Bio
I live in Nova Scotia, Canada with my son and excited about my future as a visual artist and motivational speaker. My vocational experiences include working for various government departments as an Employment and Business Services Coordinator. I often worked with clients who were high risk or from a diverse group. I used creative ways to assess my client skills to avoid intimidating them and to gain their trust. Once we developed a partnership, I would try to find innovative ways to either introduce self-employment or long-term employment options. It was an exciting part of my life.
I always told my clients that they could be whatever they chose to be and that the only limitations were their own. I met a lot of clients who were in difficult, sometimes abusive, situations. Other times, I would work with offenders who were going to on probation and needed to find ways to encourage them to stay away from trouble. Many of these clients found the usual process of assessing skills intimidating, especially when dealing with various literacy levels. I would use my love for art as a way to inspire this growth and change. It was very successful.
One of the moments I remember is when a coworker participated in a mock session to see how my process worked. This system I used was new and not the norm within the department. I remember being criticized for giving too much "hope" to our clients and that I am asking them to go further than their mental capacity. That was one of the days that changed my life. I kept being an advocate for change through developing a keen sense of self.
As time when on, I faced an unexpected emergancy that changed my life. At age thirty-two, I was widowed and left with a young baby. We had no insurance to cover our bills and I was considered self-employed as I was contracted to various projects. I was in the process of losing everything.
I have to admit, I had moments of self-defeat. My son was my saving-grace and he inspired me to move forward, and quickly. I had to practice everything I ever told my clients. Everything.
My son has environmental sensitivities, like myself, and I knew that whatever I did, I had to be with him as much as possible. I have always loved art and drew ever since I was a little girl. I gave up on my idea to be an artist to find a more socially-acceptable way of life as encouraged by some members of my family.
I used my ability to draw to "draw my life" over. I even drew portraits of myself happy and caring for my son as he was older. I could see myself in a place of empowerment and wanted more. Financially I was distressed and had to humble myself to accept this. I knew that I could fix this as time went on.
I reread every self-esteem, motivational and leadership book I could find. I listened to recordings, I practiced the exercises and I eagerly accepted guidance.
I decided to take part in a government funded Self Employment Assistance program and start my own fine art business. I paint for a living but I am still active in using my paintings as a way to motivate others. I do commissions to earn a living and I do other pieces to inspire a living. I am currently developing videos and I am revamping my motivational workshops to be accessible through the internet.
I welcome all suggestions and would love to meet others who are motivated to succeed. I am proud to represent my business as a professional and take it seriously. For every hour I spend painting, I spend learning the business.
Thanks for reading. You can view my website at
www.artforlifestudio.ca.
Personal slogan or motto:
"I think, I believe, I become"
Your areas of expertise:
Art, motivational speaking, vocational services
Personal Website/Blog URL:
Public Profile
http://www.fastcompany.com/user/lise-durling
Professional History
Owner / Partner,
Private, Sole Proprietor employees, Arts / Entertainment / Media industry
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