iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 04/10/2026

It's #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, and I have to say, I'm probably more *aware* of breast cancer than most people. At @workingwithcancer.bsky.social , I help people return to work after a cancer diagnosis - many of them breast cancer patients, given the high prevalence of this form of cancer.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 03/10/2026

It's been a busy autumn so far and it's not letting up now...so it's time for me to take my own advice and consider how I'm going to avoid drifting into the burnout spiral! In a well-balanced life we make time for work, chores, rest, and play. When we start spiralling into burnout...

Workbook cover titled "Unwinding the Burnout Spiral" featuring a close-up green tendril curling into a spiral with dew drops, a blue band labeled "CURIOUS Catalysts," and the author name Catlin McDonald.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 02/10/2026

Zooming in a little on my vision for this year: I created a digital vision board back in January as part of Mel Larsen's Future Seed programme. When I printed it out to put on my bulletin board, part of the image didn't render properly - little snippets of text came out as plain yellow boxes.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 01/10/2026

New initiative, new bulletin board! I'm joining a year-long programme for entrepreneurs, so I decided I needed a visual reminder of my business goals. Of course I could track my progress on the computer but there's something about having these physically in front of you that makes it more real.

Teal felt bulletin board showing vision-board collages, handwritten notes and a printed checklist, framed by a multicolored felt-flower garland with a couple of dried roses hanging above.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 30/09/2026

Today I'm gathering with my Working with Cancer colleagues in London to compare notes, cheer each other on, and prepare for the rest of the year. I'm in charge of the icebreaker activity this time!

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 29/09/2026

Once upon a time I had a bad experience with an uncredentialled 'coach'. It was so bad I had to seek repair for the damage from a therapist I had already worked with and trusted.

Caitlin in an orange jacket sits at a table scattered with word cards and holds a small card labeled "POWER" toward the viewer, emphasizing selection or focus on personal power.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 28/09/2026

Did you ever need a buddy to help you get something done? To stay accountable? An accountabilibuddy, if you will? Join us at @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social every Tuesday for goal-setting, cheering each other on, and gentle check-ins throughout the morning! corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

Corvidaeum Creative - A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 26/09/2026

One of the things I love best about Edinburgh is the little acts of public art everywhere: I live in Leith, whose motto 'Persevere' goes back to the 12th century. You can see it on buildings, lampposts, etched into sidewalks - and even in graffiti around the neighbourhood.

Handwritten TAKE A SMILE note taped to a Lothian bus stop, flanked by two red hearts and a torn tear-off tab hanging below with a simple hand-drawn smiley face.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 25/09/2026

I always get nervous when a client doesn't show up for a session - particularly my clients with stage 4 cancer.

Caitlin in an orange jacket concentrates while arranging small word magnets on a table in a collaborative brainstorming or therapy session with another person across from her.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 24/09/2026

Throwback Thursday: me looking as excited as I feel, & a much more professional image, taken while preparing for the dinner I hosted about digital ethics at the House of Lords in 2018 for our Leading Edge Forum clients. I still use the backpack slumped in the corner of the first photo, btw!

Caitlin taking a close selfie with a playful surprised expression, standing in a formal dining room with tables set for a meal and a staff member arranging drinks at a wooden counter in the background.

Caitlin taking a selfie in front of a long, formally set dining table with white tablecloth, folded napkins, crystal glasses and candlesticks in an elegant wood-paneled dining room.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 23/09/2026

Today at ENCATC! My presentation "Digital Commons in Cultural and Creative Industries: Governance, Sustainability and Democratic Access" based on research we've been conducting at the University of Edinburgh...

Digital Commons in Cultural and Creative Industries — Governance, Sustainability and Democratic Access title slide with a central mixed-media collage (colorful brain illustration and vintage drawings), presenter name Caitlin McDonald, and ENCATC and EU co-funded logos in the corners.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 22/09/2026

If you're at ENCATC this week, please do join me tomorrow afternoon for my presentation "Digital Commons in Cultural and Creative Industries: Governance, Sustainability and Democratic Access" based on research we've been conducting at the University of Edinburgh...

