Cringe.Courage.Creativity.

A Teen's Playbook for Humaning

A book by marie in aweComing soon
Book cover: Cringe. Courage. Creativity. A Teen's Playbook for Humaning, by marie in awe

What if…

your weirdness is your wisdom?

your daydreams are blueprints?

the world needs your imagination more than your grades?

But first,
a gift.

“No Moola? No Problem.”

A free book excerpt: a true story and re-route exercise from Chapter One. Read it yourself, then pass it to the teen in your life.

Your book excerpt awaits →
  1. 1Tap the button
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  3. 3The book excerpt lands in your inbox

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Not here to fix teens.
Here to flip the narrative.

Teens today are overwhelmed w information and starving for meaning.

They're told to do more and raise the bar, but no one shows them how to slow down, get bored, ignite their imagination, and come home to who they are.

Instead of asking what's wrong w them, Cringe. Courage. Creativity. dares them to ask: what's possible?

Through personal stories, conversations w experts, soulful prompts, and playful practices, it's a permission slip to daydream, feel deeply, question everything, and rise after they fall.

Part TEDx talk.Part campfire story.Part treasure map.

Get a glimpse here →

A playbook,
not a rulebook.

Every chapter ends w three ways to make it real:

Activate the mind

Think Tank

Questions and reflections that turn ideas into self-knowledge.

Activate the spirit

Let's Get Weird

Creative dares and experiments to practice being brave.

Activate the heart

Vibe Pad

Real-world ways to connect w others: reach out, cheer someone on, and start a ripple.

Featuring conversations w:

Dr. David Eagleman Dr. Scott Allison Dr. Bryan Alvarez Austin Farwell Kirsten McCormick Allison Wyckoff Triana Patel and a tribute to Dr. James Doty

For the Quirkies: teens 15–21 and the grown-ups who orbit them. And for any adult whose inner teen still needs permission to be a person, not a performance.

Try the playbook here →

This book didn't
come out of nowhere.

Asian Art MuseumFounder & creative director of the Village Artist Corner artist-in-residence program
Teens, IRLAAM's ArtSpeak interns, SF Public Library's teen club The Mix, Academy of Art University students, Dripping Springs HS senior mock interviews + creativity workshops online & in-person
TEDxTeen workshop on creativity and resilience at TEDx Calle Aldama
As Featured InSan Francisco Chronicle · SFGate · Shareable
marie in awe, smiling, in a pink top

Meet
marie in awe.

Fluent in cringe, courage, and creativity.

I've spent the better part of my life being fascinated by what makes humans come alive: awe, curiosity, courage, creativity, possibility, and play.

I used to do that work mostly w grown-ups. Now I get to do it w the next gen of audacious creators.

Born in the Philippines, raised across cultures, and now worldschooling my tween and teen, I don't speak at teens, I move w them.

More about Marie →

Author. Idea collector. Professional wonderer. Former grown-up whisperer.