Pathscrossing Coaching and Consulting

art-based coaching and consulting

I have been blurring my roles as a visual artist, writer, performer and speaker, consultant, advisor, and coach, exploring the application of arts-based processes to business. Over the years, I have developed what my friend, David Barry, calls “the art mind.” It is a way of thinking -- not just only looking at what is at face value, but also taking unexpected and curious detours, paths that an artist has learned to trust, knowing that each step is part of an unfolding process. It is an approach that delivers results that often exceed initial expectations.

Explore my interviews with leaders, teachers of the arts, writers, performers, musicians, movement artists, and visual artists. Each, in their own way share their story about how the arts benefit their day jobs in non-profits, government, and the private sector.

I believe that the business environment is always looking for individuals who are willing to take risks to create new value propositions, to see beyond the status quo, to tap into the powers of their imagination, to apply their discovery processes to situations that are seeking something more.

This fall I will be using my storytelling performances in collaboration with other teaching artists in The Art of Illumination workshop for individuals to discover insights through trusting and playing with their own creative impulses. The workshop is not about becoming an artist, it’s more about exploring ways to appreciate both the process and the outcome. For more information, subscribe to my newsletter or send me your email address to receive announcements about my upcoming events.

Consulting Services

A need or an idea that you hope can be exceeded? A challenge or situation that needs new eyes and a different ear? A chance to reach out and get others engaged and excited about the direction? A willingness to consider how the arts can add value? A desire to collaborate with someone who is grounded, compassionate, strategic, and agile?

I am involved with speaking, performing, training and consulting engagements that promote unexpected possibilities. My personal vision is to be a bridge at the intersection of art and business where I can bring artists, like myself, to provide business leaders and groups new perspectives. Call it creativity. I call it fusion, always looking through the lens of business needs and outcomes and also as if it were to be an enduring piece of art. Toggling between the two, creating great work, work that matters.

Call me at 206.769.6253 to talk about your idea. Here's what you can expect:

1. Expanding the field of opportunities before examining the risks and benefits. If you first worry about the risks, it's like putting blinders on, narrowing the possibilities.
2. Every situation is a blank canvas. Before going too far, I search for inspiration, trying to find something that I can begin with. It can be a phrase, an interview, a book, a movie, a report, or a picture. It's not what "should-be," it's what "could-be." Everything flows from there.
3. Discern the balance between ambiguity and structure. Plans provide direction. Openness and flexibility innovate the plan, potentially exceeding the intended outcome. I'm constantly paying attention to when and how to impose the necessary structure while still being open to emergent ideas.
4. It's not enough to only do one's work in a room, at an easel or in a rehearsal. Great works come through the involvement and engagement of the audience. Exposing your work gives others the feeling of being included and informed. Including others means you value the social dynamics as much as the product. Engagement, exposure, and inclusion matter.

Work Credentials: Artist. Corporate, College, and Association Speaker and Performer. Program Manager, Technology Innovator, Simulation Designer, and Curriculum and Training Designer (technical and leadership skills) in a Fortune 50 Company. Public Workshop Facilitator. Personal Coach/Advisor. Freelance Learning Simulation Designer.

Coaching Process

You can have the unimaginable life. I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about feeling that you are really living and loving your life. That's what I want for you. If you believe that you're ready for that, but you only need a little support, encouragement, advice, and guidance, then we should talk. Why?

Because I am the type of person who believes that life is too short to not be happy. It's that simple. You should wake up in the morning excited because of what you get to do, who you get to do it with, and where you get to do it. Sure, there'll be off-days, but for the most part, great days should always outnumber anything less. You should love what you do so much that your children, your lover, and your partner know that you're happy. But, they should never feel that you love your work more than their relationship. It can be close, but relationships should always matter most.

Because I am the type of person who believes that it's more important to wade in the not-knowing for awhile than to always find answers quickly. When you wait, you allow something surprising to emerge, something that you would never have thought of had you acted quickly. In the meantime, you can explore the space of not-knowing through exercises and activities that express your individuality so that you see and hear in new ways, ways that return you to a knowingness.

Because I am the type of person who believes that change doesn't happen in big leaps, but in small steps. With one foot in front of the other, you can find yourself suddenly there. Very seldom can a major change happen quickly. What's important is to develop confidence little by little until one reaches a point where big decisions happen naturally, without force or illusion. This is why it's important to begin today, to give attention to what you want. If you wait too long, it may be too late. You'll feel anxious and desperate. Your decisions then will have greater risks and consequences just to survive. Start tomorrow.

Because I am also the type of person who believes that advice comes from direct experience, not from textbooks. When I dreamed about being a swimming coach, I found myself being a swimming coach for almost ten years. When I dreamed about living in a city that I loved, in a dream job, and being with someone who I loved and who really loved me, I got all three. As I've struggled over the last eight years to figure out what was most meaningful to me, I've taken right turns in my life that were unexpected. During this time, I was also working in leadership development for a Fortune 50 company. I've designed experiences for people to learn, discover, experiment, practice, model, and make bold new choices for their lives. Those who know me, have come to trust me because of the choices that I have made for myself, choices that inspire, stories and advice that are sensible and encouraging.