Creative Shift Mastermind

Finally feel good about sharing your writing, books, and creative work.

Reach your ideal readers in a way that feels authentic, meaningful, and effective!
Join Us!

What if you knew how to share your writing and creative work in the right places, in the best possible manner, to an audience who loved it? With a process that feels completely manageable in your otherwise busy life. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

If you are like many writers I speak with, you:

  • Struggle to stand out in a crowded market where people seem to do yucky things to get attention.
  • Have tried social media, but found it overwhelming, distracting, and ineffective.
  • Created a website, newsletter, podcast, or so much else, but lost steam when only your mom subscribed.
  • Feel that you are struggling alone without any support or accountability.

In the Creative Shift Mastermind, we are going to change that.

My name is Dan Blank, and I have spent 25 years helping writers find human-centered ways to share their writing so it feels good. When you join me and a small group of writers and creators, we are going to make marketing feel refreshing.

You will feel clarity, confidence, and purpose in how to share and truly reach your ideal readers. 

Dan Blank

The Creative Shift Mastermind is like having
a personal CREATIVE trainer show up at your door every single day.

I developed Human-Centered Marketing for people like you:

  • Where you want to focus on writing and creativity first.
  • Where you don’t have to keep up with complicated trends encouraging you to do things you don’t want to.
  • To not be seen as someone who is interrupting or annoying others, but instead where readers love hearing from you and learning about your writing.

I’ve Helped Thousands of Writers Feel Good About Sharing Their Writing

I began the Creative Shift Mastermind in 2012 and have found that you can reach your readers in a way that deeply resonates with them, and feels natural to who you are.

The Creative Shift Mastermind is where you work directly with me and a small group of other writers and creators just like you. We usually have about 20 people, and we become your support system, brainstorming partners, and the team of collaborators you have always dreamed of.

Each quarter,  I mentor you through a step-by-step process to learn how to share your writing and develop an audience. You will pick a specific goal that is 100% personalized to you so that we can best support you making real progress. You will be joined by a small group of writers and creators who you can engage with and learn from.

If you are someone who is passionate about what you create, but have found that sharing it has been a struggle – that you feel overwhelmed by all you are told you “have to” do – then this is the community for you. The Creative Shift Mastermind will take you to the next level by providing:

  • A clear step-by-step program.
  • Accountability with regular check-ins.
  • Collaboration with like-minded writers.
  • Mentorship from me.
Dan Blank

I show up in the Mastermind every single day to provide guidance, assistance, and support just as a personal trainer would.

I will share prompts and videos that dive into strategies and ideas to each person makes progress, helping you feel good about how you share your work and reach your ideal readers.

The Creative Shift Mastermind is for the writer and creator who that their work will have a positive impact in the lives of others.

Get the Mentorship and Support System You Need
to Feel Good About Sharing Your Writing

I help you with the proven system I have developed, while we personalize it to your goals and style. The doors open four times a year, and each season has us diving deep into a specific focus:

  1. Creative Clarity
  2. Be the Gateway
  3. Human-Centered Marketing
  4. Launch Work You Love

For the Fall, we are diving deep into the Human-Centered Marketing curriculum. In the first three months, you will:

  • Explore what Human-Centered Marketing is, how it differs from other marketing strategies, and how to leverage it.
  • Determine the marketing outcomes that should define your creative goals (and which to ignore.)
  • Create a clear progression for sharing that helps readers take meaningful actions to support your writing and creative work.
  • Identify and focus on the activities that matter most, preserving your  limited creative energy.
  • Understand the progression of marketing, shedding the fear-based way many people view the pressure to promote.
  • Learn the process to identify who your ideal readers are, where to find them, and what engages them.
  • Conduct marketplace research to understand the community around your ideal readers.
  • Improve how you describe your work so it engages your audience.
  • Discover comparable work and understand how it helps you reach readers.
  • Build an outreach process to develop meaningful connections.
  • Explore the ins and outs of what makes a good pitch or collaboration, that is also authentic and respectful.
  • Get clear on how to craft effective marketing campaigns, their components, timing, and management.
  • Develop a marketing system that is unique to you and you can use for multiple projects.
Typewriters and books

We also focus on weekly assessments to track your progress, and accountability from me and the other writers & creators in the Mastermind so you feel supported in your journey. We are here when you need us, and you do not need to show up every single week in order to get full value out of the program. Everything that is shared is recorded, and you can always come back after you take a small break to attend to other responsibilities in your life. I know you have a lot going on, which is why I designed the Mastermind with that in mind.

