Biography
All people are sacred beings with a unique story. Here's mine!When I was a teenager, I knew that my calling involved three things: Art (specifically drawing and painting), religion, (then I did not have the word for spirituality) and Psychology, (understanding the unconscious aspect of mind). I wanted to create art and teach from my deepest self, but I encountered a big problem. Art teachers do not teach religion or psychology. Religious teachers do not teach psychology or art. Psychology teachers do not teach art or religion. I did graduate with a degree in Art from the University of Wisconsin, and three teaching credentials from California State University, San Marcos, but, I was forced to explore education far beyond the accredited educational system. My pathway included 12 years in The Prosperos, (a 4th Way School of Ontology) where I learned how to think along principled lines of thought. I also learned how to use my problems as opportunities to re-identify myself as Consciousness. I was an Artist's Apprentice for 5 years to Jan Valentin Saether (MasterPainter and Gnostic Priest). With Mr. Saether, I developed an understanding of the "alphabet" of the visual language,which I describe in my book, Drawing As a Sacred Activity. For 6 years I worked with Patricia Crane, PhD, as Associate Teacher for the Louise Hay International Teacher Training Program. In this endeavor, I explored the principle of Unconditional Love. In the midst of all this, I volunteered and worked paid assignments as an artist. For example, I facilitated thousands of painting and drawing workshops for all kinds of people. (University students, counselors, teachers,therapists, people living with aids, cancer, schizophrenia, eating disorders, manic depression, bipolar disorder, and bulemia.) I presented art experiences to people living with traumatic brain injury, homelessness, poverty, developmental disabilities, learning differences, alzheimers, teens in recovery from drugs and alcohol, and men and women incarcerated in jail. Indeed, all people are sacred beings with a unique story. Presently, my journey takes me into the public school classroom. I have two full credentials (special Education and Multiple Subject) and an Art Supplementary credential earned at California State University at San Marcos. I have taught reading at the high school level for quite a few years. Now, beginning in the 2009/2010 school year, I am teaching ART at a nearby middle school. My students are 6th, 7th and 8th graders. This is my journey at this time. I have taught ART for many years privately. Typically, I have students of all ages sitting in the same classroom learning the same basic lessons and working out the same problems. I find the range of ages to be a very rich experience for all. The elders help the youngsters and the young ones help the elders. In comparison, the public school classroom is filled with about 35 children of basically the same age. In these public school ART classes we have 40 minutes to set up a learning lesson, engage all 35 students (ages 10-13), distribute paper and pencil, have them practice the lesson, and clean up. Whew! Education:
Employment/Assignments/Projects
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