Now booking workshops from May - July ✨
Read on if you're passionate about creating a culture of care!
Hello! My latest song fixation is I Know A Place by Muna. My friend Yanni showed me this song. Here’s a clip of them at Coachella, where they’re being interviewed by someone who refers to them as “ladies.” One of the band members pauses and says [and I’m paraphrasing here]: this might be a little be awkward…we don’t all identify as girls. So when people refer to us, we ask that you say ‘ya’ll’ or ‘you guys’ instead. This felt very affirming to me. I don’t yet have the energy or willpower to correct someone every time they call me “girl” (often) or use she/her pronouns when referring to me, so I wish pronoun etiquette and respecting gender expression was a more common practice.
Using gender neutral pronouns or asking what someone’s pronouns are is a small but impactful way to make queer people feel safe and in this climate, we need as much effort toward safety as we can possibly make.
Anyways!
That’s not what I came here to say.
I came here to tell you that after a period of hiatus and hibernation, I’m taking on speaking engagements again and would love to bring my workshops to people, organizations, and companies who resonate with what I’m passionate about sharing!
I spent most of the fall and winter finishing my book, which took a good 80% of my energy. It felt like a creative baby. It needed to be fed, nurtured, put to sleep, listened to. It needed new clothes every few weeks and sometimes it threw up and I spent days cleaning up after its mess. I also spent a lot of time sitting with it, reading it in different places (trains, parks, even parties and bars) and really believing in what it has to say.
I really wrote a book about all the ways I changed my life. I wrote a self-help* book that is race, gender, disability, neurodivergent, and trauma informed, after wanting to see this in the world. I wrote the book I needed younger me to read, and a book I hope helps people heal from the systemic impact of oppression.
*I used to reject this term but I’m embracing it now. Don’t we all need help to get through the day?
I’ve also been focused on acting— taking classes, taping auditions, doing field research, and getting clear about the kind of stories I want to tell.
I think about all my creative practices as instruments. Maybe writing is my drums, acting is my guitar, singing is my piano, dancing is my cello, modeling is my trumpet, and public speaking is my tambourine. I like playing all of them. Sometimes at different times, sometimes all within a single rotation. All of them are how I make music. I think that’s what being a multidisciplinary artist means to me. Loving all my instruments and not being shy about playing all of them. Practicing all my instruments and knowing the skills I develop with one helps me play another better.
Speaking and facilitating are how I transitioned out of my corporate job into entrepreneurship. It’s how I discovered that I have a gift for synthesizing information and conveying it in engaging, entertaining ways ( my performance training helps me here too ;). I’m deeply passionate about creating a culture of care and sharing tools, techniques, and resources to help people make the changes that are needed in this lifetime to build an inclusive, accessible, feel-good future.
During 2020, I was speaking on average once a week. At this point, I’ve spoken to thousands of people around the world about various topics ranging from racial equity to queer imagination to wellness and creativity. I’ve adapted my offerings based on what feels needed for this moment in time and I’m opening my workshop bookings for May, June, and July! I’m sharing an overview of the information below. Please reach out if any of this resonates and you’d like to bring me into your organization, company, or community this summer.
Okay, that’s all I have to share for now!
Thanks for making it this far and for supporting my journey. I hope you feel cared for, loved on, and fulfilled at multiple points this week 🌱
With love and care,
Jezz
