Creative Catalyst Mentor Guide

Dear Mentor,

Welcome to the founding cohort of the Creative Catalyst Mentorship Program! By joining us, you are helping to prove that women’s creativity is not a luxury, but the infrastructure of healthier families and more resilient communities.

As a mentor, you are both a guide and a witness: walking alongside an artist in her growth journey, listening deeply, and helping her connect her art to a wider community impact. This is not just a program. It’s the beginning of a national model for how women’s artistry transforms lives and communities.

We’re so grateful you’re here.

Your Role as a Creative Catalyst Mentor

What a Mentor Is

  • A guide and encourager.

  • A listening ear and a safe space.

  • A trusted source of honest feedback.

  • A connector who helps artists identify opportunities.

  • A champion of both personal growth and community ripple.

What a Mentor Is Not

  • Not an expert in every art form.

  • Not a fixer of problems.

  • Not responsible for shaping or “improving” the artist.

  • Not expected to provide all the answers.

Important notes:

  • Mentorship thrives on openness and mutual respect; every artist deserves to feel seen and supported.

  • Mentors guide mentees toward discovering their own solutions. Success is determined by reaching a goal mentees have set for themselves.

  • If challenges arise (e.g., disengagement, personal concerns), mentors can reach out directly to their program leads for support.

One-on-One Session Guidelines: 

  • Consistent, scheduled with mentee (Note: meeting frequency is flexible, as long as both parties are in agreement and in open communication) 

  • Establish respectful, honest dialogue with mentees

  • Establish session norms/conversation guidelines with mentees 

  • Maintain communication with mentees 

  • Support artist-directed goal setting

  

Program Structure

Timing & Details

  • This inaugural trial program will run for 6 weeks, from October 13th - November 21st. 

  • All mentoring sessions will be One-on-One. 

    • (Each Mentor will be assigned one or two mentees.)

  • All sessions will be held online during the 6-week period.

    • We ask that you use provided Google Meets links.

    • You may arrange the meetings to fit your and your mentees’ schedules. 

  • The only in-person event(s) will be our Workshop(s) Dates TBD & Closing Celebration on November 22nd (location in Baltimore City TBD). 

Compensation

For this inaugural trial run, we ask that all mentors volunteer their time. 

Time Commitment

  • A 45-minute orientation on October 13th 

    • You may watch the recording if you’re unable to attend

  • During the 6-week period, dedicate two 30-minute 1:1 sessions per week (minimum) to mentor 1-2 mentees assigned to you 

    • Feel free to arrange these sessions with your mentee(s) to fit your schedule

  • On November 22nd, please co-facilitate a 60-minute in-person workshop between 2-5 pm

    • Choose from one of these topics: resilience, marketing, or business

    • After the workshops, all are invited to attend a catered closing Celebration and Showcase (from 5-7 pm)

    • Location in Baltimore city TBD

Check-Ins & Materials

On the following days, we will send brief Google Form surveys to collect baseline, midpoint, and final progress reports regarding each mentee:

  1. October 17th - baseline

  2. October 31st - midpoint

  3. November 21st - final progress report

Materials and prompts will be provided for each session. Please keep light notes on your sessions using a provided template.

Why be a Mentor?

(What’s in it for you?)

As a mentor, you’ll:

  • Guide emerging women creators as they grow in confidence and impact.

  • Be part of a diverse, cross-disciplinary network of artists and partners, including community partners and organizations.

  • Take pride in seeing your mentees flourish and hopefully step forward as mentors themselves.

  • Gain visibility through features on our website, social media, and printed journal.

You’ll also be part of the founding cohort of a program designed to scale nationally, with paid opportunities for collaboration as we secure funding and develop our curriculum and technology. 


Questions? Email us: programs@makinghermark.org