what FORMER CLIENTS say about THEIR EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH ME AND THE RESULTS THEY HAVE ACHIEVED FROM IT
“When I first met Miriam, it was like I was standing inside a tunnel, looking out towards the light at the end. Now I feel like I am sitting on top of the tunnel with my arms stretched out. Through careful guidance and mirroring, she has challenged me to see new sides of - and qualities in - myself. What I used to be scared of, I now look at with great joy, and I am ready to face challenges head on. I feel closer to my life. I have experienced the joy it is to look inside myself for places that either block or expand me, and to go into those places with curiosity. And many times I've been surprised by what exists inside of me. Through visual images, embodied experiences, articulations, and descriptions of situations, something fundamental in me has shifted – like when a chiropractor or osteopath cracks the bones and stretches the musculature. The conversations and experiences I´ve had with Miriam have given me a base where I feel happy and curious about what I can share with the world.”
- Anja Lauvdal, Musician, Oslo
“The coaching with Miriam has been one of the most constructive activities I have undertaken. I experience its tangible benefits in all aspects of life. Miriam’s coaching has helped me tap into my emotions and inner resources, which has supported important decisions, conversations, relationships and activities, including those with the people that matter most to me. I can feel fluidity in my work and thinking and I can fully enjoy the time with myself and with my work. Likewise I can bring this fluidity and fresh perspective to my inner circle so that we are all benefiting from the coaching. I cannot thank and congratulate Miriam enough for her professionalism, generosity, commitment to listening, courage and creativity. I highly recommend Miriam’s coaching.”
- Diana Arbeláez, PhD student, University of Queensland, Australia
“It's hard to describe working with Miriam, because mostly time flew during our sessions and I was left with the feeling that some kind of inexplicable magic had occurred when it was over. Hahah! But it's no hocus-pocus. Miriam has this absolutely one of a kind talent for getting you to step into the unknown... and having fun while doing so. I use the exercises and visualisations we cooked up together on a daily basis - and they help me deal with whatever challenge comes my way. Our process was always in such great flow, and she really helped me explore myself and my potential, in work and in life, in ways I have never dared or been able to before. It was SO EASY to open up and challenge myself in her presence. The way Miriam juggles razor sharp methodology and playful spontaneity is MASTERFUL. There is this boundless and open sense of joy and exploration behind her way of working that feels really all-encompassing and complete. Like really smart and really emotionally present at the same time... that's rare. Our sessions inspired and supported me greatly in my growth - for that I will always be extremely grateful. I've recommended working with Miriam to all of my friends:)”
- Tobi Pfeil, Composer, Artist, Oslo
“After ten hours with Miriam, I finally feel like I am back on track with my life. Miriam has given me access to my inner voice, drive, playfulness, courage, and curiosity. She has walked with me through my inner landscape of old and new scars, supporting their continued healing by meeting them with care rather than fear. Every conversation has been like a safe oasis where all is welcome. I am left with creative joy, fearlessness and passion for life. My breath has gradually become deeper. Slowly but surely I have moved away from a foggy self-critic to becoming a hungry optimist! Her encouraging YES is with me on my path, which will always be winding, but now feels so much more truthful. I am deeply grateful to have met Miriam.”
- Ingvild Sandstø Isaksen, Dance Artist, Lofoten
“The coaching sessions with Miriam were just magical, I can´t describe it any other way! Miriam´s presence is unique. You feel seen and heard in a very special way. I worked with Miriam on my film project, which means a lot to me, and it was a deep, exciting and nourishing process. She has an ability to see you and where you are – and where you can go – in a way that feels warm, open and focused at the same time. During our sessions I experienced insight, creativity and breakthroughs that I never expected would come. It has been very valuable, both for me personally and for my filmmaking. I am deeply grateful for this process with Miriam. Those who get to work with her are very lucky!”