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 21/09/2026

Ever notice how much easier it is to get stuff done when someone's working alongside you? We did too! Join us in @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social 's Discord channel every Tuesday for goal-setting, cheering each other on, and gentle check-ins throughout the morning! corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

Corvidaeum Creative - A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 20/09/2026

I'm really looking forward to presenting early findings from the digital commons research my colleagues and I have been working on next week at the ENCATC Congress. BUT! They've insisted on PDF versions of the slides, which is a de facto ban on gifs.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 20/09/2026

Recently my colleagues at the University of Edinburgh and I responded to an EU call for evidence about AI strategy for the cultural & creative sectors. For the past few months, we've been conducting interviews and collaborative workshops with...

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 18/09/2026

We had fun last night at @CorvidaeumCreative.bsky.social learing the power of seeking help from the flock! Here's a tip to improve at seeking help: you know that great feeling you get when you help someone else out, like you're really contributing? Well, why should you deprive someone else?

Creative planning workspace with handwritten notes and charts laid out on a table, colorful markers and pencils scattered over a partially colored illustration, and cups holding pens beside a whiteboard in the background.

Workspace whiteboard showing a "I need help with..." brainstorming template with four columns labeled WHO?, WHY?, INVITATION & OFFER, and HOW?, handwritten prompts beneath, an eraser and marker, and a small photo magnet labeled "Pet Jester" at the top right.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 16/09/2026

I'm hosting an event tomorrow night all about accepting helping hands 🤗 We'd love to welcome you at the Corvidaeum if learning to ask for help is something you'd like to work on. CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands Date: 17 sept • 19:30 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crow-wellb...

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 16/09/2026

Tomorrow! Join the flock for some corvid community power at our CROW (Creative Roots, Open Wings) wellbeing series at @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social - all about learning how and who to ask for help. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crow-wellb...

eventbrite.co.uk

CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands

Join us on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 19:30 for our latest creative wellbeing workshop with certified coach, Caitlin McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 15/09/2026

I had an experience recently where someone used my data (and that of others) without my permission to create AI-generated content. I was shocked that they didn't understand the harms of doing this; they were surprised that I minded.

Caitlin in a bright orange jacket stands confidently with hands on hips by a harbor, looking at the camera with a slight smile against blurred boats and waterfront buildings.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 14/09/2026

Still time to sign up for this month's CROW (Creative Roots, Open Wings) wellbeing series on Thursday 17 September at @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social - learn how to flock together and make the most of your creative network to get further than you can on your own! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crow-wellb...

eventbrite.co.uk

CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands

Join us on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 19:30 for our latest creative wellbeing workshop with certified coach, Caitlin McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 13/09/2026

My latest Curious Catalyst is this Humming for Inner Harmony exercise, using the resonant power of the breath for calming the nervous system. This has measurable cognitive and cardiovascular benefits even from just a few minutes! caitlinmcdonald.com/coaching/cur...

Workbook cover with a hummingbird hovering to sip nectar from dangling pink berries against a soft green background, overlaid with the title "Humming for Inner Harmony" and a blue band with the series title reading "CURIOUS Catalysts".

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 12/09/2026

A week of my normal job before I head off again for more high-intensity presentation time! So, today is a day of REST. What are you doing to make sure you're fully restored and ready to take on whatever challenges await you?

Floral-framed card reading "Rest is a lifelong practice." leaning against a blue Rest Deck box, surrounded by honeycomb beeswax candles, a pinecone and a small red polka-dot mushroom ornament on a white tabletop.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 11/09/2026

For the past two days, I've been attending a thought-provoking deep dive into the psychological theory of Transactional Analysis. Developed by Eric Berne in the 1950s, TA posits that all problems are interpersonal problems. Photo by Pamela Cook.

