Let’s Make Something
Together!
I support writers and other artistic change-makers in all aspects of their work, from idea development and creation to sharing the finished product with the public.
I used to think of creating as a solitary act—a writer alone in her studio, whipping up magic.
Going back to school for my MFA in Creative Writing after a decade performing as a solo singer-songwriter opened me up to a new way of creating: with supportive teachers in community.
I realized that structures of accountability and mentorship help me thrive as a writer. Creativity ceased to be a mysterious gift, bestowed only in bouts of inspiration. Instead, it was a deeper knowing that I could intentionally and lovingly excavate. I saw myself and my peers make some of our best work to date thanks to the structure and creative energy of these containers.
For the last several years, I’ve been re-creating this kind of space for writers and artists in the community. Read on to learn more about my approach and who I work with. And please remember: if you’ve been struggling to birth your creative dream, you don’t have to do it alone!
“It was incredibly important to me, early in writing my book, that I received months of support from Laura in shaping and re-shaping my project. Within a year, my budding project exploded from a handful of pieces to dozens, each piece shaped by Laura’s attentive, generous feedback. Laura helped me overcome countless obstacles throughout my writing process and helped me understand my goals and potential impact as a writer. But perhaps most importantly, with Laura’s sharp, kind wisdom, I found peace with the struggle of that process.”
What is
Creative Coaching?
Photo by Sol Gutierrez
The form a coaching session takes varies from project to project, but the constant is you feeling held and supported in your creative practice. When you work with me, you gain a warm and encouraging teammate who is deeply invested in your development and success—and available to help resolve the small (and large) questions that can so quickly derail progress.
Unlike a writing workshop where the teacher provides all the structure and curriculum, creative coaching is more guided by you, the creator. (If you’re looking for a writing workshop, join my mailing list to hear when my next course launches). The relationship works best when you bring creative work, questions, problems, and opportunities to our sessions. You should have an idea of what you hope to gain from our time together. My job is to help you get there.
I have helped writers nurture the smallest flame of an idea or longing into a complete manuscript ready for publication, a Kickstarter ready to launch, or a consistent writing practice. Whether you are creating just for yourself or actively publishing your work, I’d love to support you in your endeavors.
This Offering Is For You if:
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You want to Prioritize your creative Practice in a New Way
Either what you’ve been doing isn’t working for you, or you know your creative practice could be more committed and fulfilling. You long for someone to hold you accountable and believe in your potential. You’re ready for a cheerleader who will also make you want to do your homework.
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You're ready to dive into the deeper questions of your work
You’ve been creating from impulse and inspiration for a while now, but feel like your work is still skimming the surface of what is possible. You’re wondering: what are the major themes and inquiries that are propelling you forward, and how can you meet them more directly? You’re ready for someone to ask you the questions that will open new layers of purpose and meaning to the “what” and “why” of your creating.
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You Frequently Run Into Creative Blocks
There is so much you long to create and express, but you keep running into dilemmas or questions that stop you in your tracks. Is this piece of writing working? Should this idea be an essay or a poem? What fundraising platform should you use to engage your audience? What sequence makes sense for these songs? You know having a sounding board and someone to ping with a quick question whenever you get stuck will help you keep your momentum.
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You’re ready to make your creative work a gift to the world
Whether you’re brand new to writing or have been creating for a while, you write with a purpose. Maybe you know that healing yourself through writing will improve your relationships and make you more available to your community. Or maybe you have essays or poems ready to be sent out for publication. Either way, you need the support of someone who believes in you to help you take the next step of creative actualization.
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You Write Essays, memoir, poetry, or Compose music in the folk or singer-songwriter genre
These are my primary areas of expertise, though I have also occasionally worked with artists in other fields, such as dancers creating multi-media presentations. Contact me if you have a project that falls outside this scope that you think might still align with my skill set.
Sound like you? Let’s meet and see if we might be a good fit.
My Approach
Photo by Amanda Cortese
My Coaching style is informed by:
My 20-year creative practice as a singer-songwriter, poet, and essayist who has published three folk albums, a companion book, and numerous poems and essays. I’ve walked through the dark tunnels of self doubt, low motivation, writer’s block, and being overwhelmed many times—and can hold a lantern for my clients as they navigate their paths forward.
My deep love and connection to the earth, my training as a wilderness rites of passage guide, and my study of practices such as Council, journeying, nature connection, intuitive healing techniques, permaculture, Enneagram, and Human Design. I believe creativity is a sacred practice of being with and listening to the greater world around us, as well as the messages of our inner psyches.
My decade spent in the underworld of chronic illness. I’ve been to the edge and come back; I know that writing can be a golden thread in the darkness.