- Mona, Film Director, Oslo
“I came to Miriam planning to clean out some weed in the garden and I ended up with a garden in full, wild bloom! Our starting point was some challenges and wishes relating to my professional life. One year later these challenges are either solved, dissolved or appear in a radically new light and my wishes are fulfilled to a degree I had never dreamed of. And more importantly, I feel more intimately connected to myself and to the world around me. Miriam’s presence, playfulness and knowledge opened up a magical space where I could safely get to know myself better, surprise and guide myself and open new doors. Miriam has a special intuition that guides these explorations with wisely timed questions, mirroring and exercises. She has a wide variety of tools and approaches and we worked in many different ways. We explored the topics through the body and through images and it was mind blowing for me how powerful this is. It felt like a truly creative collaboration between the two of us! The things I learned, explored and experienced with Miriam are with me every day – still guiding and supporting me.”
- Inga Margrete Aas, Musician and Composer, Oslo
“Through the conversations with Miriam layers of negative conditioning are peeled away. Growing up we are taught how to behave and what is expected of us. We are told what values are important and what is right and what is wrong. We learn how to adapt. In the conversations with Miriam, our focus has been to find out what I expect of myself. How I want to behave and what ways of being that are good for me. I have gotten to know my own values, my own abilities and positive qualities. It´s about altering the thought patterns that are not constructive for me, and replacing them with thoughts that are uniquely mine. Thoughts that make me feel good and make my life better. I´ve experienced Miriam as authentic and empathic, present and engaged, with an ability to see and find the best in others. Miriam meets me not where she is, but where I am. There´s nothing more valuable to give another person than to see them and to help them see themselves. The coaching has started a process that has changed - and will continue to change - my life.”
- Sara T., Visual artist, Oslo
“Working with Miriam has been a life altering experience. I do not exaggerate when I say Miriam helped to connect me to a profound inner-joy. The effect of the work we have done together has not only bolstered my self-confidence and focus in all areas of life, but also facilitated healing in areas of misunderstanding and pain. Our work together has resulted in my professional and personal path becoming so much clearer, and in learning to trust my intuition. All of this has energized my academic writing and, most importantly, emboldened me to inhabit my dreams in the present.”
– Christine K., Graduate Student, Toronto and Berkeley
“The conversations with Miriam affect me deeply. Her presence is outstanding, and her reflections/mirroring help me untangle my messy thoughts into something quite clear that I can actually relate to. The aim of the coaching was to support my career, but our conversations have strengthened both my professional and personal identity. I have had insights and breakthroughs I absolutely did not expect. After just a few sessions, I had more clarity around my goals and values, and I now trust myself more overall. After every conversation we have had, I am able to make decisions that prior to our session seemed very difficult. I, who used to be skeptical to coaching, now praise it - and Miriam especially! I trusted her immediately. She is warm and open, while also very focused, and she sees me and where I am in my process. The conversations with her are a wonderful place to be and I am so grateful for what she has done for me.”
- Stine, Film Producer, Oslo
“To shift my focus to what wonderful and exciting possibilities I have, has been a great experience. We worked on core values, perspectives, how to behave in stressful situations, how to shift my focus to where I get energy, towards what I enjoy doing, and exploring what qualities I believe in as a person, artist and leader. By working on my insecurities, I have found both great strength in myself, and clear goals as to how I want to be in life and how I want to treat others and how I want to be treated. I cannot thank Miriam enough for her talent, for how she works and how I feel like such a better person now.”
- Jørn-Bjørn, Actor, Tromsø, Norway
“Wow. What an amazing session. You’re a truly gifted coach and guide for the inner realms. I’ve worked with many brilliant coaches and mentors over the years and none has taken me so deeply so quickly to create such a powerful breakthrough. You surely and sensitively guided me into the labyrinth of feelings, beliefs and old stories that were in my way. Your brilliant questioning and spot-on intuitive guidance enabled me to have a huge breakthrough in just one session. I felt that you really saw me, who I am and the value of the work and gifts I long to share with the world. I feel catalysed, energised and awakened to the potential of the life I was born to live. And thank you for keeping me accountable so that I keep taking the next steps! I need that too.”