Caitlin in an orange jacket leaning on a dock railing by a canal, gazing to the side with modern apartment buildings and their reflections in the water behind them.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 10/09/2026

This month's Creative Roots, Open Wings (CROW) wellbeing series for @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social is all about Corvid Community power 🐦‍⬛ How much more can we achieve together than alone? And why is it so hard to ask for help? Join us to discover how rich in resources you are.

eventbrite.co.uk

CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands

Join us on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 19:30 for our latest creative wellbeing workshop with certified coach, Caitlin McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 09/09/2026

Earlier today in Linz, Austria, setting up for our event at Ars Electronica! Theme: negotiating humanity - prescient for these times. I like to think of negotiating both in the sense of navigating around and through obstacles, and in the sense of coming to shared agreement about challenges.

Caitlin holding an ARS ELECTRONICA 2026 festival pass, standing in front of tall sunflowers with the sun creating a lens flare and modern buildings in the background.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 09/09/2026

Today I'm supporting my ekip colleagues Technopolis Group, who are leading a workshop on how the cultural and creative industries can help strengthen Europe’s digital commons and support more resilient, inclusive and participatory digital futures.

mycreativenetworks.com

Policy Lab: Creativity as civic infrastructure: CCIs and digital commons

Creativity as civic infrastructure: CCIs and digital commons VENUE: In-person @The JKU medLOFT MED Campus I, ADM Bldg., 9th floor, Krankenhausstraße 5, 4020 Linz TIME: 9 September 2026 - 09:00 -…

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 07/09/2026

Work is such an important part of people's identity and sense of purpose. In fact, it's one of the five Life Tasks identified by psychologist Alfred Adler. To find out more, sign up for my newsletter at caitlinmcdonald.com/sign-me-up and receive some gentle guided questions about the topic.

caitlinmcdonald.com

Caitlin E McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 06/09/2026

What are Curious Catalysts? My series of simple yet powerful self-guided exercises to help identify where you want to go and accelerate the process of getting there. caitlinmcdonald.com/coaching/cur...

caitlinmcdonald.com

Curious Catalysts

Curious catalysts accelerate the process of identifying where we want to go and how to get there. These self-guided exercises are shaped through my coaching work with clients and by powerful, resea…

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 05/09/2026

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace, The soul that knows it not, knows no release From little things; Knows not the livid loneliness of fear Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear The sound of wings. Amelia Earhart's 1927 poem 'Courage.'

Caitlin leaning against a weathered brick wall, wearing a bright orange jacket over a patterned shirt.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 03/09/2026

What does autumn have in store for you? It's typically the kickoff of my busiest season, so it's important for me to get my vision in order - you need to know what you're aiming for before you can devise your route!

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 02/09/2026

This month's Life Task by psychologist Alfred Adler is about Work 🛠️ As an academic I always associate September with the start of a new working year! Want to know more? Sign up for my newsletter to get a set of guided prompt questions. caitlinmcdonald.com/sign-me-up

caitlinmcdonald.com

Caitlin E McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 01/09/2026

I've got an incredibly busy September coming up: facilitating two workshops in, delivering a paper at a conference, an all-day team all-hands, and a two-day course in the psychological models of Transactional Analysis. Four different cities. Plus all my usual coaching and academic responsiblities.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 31/08/2026

"I have a tendency to go off on a million different tangents, and I really appreciated how Caitlin was able to gently get me back on track by helping me identify the biggest problems and stressors I'm facing." Recent testimonial from a client!

Caitlin in an orange jacket gestures animatedly while explaining a word-tile activity to a seated man across a table in a pink-walled room.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 30/08/2026

Visiting the Book Festival today for Victoria Bennett's memoir of creating a garden by the sea in Orkney, "The Apothecary by the Sea: A Year in an Orkney Garden." I'm drawn to the power of the sea (as pictured here at the edge of the Cellardyke tidal pool earlier this summer!)

Caitlin in a violently pink and black dry robe taking a seaside selfie on a rocky beach of the Cellardyke tidal pool, swimmers and a low, cloudy sky over the calm sea.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 29/08/2026

I've just released a brand-new Curious Catalyst all about the power of humming to get your nervous system back in tune! Two simple exercises to help you figure out what you're feeling, and move towards a more beneficial state. Check it out here: caitlinmcdonald.com/coaching/cur...

