CCIA's mission is to facilitate the process of personal and group transformation, growth and renewal which comes through the guided and mindful process of CREATIVITY: Storytelling, Masks, Spirit Dolls, Labyrinth Through CCIA, artist, storyteller, musician, and creative Laura First offers performances, retreats, and experiences that enhance insight and recreate life paths. These stories, in which c
hallenges are faced and wisdom is gained, lead listeners to ‘aha!’ moments as they come to know more about themselves and one another. With titles such as Fox Woman Dreaming, Breathing Over the Bones, and The Big Song, Laura is a willing and helpful guide for those who venture to enhance their soul’s journey through story, song, imagery, and creative expression. Enhancing her stories with song and movement, Laura integrates the minds, bodies, and souls of her listeners. In telling, she exudes the power of prayer and play, the serenity of stone and water, the divinity of movement, and the intensity of adventure that are within the heart. Laura invites listeners to awaken, to hear stories that are already known deep within, and that are waiting to be understood in a new way. Laura has told stories for more than 25 years in such places as Frederick’s New Spire Arts, the Antietam Story Tellers Guild, the Rumsey Radio Hour, the Frederick Society of Friends; internationally in Budapest, Hungary, and Grignon France; and in group settings for at-risk youth and people in addiction recovery. In addition to her storytelling, Laura is a professional singer who has performed at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony, on Broadway, and around Europe. Through Creative Community Insight Adventures, Laura also leads workshops and retreats in ritual, mask-making, theatre, and mindful movement. Laura grew up in the colorful tropics of Hawaii and now resides in rural Maryland on a working farm and retreat center with her true love, her herding collies, and her goats.
