it all began when...
...a woman sat still and quiet.
She sat on the front deck of her grandfather's cabin overlooking the Rogue River. This was the place that always made her feel safe. No matter what she was going through, the cabin was a home base to relax, relate and release. But mostly, it was the one place where she could just be.
The twenty-something came to the cabin to retreat from the world and reflect, contemplate her purpose. Find an answer to the question: "What's next?"
She was celebrating -
academic achievements
crossing boundaries
new understandings about herself
the world in which she lived
the politics of her own skin.
She was mourning -
sexual objectification
racial trauma
domestic violence
abandonment.
Discerning -
she'd never be Barbie and all that childhood play pretending to have a plastic life was a complete waste of time and imagination. Her soul craved more.
She'd have to improvise next steps, throw caution to the wind. Go bold or go home which wasn't an option. Mother had said, "You're on your own."
But she wasn't.
There was a higher plan.
So she spent her days by the river
reading
writing
appreciating nature
creating art.
And she thought about the privilege to stop and be still, to have time to heal, to tap into the power of creation. "Everyone should be able to do this." The liberty to "just be" was awe-inspiring. In a just and equitable society, such freedom should be available to everybody.
By the end of her retreat, she determined her own healing could be nurtured by helping others heal through reading, writing, reflecting, connecting, appreciating nature and creating art. She wasn't sure how, but she knew it started with education and was clear that healing and growth could only happen in a safe, easily accessible space to learn, heal and grow.
For the next twenty-five years she explored possibilities while dedicating herself to education, both as a life long learner and as a facilitator of learning. She developed an international career in the field in a variety of roles, each growing her gifts in teaching, program management, and DEI work. Nature and the creative arts were the tools that kept her sane as she hustled along the way, strengthened by faith, keeping one verse on replay: all things work together for good. As she went about her mission, she met others with the same passions. In partnership, they developed a plan to birth Transformative Living Community, International. (TLC, Int'l)
What happens next?
Can you help heal?
Do you have a Rogue soul?
Are you ready to create?
Want to learn and grow?
If you are aligned with
creative arts
nature
transformative education
faith and hope
equity and justice
healing and growth
we invite your participation!