the journey that has brought me here today 
was a twisted sequences of 
intense soul-searching, dramatic interludes and cosmic wanderings….
 
in retrospect...the only thing that saved me was
my tenacity and a very twisted sense of humor....

in the summer of ’95 
you may remember that....I had diagnosed myself as a
metaphysical mess!!!
...my cartoons were stagnant...
...my heart was broken like never before...
...I was stuck in the catering business and hated it!!!...
...I had taken every self-improvement workshop and…
my life still.....SUCKED!!!
 
when...a dear friend of mine 
BOB GUARINO
saw my intense frustration
….it was quite obvious!!!…
and highly recommended that I take this course called
“THE ARTIST’S WAY”
by Julia Cameron
why???.....Julia Cameron…????….never heard of her!!!… or her book!!!
(was my attitude at the time)

 
 
(link to the official "ARTIST'S WAY" site)

he was taking the course himself
(and he wasn’t even an artist!)
and he told me that it had
ALL MY ISSUES IN IT
mind you…he was taking the course…and thinking of MY ISSUES!!!
 
after some teasing and taunting (OK – a lot!!!),
I decided to take the course
thinking to myself….
at least there I can whine and complain about
how hard it is to be an artist
afterall they would understand when my 
non-artist friends could/would not.
 
I soon found myself in the support group-creative cluster
of other artists and creatives
exploring all the tools and insights that unblock and free-up creative energy.

It was like Julia Cameron had followed me around to write this book!!!
Bob was quite right…
MY ISSUES WERE DEFINITELY THERE....
this book was so very very very me!!!

it was like Julia Cameron
had been reading all my e-mails….hiding under my bed taking notes…
...chaperoning all my dates...
to gather the material for this book.
 
the classic example….
when the student is ready…the teacher appears!
I just didn’t realize how READY I was!!!
 
by inviting my creativity and spirituality into my art
I playfully applied the tools and insights offered.
I started recognizing and clearing out the negative patterning
that held me back as an artist.
(translated: GETTING THE DRAMA OUT OF MY LIFE)
 
I will forever be a recovering drama-queen
...and I know I am not alone...
I was/am rather amazed that living a drama-free life
could free up some precious creative energy 
and then focusing it with a sense of direction.
could bring me closer and closer to my dreams and aspirations
WOW!...WHAT-A CONCEPT!!!
 
as I was traveling through the course....
 I soon discovered through my
MORNING PAGES,
(a daily morning writing exercise)
these words flowing out of my pen….
“if they won’t syndicate you….then….
SYNDICATE YOURSELF!!!”
(now there’s a challenging thought!)
 
so I decided to do just that....challenge myself
and I soon started sending out my cartoons
but this time in
small but inviting presentations to
various gay and gay friendly newspapers across the country.
they rather quickly said…..
YES!.....BRING ON THE DUCK!!!

my life-long dream had become a reality
this, in a creative nutshell,  
turned me…. my art….my life around!!!!
today I am still writing my morning pages and traveling the artist's way!!!
 
 my ARTIST’S WAY facilitator at that time
CHAD EDWARDS
coached/mentored me for a year to go deeper and deeper into this course.
 
then in the autumn of ’96 I started facilitating my own
ARTIST’S WAY
classes and workshops 
and have been offering them in my art studio ever since.

  
here you see Dorothy....when she got back to Kansas
she had two options...
AMWAY or the ARTIST'S WAY
obviously she made the right choice!!!

 
 (link to my "ARTIST'S WAY site)
 
with my history (drama and all)
I bring a tremendous amount of insight, sensitivity and play to the course
which I pass on to my students/clients as we passionately pursue our dreams.
  
I am now a CERTIFIED FACILITATOR in the
“ARTIST’S WAY AT WORK” CREATIVITY COURSE
(by Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron)
which takes the original course into the contemporary workplace.
I am honored to be amongst just twenty in the country who are certified.
 
being able to offer blocked artists/creatives the
atmosphere and opportunity 
to pursue their creative passions is richly rewarding!
from that point…together we 
celebrate creative community and incredible art!!!
 
so today I am living my dream 
and at the same time.
I am on the threshold of it…
this website is part of that dream being and unfolding.
 
my creative travels…yellow bricks and all…
has given me the spirit-driven will
to keep exploring and trusting in my creative spirit….

….from a black and white world into something rather colorful…
…to being guided by my creative spirit to face my fears and believe in myself…
…I was catapulted onto a journey that captured….
 the wisdom, compassion and courage necessary to live my dream.
 
 ….oh yes, I did have to melt a wicked witch or two…
….defraud a few wizards along the way….
…to discover that what I thought was missing was right here all along….
it’s a DOROTHY-THANG!!!