Check Out Terry Warren’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Terry Warren.

Hi Terry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I grew up in Hohenwald, TN, and left to pursue an education and a business career. Along the way, I also developed a passion for becoming a visual artist. With a growing family and a busy business career, my artistic abilities were developed mainly as a hobby until late in my career. Before “retiring” from corporate America, I started preparing for my following chapters by going back to school to become an executive coach and being more intentional in developing my artistic skills through focused workshops and mentors. Immediately upon retirement, I started my own executive coaching business and devoted a significant portion of my time to becoming a professional artist.

At first, I thought of my coaching self and my artistic self as distinct and separate, but it became clear that art informs my coaching, and my coaching informs my art. For example, creative expression, in part, is a series of intentional choices an artist makes about such things as the colors they choose. Making transformational changes in our lives is also a series of choices. Recognizing the power of these choices led me to research and ultimately publish my book: “The Art of Choice: Making Changes That Count in Work and Life.”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have never met anyone whose road was always smooth. I have had many struggles along the way. Some of these were self-inflicted by bad choices or pride, and others due to living for more than 70 years. I view the struggles as a refiner’s fire. God never gave me more than He gave me the ability to withstand.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

My artistic career grew out of a desire to present a longtime friend and business mentor with a drawing of his San Francisco Nob Hill home. Living in Sydney, Australia, at the time, I enrolled in a pencil drawing class. A few lessons later, I realized I was hooked.

I pursued my passion by studying with accomplished artists like Dawn Whitelaw, Kevin Menck, Collin Page, Robert K Roark, and others. In recent years, I engaged in an intense one-on-one mentoring relationship with master artist Roger Dale Brown. Working from Plein air studies, reference photos, and memory, I create my style of representational work.

For me, painting and drawing provide a great sense of satisfaction, an escape from day-to-day pressures, and a tangible sense of accomplishment. When a viewer says they can imagine themselves in the painting or wish to visit the scene, I have achieved the realism I seek. I began painting out of interest, but now it’s a passion.

Terry Warren is also an executive coach, the author of “The Art of Choice,” and a speaker.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I cannot overemphasize the value of both having a mentor and building a network. When you look for a mentor, look for someone who seems to model the behaviors and skills you wish to develop and is willing to meet on a regular basis.

Networking comes easy to some, and it feels like sheer punishment to others, but it is essential in any career regardless of your line of work. It must be done with intention. What has worked for me is to force myself to go to events, meetings, professional organizations, or any place where there will be the opportunity to meet others. If you do not know how to start a conversation, develop a few questions you can ask a stranger that will likely get them talking about themselves. Be intentional.

Contact Info:

• Website: terrywwarren.com and warrenexecutivecoach.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warrenfineart
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryWWarren