FOR CULTURE-MAKERS WHO WON’T TRADE ALIVENESS FOR APPROVAL

THE LEAP

a 6-month intensive in radical self-trust, recovering joy, & redefining your work 

No matter how established you are (or aren’t), building a more intimate, trusting, exciting, and stable relationship with your creativity is the most powerful thing you can do for yourself and the world.

Once you’ve done this kind of work, nothing can take it away.

Hi, I’m Maria. I’m like a marriage counselor for you and your highest creativity.

I don’t pretend to have a perfect life, but I’ll tell you what doing this inner work really means in practice. Here’s how it’s looked in my life:

  • Writing and finding a publisher for a whole book after struggling with writing anxiety for decades.

  • Dropping out of a top-10 MFA program when I was almost done once I realized my work, and my life, was leading me elsewhere

  • Changing and growing in public, letting my work grow with me, even though I used to think I was a dyed-in-the-wool “perfectionist” who could never let people into my process

  • Creating a business that supports my family 

  • Finding my people — brilliant, open-minded, fascinating people — who connect with my strange, uncategorizable work 

How it looks for you will be unique and surprising. That’s the fun part; doing it your way. Creating this way is not painful, but it is different.

The over-culture’s model of creating, based on the post-industrial rules rewarding constant productivity, force, and individualism, has seeped into a lot of well-meaning creative advice. 

It leads to:

  • Bursts of creative output followed by long periods of drought and doubt

  • Feeling “meh” about your work — that it’s fine, but not as alive as you know it could be

  • White-knuckling through work that was supposed to be life-giving and joyful

  • Feeling weird about talking about and sharing your work 

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here’s what some people I’ve worked with have had to say…

  • Before starting coaching, I had fear that paralyzed me in my work and this nagging insecurity that I'm not good enough. I’d get bursts of inspiration but I didn't feel in control of it. Now, I’ve come back to myself as an artist. My goals and time management feel good. I’ve almost finished my album! I was surprised by how coaching shifted how I show up in my relationships with my roommate, my friends, my siblings, with my parents as a fuller version of myself. I have more of me to give! Investing in coaching as a creative can feel scary, like, “I’m already choosing a creative path, which can seem selfish enough. Now I'm going to coaching to invest even more!” But creativity is not only your craft; it seeps into everything in your life. This was 1000% worth it.

    Gabby

  • I wasn’t writing the way I wanted to. I was telling myself, “I just need to write more and that will solve all the things,” but part of me knew there was more to the story. And I was right! So much was uncovered — in literally every session, I was having an “aha” moment, with deep knowledge of who I am and what I really need to have the creative life I want. And it’s happening. I have flow and ease in my work like never before. I used to feel such stress that if my fingers were not on keyboard, like I wasn’t really a writer. Now my creative identity is solid for the first time, so I don’t worry if I have an off day. And I have an arsenal of tools and questions I can ask when problems arise. Anyone who is feeling stagnant, stuck, or blocked in their process, and whether they are new or very experienced, this work will be deeply valuable for you.

    Leah

  • This has been one of the biggest shifts in perspective I have ever experienced. My online, creative and personal relationships have all improved. It's been noticeable in both myself and how others respond to my work. A weight has been lifted and I have a freedom to communicate my art online in the way I want it too. I no longer hide or over edit and I can communicate directly to my audience as my genuine self.

    Lewis

What we’ll look at in our work together:

With the caveat that your life is your curriculum.

I treat each person as a unique whole, so there is nothing one-size-fits-all to my approach.

  • Loving your so-called creative blocks so much that they turn into wise breakthroughs

  • Locating yourself in the creative cycle, so you know what to focus on and what you can let go

  • Practical and spiritual strategies to hear what your inner knowing is telling you

  • Honing your unique voice, as it is in this point of your life

  • How to stop working all the time

  • Cultivating supportive relationships and boundaries around your time 

  • Embracing your so-called “ugly”, inefficient, unpopular qualities so they are celebrated in your creative process, not hidden or merely tolerated

How to get started:

  • Respond to the prompts in the application below — crafted to give you some mini-epiphanies

  • Once you hit send, book an intro call where we’ll get to know each other, create a plan, answer questions, and I’ll applaud you for your courage to explore. There’s no pressure to say “yes” on this call. If it’s not a good fit, it will still be a great use of our time.

  • The details: 6 months 1:1 coaching

  • Investment: $5000. Payment plan available with no extra fees.

APPLY HERE