– Rionach Aiken, Founder of Poetry Alchemy, United Kingdom
“I worked with Miriam over a period of 1,5 years and as cliché as it sounds, I feel like I found my creative self again. Miriam has the unique ability to make you feel like you’ve known her for years, only after a few sessions. Without pushing or putting words in my mouth, she guided me to rediscover and reaffirm my creativity and core-values, all the while respecting my own boundaries. We worked on very specific creative blocks I had, using visual imagery and physical tasks, as well as on my overall mental health in my freelancing career. My time with Miriam has made me more resilient, and more courageous, open and braver than I’ve ever been. I wish everyone had the chance to meet Miriam at some point in their life. She sure shaped my perspective in the most colourful and joyful way!”
- Karianne Andreassen, Dance Artist, Oslo/Tromsø
“My biggest worry when I started working with Miriam was that I wouldn’t be understood, as I couldn’t understand myself. I had some challenges that were hard to grasp and seemed abstract and nonsensical but they still hugely affected my everyday life. During the two years that I had meetings with Miriam, my perception of seeing challenges in my life has changed, I now welcome them in a way where I feel like it is still possible to breathe, wonder, learn, and be curious. Miriam is a person who does her job well – she listens, she is open, and she gives access to her knowledge in a way that makes you feel like you suddenly have superpowers, powers to solve the “unsolvable”, powers to see that the unsolvable might also just be an illusion, just another story I tell myself. With the help of Miriam's knowledge and guidance, I got back the contact I used to have with myself earlier in life, realizing that I carry the answers, both in my personal and professional life, and through that learning to communicate better and more sincerely both with myself and others. Miriam's guidance has taken me places where I only dreamt I could be, and I carry it with me every day.”
- Guoste Tamulynaite, Musician and Composer, Oslo
“It has been a true joy and a great privilege to work with Miriam over a two-year period. I was initially skeptical about whether I would get anything out of coaching but am left with the experience that it has been valuable beyond description. Miriam shows the way through dialogue, suggests exciting exercises, finds different entry points to what you want to focus on and has an open presence that makes it easy to communicate freely. Her solid professional competence, natural wisdom and intuition - as well as her ability to create a safe coaching space - have given me new discoveries and experiences. This includes gaining clarity on what essential values I base my life on and the experience of how letting go of old thought patterns and perceptions I do not need opens up for new life. I feel I have grown and evolved through every session, much thanks to Miriam's unique ability to come up with the right invitations and input at the right times. Connecting with the deeper core of my being has been liberating and I now stand far more firmly grounded in the wholeness of who I am. Doing inner work leads to outer positive changes - and during the period with Miriam I have achieved fantastic results in both my professional and personal life. The sessions with Miriam have enriched all aspects of my life and have had a great impact on my work and on who I am, both as a leader, artist and human being. I most warmly recommend working with Miriam.”
- F. Longva, Theater Director, Oslo
“The presence Miriam brought to our work was really unique. She asked the right questions and guided me through exercises which helped me reconnect with myself again. This made me realize what is important and necessary for me in order to live more in line with my heart. I am so grateful for this journey; a process which has given me the new understanding that everything really is possible. Miriam is pleasant, open and warm and she has the tools to help you achieve change in your life“.
– S.H.P., Project Leader, Red Cross, Oslo
“Through Talent Norway's program ArtEx, I have received two full years of coaching with Miriam. When we started, I was completely blocked in many areas of my life. I held myself back. Miriam has given me the most beautiful gift I have ever received, she has helped me to overcome my blockages, through concrete transformative process work. It has been deeply healing and enlightening. I feel like I have dived into my core, found myself and transformed. Miriam is a unique and beautiful soul and she is able to create a space wherein I feel safe to be myself completely. I feel seen, understood and cared for. I always come to our sessions with some kind of suffering and leave in a free and loving state. I cannot put words to how much our work has given me, as a human being, performer, artist and soul. Through the coaching with Miriam, I have been given the gift of going through a deep human and spiritual process that has completely changed my life. I have connected with the Creator in myself. I am forever grateful.”
