🌀
PLOT TWIST
A six-week live workshop in the CDYL Series. This is for ambitious, burnt-out, or pivot-curious creatives who are ready to re-write what comes next.
DO IT FOR THE PLOT!
Remember when your work felt like a story you actually wanted to tell? Somewhere between deadlines, rebrands, and deck reviews, you stopped being the director... and started just playing the part.
Do it for the plot isn’t a joke! It’s a creative philosophy, if you want it to be. It means making choices that move your story forward, even when they don’t make linear sense. This experience helps you find the narrative spine of your creative life again, and direct it with purpose, courage, and play.
WHAT IT IS
Plot Twist weaves together the wisdom of creative strategy and self-inquiry. Inspired by thinkers like Debbie Millman, adrienne maree brown, Gay Hendricks, and Bill Burnett, it’s a space to experiment with what’s next—through curiosity, story, and design.
You’ll borrow tools from three creative practices and apply them to your own story:
-
Creative Direction — learning to see yourself like a project with a point of view.
You’ll clarify the “why” behind what you make, the mood of this next era, and what you want to be known for.
-
Design Thinking — using curiosity and experimentation instead of pressure and perfection.
You’ll prototype ideas for your next chapter, test them in small ways, and discover what actually feels right before committing.
-
Narrative Strategy — shaping the story you tell about who you are and what comes next.
You’ll learn to frame your past as material, not mistakes, and craft a direction that you and others can instantly understand.
You’ll leave with a refined sense of direction, a tangible “Director’s Statement,” and the confidence to actually live your next act— not just imagine it.
WHY THIS WORKS
Plot Twist isn’t about manifesting or forcing change— it’s about intentional design. When you treat your life like a creative process, reflection becomes research, and aligned action becomes the prototype.
Research shows that reflection + social accountability dramatically increase follow-through and fulfillment:
✳︎ Writing it down turns vision into motion.
People who write down their goals are far more likely to achieve them— the act itself clarifies priorities and activates commitment.¹
✳︎ Sharing your commitment strengthens accountability.
Simply telling someone what you plan to do makes you about 65 % more likely to follow through, and regular check-ins raise that even higher.²
✳︎ Speaking it aloud rewires belief.
“The words you use to describe yourself shape how others see you— and how you see yourself.” Naming what you want helps your brain start treating it as real.³
✳︎ Doing it in community makes it stick.
Accountability groups are “powerful support systems,” and peer teams help people challenge assumptions, stay consistent, and maintain momentum.⁴ ⁵
✳︎ Saying it out loud can make it feel possible.
Manifesting is “just making plans out loud,” and verbalizing goals strengthens memory and motivation— it’s not magic, it’s focus.⁶ ⁷
In short: talking about your ideas makes them real.
That’s why every Plot Twist cohort includes structured peer-to-peer dialogue. Not performative sharing, but collaborative witnessing. It’s how clarity becomes motion, and intention turns into design.
Footnotes
- “The Power of Writing Down Your Goals,” Forbes, Jan 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rhettpower/2023/01/05/accountability-groups-the-support-you-need-to-succeed-in-2023/
-
“The Buddy Boost: How ‘Accountability Partners’ Make You Healthy, Happy and More Successful,” The Guardian, Nov 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/27/the-buddy-boost-how-accountability-partners-make-you-healthy-happy-and-more-successful
-
“What You Say Is Who You Become,” Harvard Business Review, Nov 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/11/what-you-say-is-who-you-become
-
“Accountability Groups: The Support You Need to Succeed,” Forbes, Jan 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rhettpower/2023/01/05/accountability-groups-the-support-you-need-to-succeed-in-2023/
-
“How Accountability Teams Enhance Leadership Effectiveness,” Entrepreneur, Mar 2024. https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/how-accountability-teams-enhance-leadership-effectiveness/487859
-
“Manifesting Is Just Making Plans Out Loud,” The Cut, Aug 2022. https://www.thecut.com/article/manifesting-is-just-making-plans-out-loud.html
- “Why We Should Speak Our Goals Into Existence,” Psychology Today, Jul 2023. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindful-self-expression/2023/why-we-should-speak-our-goals-into-existe
PLOT TWIST IS FOR:
-
Creatives of all types. Writers, producers, designers, art directors, etc. craving re-alignment.
-
Professionals navigating a career or identity shift.
-
Anyone whose old story feels too small for who they’re becoming.
FLOW & FORMAT
Structure
Length: 6 weeks Format: Live on Zoom, 60 minutes each session
Seats: up to 8 per cohort
1. Orientation & Compass → where you are now
Get grounded. Clarify what’s working, what’s not, and what’s calling for change.
We start small: noticing the patterns that shape everything else.
2. Insight Lab → turn tension into truth
Learn to see friction as information. Unpack your creative blocks through a new lens: insight, not self-blame.
3. Designing Futures → three paths, one pull
Map out three possible futures and discover which one feels alive.
