From the Sacred and Somatic
to the
Professional: Full Spectrum, Integral Writing and Editing
I am not your average, everyday editor—although I’m that, I’m more. I’m also a writing doula. I work on a spectrum from the more routine, required elements of writing such as best practices for good writing; looking at grammar and consistency; the structure of sentences as well as the over-all document; format requirements such as APA, and over-all readability—to the imaginative, creative, somatic/embodied, and sacred places of writing.
In this realm, I work integrally, energetically, and somatically with you to uncover any blocks you may have to writing, or to help you find and then fine tune what it is you want to say I combine my 40-year experience practicing the sacred arts of pranayama, mindful awareness, and embodied presence my PhD research into trauma, healing, the Divine Feminine, and the Sacredness of Nature, with two decades of teaching, tutoring, and editing in higher education.
Check out the About pages for more background information on me; and if you have the time, the photo page is worth a quick look.
What I do
I will:
- Be Ally and Doula in your writing process
- Be your Detailed/Academic/Professional Editor
- Be your Second Pair of Eyes or Proofreader
- Give you tools and modalities that you can use on your own
How it works
Generally, we can briefly meet on Zoom to discuss the project, time frame, and cost; usually no more than an hour.
Who I am
I was born and raised in what used to be a small beach town in San Diego—Ocean Beach—and when I was older, found Humboldt County—in Northern California an hour and a half south of Oregon—for the first time in 1976, and moved here in 1994. I have lived in four of its communities: McKinleyville, Arcata, Sunny Brae, Ferndale, and most recently, King Salmon.
Testimonials
Land Acknowledgement
Unceded Wiyot land is co-author and the heart of what I do, how I do it, why I do it, and who am I as I do it—living and being on this land.
I live on and write from what was once Wiyot land, carved into pieces and called by other names in what is now known as Northern California. This unceded land stretches from the lower Klamath River basin to the Pacific Ocean. Eighty or so years ago, white-bodied people dredged Humboldt Bay and created the spit of land that I am both humbled, privileged, and grateful to call home, King Salmon. This land, once underwater at the bottom of the Bay, is now formed and structured to support human and other-than-human life.
This sacred land is an inherent and natural co-creator of the work I am called to do in the world.
Diversity and Equity Statement
While working in K-12 classes, we would have in-services, training us in issues that may have been the precursor to what is now more widely known as equity. During my tenure in city schools, I was fortunate to work alongside and learn from a woman of color. She was instrumental in forming my early thoughts on racism, marginalization, and the lack of equity in our world. In my master’s program at the University of San Diego, a prominent Catholic institution, I was taught by a diverse group of professors from the BIPOC and LGTBQA+ communities as well as from various religious backgrounds. This intersectionality and diversity in higher education anchored my commitment to be an ally for all voices.
Some of my earliest memories are of being outside, either in my backyard, the beach, at summer camp, or along the banks of the Colorado River where my father and uncle raced hydroplane boats. Nature became my ally, confidant, and teacher. My undergrad was in Liberal Studies with a focus on Recreation, with a concentration in outdoor recreation. It was in these classes that I learned about the interwoven relationship between rocks, plants, hills, rivers, clouds, animals, and humans—in other words, the relationship between humanity and Gaia. This was the beginning of my understanding of diversity—having a glimpse into how Nature worked. These early beginnings created the foundation of who I am today, informs my standpoint in the world, and has solidified my validation of other ways of knowing.
Finally, the work of bell hooks, Robin DiAngelo, Paulo Freire, Gloria Anzaldúa, Resmaa Menekem, and Jeffery Robinson to name a few, have informed my understanding of racism, equity, and intersectionality and its presence in our world. I strive to consciously meet all individuals where they are, not from my pre-conceived ideas.