years in therapy (working not receiving!) and talks about balancing work as a Life Coach and managing the online retail business of her highly successful artist sister, Sam Toft.
What do you get up to in your studio at Pixel?
I have two main jobs: managing the online retail business of my sister’s art, so packing & posting her prints, crafting gift packages, replying to all the fan emails, etc. Plus I am a therapeutic Life Coach – so this involves doing in person and online sessions, creating courses and materials, doing talks etc.
What’s it like being involved in a successful creative business like Sam Toft?
It is heart warming that I get to work with my sister and help do some of the ‘grunt’ work so she can concentrate on creating her art. It can be challenging sometimes making sure we are communicating clearly (between her autistic mind and my ADHD mind)! I like being part of the Sam Toft community: A lot of fans resonate deeply with her work, and I enjoy hearing about and making little connections with them. Plus, I love wrapping and making things look nice, and adding a surprise treat to brighten people’s day.
Tell us about your life coaching. How would you describe your coaching style?
I have spent over 35 years in the profession of ‘helping people help themselves’. I’ve been a psychotherapist, child counsellor, couples therapist, yoga teacher, etc., but transitioned to coaching as I believe this is the most effective way to bring about lasting, transformational change. It’s for people who are feeling a bit stuck, maybe have tried therapy, self-help, courses etc., but things still aren’t shifting. I work with people who are ‘fine’, ie. are functioning in their lives, often excelling in one area, such as career, but have issues in another area, eg. their relationships. The people who are coping and surviving, but not thriving in a particular area.
What’s something people often misunderstand about life coaching?
This all depends on what type of coaching you are talking about. I think it’s important to ascertain what a particular coach is offering, and what you want. Some coaches just work on the ‘mindset’ level, but I work on several levels within a coaching package: mindset, emotional, behavioural, somatic, unconscious, spiritual and identity. For me, in one sentence, it is about getting out of your comfort zone, and having an expert, trusted, dedicated person alongside you as you work through all the stuff that come up when you attempt this!
It differs from most therapy in that the emphasis is about doing the things that bring about change, rather than just talking about them. As a therapeutic coach, I work from the ‘inside out’; uncovering and healing the blocks that get in the way of being our best selves. Then practice, practice, practice the habits, thought patterns and emotional states that will truly make a difference to living the life we didn’t think was possible.
As your coach I am like your mentor, teacher, confidant, cheerleader, a ‘university of life’ tutor, accountability partner, challenger. A safe place to be all of you and step in to the sparkly, grounded, expansive, empowered version of you that has been there all along.
What’s one small mindset shift that can make a big difference day-to-day?
I think the first step of change is increasing our awareness. From this, we can be more conscious about noticing patterns and what we want to do differently. So, mindset shift wise, this can be about noticing when we get triggered, which may show up as a body reaction, a judgement, a self criticism, etc. and then saying to ourselves right now I am having the thought of “…..”; right now I am noticing I am having the thought “…..”. This can start the process of becoming less fused with our thoughts (because thoughts are just thoughts and not reality) and becoming more in touch with our essence.
Take us through what a typical non-work day looks like for you?
I love to go walking along the coast, taking a flask and lying in the sun and communing with nature. I love playing games with friends, dancing, baking, cooking, doing something crafty, reading, tending to my house plants, listening to coach’s podcasts, practicing mindfulness, working out, yoga, watching movies, and having a laugh and real conversations with friends. I am never bored!
Has being at Pixel made a difference to your work or your daily routine?
YES, I’ve gone from trying to do it all on my own working at home (and my ADHD brain getting distracted with all the things), to looking forward to working in my lovely calming & warming studio and having spontaneous & inspiring conversations at the coffee pot or in the hallway, which can spring board me moving forward on an idea or a project. And it makes me even more full of gratitude due to all the lovely people and connections I’ve made at Pixel. Being at Pixel I have re-remembered how much I value community.
How does creativity show up in your work as a life coach?
Great question! Given that I’ve done dozens of trainings on different ways to help people, when I have a client in front of me, we co-create a new way of being, seeing, understanding etc. I love the creative process in that. It’s like making any piece of art…try things out – splat, splash, mould, vocalise, write. Craft what you feel, see what you like, see what you want to throw away, make mistakes. Depending on the client , I might make use of various creative mediums to help them explore themselves, eg. art & craft, creative visualisation, journaling, sand tray, body work, breath work, etc.
What’s been something that brings you joy at the moment?
I love noticing all the magic that is in nature. At the moment I’ve been noticing the scents and art of the spring blossoms on my walk to work; the glitter of the sun on the sea, which I can see from my office window (!); or being greeted by a new shoot bravely sprouting on one of my office plants.
Do you have a favourite quote or motto you come back to?
I have lots, but I love “nothing is permanent except change”.
Finally, Pixel has been lucky enough to experience the many bakes of Louise Toft at members events – what’s your number one go-to favourite cake
Oh golly, so many! I love a German pecan sticky bun recipe I’ve got. It often comes our for birthday breakfasts and the like, closely followed by a warm cinnamon bun with cream cheese icing. And my other answer would be…the recipe I haven’t found yet! I love trying new bakes, in fact about 90% of the bakes I have done for Pixel have been trying out a new recipe! I am still on the search for the perfect browned butter-white chocolate-macadamia blondie. Not cakey but the perfect balance of chewy and fudgey – recipes or samples welcomed.
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