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. Together, we sharpen what you want to say and shape ideas, stories, and experiences that move people.

I listen closely and ask the questions that reveal what is needed. I notice connections, gaps, and unrealized possibilities, helping you see what matters most and where to go next.

A book. A proposal. A story or message. A workshop or experience. Whatever the form, we find a way forward.

I’ve helped award-winning authors clarify the central promise of their books and bring complex manuscripts into publication-ready form, guided artists in making the strongest case for their work in competitive grant applications, and designed initiatives and learning experiences reaching hundreds of participants across more than a dozen universities and cultural institutions.

“I will never write a book without Billie in my corner again. She pulled the best writing out of me. When something wasn’t going deep enough, she called it out and wouldn’t let me get away with it, then gave me clear direction on how to fix it. Having her as a partner on the final edits of my book made it so much stronger.”
Rachel Rodgers
Author, We Should All Be Millionaires | CEO, Hello Seven

HOW WE SEE SHAPES WHAT BECOMES POSSIBLE

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

I bring an artist’s eye, an editor’s discernment, a researcher’s rigor, and an educator’s instinct for creating the conditions for discovery.

My work has moved across disciplines and contexts—from exhibitions and scholarship to filmmaking, museum programs, university teaching, and public engagement. I’ve held roles with institutions including the Yale University Art Gallery, Queens Museum, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and American Quarterly, and served as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Hartford. I hold an MFA in Painting from Yale and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Moving between these ways of making, thinking, and teaching has trained me to enter complex material quickly, make connections 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: the idea sharpens, the pieces cohere, and you can see what the work wants to become. 

That’s the work I want to do 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. Together, 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 work calls for deeper support, I’ll follow up with a proposal shaped around the project, the timeline, and where I can make the greatest difference.

Bookings open one-month in advance. Limited reduced-rate sessions are available for those for whom the full fee is a barrier. Contact me to inquire.