JOIN US:

When: We begin on September 2, 2025. I open the doors four times per year.

Where: In our private online community run on Mighty Networks. It is simple to access, and you have 24/7 access. We also have weekly celebration calls each Friday at 1pm ET on Zoom to share what we have achieved, stay accountable, and celebrate what we have learned. If you can’t make these calls, don’t worry, they are recorded and made available for you to watch when you can.

Who: Me, you, and a small group of 20 (or so) writers and creators.

Price: $500 per month, with a minimum of a three month commitment.

Register now

How This Works

This is how the Creative Shift Mastermind works:

  1. When you register: you will be given the syllabus and introduction so you can prepare for our September 2nd start. You will also receive a questionnaire from me so that I can immediately begin personalizing things for you.
  2. When we begin on September 2, 2025: we use a private shared online workspace that you will be welcomed into and you can begin engaging with me and the other writes and creators in the group! You don’t have to show up anywhere at any specific time that day. The Mastermind is there for you when you need it, and it disappears when you don’t! (We use Mighty Networks to run the program, a private online group.) You, of course have 24/7 access.
  3. You will pick a specific goal that is 100% personalized to you that we will focus on helping you achieve in the Mastermind. We will provide support and accountability so you can move past barriers that may have stopped you in the past.
  4. Every single weekday I record a brand new video taking you through one element of the curriculum. These posts walk you through the exercises in the Creative Shift program. I record these each day, so I am often responding to member’s questions or work.
  5. I will provide feedback via the text chat within the group as we move through this work.
  6. Every Monday I post a new topic for that week. I lead everyone step-by-step through the program. You can spend as little as 1-2 hours per week on the Mastermind, or as much as you like. There is no wrong way to engage with us, and I will share many tips on how you can get the most out of the Mastermind. If you worry that there are some weeks you may be away, please know that is normal. I expect that you will not be able to engage every single day or week, and have organized the Mastermind to provide incredible value with this in mind.
  7. Each Friday at 1pm ET, we will have a celebration call via Zoom to share what we have achieved, stay accountable, and celebrate what we have learned. These are about a half hour long, and are simply a way to meet each other and stay accountable. If you can’t make these calls, don’t worry, they are recorded and made available for you to watch when you can.
  8. When you join the Mastermind, there is a minimum of a 3-month commitment. Each quarter, we move into a new theme, where we revise your goals as needed, and you continue to get accountability and support.

Stop struggling alone with your creative work. Join me…

Dan Blank

ABOUT DAN BLANK

My name is Dan Blank. I have worked with thousands of writers and creators. Every day in the Mastermind, you will hear from me. We will engage in discussions in the online workspace that encourage and inspire you to unearth your creative identity, and reach your creative goals. I have worked with writers for more than a quarter century, and my days are spent in conversations helping them ensure their work reaches readers. My full bio can be found here.

Your Creative Shift is a Commitment:

1

To Yourself: When you sign up, this is a commitment to yourself. You are committing to take action in moving forward with your writing and creative work. You are promising to make the creative shift you dream about. Because of this, there are no refunds for any reason.

2

To Be Supported By Others: When you sign up, you are admitting that you want to work with other like-minded writers and creators. You will not sit quietly on the sidelines, you will get in the game and take action.

3

To Engage With Me Directly: I show up in the Mastermind every single weekday, sharing advice and moving through the process. Show up when you can, whether that is once a day or when you have time throughout the week. The group is designed to fit a wide range of schedules, I know you are busy.

