I really enjoyed the talk you led, and the tools you shared with us. That was a powerful, positive, memorable exercise. It's still resonating positive vibes here. - Grace Singleton, Managing Partner, Zingerman’s Delicatessen
Thanks for your interest in having me speak, teach, lead or facilitate at your event. The heart of what I do is to help individuals and communities heal themselves and the world through learning and sharing a better story. I love to share with groups about storytelling, peacemaking, celtic spirituality, movies & meaning, transcending the myth of redemptive violence, and taking life seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. It would be a privilege to participate in your event.
I am also increasingly committed to being locally rooted, learning from my surroundings, and being in community (especially with my family), so justifying being away from home is a task of discernment. If you are excited to have me, I'll do my best to find a way to be with you that honors your invitation and my commitments.
Here are some of the things I can offer you. Let me know if you'd like to discuss the possibility of me working with you or your community.
1: Most weeks I write a short email newsletter. I'd love you to join the growing community of folk who read it. You can sign up for the newsletter here, or at The Porch Magazine - and when you're there, you can read more from our community of writers committed to the idea that the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.
2: I offer retreats and workshops on storytelling, finding hope in an uncertain time, and building lives of purpose in deep community. With my friend David Wilcox I co-lead Medicine Stories workshops with music and words that heal, and my friend Brian McLaren and I co-facilitate The Seventh Story Experience, in which we reflect on the stories we use to frame our lives, and how to step into a story that actually works. Currently I'm really energized by an idea I'm working on called The Three Elements of Shelter, which aims to address the current epidemic of loneliness and separation, and the lack of meaningful purpose with which many of us struggle. When we get together in these environments, people tell me that magic happens and lives change. If you can gather 10 or more people to attend a workshop or retreat, I think we can do some good together. Let me know if you'd like to explore this.
I'm happy to consider one-off speaking engagements, and the workshops and retreats range from half a day to eight days in length. But I'm open to other creative requests as well.
3: I am deeply committed to the potential of festivals as temporary communities experimenting with what the best kind of life together could be like. I co-founded the Wild Goose Festival at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and art; our annual Movies & Meaning festival is a long weekend of light and shadow featuring extraordinary films, pioneering artists and inspirational activists dedicated to the common good. More information on the 2020 festival is available by clicking here. We've also begun a new festival in Austin, TX, called the New Story Festival click here to find out more.
People sometimes approach me for advice on starting festivals. I'd be delighted to consult with you on that. Just get in touch and we can discuss how I might help.
4: Each year I lead small group trips to Ireland, immersing ourselves in landscape, creativity, and the story of how we are making peace after centuries of conflict. It's an inner journey along the road less traveled, inspiring personal and political transformation. Have a look here for more details and our upcoming trips. (I'm also happy to consider hosting such trips for groups of 15 or more. Just get in touch to discuss it.)
Contact - To inquire, contact us by completing the form here. We aim to respond to requests within two weeks. Thank you.
PS: A note on honorarium, travel & expenses – I want to make this work widely accessible to people, and for money not to be an obstacle, so I ask that event hosts and workshop/retreat participants pay an amount based on the resources they have available, the value they feel the event has brought, and a sense of generosity and respect. In short, money is not the primary factor in deciding whether or not I participate. I aim to work with clear agreements about mutual expectations, and look forward to exploring how we can make your event meaningful together. Do please get in touch.
ENDORSEMENTS
I've been Director of Ring Lake Ranch for nine summers and have attended literally dozens of seminars. Gareth's sessions were absolutely some of the best I've ever experienced. While his presentations addressed the topic of his book How Not to Be Afraid, they were not simply a restatement of an already very helpful book. They were expansions and deeper explorations of his ideas, using group conversations, Gareth's lovely personal stories, and short films to keep participants engaged. The experience was profoundly moving and one that I will carry with me for years to come. - ANDY BLACKMUN, www.ringlakeranch.org
[Gareth’s work] is a much-needed resource for skill-building through our fear and trauma so we might create the belonging and communities we desire." - MICKY SCOTTBEY JONES, the Justice Doula, director of healing and resilience initiatives with Faith Matters Network
I totally trust Gareth Higgins when he writes about his own fear and how it's actually possible to transform it into something powerful, something capable of healing us and the world. - NADIA BOLZ-WEBER, author of Shameless; Accidental Saints; and Pastrix
Through his brilliance as a storyteller, Gareth Higgins has allowed us simple but deep insights into the possibility of managing the debilitating emotion of fear. By bearing his soul-exhausting experience with fear, he allows us to take our own hero's journey to find our way through. — DR. JAMES MCLEARY, former CEO of Inside Circle Foundation and executive producer of the award-winning documentary The Work
How Not to Be Afraid is a Necessary Book. - KATHLEEN NORRIS, Bestselling Author