“I feel that people’s life work is a reflection of their soul. I sincerely believe that about you two. You are two of the kindest, most genuine, amazing people I know, and I am so very glad to know you. I don’t have enough words for how that feels.” ~Tamara Bailie, singer/songwriter and business owner
Patti Digh and David Robinson met and founded The Circle Project in 2005. What began as their quest to work and live in deeper, more meaningful ways sparked their dedication to open creative space for people who desire to change themselves and their world. They’ve helped people in corporations, schools, government, associations, classes, workshops, retreats, and one-on-one step toward big questions and uncertainty where they learn to see, think, and act from a new perspective. Patti comes to this work from her background as a business consultant, a writer, and a speaker. She is the award-winning author of the blog, 37days, and six books, including the grassroots bestseller, Life is a Verb. David infuses the work of The Circle Project from his work as an artist, a theatre director, and master coach.
The Way We Work
We are not trainers, but thought leaders and idea instigators. We leave you with a gut understanding, not a 150-page document. People’s lives are changed by this work. We design extraordinary learning experiences that are transformational by design: people move, sit, write, design, sculpt, discuss, draw, debate, laugh and listen. We get to the structures beneath behavior because we get beyond the abstract discussions and into personal revelations. We customize everything because we like to co-create with our clients. We create embodied learning experiences dedicated to learning from the neck down.
We begin all of our work with two practices that change the game:
Have the experience first and then make meaning of the experience second. Much of what we ask you to do won’t make sense until the end of the experience. Making meaning second is how things naturally work with your brain and your body, yet we find most people invested in the idea that they need to make sense of something BEFORE they try it; that’s folly. That impedes growth and learning. So, we ask that you suspend your need to control and be open to having experiences and we promise the meaning will emerge (it always does).
Learning happens at the edges of your comfort zone. Think about it: it is generally uncomfortable to “not know.” The first thing we do when we are uncomfortable is to judge ourselves and/or others. When you go into judgment you impede your capacity to learn. We ask that you try and suspend your judgments and learn what you actually do at the edges as opposed to what you think you do. Then, it is a simple matter of honoring the choices you make: running is just as valid as jumping over or standing still. By suspending your judgments you recognize your choices.
Philosophy
We resist elevator speeches because we believe people need to use the stairs. There is a complexity to transformational work that demands some space and reverence. That said: We open creative space for people who desire to change themselves and their world. We help them step toward big questions and uncertainty where they learn to see, think, and act from a new perspective.
