It's a chill, 3-month virtual group led by me (Caroline Swinehart) and my longtime friend Nate Dybevik (talented musician, piano tuner, composer, and music teacher). The idea emerged in May this year, when I reached out to him for support with my creative practice.

It's a container for sharing, idea-generating, and accountability.

A place for us all to bring intentions, check in, and strategize any aspect of creative work that’s calling (even nagging).

You’ll hear from others seeking greater discipline with their own creative projects, with the added oomph of an executive function coach (me) who’ll provide loose structure, work with emergent themes, and help explore powerful strategies fit for the moment.

Recordings will be made available after each group session (for those enrolled).

This Creative Compass group may include opportunities for 1:1 coaching / engagement in problem-solving.

75 minute online group sessions beginning Sept 8^th, via an online platform (likely Zoom, but TBD). 

7:00 – 8:15 PM PST (Pacific Standard Time) on Mondays with group recordings available for those who have enrolled.

Eight (8) sessions spanning 12 (twelve) weeks:
September 8 – November 24 2025

• September: four (4) weeks from Sept 8th through the end of the month (Sept 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th)
• October: every-other-week for two (2) meetings in Oct. (Oct 13th and 27th).
• November: every-other-week for two (2) meetings in Nov. (Nov 10th and 24th).

= 8 total group meetings spanning 12 weeks.

Solo work is encouraged during the “off” weeks in Oct & Nov.

Note: Extra Seattle- or Tacoma-area "in real life" (IRL) meetups may be arranged if there’s interest and support with setting it up.

The vibe is conversational, casual, informative, collaborative, nerdy, useful, experimental, and chill. 

Expect an emphasis on meeting each other, ourselves, and the moment with respect for, and curiosity about, our full humanity, including our differences, similarities, needs, vulnerabilities, motivations, heaviness, concerns, and joys. We will not shy away from uncomfortable or taboo themes or topics just because they're awkward; we'll embrace mess. We'll weave in teachings, readings, and rituals from a variety of traditions including neuropsychology, Buddhist and Taoist thinking, popular creative frameworks, project management, and an assortment of hobbies, arts, and crafts.

There's no required level of participation, but you’ll be invited to join in activities that support an open, experimental, and accountable environment. 

You don't need to have a specific project in mind. BUT, you’ll need a desire for deeper practice and consistency with *any* aspect (even the most tedious or tiny) of the creative work you know is important medicine - for yourself or the world around you. 

This will be run as "analog" as possible, with values of preference for privacy and security (minimizing unnecessary surveillance and data collection). No AI tools will be used to create or run this. You will be informed if any of that changes.

The exact form and content will be determined somewhat by the group. Empty space is allowed and is A-OK. There's no set curriculum, but rather plenty of work to share, concepts to explore, questions to ask, and conversation we can shape together.

Respect for each other's intellectual property, and accessibility needs, will be emphasized and expected.

All definitions of "creative practice" and "creative work" are warmly welcome.

This group is for individual adults, or even small collaborative groups, with:

CONFIDENCE that your habits of creative work serve as important medicine in this world

+

DESIRE for deeper practice, consistency, and/or accountability with *any* related aspect (even the most tedious or tiny)

+

CURIOSITY about strengthening ecosystems of creativity through mutual witness, connection, and support.

If that describes you, then this group might be a good fit!

Diverse profiles are warmly welcome.

I (Caroline) am committed to meeting myself and others right where we are, and that includes making space for different needs. (Check my Bio!) Needs such as enlarged text, multiple media formats, repeated information, emotional grounding, and simple and private technology will be woven in. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet any specific accommodations requests.

Diverse projects or creative practices are warmly welcome too.

You might want to deepen your practice or discipline with clearly creative work like jewelry-making, screenwriting, book writing, illustration, musical composition, altar-building, game designing, baking, video blogging, etc. 

AND/OR you might focus on the more tedious stuff required for your creative work to thrive, like designing your portfolio, tidying your finances related to your creative endeavors, building a business plan, expanding your audience, gathering resources, etc.

AND/OR you might be actively discerning, or it could be a mix, and that's cool too. If it the type and amount and goal of creative work changes week to week, that's A-OK. 

...Basically, if your heart says it counts, then it counts.

Most 75-minute virtual group sessions will follow this general agenda:

(Note - Your degree of participation is up to you. Depending on number of participants, sharing will be done in large or small group) 

1. 1. Share / "show and tell" - something we're currently working on.
   2. Set or name intentions for creative practice for that upcoming week or two.
   3. Share current creative challenges or process-related problems (this is different from soliciting feedback on one's work), and hear encouraging thoughts or ideas from others. This step may include strategic suggestions and exploration of themes.
   4. 1. Note: Activities like selected readings or discussion Qs may be peppered throughout each session.

The sign-up process in early September will encourage you to do some light preparation for the first session on the 8^th. In the meantime, consider these questions:

General Preparation Questions: 

1. Is there a particular practice or project you want to focus on for these 12 weeks? Note: A focus is absolutely not required for participation. For example, I (Caroline) won't have one!
2. Could you create a kind of "container" (a digital or physical folder, for example) to collect the creative work you generate throughout the 12 weeks? A "portfolio" could be a powerful artifact for your future self.

Pay what you want! Seriously.

Suggested $40-160 per person for the entire series. This amounts to $5-20 per session. Payment plans will be offered. No one will be turned away for lack of funds (just contact me). Enrollment fee helps cover the cost of necessary subscriptions. 

This is a pilot / experiment, and the modest price reflects that. Your feedback and ideas will be solicited to help shape this first group and future versions. This is the first (but probably not the last) Creative Compass group.

Also, bartering is an option. You likely have skillsets or something to offer that would be useful for growing Crystal Mind Coaching as a business. (So far, Creative Compass enrollment has been offered to folks helping in areas as diverse as research, thought-partnering, and website-building.) Just send an email to ask. Marketing help, guest blogging, web maintenance, and support with developing a podcast, video blog, etc. all come to mind as current or near-future needs, for example.

Not sure if you want to commit for the full 12 weeks? Fill out the interest form now, then let me know when you receive sign-up messages in early September. Basically, you can drop into the first session to see if it’s a good fit.

(For that first session you’ll be asked to participate fully, and you’ll still be asked to pay to the extent you can [$5-20 suggested].) You’ll receive a recording from that first group class only, unless you want to sign up for the full 12-week opportunity.