December always comes in a rush for me; wrapping up the end of the year, preparing for the holidays, showing up for work and clients, looking ahead to the new year, and the list goes on! I am keenly aware of how all of this activity is juxtaposed with shorter days and dormancy in the natural world. I feel the tension and then focus on patience knowing that rest is around the corner after the buzz dies down.  For many people I have the privilege of working with, creatives, deep thinkers and/or those who know the importance of spiritual growth, carving out quiet spaces to reflect is necessary. I ...

As we head towards the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, there is a strong focus on the concept of gratitude. Giving thanks for what we have, and bringing our attention to what is good in our lives. Gratitude can be spoken in words, and in my work I like to apply the framework of creativity by offering the opportunity to make art from a place of gratitude (a gratitude dance, poem, etc.). We can also sense gratitude in our bodies, which might register as a feeling of joy or spaciousness. If you would like to explore the concept of creative gratitude, and haven't ...

 The ruins of Peyrusse-le-Roc. How are you holding up these days? What growth opportunities are present for you? What is stirring you creatively? Are you following a thread, or have you lost the thread?  I'm reporting in after my whirlwind trip to Southern France that was marked by visiting medieval towns, seeing some dear friends who live part-time in a mountaintop village in Cordes-sur-Ciel, and attending an 'Altered Books' retreat led by my colleague and artist friend from San Francisco, Tanya Wilkinson. This is a tale of two trips... The magical side of the trip included visiting the incredible sites and landscape of the area, the ...

By the time you read this,  I will be at a visual arts/mixed media retreat in Southern France. It has been a long time since I traveled for pure relaxation and arts enrichment. No working, no obligations - an opportunity instead to be in an explorative creative space. As I plan my temporary escape, it feels like a broken record to say that life in the US is tumultuous; sadly it feels like the new normal. It is clear that the stress levels are higher as I engage with others, which results in some people being more focused in their ...

There is a reckoning that comes with getting older. It lies in the balance between honoring the past while acknowledging that change is necessary. I am not the person I was five, ten, twenty years ago, and because of this I need different things for my well-being. As time passes, my priorities have shifted and my work keeps evolving. In many ways, I have been outward facing - teaching, being an entrepreneur, making films and collaborating with a team, presenting at conferences and events. Lately, I've been doing a lot of networking as I land in a new community. I show up for interviews as a guest on podcasts, and continue to ...

Hello Everyone,"A primary goal in working with someone therapeutically, artistically, or educationally is to bring them into contact with their energy, that is, into the experience of their lived body." - Richard Heckler To sustain my career in the healing arts has required me to juggle the intensity of running a business (currently 'Art Cures' and The Creative High documentary film, which is a part-time job), supporting people in a therapy and coaching context, and my teaching work. On the outside it can look like a lot - but I have found that with proper self-care I have avoided burn-out and for the most part (never perfect) kept a solid work-life balance. I have ...

"Creativity is contagious. When we spend time with other artistic people, we absorb and exchange a way of thinking, a way of looking at the world… It doesn't matter if their art form is the same as or different from yours. It's nourishing to be in a community of people who are enthusiastic about art." - Rick Rubin I've engaged in so many creative projects over the length of my career - performance art, photography exhibits, a poetry chapbook, a few tango performances, and documentary films. I've curated art events, art auctions, and coached people in their own creative works ...

During some of the most destabilizing times of my life, I went to see a Somatic (Body-Based) Psychotherapist. Back in 2005, I had a very painful and disillusioning break with a spiritual mentor, and then my husband Eddie started going through lung cancer treatment. Two years later Eddie passed away, and not long after my father suffered a sudden heart attack that took his life. I felt devastated and disoriented as the world had changed inside and out. For me, being in grief, and navigating these difficult life-changing experiences felt metaphorically like swimming in murky, deep waters. It was tiring and scary, and ...

We interrupt this broadcast to talk about ART and TRUTH. So many people—musicians and film buffs alike—have been speaking favorably about the recent Bob Dylan movie, The Complete Unknown. The film struck a chord with me as well, representing a time I didn’t live through but was deeply influenced by as a young person. Bob Dylan’s music was often a companion in my early 20s, especially the albums Blood on the Tracks and Bringing It All Back Home. I found the movie deeply engaging—not just in its depiction of the era but as a portrait of an artist’s life. However, ...

We are living through a politically fraught time in the United States, and I am acutely aware that what is happening here is felt around the world. Countless ideas, opinions, and fears are running rampant, and internally, it can feel destabilizing. From my experience, there appears to be multiple narratives about what is constituting "truth" or "facts" regarding government actions and events of late. For me, staying anchored to what I know to be true and listening closely to people and sources that I respect is keeping me grounded. Recent news has focused on the workings of USAID (United States Agency for International Development), including the ...