Creative Mentoring with Marly
Make space for the ideas waiting to become real.
You may have a creative idea you cannot quite define, several passions you do not know how to bring together, or a project that matters to you but continues to remain unfinished.
Creative Mentoring is a personalized one-on-one space where we explore your ideas, identify what is holding your creative work back, and develop practical next steps that feel meaningful and achievable.
Rather than following a fixed formula, each session responds to where you are in your creative journey.
This is for you if...
- You feel disconnected from your creativity or unsure where to begin.
- You have many interests and want help bringing them into a coherent direction.
- You are developing an artistic project, body of work, or creative brand.
- You need thoughtful feedback on an idea, product, story, or creative concept.
- You want to establish a more consistent and intentional creative practice.
What's Included
60-Minute Private Online Session
A focused one-on-one conversation centered on your current questions, ideas, challenges, or creative goals.
Personalized Guidance
You will receive observations, questions, practical recommendations, and resources shaped around your particular creative journey.
Creative Next Steps
Together, we will identify clear and manageable actions you can take after the session.
Follow - Up Notes
You will receive a concise email summary with key insights, recommended next steps, and any releavnt prompts or resources discussed during the session.
Meet Your Creative Mentor
I’m Marly, a bilingual Venezuelan multidisciplinary artist, educator, writer, singer, photographer, and founder of La Ballena Astral. My creative practice lives at the intersection of art, nature, science, storytelling, and reflection. I work across poetry, journaling, photography, collage, illustration, creative writing, digital art, and music, continually exploring how different disciplines can enrich one another.
Alongside my artistic practice, I hold a bachelor’s degree in Forest Engineering and both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Sustainable Bioproducts, with a concentration in Wood Science and Technology. This academic and professional background allows me to bring curiosity, structure, research, and a deep understanding of the natural world into the creative process.
I also completed a year-long diploma in Reflection and Poetic Creation through La Poeteca in Caracas. My musical formation includes more than a decade of choral singing, national and international performances, and award-winning vocal competitions. As someone who has built a creative life across multiple disciplines, languages, cultures, and professional worlds, I understand the challenge of having many interests and wondering how they fit together. My role is to help you recognize the connections within your own creative life, clarify your ideas, and develop an authentic path for bringing them into the world.
Alongside my artistic and academic background, I bring professional experience in sales, marketing, communications, branding, outreach, and product development. I use this experience to help artists and creative entrepreneurs connect their vision with practical strategies for presenting, developing, and sharing their work.
Creative mentoring sessions are available in English or Spanish.
Selected Creative Background
Completed a year-long diploma in Reflection and Poetic Creation at La Poeteca in Caracas, Venezuela (2025).
Recipient of a 2024 Artist Support Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, administered through the Pitt County Arts Council.
Selected artist in the Fragmented Visions exhibition, presenting three original collage works at Pitt Community College in 2024.
Winner of a vocal competition at the Festival Multicultural Bio Bío in San Pedro de la Paz, Chile, in 2018.
Second-place recipient in a singing competition organized by the Alliance Française in Mérida, Venezuela (2017).
More than a decade of choral and vocal training, with national and international performance experience.
Ph.D. and master’s degree in Sustainable Bioproducts (Wood Science and Technology).
Bachelor’s degree in Forest Engineering with a concentration in Forest Management.
Currently working as an Environmental Specialist and Teaching Assistant Professor at East Carolina University.
Active creative practice in poetry, journaling, photography, collage, illustration, music, and creative writing.
Begin the Conversation
Interested in one-on-one creative mentoring?
Sessions can support your creative practice, artistic projects, personal brand, or creative business. Individual 60-minute sessions begin at $95 and are available online in English or Spanish.
Email laballenaastral@gmail.com with a brief description of what you would like to explore, or request a complimentary 15-minute call to discuss your goals, possible areas of support, and whether creative mentoring is the right fit.