Make a creative shift in your life by knowing how to share your writing and develop an audience in a manner that feels good.  Plus: do it all with a support system to ensure you stay accountable and on track.

Our goals are simple: I want you to wake up on the final day of the Mastermind and be able to say this:

“I have committed to myself and my creative work, and I have a clear plan on how to move ahead. This year is going to be a banner year for me. I have made my creative shift, and now I’m going to live up to it.”

We begin on September 2, 2025. Join us:

Register now

The Creative Shift Mastermind helps you:

Have clarity in knowing what to create and balance it with the resources you already have.
This sense of certainty will save you time and energy that is often wasted in working on the wrong thing, flipping back and forth between projects, or ending up with a portfolio of unfinished ideas.

Have confidence in your creative identity, and know how to talk about what you create and why.
The result of this is your ability to share more frequently and authentically, and greater ability to engage others.

Have a plan to follow that aligns to how you like to create, allowing you to create and share more, with less angst and overwhelm. You will have developed the routines you need that allow you to consistently move towards your goals.

Make more progress toward your creative goals, channeling your focus to increase your learnings, experiments, and open up the possibility for more serendipitous moments that we all need on the road to success.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MASTERMIND

The Mastermind is one of the most powerful things I have ever offered — the feedback from folks who joined me have been off the charts amazing. They have found renewed clarity in their creative work, and a solid roadmap for moving forward.

Paul Chadwick

“Taking part in the Creative Shift Mastermind has been transformational in helping me understand the shape of my barriers to sharing my writing. As a result of taking part I have taken several big steps forward with sharing my work.”
– Dr. Paul Chadwick

Judith Davidson, Ph.D.

“The Creative Shift Mastermind was one of the most exciting programs I have taken. I feel much better informed about what to do, and I have a lot more confidence about the world of publication, getting attention, and creating a successful strategy for moving my literary work forward. I can’t thank Dan enough for helping to bring me along into the new world of presenting my offerings.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to join the Mastermind – business/marketing course designed with the needs and concerns of creatives in mind. It’s an excellent way to get quickly up to speed on how to navigate all the needed business skills for conceptualizing your project and developing a human-centered way of bringing it to others.”
– Judith Davidson, Ph.D.

James Teitsworth

“Shift really is the best way to describe what happens during this mastermind. It fundamentally shifted the way the way I see myself, my writing, and what it means live a creative life. If you dig in and do the work, you won’t be disappointed.”
– James Teitsworth

Pavlina Gatikova

“Dan dispelled many myths about the creative process and practice. All the tools he has offered were in support of my creative practice/process. Dan’s enthusiasm and genuine care for all of us was deeply touching. He’s an embodiment of someone who lives what he preaches and that was truly powerful for me. The whole experience of the mastermind was deeply affirming, and Dan provided all the possible tools/scaffolds to support me in making this reality. The connection to other writers and their dedication to their creativity was also of great significance to me. It empowered me to pursue my creative goals with the same determination, courage, and commitment. It was a mind and heart altering experience!”
– Pavlina Gatikova

Cara Finnegan

“The mastermind gave me time and support to step back and look at the big picture of my creative life in ways that affirmed the value of what I want to accomplish.”
– Cara Finnegan

Wendy Kennar

“Dan’s enthusiasm and genuine concern for each writer was evident throughout the Mastermind.”
– Wendy Kennar

Ruth Franklin

“Dan is truly expert at understanding the creative process. I was amazed at his ability to encourage and challenge writers and artists in many different genres to grow and transform their work. I recommend the Mastermind to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of their own creative process and developing the tools to become more productive and more confident.”
– Ruth Franklin

TonyBonds

“Before I joined the Mastermind, I struggled to find time to write, I yearned for a creative community, and I felt like I was at a crossroads in my career. Through the Mastermind, I now have firmly established writing habits, I’m close to finishing my novel, and I have a plan in place to grow my writing career. Dan Blank is a sherpa for the creative explorer inside all of us. “
— Tony Bonds

