(the short version)
I recently rediscovered recordings of stories and songs I made when I was seven. It was all there: the setting, the characters, the arc and dilemma. The style was rough around the edges, but not bad for what you’d expect of a child. It was right there in my memory box next to the photographs of a cowgirl-themed dance performance I choreographed with my sister, and hand-drawn sketches of product advice I sent to American Girl (I voluntarily advised them what product line they ought to launch next-- yes, they took my suggestion of a American Girl bathroom; no, I never received dividends).
I like to think I’ve polished my craft somewhat in the years since. Certainly my toolbox has grown. Today, I help others shape their work: their art, stories, and entrepreneurial ventures-- the authentic core they want to give to the world, their contribution that merits the world’s attention. At the center of my work is a commitment to growth and integrity in relationship with myself, my collaborators, and our planet.
Those old tapes held recordings of songwriting and fiction, and those old loves have held fast and true. Today, my work includes themes inspired by my multi-decade study into human relationships, creative processes, and entrepreneurship.
my story
I am first an explorer.
I explore the nature of relationships and our relationship with nature.
the long(er) story
The first time I found an expression for my work was as an activist, when I spoke to news outlets like the New York Times and lobbied congress for funding to service public initiatives to build healthy relationship skills for young adults. As an undergraduate, my exploration grounded itself in the logistics, practicality, and creativity of my chosen double-major in business: operations management and marketing; I wanted to understand how new things are created in this world, and how people can work effectively together. I also wanted to understand why people all over the world drunk Coca-Cola, and yet on issues that had plagued humanity for decades (ie. devastation to biodiversity, the prevalence of sexual violence, ecosystem loss), humanity had barely moved the needle. My comprehension of human relationships expanded at the University of Cambridge, where I grounded my explorations further in science, and researched relationships from an evolutionary perspective for my masters degree.
Over the years I have cultivated a practice with voice through the written word, performance, and creative expression-- a journey that continues to demand and reward. Through my practice I have built skills of intimacy and trust with myself as I have simultaneously grown better at the facilitation of that development for others. In my work, I have supported creatives, executives, leadership and founding teams who care deeply about their collaborators (human and environmental) and their work to find the language, structures, and resources that support their collective visions. On the ground, I’ve led and supported initiatives with research teams, art productions, businesses, and NGOs. Personally, I have grown in friendships, partnerships, mentorships, and community.
We live in an interdependent world: interdependence is the act of trust between our lungs and the air we breathe; between my body and the tree that gave me the fruit I ate for breakfast, between my past and dreams of the future, between the land and where we live. Interdependence is also the relationship between creative partners, client and provider, audience and artist, citizen and government, funder and institution, dreams and follow-through. My practice invites reflection, intention, forward movement, and accountability into our interdependent relationships.
In this world we share, I am held by a vision in which our relationships in business, work, in our environments, and in life are truthful, supportive, loving, and mutually generative.