My 5 years (and counting) as a writing professor in higher education. I hold an MFA in creative writing and have guided hundreds of college students as they explore the craft and soul of writing. While my coaching approach is not traditionally academic, I bring a spirit of rigor and deep knowledge of craft that is informed by extensive reading and dedicated study. I worship language and feel it exquisitely in my bones.
My 7 years as a private foreign language teacher. I have always delighted in working individually with students to achieve their learning goals, and have honed an approach that inspires excellence through celebration of what is already working.
“Working with Laura was not only heart-warming, but impactful. She helped clarify my vision and direction, transforming a rough and disjointed concept into a beautiful, meaningful narrative for my crowdfunding video. She provided the insight and magic to illuminate my story, melding it into a fluid and effective visual masterpiece – not to mention that she’s a joy to work with as a kind and compassionate human being!”
Coaching Options
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2-Month
Container
Three live meetings*
(45-min each)
Text/voice memo support
My review of your creative work
Contribution:
$300 - $400 per month, sliding scale
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Meetings will take place over Zoom or phone call, depending on your preference. (Walk-and-talk meetings can be particularly sweet). You can schedule your sessions at the regularity that is best for you, as long as you use up all your meetings within a two-month period. (After that, sessions expire).
I will also be available to you for support between live meetings via the free Telegram App. You can send me work for quick impressions/feedback, share any struggles/questions that have come up along the way, and ask for advice. You can expect a text or voice memo response from me within 24-hours, Monday-Friday.
The Telegram texting option is for quick questions; for in-depth review of work, I’ll ask you to take advantage of our pre-meeting review time (30 minutes per live meeting). Please send me your materials at least two business days before we meet and I will provide you my feedback orally during our session.
*If you prefer more asynchronous support in lieu of all the live meetings, we can meet less often and I can provide extra support via Telegram text/audio messaging.
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4-Month
Container
Six live meetings*
(45-min each)
Text/voice memo support
My review of your creative work
Contribution:
$275 - $375 per month, sliding scale
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Meetings will take place over Zoom or phone call, depending on your preference. (Walk-and-talk meetings can be particularly sweet). You can schedule your sessions at the regularity that is best for you, as long as you use up all your meetings within a four-month period. (After that, sessions expire).
I will also be available to you for support between live meetings via the free Telegram App. You can send me work for quick impressions/feedback, share any struggles/questions that have come up along the way, and ask for advice. You can expect a text or voice memo response from me within 24-hours, Monday-Friday.
The Telegram texting option is for quick questions; for in-depth review of work, I’ll ask you to take advantage of our pre-meeting review time (30 minutes per live meeting). Please send me your materials at least two business days before we meet and I will provide you my feedback orally during our session.
*If you prefer more asynchronous support in lieu of all the live meetings, we can meet less often and I can provide extra support via Telegram text/audio messaging.
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Individual
Sessions
I offer individual sessions for creators who want a one-time appointment or a more flexible ongoing meeting schedule.
45-Minute Session:
$65 - $165, sliding scale
(If we have never met before, plan on 60 minutes for your first session)
*Payments of $125 or more include my advance review of your work
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***Note: Payments of $125 and up include the option of up to 30 minutes of my time reviewing your work in advance of our meeting. I will share my feedback with you orally during our appointment and may offer light annotations, depending on what best serves the piece. If you’d like more in-depth written/recorded feedback, please contact me to inquire about my Manuscript Review services.
Don’t see an option here that is quite right for you? Please write to me about what you’re looking for : ) Almost every current client has a custom arrangement with me: these packages are just ideas to get you started.
Ready to Work Together?
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Book a Free
Discovery Call
If you don’t already know me and are interested in a coaching container, I recommend booking a free 15-minute meet ‘n greet to see if we are a good fit for each other.
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Sign Up for a
Coaching Container
Ready to dive right in? Please send me an email that details what you’d like to work on together, which coaching container you are interested in, and when you’d like to start!
I’ll follow up with my availability and any next steps.
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Book an Individual Session
Please reserve a time slot in my calendar and then submit payment via Venmo or Paypal* for your sliding scale amount of $65 - $165 to confirm your appointment.
If you are paying $125 or more and would like me to review any of your work before our meeting, email it to me at least two business days before your appointment.
*For other payment options,
please contact me.
