Collaborative work for me is the most satisfying in that it fully engages others to become co-creators because we are challenged by a timely pertinent question. It requires of me to act out of my own driving need to respond as powerfully and creatively as possible to the issue at hand. Out of a group inquiry, a creative project takes form.

To lead a collaborative art event means to take into account every participant’s point of view, contribution, and individual process. It also requires energizing participants and holding each person as well as oneself accountable for themselves. The final goal is to create an event that is fulfilling for everyone involved and responds to the initial motivation in an artistic and expressive way. People who engage in such projects internally know what they are doing is valuable and healing in some way, to their community, the world, and to themselves. Unlike personal artistic statements, working collaboratively causes a participant to reach beyond one’s personal passion and commitment and stretch into a consensus format which fosters a different kind of growth and self-reflection.

The dance of weaving together a fully successful ritual or event depends on being sensitive to the energies of timing as well as place. Not unlike any artistic process, there are events that fall short of success, but each honest attempt is an opportunity for learning if a coordinator is willing to take stock of what worked and what didn’t work.

While it is not always part of a project, the stage of engaging the public awareness into the process is an expansion of the work itself. The three projects listed here had three distinctly different objectives in regards to public relations and awareness.