About Alex

Alex writes and teaches about creativity, untravel and play. 

After almost two decades as a Lonely Planet author, startup director and co-founder, journalist and humorist, Alex is turning her sights towards teaching people the key to opening their own well of creativity. Alex doesn’t teach writing as much as she teaches getting rid of the barriers that hold you back from writing. To do that, she writes books about creativity, leads workshops, coaches one-to-one, and consults for nonprofits and startups. She writes a column for Seattle Times Explore: Creativity at Work

After getting a master’s in journalism from UC Berkeley in 2002, Alex has contributed to over three dozen travel guides for Lonely Planet (including Happy, Calm and Explore Every Day), managed start-ups in Silicon Valley and London, taught writing and creativity workshops around the world, performed stand-up (pretty decently) and Improv (very poorly), and worked as a series editor and career coach for The Guardian US. 

Her methodology borrows from psychology (social, cognitive and positive); both humor and trauma studies; mathematics and Quantified Self; and hundreds of previous students and clients. She’s currently writing a book and workbook to share the methodology. 

Relevant stats

• MJ (masters of journalism) from UC Berkeley, 2002

• Columnist: Creativity at Work, Seattle Times Explore (2019-present)

• Three dozen books and counting for Lonely Planet (Italy, Tuscany & Umbria, Discover California, Experience USA, etc), most recently focusing on the psychology of travel: Explore Every DayHappy and Calm

• Editorial Director in Silicon Valley (Gogobot, 2010-2013)

• Co-Founder and Executive Editorial Director in London (Firefly, 2013-2014)

• Series editor for The Guardian; contributed to USA Today, BBC Travel, Independent Weekly, etc

 •Trump’s America: Buy This Book and Mexico Will Pay For It, edited by Scott Dikkers of The Onion

• Led travel writing competitions for Lonely Planet (Marrakech, Shanghai) and World Nomads (Berlin)

 

Email her at alex (who is at) suitcasetomars (and then there’s a dot) com