1:1 Creativity and Accountability Coaching
I understand my clients are constantly evolving at a psychological level. Accountability and tailored information are tools to support this evolution.
Ages 10+
Cost $60 per 25 minute session
In this on-going class, I offer personalized creativity coaching for curious individuals navigating choices on their creative path. I have helped clients finish their first book, stick to a writing routine, write songs, write speeches, create comics, prepare for auditions, make decisions about art projects, and/or explore psychology and neuroscience with a mentor.
These private lessons are student-driven and student-focused, so the potential direction we can take is limitless. I prioritize in-depth conversation and messaging with my clients. I will gladly tailor lessons to your needs.
Oftentimes, we spend the first ten minutes of class going over "progress to celebrate" from the previous week while students choose their top three tasks going forward. Then, we move to a 15-20 minute mini-lesson addressing topics such as frustration, motivation, worrying vs. planning, and creative problem solving.
These are key theories that drive our coaching sessions. I have over one hundred mini-lessons prepared on engaging slide shows related to these topics (see lesson options below).
Students can come with personally prepared creations to show and discuss (I love when they screen share!), or I can work with them to create individual goals and more awareness around their entire creative practice. This class accommodates students getting started on their creative journey and students well established in a certain discipline wishing to understand the creative process and their working habits better.
Each lesson is designed to take 25-30 minutes. Students leave the lesson with a summary that includes additional activities, journal prompts, and resources. Class summaries also include co-designed top three tasks for the week designed to move personal projects forward.
Understanding Giftedness
- Asynchronous development
- High sensitivity as a biological trait
- Perfectionism (1, 2, and/or 3)
- Empathizing vs. systemizing
- Twice-exceptionality (2E)
- Handling high expectations
- Realistic expectations and self-acceptance
- Introversion/extroversion + The Big 5
- Multipotentiality pros and cons
- Theory of Positive Disintegration (Levels 1-3)
- Theory of Positive Disintegration (Levels 4-5)
- Overexcitabilities/intensities
- Maddening myths in gifted education
- Five things GT students need to succeed
- Humor and the gifted brain
- Underachievement or selective consuming?
Executive Functioning + Task Management
- What are executive functioning skills?
- Effective study habits
- Advocating for yourself as a divergent learner
- Time management tips (Eisenhower Matrix +)
- Coping with stress and anxiety
- Decision making strategies
- SMART goals /target mapping
- Problem solving exercises + bridges to progress
- Taking responsibility
- Understanding impulse control
- Kind vs. wicked learning environments
- Deliberate practice
- Effective note taking
- Learning vs. knowing
Social Skills
- Belonging vs. fitting in
- Choosing mentors and role models
- 10 common questions about friendship
- 12 tips for making friends
- Healthy friendships/apologies
- Working well with others
- Mixing friendship and projects
- Acting brain vs. thinking brain
- Friendship through metaphors
- Handling criticism and feedback
- Listening when you have a busy mind
- Beyond IQ (emotional intelligence)
- Handling frustration
- Using books, art, and music to handle
- emotions
- Tough emotions: Jealousy/envy
- Why some people fear success
- 10 Tips for beating performance anxiety
- Leadership
- Social-emotional journaling
- Handling teasing/learning assertiveness
- Arrogance vs. confidence
Creativity
- Psychological flow states and creativity
- The five-stage creative process
- Analogous thinking
- Divergent thinking
- Beyond IQ (creativity quotients)
- Visualization/inventive thinking
- Learning from the minds of Da Vinci/
- Thomas Edison/Benjamin Franklin...
- Motivation and Life Balance
- Theory of multiple intelligences
- Growth mindset
- Bloom's Taxonomy /Maslow
- Thinking in pictures vs. in words
- Self-distancing and alter-egos
- Creative teams (conflict styles)
Philosophy and Psychology
- Beyond IQ (wisdom)
- Stop comparing yourself to others
- When there’s no right or wrong answer
- Being flexible as an opinionated person
- Overwhelm
- Becoming well-rounded and whole
- Developing a personal philosophy
- Wise career routines for the 21st century
- The art of questioning
- Thinking clearly: Spotting cognitive distortions
- Worrying vs. planning
- Overthinking vs. self-reflection
- Tackling negative thinking
RELEVANT CERTIFICATIONS
- Department of Education, PK-12 Talented and Gifted
RELEVANT EDUCATION
- Masters of Arts in Teaching
- Morningside College, Sioux City, IA
- Doctoral Student
- Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity, Studio City, CA
After years as a full-time musician (an endeavor I began as a teenager), I gravitated towards teaching and obtained a master’s degree with a focus on creativity and education. I have formally and informally studied the creative process, various theories in creativity research, the role of systemizing and empathizing in creative works, neurodiversity, personal struggles among individuals with high potential, and the role of literature in assisting personal growth. (My master's thesis focused on how literature can help students who are gifted and talented gain self-awareness.) I also have extensive experience working with Davidson Young Scholars in the profoundly gifted population and with learners who identify as twice-exceptional.
In addition, I taught one-on-one guitar and song-writing classes for over 10 years before starting my online business. During these sessions, I worked with people of all ages and guided them not only with technique but also with creativity. I love taking my knowledge of creative psychology and offering it to students as digestible pieces of information they can use.
Scheduling concerns?
Feel free to try out one session to see if I am a good fit. I can accommodate a variety of M-Th 8:30am - 2:30pm CST schedules consistently with request and communication. I have several students interested in lessons two+ times per week. My personal policy is to charge for missed lessons with less than 24 hour notice. Rescheduling is difficult with my often busy schedule. Also, please note, I observe popular holidays in the US (see policy). I communicate scheduling issues on my end with plenty of notice. Communication is the key to helping your student.
Interested in joining Michelle’s waiting list?
My son chose a music based project for his senior project for graduating from high school. Michelle helped him define, execute, and revise a portfolio of songs and a thesis essay. The best part is that her guidance empowered my son to create something that was truly his expression and that he feels very proud of. We are very impressed!
Veronica V.