Kay Lock Kolp

“I was in a tough place and knew I needed the right kind of support and education to come out of it. The Creative Shift Mastermind provided that. Dan addresses the challenging aspects of creative work – self-doubt, the curveballs that life throws, the “daily grind” stuff – and he helps you come out on top. After taking this Mastermind my whole life has changed: I am healthier, I am happier in my life, and I am succeeding at reaching my creative goals.”
– Kay Lock Kolp

Dawn Downey

“This Mastermind has given me a sense of direction with the business side of my writing that I’ve never had before.”
— Dawn Downey

Jeannie Ewing

“Dan’s style is gentle, kind, but also very honest. He shared such clear wisdom with the group or even individually. It was so refreshing to receive feedback based on his decades of experience working with creative professionals. Dan is a true mentor and I felt, under his apprenticeship, that I finally had the freedom and permission to be who I have been as a writer all along.”
– Jeannie Ewing

KJ Dell'Antonia

“Dan’s encouragement and insights helped me to change my approach to connecting with my readers and my community. He helped me stay true to my values and my self.”
— KJ Dell’Antonia

Leigh Stein

“I loved the Mastermind! It helped me gain clarity on where I wanted to spend my time and creative energy, and ultimately I finished a draft of my novel. The weekly accountability and support allowed me to accomplish more than I would have going at it alone.”
– Leigh Stein

Rachel Barry

“I started the Mastermind because I was stuck. I thought about writing all the time–but I didn’t actually write. Dan and the Mastermind of creatives helped me get out of this tremendous slump and into the most productive creative period I’ve ever experienced. I’m writing, I’m submitting, I’m confident. The Mastermind is a priceless experience.”
– Rachel Barry

Teri Case

“Since taking Dan Blank’s Mastermind, I have published my debut novel, won awards, sent my second novel to my editor, and made over sixty close creative friends. I am now a career novelist. It boggles my mind to say so because I talked about being an author for decades. Decades! I wish every creative person would do a Mastermind and make their someday this day.”
– Teri Case

Kimberli Bindschatel

“I thought I’d signed up for the Mastermind to get my career back on track. Seems like we’ve delved into getting my whole life onto a better track.”
– Kimberli Bindschatel

Barbara Boyd

“I am inspired by the amazing folks in this Mastermind. The adage that you become who you hang out with is true and I can become a better writer and creative person by spending time with this group. This Mastermind is far more than I imagined it could be.”
– Barbara Boyd

Heather Keyser

“Dan’s Mastermind has made reaching my dreams possible. I might not have taken action on writing my novel or selling my art if it weren’t for Dan showing me the way in both practical and inspiring ways, day in and day out. He leads by example. I’m in awe of how much I’ve accomplished under his guidance and gathering of creative individuals.”
— Heather Keyser

PamLaricchia

“One of the best investments I’ve made in my creative work is participating in Dan’s Mastermind. He is open, accessible, and enthusiastically shares his wealth of knowledge and insights every day. If you’re ready to take your creative work to the next level, working with Dan is a fantastic way to do it.”
— Pam Laricchia

Irene Buchine

“Joining Dan’s Mastermind was the best decision I could have made. He helped me break down my big creative goals into one small action step at a time. To say I’m grateful to Dan for his guidance, insights and support would be an understatement! ”
— Irene Buchine

Oh, and we are going to have FUN doing it all!

Register now

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Mastermind an online ‘course’ or ‘class’?

No. The problem I have found with most online courses is that you are basically buying content (videos and text) and are left to struggle on your own. Instead, the Creative Shift Mastermind is a structured engagement with me and other writers and creators.

I provide the framework, process, prompts, and feedback. It is your choice how much you want to share, but the purpose is for us to help you move through specific goals for yourself and your creative work that feels right to you. We will discuss your process, inspiration and what holds you back. Working through this process leads to clarity and meaningful actions..

