Coaching is a collaborative and dynamic process of clarifying your desires, identifying the things that are getting in your way, and being supported as you take concrete, measurable steps toward your goals.

We’ll look at what you’d really love to do in your life, and I’ll support you to go past the point where you might normally stop or give up on a goal.

In general, coaching can help you address imposter syndrome, professional envy, scarcity thinking, deprioritizing creative work, anxiety around pursuing professional opportunities, feeling stuck…all those typical “day in the life of an artist” issues!

My only agenda is your agenda, so we’ll follow whatever issue or situation is most relevant to you in the moment. We’ll also do check-ins on your goals and the skills you’re developing, and celebrate your successes.

Some key components to our work together might be:

• identifying your desires for your professional and studio practices

• illuminating and centering your core values so that you can stay grounded

• crafting goals that move you forward with integrity

• developing skills that build resilience for when things get tough

• finding additional supports that strengthen your sense of connection and community

• celebrating all the big and small wins that get you a little freer

• building confidence through practice, so that you are able do all of this independently.

My coach training is based in neurobiology (how and why the brain works as it does), and anchored in ontology (the study of being). The heart of this modality is compassionately observing and shifting the thoughts that drive our behaviors, and I support creative folks wherever they’re at in their practices and careers.

The purpose of therapy is to analyze your beliefs and interpretations, and discover healing insights about your past.

Coaching is concerned with your present and future. In coaching, we’ll look at what you’re here to contribute, and how you can put your dreams and goals into concrete actions.

Coaching is also different from consulting (implementing expert advice), training (completing a predetermined curriculum), and mentoring (applying another person’s experience to your own life). These are important distinctions to make, especially since the term “coaching” is currently used to describe a variety of practices. In our work together, we will focus on your values and intentions so that you can move forward in ways that are authentic to who you are.

Let’s find out! I offer a free 30-minute, zero-pressure Intro Chat by Zoom or phone. We'll talk about where you want to go next with your practice and career, and what might be getting in your way. I'll answer your questions about coaching, and you can get an idea of whether coaching is the right support for what you've got going on.

It is remarkably clarifying to discuss what you want in life, so I encourage you to schedule a chat—just a half-hour together could help you see where you want to go next! And if we find that you’re interested in coaching but we’re not a fit, I would be glad to refer you to other coaches in my network. Your creativity deserves support!

Yes! Every part is confidential, including an Intro Chat.

I offer sliding-scale fees of $100/$125/$150/$200 per session. You’re welcome to choose the tier that’s most appropriate for you—no paperwork necessary! I ask that you evaluate your financial situation accurately and consider coaching an investment in your future.

We’ll begin with a contract of six sessions over three months, meeting twice per month, which is the best way to develop meaningful progress. When you commit to two sessions per month, it looks like:

$200/month – if coaching is a financial stretch for you right now

$250/month – if you’re financially stable

$300/month – if you’re financially robust

$400/month – if you’re financially fortunate, or if your organization is paying for coaching. By selecting this tier, you make it possible for me to offer scholarships to artists experiencing financial precarity.

If you’d like to continue after three months, we can renew our contract. At each renewal, you’re welcome to reevaluate your financial circumstances and adjust your tier accordingly.

There is zero risk in getting started:
It’s essential to have the support that’s right for you, so I offer a 30-day guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with our work after the first two sessions, I’ll happily refund your payments.

In order to support artists at all levels of financial stability, I offer partial and full scholarships for those experiencing financial hardship, via this brief application.

I am certified as a professional life coach through the Academy for Coaching Excellence, and as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation. These credentials complement my prior certification as a Critical Friends Group Coach.

Other training that informs my work includes a Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science from CU Boulder, and an MFA in Studio Art from the California College of the Arts (CCA).

Additionally, I have experience in our field as an academic coach and an MFA advisor; a mentor to students at CCA, Simon’s Rock at Bard College, and the TopMinds Program in Warsaw, Poland. I’ve been an arts-advice columnist; a professional arts editor; and a guest lecturer on professional practices, arts writing, and arts research.

I am a member in good standing of the worldwide International Coaching Federation and the Oregon chapter of the International Coaching Federation. Strong ethical standards are central to my work, and I follow the Code of Ethics and the Core Competencies set forth by the International Coaching Federation.

In coaching, a good fit is more important than labels. Progress flows when you feel like your coach gets where you’re coming from.

While I have facilitated pivotal sessions with visual artists, musicians, writers, and actors (to name just a few), I’ve also successfully coached executive directors, activists, and tech workers. Creativity is an essential part of moving toward our goals in every field, and often our internal stopping points are similar even if the context around them seems disparate.

What’s more, many folks struggle with the notion that you’re only a “real artist” if you have gallery representation or you make 100% of your living from your artwork; or a “real writer” if you write every single day. You may have your own version of this “real” rule; whatever it sounds like, you still deserve support.

I offer a free Intro Chat to see if we’re a good match before you make any commitments. If the information on this site resonates, you are welcome to schedule an Intro Chat no matter what terms you currently use to describe your work or professional identity.

YES. Extensive research shows that artists’ labor has a profound positive impact on the wellbeing of their communities, neighborhoods, and cities. In brief, when artists are free to make art, the people around them experience vital benefits (see “Arts Research” on my Resources page for more info). Supporting artists to move forward with their work catalyzes a ripple effect.

Thus, when artists can re-energize their practices, challenge old patterns and systems, and envision—as well as enact!—new models, coaching becomes a liberatory practice that can help build a better world. As an artist, you’re here to make an important contribution, and it’s my privilege to assist you.

Sign up for a free Intro Chat!

This is a 30-minute, no-obligation meeting to talk about where you want to go next with your practice and career, and what might be getting in your way. I'll answer your questions about coaching, and you can get an idea of whether coaching is the right support for what you've got going on. Easy peasy!