As a parent or mentor of a teen in the performing arts, you may witness them work incredibly hard to achieve a goal. You are excited and proud as you see them making progress. Then, just when it seems that it is right around the corner, you witness them pulling back....

Fear is the big bad wolf of emotions for most creative teens. It huffs and puffs and blows their dreams down if they don’t manage it well. Learning to move through fear by building a house of strategic "bricks" can help keep it at bay.   At some point, we will...

When we think of being “burned out” we typically think of adults working intense hours and juggling a plethora of responsibilities. Yet, feeling mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion is not solely limited to adults. Teen burnout in the performing arts can be a...

In my work with teen and young adult performing artists, I talk a lot about why it’s important to understand the pitfalls and limitations of the word “talent.” The truth about talent is that talent cannot and should not determine their drive to build skills in any...

“Talent.” It’s a word that is used in our culture on a regular basis. When we see a better-than-expected performance, product, or presentation, our inclination is to comment on the talent of the individual who has impressed us. I’ve heard this applied to my own...