- Nora Elise Augustinius, Dancer and Singer, The Norwegian Opera and Ballet, Oslo
“When I first went to Miriam’s coaching four years ago, I was pressured by insecurities and a never-ending chase after achievements and external confirmation. I had just started my PhD and I felt lost and overwhelmed. A colleague recommended me to try coaching. I was unsure whether it was for me, but I also felt curious. I am so glad I followed that curiosity. To start working with Miriam has been one of the best decisions of my life. After only a few sessions, I started discovering my own unique value and inner radiance. I felt more grounded and I was able to navigate life with more appreciation, love and playfulness. I always feel deeply heard and seen by Miriam’s extraordinary presence and warmth. Although I have gone through some serious challenges in the last years of my life, she has always met me from her steadfast belief in my own ability to be with and to move through life’s difficulties – and to transform them. I have experienced each coaching session (both in person and over the phone) like a precious treasure that continues to work in me for years afterwards. The sessions have powerful ripple effects in all areas of my life, that also reach people I interact with. I can see tangible changes in both my work life and in all my relationships. Thus, to set out on a coaching journey has been a wonderful gift to not only myself, but also to my surroundings.”
- Ebba, Doctoral Researcher, Oslo
“I have been so lucky to receive coaching through Talent Norway. The sessions with Miriam have had an enormous impact on me and I most warmly recommend working with her! She has created a safe and open space, and through meaningful conversations and exercises, I have arrived at a place where I stand more securely and steadily within myself, personally and as an artist. Some of what has meant the most to me is our work around values. After completing the coaching, I see that my values, which are so clear to me now, function as a compass. I find it easier to make choices in my personal life and career, based on my values. I am more able to take control over my career and life and to walk my own path. Thank you so much, Miriam!”
- Sofie H., Actress, Hamar
“Working with Miriam has been a wonderful experience. The work is intuitive and nourishing. Miriam has a unique ability to see you where you are right now. With her guidance I have experienced several breakthroughs in the work we've been doing, both personally and professionally. It has has helped me to connect with who I really am, and identifying and Ietting go of self-imposed limitations and fears. Every session has filled me with with joy and wisdom, and a profound insight into my own creativity. I am deeply grateful for my experience working with Miriam.”
- Ingrid Stenersen, Film Director, Oslo
“The coaching has given me the groundedness and vision to take on new challenges with joy and confidence. Working with Miriam is deeply empowering.”
– Cindy Horst; Research Professor, Refugee and Migration Studies, Research Director, Peace Research Institute Oslo
“I don’t think words can truly honour what an amazing journey working with Miriam has been. You don’t necessarily see it at first, but each session lays the foundation for personal growth and reconnection to happen, slowly and powerfully over the weeks. And when it does, it is wonderful to witness all the path that has been travelled. Working with Miriam has been delightful and enlightening, and I am so grateful to have chosen to follow that voice inside of me telling me to invest in myself. This is what sessions with Miriam are all about : learning to listen to and trust what has been inside of you all along. Thank you Miriam.”
- Sophie Zermatten, World Traveler and Author, Switzerland
“I came to Miriam with my confusion. I wanted to get rid of the confusion and find back to the joy and motivation I have often felt around my work. Working with Miriam has been opening in so many meanings of the word. She has guided me to discover that there is more in me than I knew about, and that aspects of myself that I was afraid of weren´t actually scary. I have had a-ha moments during the sessions and come out on the other side of them feeling calmer and safer. I have begun to find back to the joy and motivation. And yes, I am less confused, because I feel more secure in myself and in what matters to me. Mostly though, I am not so afraid of being confused, of being present in it, because I know that it holds something good too. Miriam has helped me be more of myself.”
- Ingerid Salvesen, Journalist, Oslo
“Every session I have with Miriam, I start getting butterflies just before it. It’s because my body already knows that something exciting is about to happen. I will feel vulnerable and exposed, seen and felt, strong and capable… sometimes all at once. The way Miriam holds you as her client is truly unique and it makes coaching with her a deep and intimate experience; it’s like taking a warm bath in a water of your values, hopes and aspirations after which you are ready to face your day with courage and deep connection to what really matters to you. Being coached by this woman is the best gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones.”
