Welcome! I´m Maya.
Post-despair optimist. Creative adaptation strategist.
I help people tap into their creativity to disrupt despairalysis.
My unique approach has transformed the lives of clients in 18 countries, turning even can't-get-out-of-bed levels of despair into grounded gratitude, rewilded imagination, and community connection.
Despairalysis refers to the emotional freezing, avoidance, and disengagement that often accompanies our response to climate change and the destruction of our environment, as well as global unrest and uncertainty about what´s next.
You may be carrying:
🔷anger toward those who are causing so much harm
🔷guilt about your lifestyle choices
🔷fear about the future
But rather than allowing yourself to feel those emotions, you might be distracting yourself as a way to avoid being overwhelmed.
And that is totally understandable - and completely human.
You see, we humans (and traditional therapy) were not designed to deal with this continuous flood of both daily triggers and distant-but-real threats.
GOOD NEWS:
Even with our losses (past, present, and future) we can move toward
a deeper connection with Nature, a more conscious and collaborative way of living,
and a stronger sense of community and belonging.
MORE GOOD NEWS:
There´s a science-backed way to feel energized about what´s possible.
You can learn specific skills and habits that dramatically expand your creative adaptability.
Oh, and it can all happen within two weeks.
If you're tired of swimming in the swirling sea that is 2025, and want to
move through the messiness in a way that feels manageable, meaningful, and motivating,
you're in the right place.
Let´s be clear: collapse is already happening.
It´s not one big crash, but a continuous unraveling of systems.
Ecological. Social. Political. Financial.
We are beginning an unprecedented era of turmoil that will impact all of us.
I offer 4 ways to address both the emotional heaviness and the creative challenge presented by the complex crapshoot we´re facing.
(And seeing it as a creative challenge and complex crapshoot is the first step for all of them.)
Bloom Zoom is a momentum-building immersion in creative adaptation techniques that break through the doom to reach reality-based enthusiasm.
It´s been effective for over 150+ individual clients around the world.
It works. It´s fast. And
it lasts.
Collapse Forward offers guidance in holding critical collapse conversations in your workplace -with your leadership, team, or board - to move forward with eyes wide open and plan more honestly and realistically.
Disrupt2Uplift assists you in designing safe, legal, stealthy, and comically subversive acts of joyful resistance. For individuals, groups, and businesses wanting to stir things up in positive and contagious ways.
Stay Or Go is for those who include leaving the U.S. as a potentially advantageous creative adaptation strategy. Stay or Go helps you assess your options, make an informed decision, and design your aligned exit - or an excellent Plan B.
Recognizing collapse can feel crushing.
Once you see it, you can´t unsee it.
So, how do you move forward with the despair that comes with this new awareness?
You have three options:
🔶 bury it by distracting yourself (unhealthy)
🔶address it via traditional therapy (not designed for these circumstances)
🔶find an alternative way to somehow feel okay despite it all (but...what?)
GOOD NEWS: You can learn how to tap into your creativity to adapt to this (or whatever) version of normal in ways that support, uplift, and inspire you and others.
In one 90-minute Bloom Zoom session - followed by two weeks of daily support via text/voice/video message (your choice) - you can:
🔶transform the way you see and face the future
🔶balance information with inspiration
🔶tap into your creativity to spark gratitude, action, and connection
¨I lost the job I had loved for twenty years. I spent months at home, watching terrible news.
I hit rock bottom, fearing for the world and myself.
Maya worked her magic in loving ways. It felt like plotting with my best friend.
In the first two weeks, I put up a flyer and held our first group meeting.
We did our fun and sneaky joyburst, and it was featured in our local newspaper.
A week later, I was offered a paid position based on my idea and organizing!
I honestly believe that this experience with Maya saved my life.¨
Maria - events director for a community organization in the U.S.
TRUTH: Creativity is what we need most when facing a complex challenge.
But it's the first thing that disappears when we're in despair.
So, we must focus on opening the valves, letting creativity flow freely,
and leveraging it as a source of energy, motivation, and direction.
I'm not a typical coach.
And I'm certainly not a therapist.
My training is in alternative education, creative breakthrough techniques, trauma-informed facilitation, and engaged activism.
