About

COMPASSIONATE CREATIVE/CREATIVE COMPASSIONATE: ARTIST, EDUCATOR, COMPASSION LEADER. I WEAR A LOT OF HATS. MOSTLY, I LOVE TO CREATE, COLLABORATE AND GROW IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS!

Hello. I’m DJ LJ, founder of the Compassionate Mess podcast and affiliated media and trainings. I wear many professional hats; here are the details:

FIRST, I am an artist. I write, make music and tell stories in a variety of formats – visual (photographic/video), written and oral. I am passionate about memoir, documentary and journalistic storytelling. Occasionally, I scribble and have been told that my line drawings – which I find fun – are reminiscent of John Lennon’s.

SECOND, I am an international teacher and compassion leader, based in the Middle East and Europe, from Canada, working in a small but top-tier international school. I teach drama, theatre studies and digital arts/media (with a focus on marketing and business development). I lead in our district on compassionate action projects and teams (I developed a Peer Support listening program rooted in my experience in suicide prevention with Samaritans in the UK), and am part of a global movement, working with other educators on sustainable compassionate action in international education.

THIRD, I am a trainer and teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion. I give introductory workshops on self-compassion and teach the full 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion course founded by Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. This course is first step to becoming an accredited/certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and it is offered online and on site. Check events for dates. I have a particular interest in the intersection of mindfulness, self-compassion and creativity.

FOURTH, I coach clients and groups with an existential, humanistic focus that is collaborative, analytic, person-centred and inclusive.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor of Education degree in Drama and English

Master of Management degree in Arts and Cultural Management

Post-graduate studies from a Master of Science Degree in IT/Educational Leadership

Post-graduate studies in Creative Writing under the mentorship of internationally acclaimed Canadian author Karen Connelly at Humber College, known for her wonderful travel-memoirs, novels and poetry.

30 years in education, counselling and the arts. Passionate about suicide prevention.