The blank page feels heavier than it used to.
Take back your creative time
Make room for your
best ideas again
Emmy Laybourne helps writers, artists, and creatives break free from the apps that steal their focus, so they can get back to the work they're meant to make.
Somewhere along the way, the space for creativity was lost
Remember the idea that hit you halfway through a walk? Or the plot twist that showed up while you were doing the dishes? Those in-between moments are where creativity does its best work.
Lately, they're getting swapped for one more reel, one more level, one more ping. A lot of these apps are designed to be hard to put down, and they're very good at their job.
Your energy's gone by
mid-afternoon.
The project you love keeps waiting for its turn.
Your phone can stay.
The apps stealing your time?
They can take a break.
YOUR GUIDE
A creative who found her way back
Hi, I'm Emmy. I'm a novelist, actor, screenwriter, and teacher. Making things has always been how I make sense of the world. A few years ago, I realized my phone was draining my energy and my ideas. Mobile games had become my default, and my creativity was paying for it.
I went looking for answers in brain science and persuasive design, then tested what actually worked. My own experiment turned into a program, a college course, and a mission to help other creatives get their spark back.
Kind, practical, and judgment-free. That's a promise.
Author of the bestselling Monument 14 trilogy
Teaches "Attention Grabbed: Mind, Media & Manipulation" at DePaul University
Seen on ABC7 Chicago with her DePaul students
Has spoken at The George Washington University, the Los Angeles Public Library, and more.
Here for my novels? You'll find them at emmylaybourne.com.
Getting your creative time back
is simpler than you think
Identify what's distracting.
Pinpoint the few apps that cost you the most.
Press pause for
30 days.
Your phone stays. Those apps sit out for a month.
Bring back only what serves you.
At the end, you decide what earns a spot on your screen.
No detox. No rehab. No tossing your phone in a ditch.
Just one month of breathing room.
Your time, reimaginedSee how much time
See how much time
you could get back
Hours per week14 hours
Days per month2.5 days
Months per year1 month
Potential time reclaimed from Social Media if you pause it entirely. Estimates use 7-day weeks, 30-day months and 365-day years.
What could you create if you had an extra 14 hours a week to devote to your creative projects?
CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF ADDICTIVE APPS
A 30-day plan to get back your creative spark
Emmy's signature program walks you through your month away from the apps with bite-size lessons rooted in how your brain makes ideas. Go it alone, bring company, or have Emmy in your corner.
Go solo
the self-paced course you can start any time
Go together
add a private community of fellow creatives
Go with Emmy
add two one-on-one coaching sessions
Options start at $97.
Kind words from creatives and event hosts
“Doing The 30-Day Creative Takeback was perhaps the most powerful of all the experiments this whole year. It reset my attention and gave me lots of time back to do things of my own
choosing.
A year later and I’ve lowered my average daily screen time by over 90 minutes.”
Steve Pratt
author of Earn It and co-founder of The Midlife Field Guide
“Joining Emmy's Creative Takeback program was a timeline experience that keeps on giving. It was like throwing up a mirror to how my digital scrolling was disrupting my best life.
She helped me see how my creativity was being impacted and how much potential was waiting there for me to tap into.”
Lexi Logan
Visual Artist · Bucks County, PA
“Emmy presents a powerful reminder that our phones often steal time from the moments and people that matter most.
Her workshop encourages us to be more present, value real connections, and embrace a little boredom so we can reflect, think, and be more creative.”
Carolina De Luca
Director of Development | Central Initiatives
University Advancement
The George Washington University
SPEAKING & WORKSHOPS
Bring Emmy to your organization, school, or community
Whether it's a room full of teenagers, a staff meeting, or a parent night, everyone's feeling the pull of their phones. Emmy's talks are warm, funny, and grounded in brain science. People leave with a plan they can actually use, and nobody walks out feeling scolded.
Keynotes
Keynotes- Take Back Your Creative Time
- How to Find Someone Who's Right in Front of You
- Protect Your Best Thinking in the Age of AI
Workshops
Workshops- Give Your Team Back Their Focus
- The Family Phone Reset
COMING SOON
THE CREATIVE TAKEBACK
A 30-Day Break from the Apps that Hook You
(Without Giving Up Your Phone)
Emmy's putting everything she's learned into a book you can keep on your nightstand instead of your phone. Join the list to hear first when it's ready, and get a few early reader perks.
CURIOUS WHERE YOUR TIME GOES?
Find your biggest time stealers in 10 minutes
Which apps are stealing your creative time?
This free printable helps you see which apps take the most from your creative life, and what you'd get back without them. Fill it out with a pen and see what surprises you.
Your next great idea is already on its way
Give it somewhere to land. Clear a little space, and notice what shows up when your brain finally has a minute to wander.
Every week you wait is another week of fresh ideas slipping through. You can start reclaiming that time today.