One-on-one, face-to-face, on-line mentoring sessions.

with Artist Coach, David Lyman.

Looking for a mentor? Need someone to look at your work . . . and provide an honest, in-depth critique? Want honest, in-depth feed-back on your project, ideas. Need help with your professional and personal work?

Have an idea you want make real? Are you lost in the forest and need directions?  For over 30 years, I’ve been helping  professional and emerging artists and entreprenures find their “Next Step,” negotiate the “Creative Process” and find their calling. 

The people I’ve worked with include some of today’s most successful photographers, film makers, writers and media professionals.  I’ve helped creative people find their voice, develop their talent and establish successful careers and projects.

My lectures and workshops on creativity, and “The 8 Keys to Creativity” have change the lives and launches the careers of thousands of today’s entrepreneurs, artists, media professionals and amateurs. I’ve helped hundreds start and grow their careers, establish a business, publish a book, land an assignment from a magazine. I’ve helped struggling creatives through the process as they realizing their dreams and turn their ideas into real things and sell them.  An hour’s face to face conversation on -line or inn person can help you discover your next step to success and help you see more clearly the possibilities around you.  

As an entrepreneur, I founded one of the world’s most recognized summer schools: The Maine Photographic Workshops. I was its Director  for 34 years. In 1975, I founded The International Film  Workshops, and in 1996, I founded Rockport College, and was its president for ten years.

As a working photographer, writer and filmmaker I have built a string of successful enterprises, so come to the process knowing the practical side of turning ideas into reality. I’ve been there, done it, and in the process made millions of dollars and is now ready to share the secrets I’ve learned with other creative people. 

I’m available for face-to-face, one-on-one, on-line for mentoring sessions to help you launch and grow your career.

How To Get Started

Before we meet for the initial one hour face-to-face conversation, some written information will be helpful so I can understand who you are and where you are coming from. Email me your resume and a one paragraph statement of what you want to accomplish within a year. Include what you feel stands in your way. Also, send me a link to your website, or on-line gallery of images, or send me a DVD of your film or video work, or writing samples. If it’s a screenplay, novel, book, or other tangible idea, a product, service, business you want to start, include a one-paragraph “pitch.” that outlines the key elements of our idea. Copyright the text at the top.

I will responds with a note, suggestions for how to proceed and suggestions for an on-line, face-to-face conversation. A one-hour chat maybe all that’s needed, or we can arrange an extended on-line mentorship meeting every week, or monthly over the course of a year.

What Does It Cost?

Rates: $100 an hour. $750 for ten hours on-line personal mentoring sessions. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants, Payment is by check, or by credit card via PayPal.

What Happens in a Mentorship

“First, we will get to know each other, so we can be frank, honest and straight forward with each other.

You will send me your creative products: photographs, writings, video clips, works-in-process, things you are developing. I will look at this work and respond by email, a phone call, or a face-to-face on-line, meeting.   I will discuss ways to improve the work, extend and expand it, edit it down to a single theme or idea. I will share my impressions of the work, but more importantly, I will help you see the strengths and weakness in your work, but more importantly, in the “process” by which you made the work. If I can help you develop a better process for working, the work will get better.

You will share with me your aspirations, fears, desires, needs and  tell me were the “buzz” in your life comes from. I will share with you my research into the creative process, my library, contacts and the wisdom I’ve accumulated over 50 years of working as a creative artists and communicator.

I can show you how to move step-by-step through the Creative Process to turn your ideas and talents into reality. I will help you identify and overcome the creative blocks and barriers you’ll meet along the way.  In the process we will begin to shape your professional career, or improve it, develop a self-marketing plan, create a website, and write a business plan. I have helped dozens of artists and writers develop their first book, mount an exhibition, land assignments and launch careers as successful photographers, filmmakers and writers. I can help you develop a Plan, a pathway, that will make the best use of your strengths, while helping you over come and blocks and barriers that stand in your way.

