Workshops

I love teaching. I thoroughly enjoy helping others to discover and learn more about the world around us, God the Great Creator, and ourselves as unique, creative individuals. My goal is always to provide an environment that welcomes learning, encourages exploration, and provides a safe place for making mistakes and asking questions.

Topics

Acting 101

Designed specifically for those who have never taken an acting class or landed an audition, this class is a gentle, no-pressure introduction to acting: how to read and interpret a script, develop your character, take direction, and be a good scene partner.

Computer applications

Adobe Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop; beginner-level HTML & CSS; QuarkXPress (with Interactive Designer); Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, iDVD; Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word. Group sessions and one-on-one individualized training available.

Creative unblocking

No matter how old or young you are, no matter what blocks stand in your way, you can begin to take steps towards your dreams — real, concrete actions that lead to results. This course is based on The Artist’s Way and other books by Julia Cameron.

Creative writing

Designed for fiction writers and scriptwriters (for theatre and film), this course covers the basics of good writing: plot, character, setting, description, dialogue, structure, language, etc.

Gifted grownups

Based on Marylou Kelly Streznewski’s book Gifted Grownups, this course takes a look at giftedness as a blessing that comes with a price. If we have been given these gifts, how can we discover what we are meant to do with them? And how can we learn to get along in the world while continuing to honor and develop our gifts?

Honoring our emotions

Emotions often get a bad rap in Western society, including many workplaces and churches. Yet emotions are inherently part of who we are as human beings — vital and necessary to our well-being. That goes for the “negative” emotions as well as the “positive” ones. If we learn to listen to and honor our emotions, we will become healthier — not only emotionally, but physically, mentally, socially, creatively, and spiritually.

HSPs (Highly Sensitive Persons)

According to Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person, HSPs make up 15 to 20 percent of the Earth’s population. They are a valued yet often vastly misunderstood and underappreciated minority. This workshop takes a look at the benefits of being an HSP, the price that HSPs pay for their gift, and how churches and businesses can be more “HSP friendly” while gaining from the gifts that HSPs have to offer.

Learning styles

Why can some people be quiet and still in classrooms and boardrooms, while others fidget and squirm? Why do some people make good eye contact and others don’t? Why does one person cringe at a harsh tone of voice, while another shrugs it off? The answer may lie in their learning styles. This workshop explores the six learning styles described in Dawna Markova’s book The Open Mind and takes a look at how churches, businesses, organizations, and schools can communicate and work more effectively with all learning styles instead of just a few.

Stage fright

It’s been said that most Americans fear public speaking more than they fear death. Yet many situations in our lives place us in that sometimes unenviable situation of having to stand up in front of a crowd. Whether you dream of being a performer, yet tremble at the thought of facing an audience, or you want to conquer your fear of public speaking, this course takes a very gentle, nonconfrontational approach to overcoming stage fright.

The value of play

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3, NIV). Yet, as Americans, we are often so caught up in the “rat race,” being “responsible adults,” that we forget what it means to be “childlike.” This workshop invites participants to learn to play again — using gentle methods that do not resort to humiliation or embarrassment.

Formats

I am very flexible in terms of format and location; workshops may be as short as two hours or as long as a week or two (e.g., in a retreat setting). The farther away from my home base in central North Carolina, however, the greater the necessity for the workshop to be at least a half-day or more in order to cover my fee and travel expenses.