Often, the most difficult part of making something is seeing it clearly from the inside. 

I work with authors, artists, founders, and organizations at pivotal moments when an idea is still taking shape, the pieces aren’t quite holding together, or you sense there is more there than has yet emerged.

This is where I come in. 

I listen closely and ask the questions that reveal what is needed. I notice connections, gaps, and unrealized possibilities, helping you find the clarity and direction to move forward. 

WHAT WE MIGHT WORK ON

A book. A proposal. A story or message. A workshop or experience. 

I’ve helped authors find the architecture of books and strengthen nearly completed manuscripts, guided artists to articulate the stakes of their work in grant proposals, and designed workshops and learning experiences that create the conditions for meaningful discovery.

What excites me most is recognizing what is alive in an idea and finding the form that allows more of it to come through.

WHY THIS WORK

I’ve spent more than twenty years learning how to look and read closely. 

My work has moved between art, writing, education, research, and public engagement. I’ve exhibited internationally, served as a tenure-track professor, developed programs at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Queens Museum, led education at Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and served on the editorial staff of American Quarterly. 

I hold an MFA in Painting from Yale and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and have designed and facilitated workshops for faculty at leading art and design institutions.  

Moving across these worlds has taught me to enter complex material quickly, notice what others might miss, and recognize what is essential, sometimes before it has been fully articulated.

What I love is the moment something comes into focus, when the idea sharpens, the pieces cohere, and you can see what the work wants to become. 

I want to do this with you. 

HOW WE BEGIN

We start with a 60-minute consultation. Bring me the idea, the project, or the questions you’re working through. We’ll look closely at what’s there, what may be missing, and what the work is asking for.
Sometimes, that conversation is all you need. 
If the project calls for deeper support, I’ll follow up with a proposal shaped around its needs, the timeline, and how I can be most useful. 

Book a consultation.

Limited reduced-rate sessions are available for those for whom the full fee is a barrier. Contact me to inquire.