Inspired by Odyssey Mapping, a creative exercise in the book Designing Your Life.
4. Prototype → try it in the world
Test new directions in low-stakes ways. Learn to think like a designer: build, test, learn, adjust.
Rooted in the iterative principles of Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown.
5. Future Letter → write the next era
A guided writing practice inspired by Debbie Millman’s “10-Year Plan”.
You’ll write a letter from your future self to your present one—and uncover what’s waiting for you.
6. Integration → present your statement
Synthesize what you’ve learned into a creative manifesto for your next act.
Informed by The Big Leap and its invitation to step into your zone of genius.
FRAMEWORK DNA
Plot Twist weaves together ideas from design, psychology, and creative leadership— a constellation of thinkers who treat life as a creative process and design as a way of being.
-
Debbie Millman ~ Vision & Narrative
Writing as design; how long-term vision turns imagination into direction.
-
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans, Designing Your Life ~ Experimentation & Iteration
Design thinking for the self: prototype, test, refine.
-
Gay Hendricks, The Big Leap ~ Expansion & Upper Limits
Recognizing self-imposed ceilings and stepping into your “zone of genius.”
-
adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy ~ Adaptation & Interconnection
How small, intentional shifts ripple outward into systemic change.
-
Rosamund & Benjamin Zander, The Art of Possibility ~ Mindset & Creation
Reframing obstacles as invitations to invent new possibilities.
-
Greg McKeown, Essentialism ~ Focus & Alignment
Doing less, better. Creating space for what truly matters — a design principle for life.
-
Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap ~ Clarity & Expression
Bridging logic and magic: articulating a clear, authentic point of view.
-
Nancy Kline, Time to Think ~ Reflection & Inquiry
The generative power of attention and deep listening — how thought partnership unlocks action.
Together, these perspectives form the backbone of the Plot Twist method:
turning insight into intentional design, and reflection into aligned action.
WHAT YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
-
Clarity on what you’re building towards and why
-
Language and visuals that align your work with your values
-
Renewed creative momentum
- Actionable next steps
-
A supportive network of peers who’ve witnessed your growth
SCHEDULE
This workshop runs for 6 weeks. Each session is 1 hour long. You have 3 cohorts to choose from:
- Sundays: 9–10am PST / 12–1pm EST → 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22
- Mondays: 2–3pm PST / 5–6pm EST → 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23
- Fridays: 9–10am PST / 12–1pm EST → 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27
We will begin and end promptly so that you can jump to your next meeting, or back into your life.
For either cohort, you’ll need
- Your printed workbook (mailed to you!)
- Something to write with
- A Zoom account
- An hour a week for class
- 30–60 min (or more!) a week for homework
- Presence, vulnerability, patience, and self-compassion
- Optional: Access to a printer if you would like to add images to your workbook
SIGN UP
This workshop is in BETA! And, I put a lot of sweat and love (and printed design!) into it. Anddd to reflect that, I’m pricing at a lower-ish rate. This workshop will likely cost more in the future! Because of the lower price, I’ll ask for your feedback during and after the course. Thank you!
Each cohort is limited to 8 participants to ensure a safe, focused, and intimate container.
PLOT TWIST *SUNDAYS*
9–10am PST / 12–1pm EST
$425
PLOT TWIST *MONDAYS*
3–4pm PST / 6–7pm EST
$425
PLOT TWIST *FRIDAYS*
9–10am PST / 12–1pm EST
$425
BONUS!!!Sign up with a friend and you both will get $50 reimbursed from your enrollment fee. Just send an email with you and your friends info after signing up!
ANOTHER BONUS!!!Workshop participants can also add coaching (up to 3 sessions) at a discounted rate of $120/hr. Sessions must be used during the series or within 2 weeks of workshop completion.
FAQ
Will there be a class Slack group?
Nope! You’re on Slack enough. This is a Slack-free zone... a place to step out of pings and into presence. You’re welcome :)
Can I be camera off?
For safety, connection, and vibe consistency, camera-on is required during group discussions and lectures. For solo work time, feel free to go camera-off and focus inward.
I can’t make a class. Will it be recorded?
Only the lecture portions will be recorded. To protect the privacy and intimacy of personal shares, breakout discussions will stay off-record.
I’m not a creative director. Is this still for me?
Yes! “Creative direction” here just means directing the story of your own life and work — no title required.
I’m not a designer. I don’t know what design thinking is. Is this still for me?
Absolutely. We’ll use design thinking as a framework for experimentation and curiosity — not jargon. If you’re human and creative, you belong here.
FACILITATOR
Erica Bech (they/them) is a creative director, designer, coach, and founder of Skypunch.
After a decade leading narratiev work for brand creative teams, Erica now helps creatives re-story their careers with the same curiosity, strategy, and aesthetic rigor. You can read more about them here.
Ready for your Plot Twist but have some questions? Email: hello@ericabech.com