Creative Journeys:

Like most professionals interested in the expressive arts, I stumbled into the field through a personal experience.  In the throes of an extremely unhappy marriage, I wrote and illustrated a book with the lofty goal of hoping to save the endangered butterfly.  The first person to read my manuscript wrote a note saying, “I am going through a difficult time in my life. . .” and thanked me for sharing my book.  Annoyed, I threw the note away. My intent was to save the endangered butterfly, not help people with their personal problems. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but intuitively I had turned to writing and painting for personal healing.  

A year or so later, two close friends were diagnosed with serious illnesses. Routine trips to the hospital for invasive treatments became part of their daily lives. After enduring often-painful treatments, they were sent home to deal with the fears, pain, anger, and frustrations of their illness.  From my experience with writing and painting, I knew if I could find a way to engage them in a creative outlet, it would help them cope with their illness. I searched for a program; however, as is often the case, one did not exist., so with the help of a registered nurse, I created one.  Pathways to Healing became a successful workshop I taught to numerous groups over the next few years. My two friends eventually passed away.  The expressive arts did not cure their disease, but it did help them find peace, support, acceptance and emotional healing.   In one of my early workshops, a participant broke down in tears during an expressive arts writing exercise.  As she explained the emotions that had surfaced during the writing activity, I realized how deep and profound this form of expression is.  I became determined to learn as much as possible about the expressive arts and to share my knowledge with as many people as possible. When I needed to heal, I wrote and painted.  Sharing this information with others became my passion.