- Nada M. Personal and Professional Development Coach, Amsterdam
"I received coaching from Miriam Latif Sandbæk during a challenging period, both personally and work-wise. The coaching helped me through my challenges because I got to know myself better and through the use of concrete tools that Miriam gave me. This enabled me to focus on what is important, without having to compromise myself. I experience Miriam as a warm, structured and skilled coach who is always well prepared and very present with me. In getting to know myself better, the coaching from Miriam has brought me closer to the person I want to be."
- Ingvild Søderlind, Film Director, Oslo
“Every single session with Miriam was nothing short of magical. I would wake up early in the morning for our transatlantic call … and then we would talk and it was like this whole light would open up. Miriam’s reflections were delicious and I loved the intuitive connection that we shared. It was fun, deeply insightful, and felt like we were tapping together into these mythical undercurrents. By the end of the sessions, I had finished a first full draft of a musical I had been blocked on for quite some time. I´m really glad I signed up for this. Miriam’s warmth, wisdom, and empathy is something I will not forget”.
– Antonia, United Nations, New York City
“For one year, Miriam has been a major support for me. The journey she has guided me through has been enormously important for me and for my life. A year ago I was in the middle of a breakup, burned out in my job as a psychologist, and worried about the future. I had lost sight of my strengths, was extremely self-critical, and had very little faith in myself in most areas. Today I am in a better place than I have ever been. The sessions with Miriam helped me to gradually become aware of my strengths, to listen to myself, and to dare taking myself seriously. I find that Miriam really listens to me. She asks questions that get me to reflect in new ways. She guides me through experiential exercises that help me learn both through my body, my emotions and cognitively. I feel a deep gratitude that I got Miriam into my life as a coach and support when I needed it most. I most warmly recommend working with her.”
– S.T.; Psychologist, Tromsø, Norway
”Miriam has been my coach for around one year. When we started working together, I was insecure on how to proceed with my career, if I should leave my job or not and what my values, goals and aspirations were. In the course of the coaching, Miriam has been the best support I could get to find these answers inside me, where they had actually been the whole time! She helped me deal with the core of the problems, and while talking mainly about work we explored much more than just that – because we tapped into existential questions. Letting go of fear and self-imposed limitations gave me energy and tools to make the right choices in my professional and personal life. I could have done none of that without Miriam’s support. I highly recommend working with her.”
– Alberto T., Climate Change Expert, Berlin
“Having Miriam as a coach was like having a mirror that showed me clearly the little, important details about myself that I have not been aware of. These little details are actually not so little when I realize how much they have impacted my daily life – in work, in my love life, in my personal relationships. Each of these little details used to sabotage my daily life in ways that were so subtle and invisible. Miriam’s coaching helped to show me the empowering potential and gifts that lie within each of these little details. She gave me the tools to acknowledge that at the bottom of what seemed to sabotage my daily life was an uncommunicated need for unconditional love and belonging. My process with Miriam brought me closer to unconditional self-love and belonging, and gave me the power to express myself more freely in my research and personal relationships. I am deeply grateful for the care and attention Miriam gave me, making me feel safe to undertake this journey within myself.”
– Noor Jdid, PhD Student, Oslo and Copenhagen
“I am happy that I took on this challenge to look into myself. Maybe the biggest learning has been that I myself am not an obstacle, but rather a resource for myself – that I have these different resources, values, and strengths that I can draw on, that they are within me, and around me, that I am not alone on this journey. This learning helped me very much in thinking about how to be and how to act and how to move forward. I have realised what my values are – and that I live by most of them. I know myself better and accept myself more. Thank you Miriam for recognizing my richness as a person, for listening to me, and for sharing with me the different perspectives and tools on how to be closer to myself, how to discover myself. I am using the things that we discussed and that you have taught me a lot.”
