Creative Coaching
Individual Support for Writers, Performers, Teaching Artists, and Organizations
Bring the poem. Bring the project. Bring the question. Work one-on-one with a Poet House Coach on your writing, performance, teaching, or next creative step.
45 minutes · $100 · Zoom
After your request, a coach will contact you to arrange a date and time. Your appointment is confirmed once scheduling is complete.
Book a Coaching Session
45 min
100 US dollars
Meet the Coaches
Rooted in spoken word and slam poetry traditions, where coaches have long helped poets prepare work for the page, stage, and competition, a Poet House Coach is an experienced artist and educator who provides individualized guidance, feedback, and strategy.
Jasmine Games
Jasmine Games is an award-winning poet, performer, theatre maker, and educator. She is the author of Somebody’s Daughter, winner of the 2021 Sexton Prize, and was a finalist for Austin Poet Laureate in 2025. She co-founded The Poet House and every.Word Poetry and founded Courageous Cadence.
Her coaching centers care, honesty, and craft. Jasmine helps artists revise poems, strengthen performance choices, prepare for features and competitions, develop workshops and curriculum, and shape manuscripts and creative projects.
Her approach combines rigorous feedback with a “love nudge”: meeting artists with compassion while encouraging the risk, accountability, and revision necessary to move the work forward. She holds an M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities from UT Austin.
Michael Hatcher
Michael Hatcher is an award-winning poet, performer, teaching artist, and arts organizer with more than a decade of experience. A four-time National Poetry Slam semifinalist, he has represented Dallas–Fort Worth on national teams and served as Slam Master of the Inkwell Slam Team. He co-founded every.Word Poetry and The Poet House, where he is co-executive director.
In 2025, Michael premiered Blasphemy of a Good Bath at The VORTEX and was invited to join its Repertory Company.
His coaching centers authenticity and experimentation. He helps poets and creative organizations strengthen writing, develop stage presence, prepare for performance and competition, build meaningful programs, and discover what makes their voice uniquely their own.
Who Creative Coaching Is For
Creative Coaching is open to poets, spoken word artists, performers, teaching artists, educators, multidisciplinary creatives, arts administrators, arts organizations, poetry organizations, schools, nonprofits, and cultural institutions.
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You do not need previous slam experience, professional artistic credits, or an established poetry program. You can come to us with a finished project, an early idea, a challenge you are trying to solve, or simply a question about where to begin.
What to Expect
Clients submit materials or goals beforehand, meet one-on-one with a coach, work collaboratively during the session, and leave with feedback and actionable next steps.
What You Leave With
Depending on the consultation, people might leave with:
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Detailed verbal feedback
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Revision or performance notes
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Exercises or rehearsal strategies
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A project action plan
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Resources or recommended next steps
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Greater clarity around a creative decision
What We Can Work On
Creative Coaching can support individual artists, teaching artists, arts leaders, poetry organizations, cultural institutions, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations looking to thoughtfully engage poetry and poets.
Writing & Craft
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Poem revision and editorial feedback
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Manuscript development and sequencing
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Developing new work
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Submission and audition preparation
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Strengthening voice, craft, and artistic practice
Teaching & Facilitation
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Teaching artist development
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Curriculum and lesson planning
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Workshop design
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Facilitation strategies
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Designing community-centered learning experiences
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Strengthening arts education practices
Performance & Slam
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Spoken word and performance coaching
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Slam preparation and competition strategy
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Feature set development
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Stage presence, pacing, movement, and delivery
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Rehearsal and memorization strategies
Creative & Professional Development
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Creative project planning
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Artist statements, bios, and professional materials
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Preparing proposals, programs, or artistic offerings
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Career and professional development for poets
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Building sustainable creative practices
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Thinking through new programs, events, or initiatives
You don’t have to know exactly what kind of consultation to book. Tell us what you’re working on, where you feel stuck, and what you hope to accomplish, and we’ll help identify the right focus.
Coaching for Organizations
Organizations do not need to already have expertise in poetry to work with us.
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Poet House Coaches can support arts organizations, poetry organizations, cultural institutions, schools, nonprofits, and community groups that are developing poetry-centered programs or seeking to meaningfully incorporate poets and spoken word into their work.
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Organizational coaching might include:
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Developing poetry programs, workshops, open mics, slams, or performance series
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Identifying the right poets, teaching artists, hosts, facilitators, or performers for a project
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Designing calls for artists, selection processes, or artist engagement strategies
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Thinking through artist compensation, expectations, and scope of work
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Developing youth or community poetry programming
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Strengthening an existing poetry program or event
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Designing workshops, residencies, showcases, and community activations
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Supporting organizations that want to incorporate spoken word into conferences, ceremonies, festivals, or cultural programs
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Building partnerships with poets and poetry communities
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Developing artist-centered and community-centered engagement practices
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Coaching staff who are responsible for managing poets or poetry programming
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Thinking through program structure, accessibility, facilitation, and audience experience