Creative Leap Mastermind:

Get Your Dream Project Done with Joyful Productivity

Tired of watching your creative dreams collect dust?

Raise your hand if …✋🏽

• You want to write a book, record the album, complete the work for the exhibition, finish the pitch deck, etc., but you can’t seem to find the time.

• Your talents and tools are languishing in the corner of your office or studio.

• You're constantly comparing yourself to other creatives and feeling inadequate.

• You’re unsure you’ll be able to sustain your joy for your craft if you keep hustling.

• You've been cultivating your creativity for years, but now you want to get to work—without losing your joy.

I’ve been there.

As a seasoned artist and performer, I've navigated the challenges and triumphs of the creative world. I honed my skills in intense atmospheres like The Juilliard School and the Ivy League. I’ve landed multiple book deals, recorded a solo album, and run three marathons. I’ve made over 200+ episodes of my award-winning podcast and written hundreds of thousands of words on multiple popular blogs. Yet, I didn’t always hustle in the healthiest of ways. At one point in my life, I doubted if it was possible to work hard AND find joy.

But now, I've learned how to make progress without compromising my well-being.

I want to help you use Joyful Productivity to take the creative leap and make that dream project a reality.

What if there was a way for you to be productive but not sell your soul to hustle culture and unhealthy, unsustainable habits?

A transformative 4-month program that helps you finish the big project while becoming a more joyful artist in the process.

The first draft finished

The pitch deck complete

The music written 

The album recorded

An exhibition’s worth of work created.

What would it feel like to have it done by May 2025?

Program Structure:

You’ll be led through a new system of Joyful Productivity by a Juilliard-trained musician and traditionally published author who knows how to get things done without compromising well-being. You’ll tackle that big project through small, sustainable steps without getting derailed by discouragement and burnout.

With a blend of group and one-on-one coaching, Zoom work rooms, a weekly accountability check-in, plus direct Voxer and chat access to me for help, you’ll find a robust community with an intimate group of like-minded artists and make powerful progress on a creative project of your choice.

Joyful Productivity is founded on….

• Process over Product: The person you are becoming in the process of creating is more important than any art you make. I’ll help you create processes with small steps to reduce discouragement and overwhelm to make your progress sustainable. You’re in this for the long haul and so am I.

• Community: I’ve got your back. Artists for Joy is my favorite place on the internet, and your fellow CLM Artists and I will inspire you to keep going when you want to quit. Knowing you’re not alone when you face setbacks or obstacles is critical to staying on course. We can’t wait to cheer you on.

• Radical Self-Care: Joy is a feeling with all the colors in it, and when we are doing hard things around here, we know to double down on self-care. Learning to take care of yourself, to complete the stress cycle, and listen to your body, these practices ensure you aren’t becoming an art-making robot headed for injury or burnout.

• Rhythms over Routines: KC Davis said, “With routines, you are either on track or not. With rhythm, you can skip a beat and still get back in the groove.” I will help you craft a schedule for your season of life, but more importantly, I’ll teach you how to get back in the groove when you skip a beat (or two.)

• Celebration: Joy is made complete when it is shared. We will practice learning the art of celebration together through personal rituals, gratitude circles, and other coaching activities that help you appreciate each step you’ve taken, no matter how small.

Program Outline:

These teachings will be available each Monday during the program to support you through the process.

Hi, I’m Merideth.

I am an oboist by training (Juilliard, Yale), author (The Artist’s Joy), coach, and speaker who has helped thousands of artists recover and rediscover creative joy. My work has been featured at places like Google, the Production Music Association, Elephant Journal, and more, and I am passionate about helping you create the most important thing we make: a joy-filled life.

Mid-creative-leap myself (writing my second book), I keep hearing coaching clients say, “I just wish I had your discipline” or “I want to finish it, but I can’t.” I know how much accountability and coaching can transform the creative process, so I decided to open up the doors to a new program and offer you just that and more. I hope you'll join us.

As a Creative Leap Mastermind (CLM) member, you will benefit from:

• 18 recorded teachings on Merideth’s Joyful Productivity System

  • We’ll help you C.R.A.F.T. goals that align with your values, make a plan that works for your season of life, create self-care guardrails, troubleshoot obstacles and blocks, and more. Video goes live in the portal every Monday at noon EST from January 6 to May 12.

• 17 co-working Zoom rooms for get-it-done time

  • A weekly power hour (co-working space) so you can schedule time to get down to it. We’ll greet each other briefly, turn off our cameras, and get to work on whatever the next step for our project is. These will be Fridays from 11 AM-12 noon EST beginning January 17th and finishing May 9th.

• 18 group coaching calls for accountability (Tuesdays from January 14th to May 13th)

  • Four 1.5-hour calls to review the teaching and help you start strong: 7:00-8:30 PM Eastern, January 14th, 21st, 28th, and Feb. 4. 

