Made By
Mistakes
Swap perfectionism for permission
A small online group gathering to move gently from shy, shut down and fearful to ease, adventure and permission to play
4 months of support and connection, starting 3 February 2025
Mistakes will be the making of you!
THE 4-MONTH
PROGRAMME
FEBRUARY
We pay attention to the BODY.
Find safety, readiness and flexibility in your nervous system. Tools to speak the body’s language. We redefine mistakes. Loosen up, free up and shine a light on what’s holding you back.
MARCH
We pay attention to the MIND.
Shake up and shift those blocks we unearthed. Build self-knowledge and bolster self-esteem. Step into new patterns, new ways of thinking and being. Perfectly imperfect.
APRIL
We pay attention to EACH OTHER.
Redirect attention to increase your own ease and presence. Witness growth and learn through what others reflect back to us. Get curious about how it feels to be seen and heard — having a go, making mistakes, getting stuck and keeping going.
MAY
We pay attention to the WORLD.
We know that things scare us because they matter. We refocus wholeheartedly on what matters and let that drive us. We play with spontaneity, with gentle stretches and expansions, showing up a little messy, but fully and free.
“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” — Serena Williams
What to
expect
We start by exploring nervous system support so you feel safe to try new things, ready to give something a try, building up your capacity to bounce back and keep rolling while never stretching too far.
Grounding and breathing tools so you can quickly find yourself again instead of getting lost in fear or uncertainty.
In the live workshop sessions, you’ll be guided through various exercises: listening, writing, moving, interacting — some solo, some in pairs or groups. You’ll always be moving at your own pace, feeling out where your edge is and never pushing too far. (Though you’ll be amazed at what you’re capable of when we build up the process with care!)
We co-create a brave space through a set of group guidelines that we agree to, and add to, together. Learn more about Gutsy group session guidelines here.
Visualisations and imaginative exercises will help you embrace the power of your own imagination as a space to practice life and create soft landings for bold experiments.
Gentle improvisation will help you grow more comfortable playing fast, loose and free with your expression.
Across all 4 stages, we’ll discover stories of wise fools, tricksters and shape-shifters — exploring our own edges and capacities by stepping into these roles, holding ourselves differently, seeing the world through their eyes, bodies and beings. Expect stories and reflective prompts; guided character visualisations; moving and interacting as characters, finding new ways to be more you, more free.
Pressure doesn’t drive you forwards — it just squats in your way, yelling “keep going” while blocking the road.
Is Made By Mistakes
made for you?
Maybe you’re shy, socially anxious or suffer with extreme self-consciousness and you struggle to speak, especially in groups or with new people or powerful people.
You feel socially anxious and find yourself observing life instead of being fully present in the moment, holding yourself back.
You feel like your fears run the show and there’s a high barbed-wire wall around you that hides you away.
You know you have universes swirling inside but you wish it felt easier to share who you are with others, in person or in your writing or creative projects.
You hold yourself — and maybe others too — to very high standards.
Maybe you feel stiff, rigid and locked in tight, and wish you could loosen up and allow yourself to relax, mess around and be silly.
You’re scared to make mistakes, be judged as not good enough, look foolish or say the wrong thing.
Maybe it feels like you’re one person at home or with those closest to you, but if only you could find a way to feel free to be playful and express yourself fully with everyone.
People often say “you make that look easy” or “I hardly noticed you” and you wonder if you’re scared to be seen trying — and possibly failing.
You brush off compliments and praise with “oh it was nothing”.
You wait until something’s perfect before you share it, whether considering a sentence before you dare open your mouth (by which time the conversation has often moved on) or a piece of writing or creative project (that’s never perfect and so you sit on it for years, maybe decades).
You were always the good child, did well at school and were celebrated for your achievements more than your efforts.
“My life is full of mistakes. They’re like pebbles that make a good road.” — Beatrice Wood
What’s
included
4 x 90-minute live interactive workshops hosted on Zoom. Dates: 4 February, 4 March, 1 April, 29 April — all Tuesdays, all at 6pm (GMT/London time).
