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One of my favorite sayings is "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance" by Ben Franklin. Life [to me] is about perspective and EVERYTHING is relative.

I live life with passionate abandon. Laughter is high priority. Intelligence and originality keep things interesting. Inspiration keeps me around. I don't limit my definition of talent to just what I like either. I love seeing things through someone else's eyes and honoring their personal views. My background is diverse and my interests are even more so. I have an insatiable curiosity and passion for life. If I were to sum up my life in a single phrase, it would probably be "get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on!" I'm high energy and low maintenance. I am Gemini through and through.

Born in Alaska, raised in Texas. Mechanic turned artist. I spent 5 years on active duty as a Cryogenic Technician in the U.S. Marine Corps. Although we didn't freeze any bodies, we did crack the skull on a Barbie doll ... or three. I've jumped off a perfectly good bridge in Okinawa from about 80' high into the ocean for no good reason. Twice. I've driven away from the gas pump with the handle still in my tank. Once. My "stupid party trick" used to involve biting beer cans in half. I'm convinced that duct tape and gum were invented just for me. I sleep with 4-7 pillows but I don't really know why.

I am unapologetically me.

A brief list of my favorite things - coffee, camping, photography, my children, drum circles, shooting pool, climbing trees, Capoeira, wicked thunder and lighting storms, live music, the beach at night, UFC, combat putt-putt, spell check, tattoos, animals, green lights, being outdoors, and reading just to name a few. Participating regularly in Native American sweat lodge helps me keep this whole “reality” thing in check. I've been known to drive to the beach at night and just sleep under the stars ... it's good for the soul. My tent is a permanent fixture in my Jeep.

I've heard it said that you must be the person you want to attract ... meaning, if you are looking for someone emotionally secure, adventurous, and loyal, then being needy, pessimistic, or untrustworthy won't get you very far. Makes sense to me. And it has to be genuine. You have to be happy with yourself or you won't be happy with someone else. I feel it's unfair to put that responsibility on your partner ... your happiness is your own task in life. I'm not talking about having a bad day or even a bad week ... just that there needs to be a certain resolve at your core about who you are in life before you can expect to have a healthy/fulfilling relationship with other people, romantic or otherwise. I "get" people very quickly/easily and I don't take this gift lightly. I am now using this with clients and peers to help facilitate shifts (often instantaneously) within them for deeper change and emotional healing. I can tell when someone is blatantly lying to me versus when they are just not being honest with themselves and therefore can't be honest with me. Self-actualization is a skill I've worked extremely hard to develop. I have humbled myself many times in life in order to grow as a person. I'm not perfect, but I'm a good person. A relationship on any level (be it friendship or romantic) needs to allow for learning curves and mistakes ... and I think if two people can approach each other with humility and compassion when misunderstandings or upsets happen, and they will, then people have a real chance to connect on even deeper levels. And you have to accept people for who they are in the moment ... not who you think they could or should be. I no longer invest in peoples "potential" ... I've learned to recognize them for who they are right now. I believe we are always a "work in progress".

I am the single mother of two amazing souls who will undoubtedly teach me more than I could ever teach them. I hope to preserve their unfiltered honesty for as long as I possibly can; I am amazed and exhausted by their unequaled energy; I repeatedly find myself amused at their innocent curiosity; I strive to continually honor them as individuals; I am humbled to claim them as mine. (And did I mention their energy?)

I don't say these things out of any sense of obligation to feel them because I am a mother. I have come to realize I am the person that I am largely because of being gifted with the sacred responsibility of being their keeper. I am fiercely protective of my children. Should you find yourself privileged enough to actually meet them someday, consider it both an honor and a compliment that I open this aspect of my life to you. Either I trust you or I think I can kick your ass. ;)

On any given day, I am many things simultaneously ... an artist, a humble student, a teacher, a spiritual healer, a proud mother, a cherished friend, a philosopher, a warrior, a visionary, an empath, a kindred spirit, a dreamer. I am very honest, loyal, and passionate - I’m everything you’ll never expect. I strive to live an inspiring, authentic, and sustainable life. Some of my key goals are to captivate the uninspired, teach my children to fly, and to cause a ruckus once in a while. That's right, a ruckus. I believe that snapping people out of complacency and getting them to observe things in a different manner tends to shatter certain illusions. This can foster an atmosphere of original ideas for resolving many of the problems that have become cliché in today's world.

Mitakuye Oyasin .... it's Lakota for "we are all related". I don’t *hate* anything or anybody. That kind of vague negativity has no place in my life anymore, but it took a fair amount of work to get here. I feel that when we hold such contempt for people or circumstances, we surrender our power to that anger. In the words of Bob Marley (Redemption Song) "emancipate yourself from mental slavery" ...... I do my best to use language (communication) to empower myself and others versus staying stuck in certain patterns of social programming, etc. Mind you, some days I try harder than others. I will believe your actions over your words - every time. I'm intuitive as well as resourceful, which makes a great combination. ;)