Testimonials
“Laura is a wise teacher and companion for those who are exploring writing. She is so gifted at creating and holding space that encourages creative exploration and vulnerability. In just a few months, my writing practice and vision has changed in ways that I could have never imagined. I started out with just a few poems to edit and a dream to write more, [and I’m now] crafting new work weekly with a plan for a manuscript. Laura’s gentle cheer-leading and guidance will nourish your writing and your creative spirit. ”
“Thank you for your support tending to the details, editing the text in varying stages, and holding my hand along the way! [You and the other editors] served as a sort of relay team of book-doulas, each bringing your own gifts and helping me move the project forward. Your wisdom and insights pepper this book throughout.”
“As a shy and indecisive musician trying to launch a solo recording career, I’ve immensely enjoyed Laura’s support helping me navigate the bewildering array of possible musical paths I could take, and finding what feels like my authentic heart path. She has a gentle but wonderfully insightful touch, encouraging me to explore and try things while inviting me to hone in on certain areas that she feels are the most emotionally resonant for me (and thus for my audience). This has been amazingly helpful when I get stuck in thinking too much about commerciality or imitating other musicians’ styles – she’s helping me to grow into the fullest and most beautiful “me” I can be. Thank you, Laura!”
“Laura is awesome! Patient, positive, and energetic, she’s made learning a joy. She brings deep knowledge and a belief that her students can be successful. I’ve taken individual and small-group lessons from Laura the past several years, and have enjoyed both immensely. Laura is a master teacher who motivates me to do my best work.”
FAQs
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I offer sessions on a sliding scale due to the extreme wealth inequality of our current times. I have been a struggling artist most of my life and want to make sure that artists as well as those from historically-marginalized groups are able to access my support.
If you need help deciding what rate is best for you, consider that the lowest price on the scale exists for people who are low-income or struggling to get by, the middle range of the scale is for those who are comfortably middle class, and the higher price is for those with the resources to help pay it forward, making it possible to offer this system in the first place. If that is you, thank you for your support!
If my sliding scale rates are still out of reach for you, please contact me to discuss other possible methods of reciprocity such as a barter exchange.
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That’s up to you! What do you most need help with? We may discuss how your creative week went: Were you able to meet your goals or stick to your writing routine? Why or why not? Maybe you have a specific poem or essay you want to workshop with me, or you want to talk through the next steps of your crowdfunding campaign. We might discuss how to get a piece ready for publication, or brainstorm what topics your current manuscript still needs to explore. We can spend the time however will be most useful for your creative goals.
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Absolutely not! The vocational label “writer” is a lot to carry, anyhow. As long as you have an interest in writing or creating, you are welcome here. If you feel that you might need a lot of structure to get your practice started, however, you may benefit more from taking a class with me, as coaching is best for individuals who already have clear goals in mind. Join my mailing list to hear when I open course enrollment.
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I am supportive, empathic, and often ask great questions (supposedly!). With your consent, I will help you brainstorm meaningful homework, as well as hold you accountable for completing it. I believe you know your own way forward, and my presence is largely to help you honor and respect your own dreams to the extent you would anyone else’s.
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Absolutely! I’ve been through the process many times myself and know the value of an outside, discerning eye when it comes to presenting oneself and one’s work.
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I’ve been an active writer and creator since I was a child and began publishing my poetry in literary journals 15 years ago. I had a decade-long career as a performing singer-songwriter before pivoting to focus more on poetry. You can explore my writing publications here and my music publications here, if those credentials are important to you, but I’ll note that I have extensive experience helping writers and creators whose work in no way resembles my own. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Northern Arizona University and have been teaching, in one form or another, for 12 years.
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I’m currently working primarily with writers focused on poetry and creative nonfiction, as those are my areas of expertise. Musically, I work with singer-songwriters interested in developing their creative practice and lyrics, launching fundraising campaigns, or strengthening the concept of a musical project (such as theme, narrative arc, and concept).
I work with people at all points in their creative journeys, whether they are complete beginners or interested in preparing a manuscript for publication. -
Advance payment is required to reserve your appointment.
To Reschedule Your Appointment: Please contact me at least 24-hours before your session to reschedule. You can also reschedule an appointment yourself via your confirmation email from YouCanBook.Me.
Missed Appointments: I don’t provide refunds for missed appointments but am happy to reschedule your session if you contact me at least 24-hours in advance.Emergencies & Illness: In case of an emergency or illness, you may reschedule your appointment with fewer than 24-hours notice, but please let me know as soon as you are able. If I ever need to reschedule our appointment due to illness, I will offer you the option to reschedule or will provide you with a refund if requested.
Refunds: I don’t offer refunds for any services rendered but always want to hear your feedback if you think there is something I can be doing better!Vacations: I do take them! If I’m gone for a week or two during one of your coaching bundles, we can extend the length of the container by that many weeks so you have plenty of time to fit in all your sessions.