– Katarzyna Grabska, Senior Research Fellow, Global Migration Centre, Genève and Khartoum
“Time with Miriam gave me space to stop and reflect on what I want to do the most. My life rushes by and offers a lot of exciting things, but what I needed was breathing space for deep and honest conversations. Miriam has an amazing ability to meet me where I am. She made me feel that the whole conversation is mine, everything she brings into the conversation builds me up, everything she offers me makes my goal clearer. Our conversations have changed how I see myself in what I do. Now I stand on firm ground and I can tell you exactly what I want from life ”
– Anne W., Architect, Oslo
“Working with Miriam has been very inspiring for me! I have always considered myself a relatively reflected person and good at keeping things in perspective. Still, after only a few sessions, we uncovered habits and deeply ingrained patterns that I didn’t even know I had. This has helped me tremendously, both in my work and personal life. I have gained many new perspectives and I most warmly recommend working with Miriam!”
– C.A. Trolin, Sound Engineer, Oslo
“The coaching I received from Miriam was in relation to my starting my own business as a sole proprietor. The tools she offered me are useful to me now, several months after I have been done with my sessions. In addition, Miriam was able to tap into my creative resources, so that my experience of her approaches was a perfect personal fit. That takes alert attention from a coach! I was able to sort out a business profile from the different layers of ambition and beginners confusion.”
– Susan Guerra; Artist and Community Developer, Hemnes, Norway
“Through my meeting with Miriam, I truly changed. From spinning around into being around. From fearing into loving. From being harsh with myself into caring about myself. From being ashamed of my choices into being curious about the diversity I hold within me. Miriam´s gentle, humble and genuine interest in me enabled me to leave each and every session with acknowledgments about my ways of seeing and doing that I had never received before. Through her wise approach, Miriam helped me sort out and re-unite my mind, body and soul – a unity that is much more joyful and free than I remembered. After completing our work together, I am able to cultivate the change further. I owe an immense gratitude to Miriam, and truly believe that she is making the world a better place.”
– Helene, Senior Advisor, Oslo
“The coaching with Miriam has helped me slow down in a busy life, steering me in the direction I actually wanted to go. Miriam is good at asking questions that open new horizons for me, and she is interested in me as a whole person. I have become more aware of what values are important to me, and the coaching sessions have worked as a laboratory for exploring which direction I want to take in my life. I now feel that I’ve found that direction.”
– Johanne Sæther Houge, Political Advisor, International Climate Negotiations, Friends of the Earth Norway and Rainforest Foundation, Oslo
“Working with Miriam has been a transformative process. My identity has been strengthened, it has become rock solid. Working with challenges in my life has made me more harmonious and has given me stronger faith in my life´s work – my job as a teacher. Miriam is very present, wise, easy to trust and a very good listener. I feel she has been very loyal to me and my project, and has challenged me in a respectful way almost without my noticing it. A friend of mine commented that I seem more relaxed about my own background than I have before. And at work I notice big changes. I am not afraid or insecure in the way I used to, I don´t put things off. Things I want to do, I just do them. I am more myself, I´m connected to my strength, and I feel freer and more relaxed. I feel this comes from the work I have done with Miriam. She has helped me build a new core pattern.”
