Finding David Whyte

I discovered two things that changed my life while searching for art and/or writers workshops in Ireland prior to my trip. The first was the Burren College of Art (in photo above, see yesterdays blog about the experience) and the second was discovering (just by chance ?) poet, author and corporate lecturer, David Whyte. First of all I was caught off guard by how much his rich and thick poems cut right to it and I advise you hear him reading his own work at www.davidwhyte.com.  Now David is a man that grew up in Yorkshire, has a degree in Marine Zoology, and spent his early adult life as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands, led expeditions in the Andes and has published 6 books of richly philosophic yet natural poetry and today has a very intense and in-demand schedule of lecturing and holding organizational workshops at major corporations around the world using poetry to illustrate how we can foster creativity, courage and engagement in business and in life. [He also leads a few “tours” one of which is to Ireland and thus how I stumpled across his name.] What a grand discovery. Being a lover of poetry and having lived the corporate executive life for many years it never occurred to me that poetry could cross over to help an organization, that poetry could have a place in training others in leadership and management or how best to handle, in todays cliff-edge climate, the changes and challenges in our lives. So this seemingly small by-chance discovery has opened another very large door for me. David has found a very creative way for poetry to touch people, found a way where poetry and his poetic cadence opens doors creating an almost hypnotic calmness which allows us to really hear and imagine how we can be leading a more creative life - be it in business, with family & friends or in our own lives.  He has found a way to open us to that place where we develop our courage, our strength to really be who we are. And yes, we want and need our leaders to have vision and courage and to do so creativity because these are the people that inspire entire organizations and in so doing we, the inspired whole thus inspires each other - creatively. 

P.S. I wanted to purchase a few of his poetry books to read on the plane before I left but came up empty locally. I was successful in purchasing a few of his works on tape via iTunes before I left - The Three Marriages is a good one for those that are searching for balance between work, family and self. Java!