Queer Creator IDEA(tion) Forum
Let's Do This Together.
While each person's creative expression is unique, we thrive as humans when we share our work, stories, and experiences with others who are supportive, encouraging, and accepting of who we are. These are all expressions of love — the requisite human energy that sparks creativity.
Doing activities and co-creating with and for others is what makes us better humans. We still need periods of reflection and quiet to bring forth an idea, but the result of our efforts requires feedback and enjoyment. Even the lonely author writing for hours on end in solitude every day is telling a story for others to eventually enjoy.
How to work on a project that’s bigger than you.
This work of a queer creator who wants to make a difference in the world can be stressful, challenging, frightening, risky, lonely, and demanding — not just of your time but also of your energy. If you want to make more efficient use of your creative time to improve the lives of others, you will benefit from a queer-specific forum — one that cultivates respect, and encouragement, and brings your project to fruition.
What the Queer Creator Forum provides.
The antidote to creative isolation is regular support and encouragement from other like-minded queer creators in the form of a coaching group. The forum consists of 2 to 4 queer-identified individuals and yours truly.
As a member of a Queer Creator Forum, you'll get the support of other queer creators as well as guidance from me in the form of MindMap Neuro-Coaching. Combined, these elements will help you make more skillful progress than you would on your own. You can bring your challenges or questions to the group to get clarity, focus, and direction, and to generate strategies to move forward in alignment with your purpose and goals.
During our sessions, members take turns highlighting their work, asking questions or discussing any problems they are facing. There are no hot seats. That's yucky and judgemental. Instead, we come from a place of curiosity and ongoing constructive support to help each member get clarity, and insight, and develop unique strategies for their endeavour. Additional tools and practices will be offered to accelerate your creative potential and productivity.
How We Work Together
Each group is different and collectively may have unique needs. Below is an example of a format we can follow to best support each member in getting support and making progress in their creative work.
- 6 Group Forum sessions over 6-months on Zoom (2 sessions/month lasting approx. 1.5 to 2 hours).
- One private (one on one) coaching session with me (Up to 90-minutes).
- Recordings of our Zoom calls are available within 24 hours.
- Email support Monday to Friday.
- If needed, one to two individual 15 to 20-minute Focus sessions per month to refine strategies, deepen emotional alignment, or get back on track to cultivate your momentum and progress.
- Strategies, direction, resources, and action items as needed
To understand my approach to coaching, and what we are both agreeing to when we chose to work together, click here.
Your Commitment
The Queer Creator IDEA(tion) Forum is a container for queer minds to support each other’s efforts. To make a difference, we need to foster belonging to allow each member to thrive. These conditions support creativity and self-actualization. The Forum collectively supports our uniqueness to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Interested? Click the button below and let's have a conversation.
Testimonial — From idea to a fully constituted club and membership.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Lachlan Smith had the idea to set up a new LGBTQ+ cricket club in Birmingham, England. It would be only the second such club in the world. But he needed help, which is how he came to work with me as his coach.
I Listen to the full interview on the Think Queerly Podcast, A New Beginning: Birmingham Unicorns LGBTQ+ Cricket Club.
Testimonial — Mentor, Out, Thoughtful, and Accountability.
I found Darren when I was researching how to start a book writing project. I found him on Medium and after reading the information on his website. He spoke exactly to what I was feeling at the time, I felt lost – stuck, like I was waiting for something to happen. If you have been on his website, you can see his message loud and clear, it was like a loudspeaker immediately connecting with what I was feeling.
When we spoke on our first call, he came across as one of the most sincere, honest people I have ever met. He was genuinely interested in what I had to say and was powerful in his way of asking questions that lead me into deeper constructive self-probing. After we spoke, I immediately saw there was great value to continue the relationship and have him as a coach. He guided me to do a mind-mapping session that, with his questions, opened the path forward and helped me get unstuck. After many sessions, he continues to provide great feedback but more importantly, continues to ask the questions that redirect me in reflection and lead to the next steps.
Darren has helped me open the path forward on my book project and has also helped me see my own way forward on a larger scale as well. He has shown me many things about the publishing and web blogging world I would never have thought of, as well as pointing me in the right direction when needed to learn more as I proceed in the book project. I feel that Darren’s mission in life is to help LGBTQ people see their own value and then empower them to do and be more, giving back to our community in the process.