I’m a fiction writer and essayist whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Best American Short Stories, The New York Times, Tricycle, EPOCH, Michigan Quarterly Review, Crazyhorse, Front Porch, West Branch, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and other publications. I’m currently finishing my first novel and working on a book of essays on lived experience and Buddhist practice. I teach creative writing at StoryStudio Chicago, where I also work as a grant writer and nonprofit consultant.
Writer, Teacher, Coach & Consultant
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Five Coaching Emails
Need creativity or writing guidance?
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What do people ask me about? Below are a few examples.
Finding spiritual meaning and purpose while editing a long manuscript.
Knowing if you’re ready to apply for an MFA program or if you need to slow down.
Writing for yourself vs. writing for publication.
Strategies on revising essays, short stories, and book-length manuscripts.
Empowering yourself after rejection or failure.
My Coaching Philosophy :
We make art because we’re alive.
Writing takes patience and discipline—but it doesn’t have to hurt. Learn how to create with more ease, less angst. Show up to your creative work by tapping into curiosity, wonder, experimentation, and joyful effort.
Gentleness and rigor are not contradictions.
No matter what your goal is—whether it’s publishing a manuscript, starting a creative practice, or rediscovering an artistic passion—I’ll guide you in a way that is based in love for yourself and the work you do. I help you the identify patterns in your creative life that support you and the ones that hold you back.
Together, we build a process that allows you to create with a greater sense of enjoyment and freedom.
Creativity comes from the heart and body.
Our creative energy isn’t confined to a mental process, but to our entire sensory experience. Feeling connected to our hearts and bodies allows us to experience freedom and pleasure in artistic expression. You’ll access your creativity through playful, innovative exercises, relaxation techniques, and engaging with your environment.
Life teaches us how to create, even when things are hard.
I’m a published fiction writer and essayist who has navigated creative work amidst the busyness of parenting, a full-time job, moving, chronic pain, illness, and bereavement. On the way, I’ve developed tools and resources to support myself and others. I’ve helped hundreds of people start and finish creative projects, reinvigorate their writing, and find inspiration when they feel blocked. You will take away proven strategies to enliven your creative process and you will invent your own.
Reading a manuscript in 2021 with my youngest child.
My Creative Journey
As a kid, I always loved to write, but I received a lot of social messages that being an artist was selfish. In college I studied poetry. I thought I’d write poems on the side while I built a career in public policy or urban planning. I discovered that I loved to write fiction in my early twenties. At the time I was working as a bilingual (English/Spanish) elementary school teacher. My days were filled with happy-kid energy but my work hours were exhausting and long. I made time to write fiction on the weekends. Eventually I applied to graduate school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for an MFA in creative writing, where I devoted three years to studying literature and writing fiction. After graduating, I published work in highly-regarded anthologies and journals. My career in education continued as I worked as a nonprofit professional in literary arts organizations and as a university professor. Meanwhile, I’ve navigated life’s challenges while also creating: mothering young children, managing chronic pain, balancing career and creative work, facing rejection, and bereavement. I’m passionate about supporting other creative people when they encounter obstacles, so that they can continue to enjoy what they love and realize their dreams.
Researching an essay while parenting in 2025.
