I told you to buckle your seatbelts, didn’t I?
As faithful readers know, I normally choose just ONE person who’s moving, shaking, doing, and creating amazing things in our community.
However, I’d like to take a moment today to shout-out not one, but SEVEN exceptional humans, who have been working side by side out of the Vibrant Studios space as members of the Vibrant Collective. These happen to be some of the most inspiring folks I know, and I’d like you all, in turn, to know them, too.
Elizabeth Russell is the maven of Be Space, a space for classes and workshops in a whole slew of integrative arts modalities. I’m impressed by so many things about Elizabeth: her ability to hold a powerful container that’s simultaneously sacred and silly; her thoughtfulness and attention to detail; her affinity toward joyful absurdity and divine play. She’s cultivated a loyal following of clienteles and friends who perpetuate Elizabeth’s mission and shine it out brightly and broadly, and the events she’s curated over the past year have been some of Vibrant’s most potent. Elizabeth has recently moved to Eugene, and will be carrying on the Be Space vision through her work in her new community. Find Elizabeth at www.be-space.org.
Rosemary and Michelle are a mother-daughter team who have been facilitating Reiki trainings, shamanic journeying sessions, and a number of other supercharged weekend events over the past year. The amount of wisdom and charisma they have individually is astounding, and as a pair, is truly magnificent. They are both deeply energetically attuned, warm and welcoming, and have an air of grace and magnetism. They are also excellent businesswomen, who have taught hundreds of students the skills of Reiki, offered skills as animal communicators and shamans, and serve as powerful pillars of support, alchemy, and mastery in their community. I deeply admire Michelle and Rosemary, and the work they do both together and independently in the world. Find Rosemary at www.secondnaturehealing.com, and Michelle at www.joyofenergy.com.
Courtney Freed is a talented musician, healer, coach, teacher, and so much more. She is instantly likable: bright, cheerful, funny, grounded, intuitive, and beautiful. She’s the newest addition to the Vibrant Collective, but has already hosted a number of events that are precisely what our community–and world–need more of. One in particular, a Modern Sacred Circle workshop empowering women to step into their power as leaders through Body Positive Yoga, Mother Medicine, and Modern Sacred Circle work, demonstrated Courtney’s remarkable skill in bringing together a star-studded group of healers to co-create a day of unparalleled value. She’s a powerful example of dedication to one’s craft and community. Find Courtney at www.courtneyfreed.com.
Jessica Libonati is a talented music instructor who teaches voice lessons out of the Vibrant Studios space. She is beloved by her students, who rave about her prowess as a teacher and also her warm and kind personality. She is creative and engaged, smart and savvy, able to meet her students students energetically and respond accordingly. She teaches from a holistic platform, with healthy, resonant singing being her emphasis, and incorporates physical and mental practices along with more standard technical and artistic elements of singing. And I can’t write of Jessica without mentioning her stunning singing voice–wow. The world is a more beautiful place when she’s singing. Find Jessica at www.jessicalibonatimusic.com.
Amanda Kanter and Laura Fletcher are the fabulous curators of the Portland Folk School, which they launched in October and are currently in the process of expanding (teachers of all stripes, get in touch!). I have been so impressed by their boundless enthusiasm, broad range of talents and expertise, and their commitment to bringing folk-style, non-competitive, community-based learning to Portland. Their friendly energy is inviting, infectious, and irresistible, and their inclusivity with all sorts of people and modalities (classes range from handcrafts, to music, to ayurvedic yoga) is a true testament to their openness and care. Amanda and Laura’s ability to work as a team also never fails to impress me; what they have created together is a beautiful melding of each of their individual skill-sets and strengths. (Two pieces of evidence: the beautiful flyer and website they have produced!) Find the Portland Folk School at www.portlandfolksschool.org.
I could not be more honored to host this cast and crew at Vibrant Studios. It is people like the seven mentioned above who fill Portland with the talent, inspiration, and magic that make this city truly vibrant–and the effects of their work are carried out exponentially by all those who partake in private sessions, group classes, workshops, and events.
The Generosity Chronicles 