Launching The Art of Illumination

One of my dream ideas is launching today! Today!

For maybe the past three years, whenever I sat down to write what my heart really wanted, I found myself writing about a place where adults come to play, using theater, visual art, storytelling, and movement to impact a personal or professional challenge or opportunity. The result of that dream writing now has a name, it is called The Art of Illumination.

The Art of Illumination is part event, part training, part personal retreat, and part group activity. It is a series of five events that happen over weeks and months. It is designed to accelerate understanding about self-trust and trust in others. It is arts-based action learning, individuals reframing and discovering insights through the lens of their personal experience in a variety of art experiences, not talking about the arts, but experiencing it as a storyteller, as a sculptor, as a visual artist, as a performer.

There will be much that I will learn from the participants for the future. But, for now, this moment feels awesome! I have about a handful of dream ideas. When one takes flight, it's a time to be grateful to everyone who has made a contribution. I could not have done this without everyone's contribution.

To my partner, Jan, who has given up time for us to be together. To all of my friends who have listened to this idea again and again over coffee and tea and dinners and desserts. To Patrick Combs whose life, writing, and vocation continually remind me to live the dream. To Bill Grace whose conversations in the early stages of launching his dream The Deep Hope Institute has enriched my awareness of the Dream of Spirit. To Bill Koenig whose thoughtful coaching and advice have helped me to evolve the design in many, many ways. To Daved Barry, Nick Nissley, and Ralph Kerle who are leading the way in the field of art and business have given me encouragement to keep taking each step. To Drew Ebersole, the Director of my performances, who has helped me give words and emotions to what I want to share in each performance. To Ruth Maxwell who has helped me fine tune my ideas and writing. To Johnny Klein, Andy Howard and Steve Junion for listening and encouraging me every step of the way, in their own way. To the following Business Professionals, Artists and Artist-Teachers who shared with me their stories that inspired me, too: Alok Hsu Kwang-han, Mark Miller, Marya Sea Kaminski, Dianna Shyne, Michael Gotz, Leah Gold, Seth Rosenbloom, John Martin, Derek Kavan, Cathy Raymond, Doug, jeff Morrow, Jim Corey, Jim Jones, Kari Uhlman, Linda Oestrich, Mark Bean, Ralph Kerle, Ruth Maxwell, Truds Tango, Steve Willis and Visudha de los Santos!