My clients
Is this you?
Although the ceremonies I design are as unique as the good folks I have the pleasure of working with, my clients tend to share certain characteristics. See if any of these sound familiar to you:
- Your relationships are important to you. You appreciate the people who have played a role in your life and your work. Sometimes, you have trouble finding your voice to tell them, even when you want to.
- You are masterful at what you do. You have your own area of expertise and you like to do things well. You know what you’re good at and what you’re not. You would rather work to your strengths than your weaknesses.
- You know there is more to life than what you can see. Yet you may not feel connected to traditional religion or comfortable in a church setting. Your own spiritual path is…well, it’s your own. But it usually does not include crystals, chants, or charms.
- You may appreciate the details, but you like to step back and see the bigger picture of life. You don’t always know how, but you like to mark your progress and set a clear intention for the future.
- You have experienced personal milestones that, in retrospect, have slipped past you. You may have endured uncomfortable work transitions. Or you may have observed turning points in the lives of others that weren’t honoured well. You want better than that for yourself, your children, your friends or your community.
- Time is a precious commodity for you. You have many roles in life. You are busy and active. Yet you are aware of its value. You want to spend it well.
I tend to attract four types of clients:
1. People who are celebrating their own major life turning point. They want to observe it well.
2. Community and business leaders who are looking for an authentic way to mark important milestones.
3. Parents (especially mothers) who have experienced their own passages and recognize the value of observance. They want to help their children through their own passages in a more meaningful way. Mothers will say: “she’s not a baby shower type of person” or “a baptism won’t work for them.” Often, they will choose to gift a more appropriate ceremony for their offspring.
4. Friends or co-workers who want to honour someone close to them at a major life event or transition. It’s not one that someone might choose to arrange for him or herself. Instead of giving a traditional gift, they opt for a ceremony that includes everyone.
Their problems
People who call on me are all facing a major transition or event. But their challenges tend to be somewhat different.
The folks that work with me tend to fall into one of these categories:
- They want to hold a ceremony for a major recognized event (examples: birth, wedding, death, business opening). They want it to be a reflection of who they are. But they are stuck in the quagmire of the known and the conditioning of previous experiences. They have no clear sense of what is possible. Often, they can tell me more about what they don’t want than what they do want. Frequently, they can use words to describe the tone of the ceremony, but they have no idea how to achieve it.
- They are preparing to celebrate someone or something who/that was truly cherished. They feel that this will be a momentous event. They can’t find the words, actions, or even format to express themselves authentically, or that matches their sense of appreciation.
- At pivotal times that are not traditionally marked, they have a sense of wanting to honour what’s unfolding but don’t know how. Often, descriptive words will flow out – uplifting, fun, powerful, fitting. But beyond that, they feel puzzled at what to do. They don’t know where to begin.
- In major times of transition, some people feel lost trying to make sense of it all. They want to step back from the doing and the minutiae and reframe what’s happening. Or they feel stuck and want to do something to move ahead. Or they are running out of energy and need sustenance or refuelling to continue.
