About Kate

I live with my family in a small village near Zurich, Switzerland. But I grew up in suburban Brisbane, Australia. Think wooden houses with the windows wide open, hot and humid summers, lots of time spent in the local swimming pool, and boiling hot car trips to the beach.

Now I live in a country with four distinct seasons, I walk in the forest above our house, and I jump into Lake Zurich as much as possible in the short but hot Swiss summers. And always, the Swiss Alps are there in the background.

I started piano at age five, read my first original story out loud at age six, and haven’t stopped playing, singing, writing, and creating since.

As a musician, I’ve performed in Australia, the UK, and Switzerland, and creativity has always been at the core of every performance. From my professional career in education and research, I bring a rich, interdisciplinary perspective to everything I do. I weave together the strands of my expertise in research, teaching, coaching, writing, curriculum development, counselling in career development and leadership, education policy development and, last but not least, music and performance. And creativity has always been the common thread throughout.

And since the beginning there has been my thriving music-teaching practice, not only a breeding ground for so many confident and creative and curious musicians, but also for shaping my thinking around creativity and the creative process.

I believe creativity is a fundamental human capacity, central to everything we do. Yet the true meaning of creativity and how to engage with the creative process often becomes obscured by jargon and misconceptions.

Creativity is not something we should fear or shy away from. Rather, we need to reclaim it and reconnect with it, and discover its true potential.

This belief led me to found the Discovering Music studio in 2010, here in Switzerland, providing an alternative path into music, one focused on creativity, engagement, and exploration rather than simply chasing external milestones.

The Creativity Helm brings together all strands of my work: teaching, coaching, writing, and curriculum development, along with my passion for music and writing, two powerful vehicles for unlocking creative potential and developing creative thinking.

My qualifications:

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University, Melbourne
  • Master of Arts by research, Dept of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University, Melbourne
  • Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing, Deakin University
  • Bachelor of Music, University of Queensland, Brisbane

What do I like to create?

Oh, my favourite question!

Music is the obvious one. It’s my greatest love, whether that’s on stage singing my heart out or locked away with the piano at home creating something just for me. To hear some recordings and compositions, check out Kate Paine Sings.

I love writing, too, the craft and poetry of it, the way just a few words can say so much. The Creativity Helm newsletter is my great writing love right now, even though I sometimes (often!) find myself anguishing over each word or completely stuck as to what to say next. But then that’s just part and parcel of creating something, right?

The thing is that once I stop to think about it, it becomes clear that creativity really does weave through just about every aspect of my life. From keeping the cat entertained, making up crazy songs and games and stories when my daughter was small (and even when she was/is bigger), through to my teaching, coaching, and consultancy work, all of which have creativity front and centre.

And let’s not forget daily life and all those things that, on the surface, don’t seem particularly creative.

Creating this website for one, each word I type a creative act, each colour choice an agonised creative decision (the pale blue or the warm red? I can’t decide!).

Throw in problem-solving, experimenting with recipes, getting dressed in the morning, writing emails, negotiating conversations in Switzerland with my okay-ish German…you get the idea.

Because creativity is not something separate from who we are.

It is who I am. And it is who you are.