I moved to NYC in 1994 to go to grad school. Back then, I didn't know I wanted from life. I just knew what I wanted right then : I wanted to be with other artists. At NYU's Tisch School, I was part of a scene, I guess — a thoughtful, creative, courageous community that helped each other make things and think hard things through. Now squarely in my mid-fifties (turned 55 yesterday!) I still thrive in a community of other creators who want to support each other's growth

There is something big calling you into 2026, my friend. I know this because you’ve been saying so. Yesterday, two artists who opted in for sample coaching calls said exactly that to me: “I want to go big.” And within minutes, it became clear that as much as they want to go big—and as much evidence as they have that they are ready to take the risks they want to take—they haven’t taken action yet. Why? Because the moment we imagine going big, we disturb fears that

I jumped into the deep end again my dear creator! Of the dozen speaker applications I submitted this fall, one was finally accepted. It feels great to get a yes. 🎉 And… there’s a caveat. • It’s unpaid.🙃 • It’s pay-to-play.🙃 So — do I accept? I’ll skip the suspense. I said Yes . Why? I’ve invested a lot of time and money over the past two years creating my signature talk. And it’s been over a year since I’ve been in front of a large audience. I know this:

Yesterday, my partner and I spent a few hours reflecting on 2025. (He’s a social worker and I’m a coach, so that’s just how we do. 🌀) When I did a similar exercise with my coach earlier this year, I felt stuck — believing I hadn’t accomplished as much as I’d hoped, and feeling discouraged and scared. But when I slowed down yesterday — really slowed down to do this structured reflection — I could see how essential this year has been in ways that matter just as much as an

There are two ways of being in the 🌎 world: The old way. The old way of being may be something you acquired long ago and then repeated. It’s familiar 👋🏼 and predictable. As we come to the end of 2025, I invite you to check in with yourself. How are your patterns and habits serving your creative desires? Has the old way begun to feel limiting at all? …Your old way of running your biz, of treating your practice, of investing in vision. Be honest, here. Beca

How ya doin' brave creator?! The holidays brings sweetness. Yes, they do. My daughter came home from her junior year so full of ease; my son so excited for a mid-year break from senior year of high school; my partner and my kids spent an entire meal together and even stayed to play a few rounds of dreidel. AMAZING. (The house still smells like fried onions). So much to be grateful for! Roger that. And as is human nature, on the other side of sweetness there will alw

There is something big calling you into 2026. I know this because you’ve been saying so. Yesterday, two artists who opted in for sample coaching calls said exactly that to me: “I want to go big.” And within minutes, it became clear that as much as they want to go big—and as much evidence as they have that they are ready to take the risks they want to take—they haven’t taken action yet. Why? Because the moment we imagine going big, we disturb fears that have been

I’m writing to you from Santa Fe this morning, surrounded by almost 300 organizers who run artist residencies all over the US. No — I don’t currently run a residency, but I do work with artists whose lives and practices are transformed by them. And as I sit here in this room filled with people who care about your success, I am so excited for you! Because if there’s one thing my work seeks to do, it's to open up the possibility that you will say “yes” to opportunities

What am I doing? Ever have that doubt? The thought that arises after you've committed to something big. The last-ditch efforts of the mind to get you to turn the car around, cancel the ticket, forfeit your spot. Yesterday, at the Artist Communities Alliance conference, Avis Charley—a Dakota + Diné artist and Mellon Research Fellow—told a story about the drive she made to the AIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts from Lost Angeles to Santa Fe. She was

“I’ve been haunted for years.” That’s what a client said to me this week as we celebrated her first solo show. “I've been haunted by thoughts that delegitimized me. How can I call myself an artist when it’s not my full-time job… or because I’m a mother?” Sound familiar? Women are still getting that message (and worse) when it comes to how we design our lives and still honor our creative calling. My client is seventy years old, with decades of work, shows and expe

If a family holiday isn't measure of our annual growth, I don't know what is. This weekend, delivered that truth in abundance. After seven years of dating my partner, we finally hosed our first joint holiday event. Seven years. Why do long? Because -- up until now – I was afraid. Afraid it would make my kids uncomfortable. Afraid I would be uncomfortable. Afraid that by putting us all around a holiday table, I'd be putting another nail in the coffin of the

It’s painful to long for a kind of fulfillment that continues to elude us – especially when we are already working so hard to achieve it. And if you’re an artist over 50, maybe you've noticed a sense of urgency gathering? The urgency to finally meet ourselves in a space where we are one with our desire i s real ! Time gets pushy after fifty. And that's a good thing. Some “thing” has to have the persuasive power to finally get us to make the choices that scared us a

I moved to NYC in 1994 to go to grad school. Back then, I didn't know I wanted from life. I just knew what I wanted right then : I wanted to be with other artists. At NYU's Tisch School, I was part of a scene, I guess — a thoughtful, creative, courageous community that helped each other make things and think hard things through. Now squarely in my mid-fifties (turned 55 yesterday!) I still thrive in a community of other creators who want to support each other's growth

I had an artist date yesterday. I invited a new artist-friend to see an indie film at an indie festival. 😎 Afterward, in true Naomi fashion, I asked them what they wanted their life to look like one year from now. They said, “ Just thinking about thinking about it exhausts me .” I hear that same sentiment a lot from clients when they first come to me. Their future vision exhausts them because they can only imagine a future where they are working the same way and

“ Tell me your company , and I will tell you what you are .” 🎤That’s some wisdom drop, Don Quixote ! (Cervantes wrote that little ditty four centuries ago!) The idea that the company we keep is a reflection of who we are, is not new. For artists who are working hard on becoming more of who they really are , the company you keep can make or break your efforts. It takes a massive amount of courage to take the professional risks you, First name / my friend , want to t

I wait all year to stuff my face with miniature Snickers🍫 bars. And by golly, I did it! I spent $75 on premium minis— for the children , of course—and sat on the stoop to indulge my long-awaited sugar binge.😋 The next morning, deep in a candy hangover, I got invited to a screening of the new documentary America Is Burning by David Zmick. Some might argue it’s not the best post-Halloween hangover activity—but I went anyway. It sobered me up pretty quick. The film

✋ You can't enter. This isn’t for you. This is my territory, get lost. You don’t belong here. You’re not talented enough, well-known enough, cool enough, relevant enough. You’re not serious enough. You don’t know the right people. There isn’t room for you. Who are you, again? AAAAAACK‼️ These are some of the real messages I’ve heard this week—from clients and from colleagues. Some of those messages where spoken out loud, others insinuated, and the res

Mornin' Brave Creator ! We are always practicing something. For years, I practiced a belief that I didn’t have enough money. That I didn’t deserve to earn big money.💰 That it was dangerous to believe I could. That practice was mostly unconscious. And it created a contraction. It showed up in so many thoughts and moods that kept my energy for money trapped under the weight of fear. It showed up in my choices — to shrink into the background, dim my light, and pla

I'm working a program. Naomi Vladeck is working a Million Dollar Mastermind program. Not your first guess, right? Pause for a...

Whatever success looks like to you—do you really want it? It’s a bigger question than it seems at face value. Because wanting...