Welcome!
For all of my adult life, I have been an advocate of the arts — on the stage, in the classroom, and in the corporation. In 1993, I founded Programs In Expressive Learning, based on a deep conviction that within each of us there lives a creative impulse that longs to be expressed. Bringing the impulse forward and finding shape and form for it brings a sense of deep joy, inviting us to show up in life fully with an authentic, enhanced presence.
Anthropologist Angeles Arrian describes presence “as our ability to bring all four intelligences forward: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical.” Drawing on my career as a training consultant, an actor and a musician, I gently guide individuals in developing this ability. As intangible as it may sound, presence can be explored and expanded by developing key skills and behaviors such as:
- effective use of voice and body
- listening and concentration
- expressing emotion appropriately
- using language artfully
- visualization
- spontaneity and timing
- connecting with an audience
- working collaboratively with others
- managing stress
To be effective in our personal and professional lives, we need to know in our bones who we are and how to communicate what we think and feel in a way that engages people and invites people to listen and take us seriously. This is what someone with a strong presence can do. This essential competency can be developed. And in the development process, self expression becomes a path toward wholeness and transformation.
In Workshops and Individual Coaching, I engage individuals in experiential activities rooted in the expressive arts. Reflection, journaling and dialogue are essential components of the process. Participants discover how to embody their unique presence and learn how to bring it and increased self confidence to the challenges in their lives.
The work is fun! The work is challenging! And the work can be transforming!
