Longing to leverage your despair about the world as a powerful force for GOOD?
Welcome! I´m Maya.
Post-grief optimist.
Adaptation strategist.
Creative disruption activist.
I help people use their creativity to disrupt despairalysis.
By re-imagining the future and rewilding their habits, they craft adaptive practices, creative projects, and artful and mischievous acts of [often comically subversive] joy.
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, wild inspiration, and community connection.
Whether your response to all that is happening shows up as anger, grief, fear, guilt, hopelessness, horror, or general malaise, there's a simple and science-backed way to feel energized and optimistic about what's possible - despite the very real challenges we face.
Oh, and it all happens in two weeks.
¨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 my 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, and leveraging it as ritual, resilience, resistance, and renewal.
I'm not a typical coach.
And I'm certainly not a therapist.
My training is in creative breakthrough techniques, trauma-informed facilitation, mindfulness, and engaged activism.
That means I know how to help you:
🔷get through barriers to creative growth
🔷navigate the emotions that arise as we work together
🔷turn your ideas into actions that inspire others
My technique is not the right fit for those who believe that the only way to deal with emotional upheaval is traditional therapy.
But if you're tired of swimming in the swirling sea of sad and scary that is 2025, and want to move through this messiness in a way that feels meaningful, effective, safe, creative, and delightful, you're in the right place.
Let's be clear: collapse is already happening.
It's not one big bang, but a slow and general unraveling of systems.
Ecological. Political. Social. Economic.
And it's right on schedule (as civilizations go).
We are beginning the most tumultuous time of our transition.
The silver-ish lining offered by this colliding of crises:
Even with the losses we face, we can move toward a deeper connection with Nature, a more conscious and collaborative way of living, and a stronger sense of caring and community.
It´s time to turn the ongoing OMG of this moment into
enlivening creative adaptation practices
that build resilience for ourselves and those around us.
There's one key element missing in the typical approach to dealing with despair:
Momentum.
Weekly sessions over months can be effective, but they cannot create the consistency and momentum to shift mindsets quickly or lead to creative breakthroughs.
The Bloom Zoom experience creatively disrupts despair through momentum, consistency, 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, sparking 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 your creative action
🔶tangible progress and grin-worthy momentum
🔶and a big-sigh sense of relief
"I didn't expect the reality of our crises to hit me so hard. I felt it in a dissonance way for a long time, but the recognition of collapse 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, and it has served as a blueprint for making creative choices about everyday things and big-picture 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 level of commitment to each other - with 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 creative adaptability has a profound impact on the 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 inspire them."
Rhonda - science educator at a private school in the U.S.
"I was feeling this ache in my stomach all the time. I knew things were clearly going in the wrong direction in terms of the climate, and that there would be devastating consequences.
As a consultant working with business leaders, I needed more honesty about this for myself as well as my clients, but it felt like a huge risk.
Maya gave me valuable tips about the questions I could ask to gauge their readiness. I started with one client who I suspected would be receptive. It was like opening a door. The conversation got very real, very quickly. It really shifted things in a positive way, despite the reality of our situation.
I know not every client will be like that, but I feel relieved just knowing how to broach the subject and take that next step when it seems right. And I am now actively choosing new clients who are more likely to be aligned."
Denise - business consultant in North America
"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.
As she put it, "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.
Plus, marigolds are cheerful and easy-going - something I bring to my work despite the heaviness of it all.
Me In the studio apartment in Argentina. Note my husband in the background...because where else could he be? 🙂
Wondering how I started doing this?
Like a lot of projects, it began when COVID hit.
The news was filled with death and despair.
We were facing uncertainty about the future.
We longed to get creative and connect with others.
(Hmm. Feels like now, right?)
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.