craft tutoring
tenderly turn away from
big tech’s distractions to
make art
that you love
let's build a practice of creativity that holds you and keeps you well.
in craft tutoring i share focused feedback and custom demos to help you overcome confusion or skill setbacks.
your first session is just $19
what exactly
is craft tutoring?
direct support for your art or craft to finally break through thought traps and skill barriers
focused guidance on your existing struggles
direct, gentle, and compassionate feedback on your current work to make it better
repeatable assignments and exercises to grow your skills
adaptations and adjustments to work around your schedule, life, work, and family commitments.
Mel has been my north star throughout my journey as an artist. Through their experience, expertise, and kind heart, I have been able to make art I could not have imagined three months ago—when we first began our sessions together. My lessons have all been tailored to my interests and goals as a creative.
- Payton S. (tutoring client, drawing focus)
post-tutoring work samples below shown with student’s permission
is this for beginners?!
yes! absolutely.
even if you can “only draw a stick figure” or don’t want to call yourself an artist yet.
I am here to help you get a grasp on your craft to make work that gives your life meaning and depth!
book your first session
for just $19
try out 20 minutes one-on-one with me to see if I’m the right art mentor for your practice
what can we work on
together?
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Do you dream of working with oils or watercolors but have no idea where to start? We can cover basics and practice introductory to intermediate techniques to get you on track in the studio.
Does the idea of drawing while you travel excite you? Do you want to make art journals? I’ll teach you how to start drawing what you see in a style that feels like you.
Want to learn to paint in a certain style youve been admiring but dont know how? We can take apart different inspiration to find and practice techniques to get you there.
Struggling with getting color right? You and I can take a look at the pallete and pigments you are using and use some mixing exercises to get you on the right track.
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Trying to find your art style? We can spend an hour looking through your sketchbook to notice what you should be focusing on in your practice sessions, and other artists you can be looking at and studying.
Need help setting up your sketchbook as a learning tool? I would love to help you build your intentions and goals
Are you wanting to go deeper and use your sketchbook as a place for truly finding your voice or going through a process of creative recovery? If so, my retreats might be the perfect thing for you.
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Want to learn your digital camera? We can explore simple settings and create easy assignments to help you practice composition, exposure, and shutter speed.
Longing to use your phone camera more creatively? We can explore the different shooting modes and editing to get you making with the camera you already carry everywhere
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Do you have a chaotic computer? Its ok, me too, but I have systems to tame it that I’d love to show you.
File management is a tricky task, especially if you are self employed. Yes, your downloads folder needs a tidy. We can work on finding a system and a schedule for maintanance that works for you.
Want to use an organization system for your todo lists, strategies, and 2am thoughts? I can walk you through using Notion, Obsidian, or just using your Notes app more effectively
Do you need a general overhaul of your creative systems? Let’s take a few sessions together to design a system and put it into practice.
Ready to build your digital garden? Let’s do it. Step by step!
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Got an iPad but have no idea how to use Procreate? Want to learn how to paint in Photoshop or Affinity?
Let’s spend time together diving into basics or more advanced settings to get you closer to the vibe you’re aiming for.
We can spend our session on anything from layers and textures to custom brushes. If you have questions, I’ve got answers!
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Want a little support in making music? I play guitar, synth, and have deep knowledge of Ableton, Logic, and GarageBand. I’d love to help you get setup with templates and tools to hone an intuitive practice.
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Want to learn the ins and outs of editing together a video for a social platform or short film you want to make? I can walk you through the editors on TikTok/Instagram, or step it up a notch and explore iMovie or Final Cut on a Mac. Once you know a few key processes, you’ll be flying through your editing workflow.
does any of this
sound familiar?!
“When I was younger I made a ton of art, but I quit to focus on my career. I really miss feeling creative.”
“I love watching art tutorials online! But when I try to follow along I’ll give up. Either I don’t quite have the skills, or I get bored.”
“I wish I spent less time on my phone, but I need a way to relax and unwind after work.”
“I’m totally overwhelmed trying to teach myself and have no clear idea how to get better. I think I want to draw people and realism, but I also want to try to find my own style.”
“My friend or family member gifted me a paint set, but I don’t know the first step to use it, let alone make something I am proud of!”
“I need accountability and support from others to get things done. I thought I could find that on social media, but now I feel like an impostor.
“I went to art school, but then I lost my motivation or meaning to make. I feel stuck!”
“I tried to turn my art practice into a side hustle, now I’m burned out and frustrated. I need support finding ways to make for me again.”
no shame.
those are all
notes from previous clients
and my own journal
I’m Mel (they/them), a queer, nonbinary adventure artist, and I completely stopped making analog art of any kind when I lost my studio in 2019.
Slowly walking in nature and taking pictures on my phone helped seed inspiration to start again in 2022.
Small, gentle watercolor paintings I made after work at a call center had me saying: “I feel like a person again, I feel whole again”
Now the work I do 1-on-1 helps folks with folks return to their craft, investigate old “shoulds”, and rework their relationship with technology to be a partner, not a thief.