(We may collectively decide to add an optional celebration and farewell call towards the end of May.)
Powerful, in-depth exercises to play with between sessions to guide reflection and integration. Sent to you following each live session, in a variety of formats to suit different learning styles.
A weekly email check-in where you can share what’s working and what’s feeling sticky. You’ll get a personal response from me every week.
Optional buddy to connect with throughout the programme — and beyond, if you like!
Dedicated course page on my website with all info, resources, links, readings, reminders and preparation suggestions — I’m keeping this low-tech and simple ;)
Registration will be capped at 10 people to keep it cosy and held.
“I feel myself becoming the fearless person I have dreamt of being. Have I arrived? No. But I’m constantly evolving and challenging myself to be unafraid to make mistakes.” — Janelle Monae
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE
Hello, I’m Susannah :) I live in east London and I’m the founder of Gutsy, which is a young project built on a lifetime of knowledge.
I often summarise it as “drama for people who think drama is their worst nightmare”!
I’ve completed training in Jungian Somatics (with Jungian analyst and psychotherapist Jane Clapp and trauma-informed movement coach Laura Beth Wenger), coaching the unconscious mind (with hypnotist coach Melissa Tiers) and dramatherapy-informed confidence (with dramatherapist Claire Schrader).
I combine this with my own lived experience of shyness, social anxiety and low self-esteem, and over a decade of my own inner work and personal growth, guided by coaches and therapists including in hypnosis, voice, breath and movement — alongside practices including studying art, playing in a band, writing and publishing, lifting weights, riding around London on my bright orange bicycle, running two businesses, and showing up in the world as boldly, generously and wholeheartedly as I can.
“Making mistakes is part of the process. It’s how you learn and grow.” — Laverne Cox
TESTIMONIALS
Made By Mistakes is new ✨
— here are some words from participants on similar Gutsy workshops
“I didn’t know how much I needed this course until I did it! I really see myself acting differently socially now, and creatively there has been a huge impact. Susannah is a knowledgeable, skilled and sensitive facilitator who creates a space where it feels okay to tackle thorny topics.”
Hex
“The experience was both safe and stretching – with ‘lightbulb’ moments at every stage. The magic of the workshop has stayed with me many months later. I’m more present, more easily able to centre myself when I feel anxious, and more confident about the value I bring as a quieter, shyer person.”
Pip
“I was very hesitant and frightened to join, but Susannah met me with warmth, kindness and lots of laughter. She guided me through challenges and helped me understand a lot about myself, and what I can change and how… it has been a wonderful journey and potential to be life changing.”
Sarah
HOW TO JOIN
MADE BY MISTAKES is available on a sliding scale — choose your price, no questions asked.
£375 if you can help subsidise another participant’s fee
£275 if you can pay the standard rate for yourself — use code: PERMISSION
£175 if you wouldn’t be able to participate at the standard rate — use code: PLAY
Got questions?
Perfect! Hopefully they’re answered here — but if not, please feel free to get in touch!
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I get it. It was mine too.
Maybe you’ve done drama before and have good memories of it, but it’s been a while and you’re nervous.
Maybe you were forced to do it at school and still feel queasy about it.
Maybe you’ve always run a mile from drama but secretly know it’s the thing that could really help you grow.
Whatever’s the case, Gutsy does drama very differently.
In Made By Mistakes, I introduce everything very gently, and there are no lines to learn. It’s never about performing and judging. It will likely feel awkward and uncomfortable at times, but that’s exactly the spot you need to be in to grow. You will always have options.
Drama, character work and improvisation are powerful ways to build confidence in a way that’s fast and fun. And you’ll always be working gently, at your own pace, on your own terms.
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Then you’re absolutely in the right place.
