I am an artist and teacher living in the Ponderosa Pine forests of Northern Arizona, where I watch and listen for the teachings of our natural world.
I am a person of where I grew up, and where I live now, two seemingly contradictory places.
I spent the first 22 years of my life amongst the forests between the Puget Sound and Cascade mountain range with Mt Rainier to the south and Mt Baker to the north. The rain that often came down over head rarely felt oppressing or depressing to me. The mountain peaks, the dense forests, and dark grey water felt accepting of your presence but unwilling to give up all their secrets. The landscape and the weather taught me humility and fostered gratitude for the gift of sunshine.
On the cusp of turning 23, I moved to the high desert Ponderosa Pine forests of the Colorado Plateau and Northern Arizona. Instead of rain I had the sun overhead, instead of mountain peaks I gazed down into canyons, instead of the ocean I walked through wide open landscapes. The forests were open instead of shut, the sunshine reached the ground. At dawn and dusk, the grasses illuminated with the most ethereal light I had seen.
This place I have called home for the past 16 years and counting, has gently coaxed me to be more open, like the forests; has encouraged me to shine more brightly, like the sun; and explore deep into my soul like the canyons.
My Teaching Journey
Teaching has been a theme of my whole life. I find so much joy in helping others realize they can do something they didn't think possible. When I see the genuine joy and pride on a student's face after they learn a skill, I feel it in my heart.
In college, I had the privilege of teaching physics labs to students. I loved the challenge of making the topics feel approachable and showing them they could grasp the concepts. In graduate school I was a physics tutor which allowed me to tailor my teaching style to the individual student and meet them right where they were. Many years later, I taught workout classes which was a whole new challenge. In those classes, I helped show students that they could meet physical and mental challenges with grace and calm.
And now, teaching Nature Journaling, I lean my diverse teaching experience to help students challenge themselves, explore their own creativity, and maybe even find a new passion.
