More about Carmen?
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I've had quite a few spins around the sun and I'm proud of the vantage point I now have. But I've had to embrace my curiosity and trust in the higher order of the universe in order to get here. Where is 'here', you ask? I hold undergraduate and masters degrees in urban planning, with a specialization in community economic development. I'm an accomplished senior manager, adult educator and learning designer with more than 25 years of professional experience. As a result of all of this (and well, just living a lot of life) I have a unique perspective on how we work, learn and thrive in this world. Which is coming in REALLY handy in this post-pandemic world because perspective is everything, my friends. I have worked with larger than large and teeny tiny teams in corporate, non-profit, governmental and educational environments throughout Canada and the world. I have travelled by chicken bus in rural Zimbabwe, rails above and below ground all through Europe, cars all OVER the road in Asia, snowmobiles in northern Saskatchewan, boats on many of the Great Lakes, and more ... and through all my adventures, one thing propels me ... connection. |
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Connection to the world around me. To the humans, animals and insects I meet. To the adventures that await me. And to a deeper connection to myself.
And though I started this introduction with the standard cocktail response to 'what do you do?', the thing that I'm actually most proud of and that makes me the most ... well, ME is connecting to what scares me, what I have a sneaking suspicion might bring me joy and doing the unconventional.
So, most of the time when someone asks me what I DO, I tell them about what I MAKE. And about how that making makes me feel.
Why?
Because in early 2021, I got brave and followed my entrepreneurial passion, trading in my corporate swipe card and laptop to spread the word of creativity & wellness through my creative arts business, Ply Studio.
This was (for me) an incredible act of courage. And it scared me to my roots.
You see, as I have connected the dots in my life between what I am currently doing and what I might do next, the path has never been straight. But never has it been so unnervingly curvy as it was when I was making the decision to leave my ‘great, stable, full-time, perfectly aligned with my education and values, so many holidays every year I couldn’t take them all’ job as the one that I left in early 2021.
People say it takes courage to do something new and different. THAT is an understatement if you have ever looked back from the other side of new and different.
But here’s the thing … I HAD to.
Because through all the overtime and trudging back and forth to an office where I wore high heels and blazers (ack!), I was tired. I was desperate for downtime to sit with my kids close by and just knit.
I wanted to wake up with a smile on my face and tell my daughters that I enjoy what I do for a living. I wanted to role model for them what was missing for me when I was growing up and watching my Dad go to an office he detested.
So, after years of late nights working out my business plan, I quit my day job to work for myself. To inspire, connect and make people happier by tapping into their creative potential.
And once I figured out that I could do this, I have been steadily creating the work of my dreams every day.
Funny thing. Back in my early 20’s, I had set out on a path to be an artist and an educator, taking a major detour through urban planning, capacity building, knowledge management, international development and more. But I made it back, full circle, to what my heart knew 30 years ago. No regrets Just great perspective and experience to add to my path. It’s all about the connection.
For the last few years, I have been focused on designing and delivering a range of creative arts workshops, supplies and resources, sometimes in collaboration with other makers and artists, and always with the mission of helping people to feel good by teaching them to make stuff by hand (and getting them off their darn screens!).
Now, I mainly work as an educator and creative wellness coach to an increasing number of corporate clients who engage me to design and deliver excellent workshops, retreats and meetings. My passion is leading teams through meaningful team-building experiences, designed to surprise, delight and engage. I also create virtual learning programs and I have a whole series of resources on the topics of creativity, wellness, mindset and productivity.
I pride myself on being easy to work with and know what it’s like to be a busy manager that wants to be hands-off when it comes to one more team deliverable. I invite you to jump on a discovery call and I'll provide you an easy plan for your next team-building engagement.
If you have read to this point (thanks!) and are wondering what else I am about, I like to spend a good portion of my time (when I'm not making art) with my inspired husband, Chris, and my giggling girls, Everleigh and Maeven. Usually on a ski hill in the winter or near a body of water in the summer.
And though I started this introduction with the standard cocktail response to 'what do you do?', the thing that I'm actually most proud of and that makes me the most ... well, ME is connecting to what scares me, what I have a sneaking suspicion might bring me joy and doing the unconventional.
So, most of the time when someone asks me what I DO, I tell them about what I MAKE. And about how that making makes me feel.
Why?
Because in early 2021, I got brave and followed my entrepreneurial passion, trading in my corporate swipe card and laptop to spread the word of creativity & wellness through my creative arts business, Ply Studio.
This was (for me) an incredible act of courage. And it scared me to my roots.
You see, as I have connected the dots in my life between what I am currently doing and what I might do next, the path has never been straight. But never has it been so unnervingly curvy as it was when I was making the decision to leave my ‘great, stable, full-time, perfectly aligned with my education and values, so many holidays every year I couldn’t take them all’ job as the one that I left in early 2021.
People say it takes courage to do something new and different. THAT is an understatement if you have ever looked back from the other side of new and different.
But here’s the thing … I HAD to.
Because through all the overtime and trudging back and forth to an office where I wore high heels and blazers (ack!), I was tired. I was desperate for downtime to sit with my kids close by and just knit.
I wanted to wake up with a smile on my face and tell my daughters that I enjoy what I do for a living. I wanted to role model for them what was missing for me when I was growing up and watching my Dad go to an office he detested.
So, after years of late nights working out my business plan, I quit my day job to work for myself. To inspire, connect and make people happier by tapping into their creative potential.
And once I figured out that I could do this, I have been steadily creating the work of my dreams every day.
Funny thing. Back in my early 20’s, I had set out on a path to be an artist and an educator, taking a major detour through urban planning, capacity building, knowledge management, international development and more. But I made it back, full circle, to what my heart knew 30 years ago. No regrets Just great perspective and experience to add to my path. It’s all about the connection.
For the last few years, I have been focused on designing and delivering a range of creative arts workshops, supplies and resources, sometimes in collaboration with other makers and artists, and always with the mission of helping people to feel good by teaching them to make stuff by hand (and getting them off their darn screens!).
Now, I mainly work as an educator and creative wellness coach to an increasing number of corporate clients who engage me to design and deliver excellent workshops, retreats and meetings. My passion is leading teams through meaningful team-building experiences, designed to surprise, delight and engage. I also create virtual learning programs and I have a whole series of resources on the topics of creativity, wellness, mindset and productivity.
I pride myself on being easy to work with and know what it’s like to be a busy manager that wants to be hands-off when it comes to one more team deliverable. I invite you to jump on a discovery call and I'll provide you an easy plan for your next team-building engagement.
If you have read to this point (thanks!) and are wondering what else I am about, I like to spend a good portion of my time (when I'm not making art) with my inspired husband, Chris, and my giggling girls, Everleigh and Maeven. Usually on a ski hill in the winter or near a body of water in the summer.