Everyone has a nervous system and uses it every day, to accomplish everything from undeniably mundane tasks to our most ambitious dreams. The stories we tell about how our nervous systems work, and what we are capable of doing, can have a huge impact on how we move through the world. Over time, these movements can circle back to re-shape the structure and function of our nervous systems.

This powerful cycle of influence can be harnessed for empowerment and resilience, or oppression and control. Telling engaging, well-researched, and accessible stories about neuroanatomy and psychology therefore is crucial to resisting oppression and exercising our agency.

That's why I'm building a neuroscience primer for everyone -- a collection of "big-picture" maps and diagrams, theater games, and original songs that can build a strong, intuitive foundation for learning more about nervous systems and behavior. My philosophy and practice as an educator is grounded in the ideas and teachings of adrienne maree brown, bell hooks, Karen Pryor, and Octavia Butler. My goal is to empower people to make informed and intentional choices about how they learn, nurture their health, relate to others, and build their dream futures.

Since 2010, I've performed this primer in a wide-range of English-speaking contexts while "live-drawing" the maps and diagrams. My audiences have included learners as young as 8 years old and as experienced as university researchers. Over the years, I've updated the script continuously to share the results of my studies as simply and accessibly as possible without losing the core essential intuitions.

Recently I've had opportunities to share this primer in Korean- and Portuguese-speaking contexts, and those experiences were incredibly eye-opening. As I continue to refine and update this primer for even more diverse audiences, I'm also committed to translating this primer into many more languages and sensory modalities.

Theory is not inherently healing, liberatory, or revolutionary. It fulfills this function only when we ask that it do so and direct our theorizing towards this end. Teaching to Transgress, by bell hooks, 1994

Does this sound interesting to you? Would you like to collaborate?

Please get in touch! I want to connect with

• teachers and educators building compassionate learning environments;
• researchers who directly image cells and cellular structures in biological systems;
• systems thinkers studying complex collectives;
• artists who enjoy taking inspiration from biology;
• venues that host live performances; and/or
• multilingual speakers fluent enough to translate to and from English.