  • Once the groundwork has been laid for Joyful Productivity, I won’t leave you hanging. Starting February 11th, you’ll get twelve Creative Cluster meetings with the larger Artists for Joy community working through Julia Cameron’s seminal text on creativity, “The Artist’s Way.” During the Creative Cluster, CLM members get their own private breakout room exclusively for mastermind members. These meetings are 7:00-8:30 PM EST from February 11th to May 6th. (Private breakout rooms are 7:30-8:00 PM.)

  • Our last cohort meeting will be a celebration, just us, held May 13th, 7:00-8:30 PM EST.

• 3 one-to-one coaching calls with Merideth to overcome your unique challenges

  • Three 45-minute coaching calls with Merideth to use anytime from January 14th to May 9.*

• Unlimited Voxer access to Merideth to get your questions answered

  • I will respond to your questions within 24 hours, M-F, 9-5 EST.

*The coaching calls are most valuable when you disperse them equally throughout the cohort, and they don’t carry over once the mastermind ends. If you’re unavailable during my regular coaching hours (T, W, F, 9-3 EST), I’ll work to accommodate early morning or evening sessions whenever possible.

In the words of coaching clients…

Do you want to make joyful progress with a small, intimate group of like-minded artists?

Come work with me.

I’ll be writing my second book along with the cohort, reporting my progress and working to find the space to create a dream project just like you. I’m so excited to share this time. It’s not too late. You are worth this investment. I cannot wait to see what you create.

Don't let another year pass by.

It's time to take the leap.

Enroll in the Creative Leap Mastermind today and transform your creative practice with Joyful Productivity.

Value breakdown: 

• Weekly recorded teaching: $2500 value

• Weekly Accountability group: $1500 value

• Three One-on-One coaching sessions: $450 value 

• Voxer Access: $1500 value 

  =$6000 value

Grab your seat before December 2 at midnight EST:

$1997* (or 4 payments of $500)

That’s about $15 per day!

Register between December 2-20:

$2500 (or 4 payments of $625)

Less than $20 per day!

*Receive an additional 45-minute coaching call when you pay in full, to be used during the mastermind only.

Sign up today. There are only 12 spots available and they may go fast!

Doors close on December 20th.

Some FAQs

How do I know if this is right for me? How do I set myself up for success?

CLM helps you make progress on a large project you may have had on the back burner: a book, an album, a portfolio, etc. You can have some existing material for the project completed or you can be starting from scratch; though, it’s a good idea when you sign up to have a large project in mind and have a general idea of the length and scope of what it will take to complete it. There isn’t a place in the curriculum to explore your identity as an artist or brainstorm which medium or discipline you’d like to work in, for example. That said, it does help if you’ve had some creative recovery work under your belt with Artists for Joy or otherwise, have read all or parts of “The Artist’s Way” or “The Artist’s Joy,” been through a Creative Cluster before or done some coaching, for example. This mastermind is for folks who have been exploring creative recovery over the years, are now ready to get to work and be held accountable for their progress (but with less hustle and more joy!)

Will the meetings be recorded?

Yes, the teaching portions of the Tuesday evening group coaching calls will be recorded and put in the course portal. The Zoom power hours and the breakout rooms will not be recorded for privacy reasons.

How big will the cohort be?

I am keeping it intentionally small so that everyone can get the attention and air time they need in the group calls. There are 12 spots, and once they fill up, I’ll create a wait list.

What if I can’t make progress as fast as I need to?

What makes this program unique is how it is tailored to fit the needs of your project and your season of life. If you’re working a full-time job or have littles at home, don't worry. I have helped thousands of artists overcome their unique challenges and make progress with joy. The first 4 weeks of the program will help you name what matters now, explore where you can make time for the work, and find the processes you will create to support yourself. If you’re worried about your progress and need some individualized attention, you can always Vox me or schedule one of your three coaching calls you get during the mastermind.

Is this a critique group? Will I get any feedback on my work?

No, and no. There will be opportunities to share progress and generally show/share our work in group coaching calls, but we will not be offering critical feedback, editing, or unsolicited advice about how to improve. We will, however, help you brainstorm how and where to find help if you do need a critique partner or editor.

What is Voxer?

Voxer is a voice memo app where you can chat with the CLM group and one-on-one with Merideth M-F 9-5. If you don’t wish to participate in this feature of the cohort, you can easily turn off notifications. All essential mastermind communications will come via email, but reminders and other in-the-moment info will be discussed on Voxer. I commit to answering one-on-one Voxer messages within 24 hours, except over the weekend. This video provides a helpful tutorial on how to set-up Voxer, too.

I’m not in a place to commit to this right now. Will you be offering it again?

This one is specifically for those who are ready to take the leap and put in the time to make the big dream a reality. Maybe you’re not there this year. That’s ok! I highly recommend you try out our FREE multi-week creative recovery groups that meet from Feb-May (The Artist’s Way) and Sept-Dec (The Artist’s Joy); click here to learn more and register. I also offer one-to-one coaching on a sliding scale. I hope to offer these groups for individual support for large-scale projects again in the future, but nothing is scheduled yet.

If you have additional questions, email hello@artistsforjoy.org for help!