Writer
Editor
Bestselling book collaborator & book coach
About
Hi! I’m Carolyn—I’m a Brooklyn-based writer exploring the intersections of psychology, philosophy and Buddhism. I’m also an editor, book coach and bestselling book collaborator helping authors navigate the creative process to bring their ideas to life.
My eclectic clientele includes Ivy League psychologists and psychiatrists, Vedic spiritual teachers, executive coaches, shamans, healers and conscious leaders. With my support and guidance, my clients have landed six-figure deals with Big Five publishers; written proposals that have become New York Times bestsellers; and penned “big ideas” books grounded in intellectual and spiritual depth.
I bring to this work a deep understanding of the psychology of creative people and creative processes. I’m the co-author of Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (Penguin), with psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, which explores the rich inner lives of great artists and thinkers. The book has sold over 40,000 copies, and the New York Times called it a "satisfying overview of creativity research that is likely to provide nuggets of wisdom to even the most seasoned creative spirit.” I’m also the creator of the Webby Award-winning CREATIVE TYPES personality test, which has been taken over 15 million times. A revised and updated version of the test was released last year in partnership with TED for TED 2025: Humanity Reimagined.
A former Senior Writer for the Huffington Post and Editor for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, I’ve also written for publications including Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, TIME, Inc., Fast Company, Quartz, Yoga Journal, The New Republic and The Greater Good Science Center. My work has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today and The World Economic Forum blog, as well as on NPR, MSNBC and The TODAY Show.
You can find my latest writing at Hello, Mortal, a weekly newsletter on meaning and mortality that recently became a Substack bestseller. Sign up here.
As a book coach and collaborator, I guide and support the creative process (and inner work) of writing a book.
Write your book
Whether it’s your first time contemplating writing a book or you already have several works behind you, each new writing project asks us to come to the table as a beginner: ready to sit in the creative void, connect with our own voice and wisdom in a new way, and devote ourselves to the work at hand.
It’s a big undertaking—and support and guidance is invaluable along the way.
As a creative collaborator and coach, I am here to help you bring your ideas to life in the most authentic, impactful way possible. I will help you to uncover the essence of your project in its purest form, and to help clear a path to bring that idea forth with the highest level of integrity. Together, we will sort through the tangle of ideas and transform creative chaos into order.
My clients have landed six-figure book deals with major publishers including Penguin Random House, St. Martin’s Press, Hay House and Hachette; hit the New York Times bestseller list; won the prestigious Nautilus Award for spiritual books; and sold thousands of copies of self-published books of exceptional quality.
My services include:
Book proposal development
Developmental editing
Collaborative writing
Creative strategy & concept development
Writing coaching
Advising on Platform & Publishing
“I found in Carolyn a friend, a coach, and a writing partner. She flowed like water, side by side with me, with such elegance, delicacy, and respect—not only polishing my writing, but fertilizing my ideas, inspiring me, seeing my best and helping me to bring it to the paper.”
— Ruda Iande, Shamanic Teacher, Brazil
What Clients Are Saying
Carolyn helped me on a large writing project and I could not have been more happy with her work and our collaboration. She brought so much knowledge and know-how to the job, and had such a great way of getting information from me to inform what she was writing.
Everything she produced was beyond top-drawer and working with her was a true pleasure. Carolyn is highly recommended to help you with whatever your writing project may be!
— Eileen McKusick, author, sound therapist and researcher; Vermont
For more than 20 years, I have longed to write a book. I had many ideas, but did not know where or how to start. Last year I was lucky enough to meet Carolyn, who worked closely with me through the process of writing a book proposal. Carolyn is intelligent and intuitive, and she guided me with curiosity, patience, and persistence. She is a consummate professional, always kind, and at times firm, which is exactly what I needed.
We did it! I have a completed book proposal, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I highly recommend Carolyn to guide you on your writing journey.
— Paul Browde M.D., Psychiatrist, New York City
Working with Carolyn was the best decision I could have made while writing my first book.
She helped me through the entire process from getting structure to my ideas and mapping out the book. She supported me as a coach offering feedback and even holding space for the emotions that arose (which always arise when writing a book!). She also did a fantastic job editing and providing feedback on the final manuscript.
I felt like she just got me, and got my vision for the book. This kind of support during such a powerful birthing process is so supportive. Thank you Carolyn!
- Nadine Lee, Teacher of Tantra and Feminine Embodiment, Australia
Wired to Create
How are we to make sense of something as elusive as creativity?
Wired to Create offers a glimpse inside the “messy minds” of highly creative people. Revealing the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology, along with engaging examples of artists and innovators throughout history, the book shines a light on the practices and habits of mind that promote creative thinking. Kaufman and Gregoire untangle a series of paradoxes— like mindfulness and daydreaming, seriousness and play, openness and sensitivity, and solitude and collaboration – to show that it is by embracing our own contradictions that we are able to tap into our deepest creativity.
The book was published in 11 languages and has sold over 40,000 copies. It earned a starred review from Library Journal and praise from publications including The New York Times, who called it a "satisfying overview of creativity research that is likely to provide nuggets of wisdom to even the most seasoned creative spirit.” Publisher’s Weekly said: “This guide is well-documented, never pedantic, and always educational and inspiring.”
Creative Types
Take the Webby Award-winning CREATIVE TYPES personality test to gain deeper insight into the operating system of your own creative mind. The test has been taken over 15 million times by users around the world—and by hundreds of design, marketing and business teams—have used the test to unlock their unique gifts and strengths, ways of thinking and creating, and growth opportunities.
