My Story

My parents were both entertainers, who traveled  the world performing in cabarets and night clubs. I grew up around song and dance, feathers,  sequins and beads – and performing seals.

In a career spanning about 40 years, I have  been a costume, scenic and lighting designer, and loved working in every kind of theater from  community to educational to “broadway” style.

When I came to the US in the early 90’s, I was a freelance art department worker and later Production Designer of independent films, until I repurposed my life as a homeschooling mother, writer and textile artist.

Meanwhile my husband James, a production sound mixer, was teaching sound at a film school. One of the students asked him for advice about his resume, and James asked for my input. I helped, then when it happened again, I realized that there was a serious need for someone with experience both as a worker and a department head to help these kids with the nitty-gritty of writing an industry standard resume. Resume Review was born.

Now I help people write their resumes, plan their career path, understand how to craft a cover letter, find job leads, and understand the peculiarities of the dreaded Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

And I write, most recently books about working in the film industry, the “Work in Production” series. I have just completed the upcoming authorized biography of my late father-in-law, the Oscar (r) winning actor, James Coburn, “Dervish Dust: The Life and Words of James Coburn” with a Foreword by James H. Coburn IV, available from Potomac Books.

I also have written crafting columns for an international magazine, been a feature writer and guest writer for e-zines about alternative education and mindful parenting, and articles and musings about the film industry, homeschooling, and creativity, and have a screenplay in development with an indie production company.

Projects in various stages of conception include creativity support courses, a couple of screenplays, another biography, a book about upcycling clothing, a middle grade fantasy novel series, a TV treatment, as well as more books about working in entertainment. 

My dream is to hold artists’ and writers’ retreats in my own haven somewhere beautiful.

Published Works

 My Author Page on Amazon

“Dervish Dust: The Life and Words of James Coburn”

by Robyn L. Coburn with a Foreword by James H. Coburn IV.

The authorized biography.

More info: www.DervishDust.com

In the Press

My Other Site  – Iggy Jingles Crafts.

I write about creativity and offer project ideas and resources at my Substack. I became interested in supporting people as they rediscover and reclaim their creativity after working at Michaels Arts and Crafts stores. Every day I met people, mostly parents trying to help their kids with school projects, who expressed a lot of insecurity about their own creative abilities. The constantly repeated phrase was “I’m not creative”, along with it’s cousin, “I’m not artistic”. Yet they all believe that their children are creative – just brimming with creativity!

My figurative and decorative art is available at IggyJingles,com.

~ Robyn Coburn                                               dezignarob@gmail.com