More Real Client Reviews:
here’s my vision
for my tutoring students:
you come home from work and instead of scrolling, you connect with your favorite way to make that helps you feel at ease and connected to yourself.
days get lost in the magic of deepening the craft of what you make, discussing it with others, and flooding your group text with progress pics.
your practice becomes a space of refuge and tending to the artist within.
instead of reaching for algorithms as art critics:
you are building a sustainable community with other artists — in your own neighborhood or online — who care about your work, encourage your growth, and cheer you on.
that community helps build opportunities for one another to deepen into their practice and sharpen resilience when life gets in the way
10/10 would recommend working with Mel! They helped determine best practices for our educational nature series. They empowered us to create fun and meaningful videos while troubleshooting problems in pre- and post-production. We look forward to working with them again in the future!"
Maddie & Cydney of Deep Roots KC
(craft tutoring clients)
"Mel is a genius, not only in the art side, but also in the tech side and that is the perfect combination to be the right person to help you clean up your digital space and create better digital record-keeping and systems to help feed your creative practice. "
percy s. (former student)
FAQ
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All of my sessions include a virtual Zoom meeting and a follow up email with notes, links, and ways you can keep going with your project or practice.
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We will start by talking through your current work, getting direct feedback to me to support your goals.
Then we will discuss a potential demo or hands on practice, and spend the rest of our session on that.
I will send you clear human-written recap notes after the session for what to remember, and what to take action on in your practice.
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I usually work with folks 2-3 times over the course of a month to get them started. (this costs between $80-$210, depending on session length)
Some beginners have worked with me in 3-6 month containers, on and off, when life allows!
More advanced clients will book with me every couple of months to look at their work, get feedback, and hone their focus.
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This is entirely the point of my YouTube channel! You should check out this video and this video to get a sense of the vibes I’ll be bringing to the classroom.
If you are still unsure, book a 20 minute sample session here.
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My tutoring sessions come in two sizes, 30 minutes ($40, session) and 60 minutes ($70, session)
Most folks meet with me once or twice a month, when time and budget allows.
If you were to meet with me once a week for a month that would run between $160-280 each month!
This is a custom curriculum I’m building just for you! Bringing my 15 years of expertise to your creative practice! If you are looking for something more generalized, check out my self-guided classes
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No. I do not consent to the use of AI assistants on our Zoom calls. I am taking notes for you during our sessions. I record the feedback part of tutoring so I can transcribe notes to you after the session.
If you’d like to request a recording of our sessions, I am happy to provide one. Please do not feed my work into any AI models
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No! While I try to be gentle and understanding as an educator, the practice of improving your art goes beyond me. Your progress is based on the time you’re willing to put in. Practicing the techniques I teach you is how you’ll get results over time.
I’m neurodivergent and have struggled with demand avoidance. I have also witnessed this in my students. If I notice we aren’t making progress or life is getting in the way, I will gently recommend rescheduling our session.
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No, currently all of my services are geared towards adult learners.
If you have a particularly dedicated teen artist looking to build a portfolio, email me for rates.
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Yes! I currently do house calls in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rates vary based on commute and location (I’m in the Diablo Valley) but start at $90/session. Let’s turn your kitchen table into a studio.
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I love working with small business owners designing their courses, building out their Patreon pages, YouTube channels, or figuring out a voice for their Newsletter. Doing this has a different rate! You can find out more and book a session with me here!
ai-free guarantee
at no point during any of your sessions with me will I be utilizing any form of generative AI. Human creativity is too precious to offload to a chat bot. Everything I create for you will be crafted through my 13 years of teaching expertise with your human-centered creative growth in mind.
btw, this work is not for you if :
you are looking for a fast-track get rich strategy for making and selling art
you are using ai in your process to make your work or brainstorm.
you want quick solutions or instant results
you don’t have time or capacity to practice the craft we work on together at least once a week.
ready to start
putting your art
first?
20 mins for just $19.
if you are making
zero art right now,
we can start with a session
to get you out of a rut
mindset & systems support
Look closely at your practice and find out what is blocking you.
Adjust the expectations you are putting on your art to make it fit the life you have right now.
Locate how “shoulds” or past feedback is getting in your way
Ease back into your creative craft by building assignments to meet your varied energy.
Follow up email & check in after 30 days
$95/ session.
not quite ready for tutoring?
one of these two spaces will help you ease into the practice and feel nourished by community
persistent bloom discord server
Take part in sharing your art, and the life that supports it with an international community of working class artists
Join coworking sessions and Sketchbook Clubs to make alongside others
Lively conversations about our gardens, recipes, memes, reading lists, and human recommendations
emergent classroom
supportive video mini-classes, feedback-focused group chat, and bi-monthly live zoom calls
Get feedback and long-term accountability from a global community of artists making and supporting each other
Library of mini-classes on building inspiration, gently tapping back in, studying the work of your heros, & more
Bi-Monthly feedback and community meetings on Zoom to deepen our relationships to each other’s work
Ability to request custom demos to help improve your practice