The problem? How to get to a tidal island without waiting for the tide. The solution? This majestic sea tractor 🌊🚜, designed by Robert Jackson in 1969 and still in use today at Burgh Island in Devon.

Small business owner pro-tip: have the inimitable Bob Ross on in the background when you're powering through your tasks - it's like having a personalised motivational cheerleader on tap. "This is your world, you can do anything you want to do!" "Use what happens naturally, don't fight it."

@monkchips.com tapping into your extensive network - got any contacts who might like to speak to some friendly academic researchers about this? 🙏

Caitlin@cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 7d ago

Interviewees wanted! Do you work for a technology service, or maintain an open-source project, which protects websites from bots and scraping? We want to talk to you for academic research! 🤖🙅🏻‍♀️ Particularly seeking @cloudflare.social , @awscloud.bsky.social , and @techaro.lol but open to others!

Every Tuesday morning we meet at @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social for Accountabilibuddies - we do gentle goal-setting at the start, a mid-way fika to discuss progress (and have cake) and check in at the end to celebrate how far we've come! Why not join us tomorrow for some flock writing power? 🐦‍⬛

Corvidaeum Creative - A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

Last week my union's general secretary attended the vigil for Jason Arday. I've been reflecting on the all-too-few but mighty scholars of colour who I've learned from as part of my academic career - people who face barriers to participating in academia that my privilege means I will never encounter.

I'm often hesitant to fully own my identity as an artist because "I'm not a professional" (I don't make money from it) and "I never went to art school" (though currently I work at one!)

How is AI impacting the $5.3 billion global coaching industry? Read my recent article for the Critical AI at Rutgers blog to find out! criticalai.org/2026/08/03/c... Recent studies (linked in article) have demonstrated perceived effectiveness of human coaching over generative AI coaching agents.

GUEST FORUM: Caitlin McDonald's "Coaching’s Core Competencies in the Age of Generative AI." - Critical AI

Coaching is defined by the International Coaching Federation as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional…

criticalai.org

We're taking a little break from the @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social CROW (Creative Roots, Open Wings) wellbeing series to recharge and re-feather the nest 🪺 Join us for next month's session about learning the power of flocking together! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crow-wellb...

CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands

Join us on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 19:30 for our latest creative wellbeing workshop with certified coach, Caitlin McDonald

eventbrite.co.uk

Interviewees wanted! Do you work for a technology service, or maintain an open-source project, which protects websites from bots and scraping? We want to talk to you for academic research! 🤖🙅🏻‍♀️ Particularly seeking @cloudflare.social , @awscloud.bsky.social , and @techaro.lol but open to others!

"Oh, you've changed out of your charity t-shirt already!" another volunteer said to me when I ran into her at the bus stop after we'd finished a recent event with a charity (not one pictured here.) She was still wearing hers.

What do we do at Accountabilibuddies co-working on Tuesday mornings @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social ? Well, today we had... 📜 Hebrew translation 💌 Inbox zero! 📊 Spreadsheet navigation 🔭 Forward planning some future wellbeing workshops (that was me!)

What does coaching mean in an age of generative AI agentic chatbots? Read my article for the Critical AI @ Rutgers blog to find out! criticalai.org/2026/08/03/c... (Photo by Pamela Cook.)

Wednesday! 3 PM! Courage Pie (to go) is all about love 💕 - sign up here to join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courage-pi... And sign up for my newsletter - the form at the bottom of my website, caitlinmcdonald.com, to get the prompt questions in advance.

Courage Pie: to Go

Walking wellbeing event

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Curious Catalysts are my downloadable self-guided coaching resources based on the research-backed techniques I use with clients. I'll be developing a set of new Curious Catalysts soon, but in the meantime, why don't you check out the first four in the series here? caitlinmcdonald.com/coaching/cur...

Curious Catalysts

Curious catalysts accelerate the process of identifying where we want to go and how to get there. These self-guided exercises are shaped through my coaching work with clients and by powerful, resea…

caitlinmcdonald.com

I've had a lot of fun this past week reviewing at the Fringe, the world's largest performing arts festival hosted right here in Edinburgh every August. I think reviewing helps me to engage more reflectively with each show...

