I am very excited to announce the launch of my practice as a Creative and Writing coach! I capitalized Creative and Writing to make them sound super important!

As a writer, I’ve been fortunate to have transformative and wonderful experiences with readers, editors and collaborators, and these experiences of mentorship and “careful reading” have nourished me creatively. I hope to provide this same nourishment to my clients.

My approach is eclectic and arts-based, which is a fancy way to say that I try to bring the joyful, rebellious and messy spirit of art-making to the work of supporting others. I sprinkle my coaching with heavy doses of irreverent humour to explode the mythical aura surrounding art-making. I am more a cheerleader than a critic, and we’ll work well together if you respond to positive reinforcement, gentle nudges, and lots of listening. I am not prescriptive or highly structured in my approach, making lots of room for intuition, feelings and magic.

My sessions are artist-led and steeped in a deeply held belief in a trauma-informed approach to creative work. Many years of group work, teaching and coaching have equipped me to work across difference in acknowledgment of my own power, privilege, perspective and limitations. I consider it a deep honour to travel with you as you approach blocks to creativity, your own unique approach to a writer’s habit, and your accountability to yourself.

My coaching differs from traditional approaches to coaching because it combines my background in social services and teaching with my innate love for helping other creative people explore, produce and complete their work. I’m not a corporate coach (shudder), and even the word “coach” feels flat, sporty and a bit brutal. Guru, mentor and muse are even more loaded and creepy, so we’ll do what we can with “coach.”

I am now offering holistic and project-based creative coaching to interested emerging writers. I offer two approaches to coaching.

• Project-based The first approach is time-limited and project-based. If you’re already knee deep in a project that you’re finding ungainly or frustrating, I’ll work with you to untangle blocks, technical difficulties and boredom. Project-based work emphasizes completing a given project within a timeline you determine and to your satisfaction.

• Exploratory The second approach involves an exploratory practice. This approach is ideal for younger and emerging writers looking to explore approaches to creative practice, develop adaptive habits, and have wonderful, scary and potentially healing experiences just “making stuff.” This isn’t therapy in any strict sense, but it certainly feels like it sometimes.

We can discuss what works best for you in our initial consultation.

To book an appointment, please reach out to me at echolaliawriting@gmail.com.