Workbook cover showing a hummingbird hovering in front of pink berries beneath green leaves, titled "Humming for Inner Harmony" with a centred blue band that has the series title "CURIOUS Catalysts" and author name Caitlin McDonald along the right edge.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 27/08/2026

Today for my research at the University of Edinburgh we're hosting the second of our workshops thinking through the challenges AI poses for galleries, archives, libraries and museums - we're after pragmatic solutions but also inspiring images of the future in our collaging!

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 26/08/2026

The problem? How to get to a tidal island without waiting for the tide. The solution? This majestic sea tractor 🌊🚜, designed by Robert Jackson in 1969 and still in use today at Burgh Island in Devon.

Burgh Island's sea tractor, an elevated open-sided passenger platform on oversized tractor wheels used to ferry people across a sandy beach, with passengers seated inside and a wooden boarding ramp, blue sea and sky visible in the background.

Burgh Island's sea tractor, a covered, open-sided platform ferry carrying passengers across coastal water toward a sandy shore with rolling green hills under a partly cloudy sky.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 25/08/2026

Small business owner pro-tip: have the inimitable Bob Ross on in the background when you're powering through your tasks - it's like having a personalised motivational cheerleader on tap. "This is your world, you can do anything you want to do!" "Use what happens naturally, don't fight it."

Bob Ross's beatific face looming forth from pine trees trees and clouds all surrounded by big text reading "No Mistakes, Just Happy Accidents."

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 25/08/2026

@monkchips.com tapping into your extensive network - got any contacts who might like to speak to some friendly academic researchers about this? 🙏

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 24/08/2026

Every Tuesday morning we meet at @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social for Accountabilibuddies - we do gentle goal-setting at the start, a mid-way fika to discuss progress (and have cake) and check in at the end to celebrate how far we've come! Why not join us tomorrow for some flock writing power? 🐦‍⬛

corvidaeumcreative.co.uk

Corvidaeum Creative - A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

A co-working space that's as diverse as you are

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 23/08/2026

Last week my union's general secretary attended the vigil for Jason Arday. I've been reflecting on the all-too-few but mighty scholars of colour who I've learned from as part of my academic career - people who face barriers to participating in academia that my privilege means I will never encounter.

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 22/08/2026

I'm often hesitant to fully own my identity as an artist because "I'm not a professional" (I don't make money from it) and "I never went to art school" (though currently I work at one!)

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 21/08/2026

How is AI impacting the $5.3 billion global coaching industry? Read my recent article for the Critical AI at Rutgers blog to find out! criticalai.org/2026/08/03/c... Recent studies (linked in article) have demonstrated perceived effectiveness of human coaching over generative AI coaching agents.

criticalai.org

GUEST FORUM: Caitlin McDonald's "Coaching’s Core Competencies in the Age of Generative AI." - Critical AI

Coaching is defined by the International Coaching Federation as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional…

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 20/08/2026

We're taking a little break from the @corvidaeumcreative.bsky.social CROW (Creative Roots, Open Wings) wellbeing series to recharge and re-feather the nest 🪺 Join us for next month's session about learning the power of flocking together! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crow-wellb...

eventbrite.co.uk

CROW Wellbeing Workshop: Accepting Helping Hands

Join us on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 19:30 for our latest creative wellbeing workshop with certified coach, Caitlin McDonald

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 20/08/2026

Interviewees wanted! Do you work for a technology service, or maintain an open-source project, which protects websites from bots and scraping? We want to talk to you for academic research! 🤖🙅🏻‍♀️ Particularly seeking @cloudflare.social , @awscloud.bsky.social , and @techaro.lol but open to others!

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Caitlin @cmcd-phd.caitlinmcdonald.com · 19/08/2026

"Oh, you've changed out of your charity t-shirt already!" another volunteer said to me when I ran into her at the bus stop after we'd finished a recent event with a charity (not one pictured here.) She was still wearing hers.

Caitlin's hand holding a green MHFA England mental health information card and matching lanyard showing crisis contacts (Dial 999, Samaritans 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258) and brief self-care tips, with a blurred bookshelf and trailing plant in the background.

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