Perceiving a meaningful pattern from unrelated stimuli, like this surprised and anxious recycling bin, is called *pareidolia*: it's the brain's way of keeping you safe. Spotting a tiger gazing thoughtfully at you through leaves would have been pretty important!

I'm volunteering today, so Courage Pie is next week - Wednesday 19 August - on the topic of love 🥰 This is one of psychologist Alfred Adler's five Life Tasks. Join us for a walk around Leith Links to discuss! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courage-pi... Sign up for my newsletter to get the guided questions.

Courage Pie: to Go

Walking wellbeing event

eventbrite.co.uk

Summer reading: Professor Marc Brackett's 'Permission to Feel,' all about emotional literacy. Prof Brackett's core concept is that emotions are information; they aren't just experiences, they tell us important things about our internal state and prepare us for action.

Portrait of the artist drawn without looking! It's Fringe season here in Edinburgh and I went to see "The Bob Ross Effect" yesterday, where we were issued with crayons and clipboards and given various drawing exercises throughout the show.

At Coaching for Creatives, we believe creatives deserve the same opportunities that other professions get to improve their practice through the research-backed benefits of coaching. That's why we introduced Step Change, a programme designed to meet you where you are and move you forward.

The latest in my series of Curious Catalysts is The Power of One. Feeling stuck? Overwhelmed? Like there are too many options, or none at all? Cut through and try the Power of One - for just £1! Go on, try one! caitlinmcdonald.com/coaching/cur...

Curious Catalysts

Curious catalysts accelerate the process of identifying where we want to go and how to get there. These self-guided exercises are shaped through my coaching work with clients and by powerful, resea…

caitlinmcdonald.com

Once upon a time, a friend gave me a miniscule cutting from a money plant with two tiny leaves on it. I planted it in soil and waited for it to grow - but it never got any bigger, it just...sat there.

One of my favourite coaching tools (very appropriate for August, where we host the world's largest performing arts festival) is the Drama Triangle! What it is, how to get out of it - and for creatives, how to make the most of its power for dramatic tension 🎭🔺

For this month's Courage Pie free wellbeing walk we'll be talking about love 💕 This is another of psychologist Alfred Adler's Five Life Tasks - to find out more, sign up for my mailing list at caitlinmcdonald.com/sign-me-up and receive this month's prompting questions!

Caitlin E McDonald

Visit the post for more.

caitlinmcdonald.com

My favourite networking group is The Outsiders - a merry band of solopreneurs and small business owners who all realised we needed to pry ourselves away from the screen more! Last week the intrepid Cheryl led us for a walk by Queensferry's iconic three bridges, prompting us with the key question:

In a world that's becoming profoundly automated, how often do you get the chance to have somebody really listen to you? This is one of the things I value most highly about coaching sessions: it's a profoundly human-to-human encounter.

"And what are you planning to do to celebrate?" This is one of my favourite coaching questions, though my coachees are frequently nonplussed by it! Celebrating is one of the most important ways to reinforce behaviours or beliefs that we want to amplify.

This week's Curious Catalyst is The Done List: are you so busy doing that you haven't stopped to notice, let alone celebrate, how much you're achieving?

Curious Catalysts

Curious catalysts accelerate the process of identifying where we want to go and how to get there. These self-guided exercises are shaped through my coaching work with clients and by powerful, resea…

caitlinmcdonald.com

What a joy to host my first vision board session with Gwenne this week! She's graciously given me permission to share the ✨magical✨ ideas we worked on together during her session.

Last week I had the pleasure of joining Gwenne Dickson on her Flip the Script YouTube series to talk about my journey with cancer and how it led me to create art that would never have been in the world without that experience - and the lesson I wish people would learn from it!

Flip The Script - Caitlin s Creative Response to Cancer

Join us in the latest edition of the Flip The Script podcast where we'll hear Caitlin's story of courage and resilience and how her playful & joyful response to a cancer diagnosis lead her to create…

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