The Power of a Moment

Writing an essay. Editing a novel. Delivering a presentation. Growing Up. Job hunting. Parenting. Community building.

Creative work can be a lonely business. Sometimes you need an outside eye, a supportive ear, a touch of accountability, a taste of what’s possible. Someone to help you frame your story, chart a course forward, learn new tools and skills to deepen your craft, confidence, and capacity.

We are all hungry for work that simultaneously challenges, stimulates, and entertains. In a highly mediated world, the creative arts are opportunities to rediscover the world, to transform isolation and communication breakdowns into stories that give our lives clarity, confidence, and compassion.

As an arts educator/non-profit leader for over 25, as a stage director of over 200 productions, as a writer and coach, youth and family mentor. community-builder and socially engaged traveler, I’ve witnessed time and time again how important creative work is to every sector of society.

Through all the facets of my work, I aspire to increase our capacity to connect, reflect, and create in order to forge a more curious, compassionate and creative world. 

I am deeply, irrevocably honored and altered by the hundreds of students who have come through my productions and workshops. These students fuel my work with their passion, intelligence, challenge, and commitment. Youth direction, leadership and mentorship make a deep impact on my life and work as I’ve seen time and again how challenging internal and external expectations of what youth are capable of expands our creative capacity and hope for our collective future. I believe we must offer youth professional resources, give them maximum ownership and responsibility, and approach each project with a spirit of inclusiveness, fun, and faith in their ability to succeed beyond their own imaginations. 

I am terrifically passionate about mentorship and experiential learning. In every position I’ve held, I’ve recruited and fostered the development of others. I’m thrilled by the educators and youth directors I’ve worked with who have gone on to lead departments, programs, and organizations of their own. I enjoy being in positions where I can offer clarity, support, and tools to help individuals deploy their passions and skills, and build their capacity to expand their own range and that of their students, teams, and staff.

Whether or not I am working with students who hope to be professionals, professionals who consider themselves students, or people adrift in creative identity, I work hard to build, honor, and sustain the trust of colleagues, students, parents, patrons, and community. When people are able to lift up their own voice, they are better equipped to transform the world around them.

Plays, literature, characters, and ideas can be a catalyst for diverse skills sets, ages, experiences, and communities to amplify their voice and impact. There is power in strong rhythm, complex characters, and juicy text; art that allow us to feel more deeply, to reflect honestly on ourselves and community; characters that challenge our expectations and allow us to dream; stories that spark a connection and inspire action. Hope lies in creative adventuring.