That means I can teach you how to:
🔷get through barriers to creative growth and adaptation
🔷navigate the emotions that arise as you reflect
🔷turn your ideas into action that inspires you and others
This process of enlivening can be applied whenever you´re feeling despair that shuts down your imagination.
And that's likely to happen frequently in the months and years ahead. Learning this now is an investment in your well-being for the short term and the long haul.
It´s time to turn the ongoing OMG of this moment into
enlivening creative adaptation practices
that build balance and flexibility for ourselves and those around us.
Healing isn´t linear. It´s circular. We loop back as we remember what we´ve lost.
And this circle of memories and emotions can turn into a swirl that engulfs us.
Now, we are being bombarded by data, images, and stories that are upsetting. And it´s going to increase.
We need a new way to process and respond in healthy ways so that we don´t get lost in the swirl.
The Bloom Zoom experience disrupts this swirl of despair through creativity, consistency, momentum, and action.
Change starts from Day One, with insights that are continuous and compounding.
Being heard and encouraged daily for two weeks releases your emotions as well as your flow of ideas, kindling clarity and creative energy.
Despite the heaviness you may feel when we begin,
you will emerge with:
🔶awe-inspiring adaptation practices that support you
🔶a clear concept and strategy for creative action
🔶grin-worthy momentum
🔶and a big-sigh sense of relief
"I didn't expect things to hit me so hard. I felt it in a dissonance way for a long time, but when I finally recognized that this is clearly collapse, it completely knocked me down. I questioned everything I was doing, how I was living, and certainly how I pictured the future.
It was the storytelling prompts that really opened me up. The process was emotional and illuminating. Working with Maya gave me a way to frame my life going forward. It has served as a blueprint for making creative choices about everyday things and major moves as well.
I have made changes in my career and where I live. Already, life feels so much richer."
Michael - former media consultant in the U.S.
¨What I appreciated most was the supported way of seeing things as they are without flinching. Maya helped me to face my fears and see a way to live with connection and love.
My partner and I had different ideas about the future and how to plan for it. We started arguing about everything from grocery bills to career moves. We were exhausted and grieving.
Through thoughtful conversation using Maya´s prompts, we found common ground we didn´t realize we shared. That opened up new options that appeal to both of us, and led to a deeper commitment to each other - no couples therapy required!
The two of us are truly in sync now, and excited to face our future together.¨
Fatima - graphic design company owner in Canada
I am good at grappling with grief.
I have been wracked by grief,
walloped by grief,
and yes, I have wallowed in grief.
Over time, I learned how to walk back into the world more wide-eyed and full of wonder.
And I help others find their way there, too.
How did I learn so much about grief?
VOLUME....and a very early start.
Finding your own footing is essential if you hope to help others navigate the tricky times ahead.
Whether you are caring for loved ones, guiding clients, or leading a team, your own awareness and creative adaptability has a profound impact on the well-being and resilience of those you serve.
"As a high school science teacher, I feel it's my responsibility to help my students understand the future they're facing. But I couldn't find a way to address collapse without causing harm, especially to those who are already feeling anxious about climate change. It had to work within the limits of our school guidelines - and not upset parents.
Maya walked me through some options, and I chose a combination that is working well for my students. Now, I give them space every day to question, express how they feel, and build solidarity through safe action. I teamed up with the art teacher on a climate art exhibition, and am the co-advisor (along with the global studies teacher) for a 'joybomb' group. I feel motivated to help these young people process what's happening and get involved in ways that support them."
Rhonda - science educator at a private school in the U.S.
"What's with the marigolds?"
When I was a child, my grandmother taught me about the power of marigolds as companion plants in the garden, always planted near the cucumber, tomato, and squash seedlings. I learned that they kept aphids, tomato worms, and squash bugs away.
She told me, "Marigolds are friends that protect other plants."
What I offer is companioning rather than coaching or counseling, so I use marigolds as a lovely symbol of this relationship.
Like a lot of projects, this began when COVID hit.
The news was filled with death and despair.
We were facing fear and uncertainty about the future.
We longed to get creative and connect with others.
(It´s no wonder our current situation feels vaguely familiar...and triggering.)
I spent the pandemic stuck in a studio apartment in Buenos Aires during one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world.
And I longed to DO SOMETHING that was creative, helpful, and community-building.