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes! When you register, you are agreeing to a minimum of a 3-month commitment in The Creative Shift Mastermind. After this period, you have the option to drop out before the next quarter begins. This is what will happen when you register:

  • You pay $75 right now which saves your spot in the Mastermind.
  • On September 1, 2025 you will be charged $475.
  • On October 1, 2025, you will be charged $475.
  • On November 1, 2025, you will be charged $475.
  • After the first three months, you have the option to leave the group and cancel future payments. Otherwise, you will stay in the group for the next quarter, continuing to build on the momentum you established.

What technology do I need in order to access the Mastermind?

The main tool to access the Creative Shift Mastermind is Mighty Networks, a platform for creating provide communities and groups. It is a free app you can access through your web browser or through their mobile app.

When the Mastermind begins, I walk you through accessing and using Mighty Network. Regardless of technical skills or lack thereof, the app is simple and easy to use.

That’s it! Within the group, I share assignments, prompts, videos, and offer feedback. Participants can comment, post updates, ask questions, and engage with other writers and creators in the Mastermind.

How many other people will be in the Mastermind?

There are typically around 20 people in the Mastermind right now. If that grows, I will let you know.

Are there any days or times I have to show up live for anything?

The majority of the Creative Shift Mastermind happens entirely online, and on your schedule. You have a full and busy life, which is why I spent years honing the Mastermind so you can access it when and where you want to.

I post prompts or videos each morning and am responding to conversations throughout the day, so I can respond to messages posted by Mastermind members on their schedule, not mine.

As a bonus, I have added in weekly Celebration Calls each Friday at 1pm ET. These are informal half hour meetups on Zoom where we can share what we have achieved, stay accountable, and celebrate what we have learned. If you can’t make the live calls, don’t worry, each will be recorded and made available for you to view anytime.

In terms of scheduling, what does a typical week in the Mastermind look like?

The Mastermind generally follows this schedule:

  • On Monday’s I post a topic for the week via a 10 minute video.
  • Throughout the week, I post additional prompts and videos each day based upon feedback and comments.
  • Throughout the program, I provide specific tasks for you to do (aligned with the curriculum), so you always feel focused and that you are moving towards your goals.
  • Each day, there will be various text-based discussions in various channels in the Mastermind. Here we work through your questions, your goals and your challenges. You can also engage with other writers and creators in the group.
  • At the end of each week I encourage you to post assessments of your week.
  • On Fridays at 1pm ET you can join a short Celebration Call via Zoom where we share what we have achieved, stay accountable, and celebrate what we have learned.

How much time per week will the Mastermind require?

I would encourage you to plan to spend a minimum of 1-2 hours per week on the work in the Mastermind. This, of course, does not include holidays, vacations, or other time off you need to take. Over the three-month period, I expect that there are some weeks that you will be away.

The goal of your engagement in the Mastermind is to move your work forward and make your own Creative Shift. At a minimum, I want you to:

  • Review the Monday video that I post.
  • Spend time during the week working on your focus for the Mastermind (doing your work) and sharing progress/questions in a channel that is created just for your work.
  • Posting an assessment at the end of each week (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday)
  • Viewing the other prompts or videos posted that week as you can.

Although daily check-ins are not required for the Mastermind, I encourage you to pop in on weekdays. I’m there every day!

What about vacations and holidays I have already scheduled?

The Creative Shift Mastermind takes place over the course of 3 months. Because of this, I expect that you may be away for a week here or there for vacations, holidays, and other obligations.

Members of the Mastermind will simply flag this ahead of time, and I can help ensure that you don’t feel you are ever “falling behind.” It is common for someone to take a week off here or there.

Likewise, on weeks where there are holidays, I am still present in the Mastermind every single day, but I do not expect you to be. I respect that each of us needs to take time to attend to other important facets of our lives, and I adjust the Mastermind accordingly.

Do you offer a refund or cancellation policy?

To join the Mastermind is to commit to the process. Because of this, there are no refunds once you register. Full terms and conditions can be found here.