I have always loved art and growing up was obsessed with the artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassatt, Gustav Klimt, Vincent Van Gogh and the wise musings of Nancy Drew and Dr. Seuss.  I love to doodle and write, but thought art was out of reach, a profession left for the naturally talented…those who, out of the womb, could draw effortlessly with technical precision.

So… I became a lawyer…

And I focused on one of my primary missions in life – protecting children from abuse and neglect, representing social workers in dependency cases.  After doing this work for twelve years, something shifted.  On a two-week trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, I heard an internal call to go on a journey.  And six months later I did just that.  For seven years, I traveled to different communities around the world, studying yoga, meditation, art, writing, gestalt, and other ways of healing.

I found that art was the most healing modality for me– along with thousands of others– and began studying with visionary artist, Shiloh Sophia, who created the Intentional Creativity™ method.  The process, which has the ability to heal and transform, awakened the dormant artist in me and I became a certified Intentional Creativity Coach and Teacher so I can help others to heal and transform their lives.

Art’s ability to awaken the internal muse  – or inner voice—and quiet the inner critic was revolutionary to me. I want to bring that out into the world and back to the professionals who ensure the safety and health of children and nurture healthy families.

I have created Intentional Creativity workshops to honor the work helping professionals do each and every day.  The trainings help to access internal healing, recover from compassion fatigue and burnout, and discover self-care tools to maintain health.  I also work with youth in the dependency and delinquency systems to support them to gain access to their own self-expression and  discover their life purpose, so they can bring their gifts into the world.  I envision art studios for renewal and self-care in each child welfare agency along with gallery shows to fund the art studios and college scholarships for youth in the juvenile system.

I believe we are all artists and creative.  My art embraces healing images with whimsical, symbolic animals who bring messages, protection, and playfulness.   Using acrylics, charcoal, colored pencils, and pen, I love playing with bold colors and have a strong, graphic style, influenced by those artists I love, like O’Keeffe, Klimt, Kahlo, and Shiloh Sophia.  I create with the intention to heal the feminine, children and families, and by bringing healing images into the world—the earth and all beings.