About me
I’ve been humming along as an acupuncturist since 1992.
Ten years ago, at age fifty, I felt a higher octave calling me and a seriousness to deepen my creative life emerged—I began a personal and rigorous drawing + painting practice. My innate community-building tendencies and the urgency of the climate crisis undergird all of my work. From these 3 elements— creativity, community and climate work—my book organically took form, like a tadpole finding its own bullfroggy heft.
Art & Activism
In the spirit of Elizabeth Gilbert, Pulses: A Memoir through Art, is an arms wide open invitation to witness my creative process and to be inspired towards your own. Creativity is at the heart of being alive. Art reminds us of our humanity. Art reaches, moves, and stays with us. Art and artists have always been at the core of revolutionary movements. And it is the same corrosive force that has taken our world off course that has separated many of us from the confidence in our inherent creativity.
We are all deeply creative and get to claim or reclaim ourselves and our world.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s call to activism is known in the UU community. Her 3 part method for finding your place in activism is what are you good at, what needs to be done, what gives you joy - the joy is so often about creativity. Over and over, people tell me my book’s message resonates, gets them moving on their creative projects and feeling connected to themselves and feeling hopeful.
A quote about my book
"A book of quiet risks, deeply felt, that brings together the past and the present, history and the future…. a book that manages to speak to the universal as well as the particular." – John Sanbonmatsu, Professor of Philosophy
Menu of options for my visit
Design a service
Provide a sermon
Provide a book reading
(an anthem can be combined with these elements)
Interactive and Multimedia presentations combining these elements:
Reading from my book, includes slides showing the evolution of my painting and drawing, as I begin with few skills and move to more accomplished works.
Talking about creativity and climate activism
Video of my family performing a song that I wrote about art and climate activism
Interactive short game/exercise that uses drawing as a way to connect to people
Follow-up with engagement with social action committee 4 weeks after the event
After service discussion -interactive workshop to deepen themes brought up in service
Meet with Art groups in congregation or help initiate a climate art group
Book available for sale.