“Let us not be bound by ideas of how we must be. Let us not be told to be or do anything that feels wrong. Let us define for ourselves what the right timing and the right places are… Let us be and make only what is true to who we are." - Tech Artist Minji Sohn Moving geographically changes a lot of things. In my recent relocation to the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia, my artist identity is getting a workout. I have been living in Virginia for close to a year now, and ...

"The alchemy of performance changes something that was sad - it causes a chemical reaction in your bloodstream and it comes out joyful." - Florence Welch of 'Florence in the Machine' This month is Mental Health Awareness Month. In my work, the 'awareness' of emotional and mental health is present all year round. We can't avoid the hard truth that life is a series of ups and downs, filled with loss and uncertainty. One of the most influential mentors in my life's work, Daria Halprin, has spoken to this concept: 'Since we are bound to suffer, we might as well make ...

What makes you feel most alive? What is most alive in your art process? What is most alive in your dance and movement at this moment? Follow the thread of your aliveness. Where do you find the most energy or vitality in your body? These are questions and prompts I often use in my individual sessions or while teaching. Tapping into our life force as a conscious act is a practice that can encourage healing and well-being. Using questions and reflections like these can help revive our nervous system and fuel our positive energy. Creative inquiry can also increase our workflow, giving us more ...

An 'Art Cures' Offering: A Series of Creative Exercises for Personal Healing and Social Impact.   Since my recent move to Virginia, I've been reflecting on the ways that the surrounding landscape affects me. Whether in an urban or natural environment, there is much beauty and curiosity that influences me if I pay attention. I have always found that photography is a great way to feel more connected to all the details that shape a place.   We often hear the idea that the camera creates distance. This can happen, but if I am walking or traveling with the intention ...

Geography shapes who we are. We are formed and inspired by the landscape around us - whether it be through nature or an urban environment. I was born in Washington, D.C. Due to my father's work as a nutritional anthropologist, we moved to different landscapes in Jamaica (the Caribbean), Norway, Connecticut, and Ohio. After I went to college my parents landed in Northern Virginia for my father's job in DC working for the US Government through AID (Agency for International Development). Soon after their move, I took a train cross country to San Francisco. I never imagined I would stay on the West Coast for an extended time, but ...

"Art Cures" Offering: A Series of Creative Exercises for Personal Healing and Social Impact.   As we move through our days, it is hard not to have the awareness of suffering in other parts of the world, as well as close to home. People often speak to me about feeling helpless and uncertain about how to support a loved one and/or a cause they want to fight for. At times, it can be paralyzing, and for me, it can be amplified if I am depleted or find myself overloaded with painful realities.   I have found that simple actions are ...

An 'Art Cures' Offering: A Series of Creative Exercises for Personal Healing and Social Impact. There is always a place in the body where a sense of ease can be found. The body is our home that carries us through the world; it helps us connect with others and our environment. The way that our body functions contains a vast amount of intelligence and resilience. When facing current events and sensory overload, it is a useful tool to tap into an anchor/resource in the body as it can give us relief from the mind's preoccupation with fear, worry, self-criticism and ...

An 'Art Cures' Offering: A Series of Creative Exercises for Personal Healing and Social Impact. Do you fall into despair or overwhelm around life events and the barrage of news updates? So often we stay glued to the phone and get inundated with information which can increase anxiety and decrease our ability to respond effectively. There is such a strong need for the 'pause' - the ability to find places and spaces to connect with the deeper meaning of life. It was so much easier to stay present when I was younger - before all the virtual distractions. Listening to ...

Life is in a constant state of flux. We are continually being asked to adapt to 'new norms' and are still adjusting to the effects of the pandemic. Instability in governments, war, climate insecurity, losing loved ones, and facing mental health crises are front and center for so many of us. I see first hand in my own life, and through my work with others how easy it is to get caught up putting out metaphorical 'fires', i.e. reacting to life rather than taking time to tend to what needs attention and care. If we can find pauses in our ...

As we move through our days, we experience so much in our own lives, work, and interactions. We are affected by the environment around us and global events. Some of us feel so much! I have always been sensitive to outside stimulus and had strong empathy for suffering. This is the gift of the healer and the artist. It can also be overwhelming and exhausting. Having strategies to release and express can provide relief. Art expression is be an excellent and effective tool. This week has been especially affecting as we navigate the news from the Middle East. Finding ways to care for ourselves ...