– Inge Rykkje; Sociologist and teacher, Stavanger, Norway
Testimonials from my women´s groups
“After completing the women´s group it continues to live in me as something moving, expanding and hopeful. Especially present is the feeling you gave that I was welcome with all of me. I felt a kind of unconditional accept which I rarely feel, from you and from the group. I can often want to be “good” or to be like others in a group. Here I found the courage to listen inside and to bring that forth. No matter how imperfect or unprocessed it was. I also appreciated the emails you sent, which have activated different thoughts and perspectives in me, and supported me in moving forward. I am grateful for this opportunity, it moved something deep in me that I had longed for”. -Linda, Nesodden
“Participating in Miriam´s groups have made me realize the importance of listening, and what it means to get in touch with my intuition and inner life. Being in a group has made me aware of things I could not become aware of by myself and has supported me in working through and understanding many processes and patterns within myself. I´ve gained clarity and confidence in myself and in my dreams, and I feel more whole and able to participate in life. It´s been valuable to listen and relate to others´ stories, to realize we are not alone with all that is inside of us, and to have a space where I am seen and can speak from my heart, without interruption or judgments. Miriam creates a unique and rare space. Through these groups I have experienced connectedness and communion, and gained deeper trust and faith in the process I am in and in my inner guidance and wisdom.” - Katrina, Stavanger
“Being in Miriam´s women´s groups is like being in a completely unique space where I connect more with myself and who I am – and with how connected I am with others. It´s a safe space where I can truly show up in my authenticity and be witnessed by other women on good and bad days, in my flow and in my stuckness. I stand up for myself, and I use my voice more freely. Miriam is an expert facilitator and embodies what she teaches. The groups support me in tuning into a more magical and beautiful vibration of life. I especially love the nature walks, which help me explore questions in completely new ways and connect me with a wisdom I didn´t know I had. I feel closer to my own intuition, I experience more flow in my life, and new opportunities open up. It´s a rich experience, where lots of learning, growth and magic happens.” - Ebba, Oslo
“Miriam is wise, compassionate and has a gift for creating safe containers for women to be who we are in the fullness of our humanity. I have been lucky to be part of several groups, and they helped me to feel seen, heard and understood. So many times during a share my whole body would tingle with excitement as I spoke freely and without the pressure of perfection or of sounding smart or right with just the invitation to share from the heart. I have learnt a variety of different tools including polarity processing and a thoughtful way of doing nature walks that I continue to work with. Miriam´s questions invite deep reflection; for me many of them linger far beyond the container of the group. For anyone wanting to find a supportive space for deep inquiry, connected conversation, and clearer self-awareness I highly recommend these groups!” - Elizabeth, New York City
Testimonials and feedback from participants in the Unlearning for Artists workshop series
- I think all of the workshops were extremely relevant, looking back at them. It surprised me how important and relevant the topics actually were to my work and life, and how little I have reflected on them prior to the workshops. It also surprised me what direction the conversations took, it wasn't as "obvious" as I expected it to be.
- Group explorations are a great way to become aware of both positive and negative unconscious beliefs. You get the chance to air these beliefs with others, which broadens your horizons and your possibilities. It was wonderful to participate in these sessions!
- I so appreciate Miriam’s ability to create this safe environment, as that in itself made it possible for me to «rest» in the ongoing conversation. Instead of stressing about what to say or how to contribute to the conversation, I could allow myself to just listen and receive, and that really shifted it for me and made me open up to new insight from what the others had to say. I felt seen and heard by the others in the space and I also appreciated that the others also seemed to feel safe to be vulnerable and honest. I think we shared some touching moments, and a lot of the things that were shared and said in the space had a great impact on me. I experienced that we came to some sort of core understanding or profound insight towards the end of each session.
- I participated in 'Unlearning for artists' as an academic and benefited greatly both from Miriam's thoughtful questions and observations, and from the many valuable insights of the other participants. Spending time to reflect on how we understand success and failure, in what ways we are affected by and contribute to interactions of (dis)approval, and how we relate to productivity and rest, is incredibly valuable and important both on an individual and collective level.
- With the concept “Unlearning for Artists” Miriam invites us into a safe space where we can explore topics that may often be taboo. I experienced a loosening up of blocks that may limit creativity. Through conversations with other artists, we created an experience of community, which feels important in a field where you can often experience a lot of competition.
- Having the group discuss different topics showed me how many people have similar struggles, and also gave me new perspectives on the topics. The emails prior to the workshops were really valuable. It was important to do some digging on my own, so that during the group meetings I could go even deeper into my reflection.
- Although I joined this series with the intention of looking into these themes as an artist, I quite often found each session valuable to more aspects of my life than just my identity as an artist.
- I have felt a strong momentum and inspiration from this last workshop to come back into better alignment with myself.
- I didn't expect the meetings to have such an impact on the way I viewed the topics and my work. They have pushed me and gave me enough strength to make some important changes in the way I organize my work and free time in relation to work. It gave me the clarity and developed my ability to see how much I am affected by my ideas of success or failure, how my focus is affected by trying to be productive or follow the expectation I think other people have of me.