Made By Mistakes is made for you if you feel anxious speaking up in groups, if your mind goes blank when you’re speaking to someone you don’t know well, if you dread certain social situations, are terrified of making mistakes, if you miss out on opportunities because you’re scared, and feel like there’s so much more inside of you that you wish you could express.
You should be prepared to show up to the live sessions with your camera on to participate and get the most out of the session. We’ll co-create an environment where you feel safe enough to stretch.
By working in a small, intentional group, you’ll experience being compassionately witnessed through acknowledgement, understanding and unconditional support.
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Welcome! If we’ve never met or this will be your first taste of a programme like this, then this is a perfect introduction. You’ll always be working at your own pace and will never be pressured to participate if something feels like too much of a stretch.
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Hi, Gutsy friend! I’d love you to join us.
If you’ve done a 2-hour taster with me, then this is a perfect next step.
If you did Spark (12-week programme), some of the foundational material will be familiar but the stories will be new, as will many of the exercises. If you’re unsure, please get in touch and we can chat through whether it feels like a good fit.
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Made By Mistakes is specifically designed for people who are shy, socially anxious, self-conscious, inhibited or hold themselves back.
This was my own experience (you can read more about my story here) and I’ve watched many participants find their way through similar courses. In every session, people are amazed at what they’re capable of. Every exercise is introduced gently, so you’re always building up gradually and never out of your depth. You’ll always be working at your own pace so you can opt out if you need to.
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Absolutely. This is a very common experience. Not only will you build confidence in general, but you’ll also likely start to understand exactly what it is that feels difficult in some situations and not others.
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I could tell you that you’re absolutely worth it. But if you asked this question then my words on this page will likely not make much of a dent in this story you’re telling yourself. I know, because I felt this way before and it held me back from getting help for so long.
I know that so many of us have been taught that self-care is selfish. If that is you, you might start by asking who taught you that? Where did that story come from? And, perhaps, what feels scary about putting yourself first occasionally?
I know that this world is full of suffering and inequality. And if you feel called to spend your resources on alleviating that, I think that’s a beautiful thing. And I also know that the activists, carers and fighters of this world know you can’t pour from an empty cup.
And I also know that I am a kinder, more loving, more impactful, more generous person because I dared to be a little selfish and invest in myself. The attention and care we allow ourselves really does ripple outwards.
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The experience relies on the live interactive sessions and your participation together.
I will also explore the option of extra drop-in calls if you’d like to practice more together in between the workshops. You will also have the option of being matched with a buddy to connect with in your own time, for example on WhatsApp or by arranging your own calls.
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It’s essential you show up live to get the most out of this programme alongside your fellow participants.
I may record sessions and make them available (only to participants and only for the length of the programme) so that you can watch and review. This is undecided and I might wait to get a sense of how you all feel about this!
If something comes up and you can’t attend, I’ll do my best to help you catch up — we’ll agree together how best to do that.
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Maximum capacity for participants is 10 to ensure a cosy and safely held group experience. 2 is the minimum for the course to run. Refunds will be issued — or optional alternatives offered — in the case the programme cannot go ahead.
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All purchases for this course are final. I may consider partial refunds for truly unexpected circumstances that impact your ability to attend. I appreciate your understanding and commitment.
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The programme respects individual needs and abilities. Movements aren’t prescriptive and can be modified. The focus is always on inner awareness and exploration rather than physical performance. Please contact me in advance if you have specific questions or accessibility needs, for the live sessions, communications or other course material.
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You’ll just need a quiet space with a little room to move, an internet connection and a device to access Zoom — ideally a laptop or desktop rather than a phone. Comfortable clothing is recommended. I’ll let you know in advance if anything else is recommended.
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You’ll have access to the course page on my website (via a password) for the duration of the programme (3 February — 26 May 2025), plus 1 month afterwards.
If you have any questions, concerns or want to check if Made By Mistakes is right for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing susannah@sogutsy.co.
No question too big or small, no hesitation too weird, no concern will concern me. I’d love to hear from you.