How It Works

Private, one-on-one counseling sessions can be arranged face-to-face, on-line through SKYPE or FaceTime; or on the phone, through an exchange of emails, or a visit with me here in Maine.  All it may take is an initial hour on-line; a face-to-face conversation to get the ball rolling. From that first conversation, you and I can explore what the possibilities are ahead, and then if needed, set up a schedule of subsequence on-line meetings, monthly for a year, to keep you honest to your goals and on track. It’s up to you.

By the end of a year, over perhaps 20 on-line mentorships sessions, you will have a plan for your life and career. More importantly, you will have an idea of how you can make a positive impact on the world through your vision. A worthy goal.

Who Needs a Mentor

Mentors come when the artists is in need. Mentors provide critique, guidance, help and encouragement . . . as well as help with the technology and the process. You’ll get direction and suggestions for moving to the next level.

I accept amateurs, emerging and working professionals in the visual arts. We accept writers, journalists, screenwriters, especially entrepreneurs, and people who have an idea they want to make real. 

We all need mentors at some point in our careers. Even mentors have mentors.

The Relationship

A mentorship is generally a long term relationship, lasting over a year, or for many years. A mentorship is personal and private. It takes time for this relationship to develop, for mutual trust to build , for the Mentor to know enough about the person being mentored to provide meaningful and insightful that is helpful. It takes time for the person being mentored to understand the Mentor’s intensions and to accept the advise and critique in the positive, helpful light in which it is intended.

A few one-hour, face-to-face, sessions should be enough for either party to know if the chemistry is right and a valuable relationship can be established. After that, a schedule of timely on-line meetings can be arranged.

What We Can Do Together

A mentorship will :

1. ✦ Provide an in-depth and honest critique of your portfolio and ideas
   

2. ✦ Help in developing a set of achievable goals
   

3. ✦ Create a written business or career plan
   

4. ✦ Help you write an “Artist’s Statement”
   

5. ✦ Learn technique to break down barriers and creative blocks
   

6. ✦ Use the “The Creative Process” to move ideas to reality
   

7. ✦ Develop a reading list
   

8. ✦ help you discover your talents, interests and limits
   

9. ✦ Provide valuable links to people you need to know
   

10. ✦ Give you the The 8 Keys to Success to unlock your future
    

11. ✦ Provide help in laying out a book or exhibition, developing a project
    

12. ✦ Learn how to sell yourself, build your resume and launch your professional career
    

13. ✦ Design a website and a self-marketing plan
    

The End Results

By the end of Mentorship (the good ones never end. I have mentorships relationships that have lasted 30-plus years. The relationships continue to excite, prove valuable and give meaning to my life),  you will have . . .

1. ✦ Developed a clearer understanding of yourself, your gifts, skills, limits, handicaps and potential
   

2. ✦ Feel a great more confident about yourself, and the path you have chosen
   

3. ✦ A great deal more energy, brought on by knowing where you are going, by riding yourself of the vampires in your life
   

4. ✦  Have a map that can lead you through the darkest times ahead as you navigate this adventure called “a creative life.
   

5. ✦  Learned how to assess and handle risk, failure and success.
   

6. ✦ Defined your goals and the path down which you will go
   

7. ✦ Developed a reading list and started to build your library
   

8. ✦ Developed a Team of positive, enthusiastic and nurturing people.
   

9. ✦ Developed the discipline, the ability, the will power, to push through the barriers and block, to overcome the internal demons and arrive at success.
   

David Lyman

A full copy of David’s resume is available at DHLyman.com, where you’ll find samples of his writings and philosophy.

First Step

Send me an e-mail with a brief resume, include a short description of where you are now and where you’d like to be. Include a link to your website or a sample of your creative (personal) work.

Second Step

I will reply with suggestions for how we might proceed. All this is free.

Third Step

We will meet on-line, face-to-face, one-on-one for a private one-hour consultation. This can be done via SKYPE or FaceTime, or in my office in Camden, Maine.

Fourth Step

An extended mentorship with monthly or weekly meeting can then be arranged. Often, a few hours on-line will suffice to get you started, and to see if more such meetings would be useful.

Contact and Registration

Have questions? Want to get started?

E-mail: DHLyman@mac.com

Phone: 207-841-4139

Websites

www.DHLyman.com

www.OnBeingCreative.com

www.KidsOnBoats.net