About the Author
Patti cultivates homegrown changemakers prepared to step into their power and work with others to create the world they want to live in. Get in touch to find out how you can grow the social changemaker in yourself and those you serve with Blue Roads Changemaker YOU.
Each week, I feature a new changemaker who has created ripples of positive change into the world…
But how does that change start? What do you need to create change?
This week, Changemaker Catherine Schrenker tells her story about how she took her gifts and created positive change in her own life and the world around her. Her journey from academia to becoming the Executive Director at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts is a powerful one! You will be inspired by her unique gifts and intrepid spirit when you tune in to our conversation in this episode of “On Your Own Terms”.
Watch the video of our conversation, listen to the podcast, and read the summary here!
Homegrown Catherine
Born to a Catholic family in Indiana, Catherine is the 4th child of 5 kids. Her mother was Irish Catholic and her father was a staunch German. Growing up Catherine attended Catholic School for 8 years which helped to shape her spiritual worldview alongside after school “spiritualist” experiences embraced by her mother. Catherine says that to her “Catholic meant universal” as she had opportunities to learn about other faith traditions and ideals in Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Baptists, and many more.
Catherine always wanted to work and play with art and music. She learned to draw and that led her to the exploration of fine art and graphic design.
She fondly remembers a moment of awakening while engaged in a “round robin” drawing activity with other art students. Everyone was sitting in a circle and drawing while observing a model. After 4-5 minutes a buzzer would go off and students would move to the next station.
I'd look at the stained glass windows and I would see all these beautiful colored images of people. That's how I've always seen people. I've always seen their energy field, their aura and the energy around them.
Some people in the group saw her art and were confused. They saw the swirling colors around the portraits and wondered, “Who drew that?” Catherine realized that not everyone sees the colorful auras around others. It was a revelation to discover that her way of seeing the world was a unique gift.
Solution-Focused Catherine
As Catherine dove deeper into the world of color and the subconscious mind, she became interested in hypnosis and sought out a certification in hypnotherapy.
She later left the university setting to co-found an integrative health clinic with her brother. Her work at “Integrated Health Concepts” in Bristol, Tennessee allowed her to examine the energies and auras of clients to assist in their medical care as a “medical intuitive.”
I decided to leave the clinic in 2008 because, in order to have an intuitive practice, you have to travel and do podcasts and workshops on how to recognize your intuition, and spirituality.
That kind of travel became unsustainable for her as a single parent. As she was forging a new path for herself, Catherine started hitting wall after wall. She was overqualified for every position she sought.
She didn't give up! Catherine had her vision board on her fridge she called her “Magic Refrigerator.” On her Magic Refrigerator she had things that she wanted in her life: a picture of a house, a large parcel of land, a Silverado, and TOM…
The pressure kept building up and Catherine was stressed by her inability to find a job, but she believed she could manifest those dreams by revisiting them with intention over time.
I had what I called my "Lieutenant Dan" meltdown! If anybody's ever seen the movie "Forrest Gump" ... you're yelling at God and saying, "If I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, why isn't it easy?"
Well, life's not easy. The big realization is going through hard times and knowing it wasn't necessarily about me.
The signs were all there. She was getting an oil change at 11:11am on November 11, 2011. The number 11 in numerology implies a gateway into change. Catherine could sense this was the portal to a major shift in her life. She took a job at the auto shop and decided to think of it as getting paid to learn everything she could about cars.
I couldn't have gotten here any other way, and I couldn't have gotten here any quicker. I call it a "God minute." It's the reason why you had to go through what you go through...The universe has to line people up... Once that happens... BOOM!
Catherine's Patchwork
He goes, "There's a job in Marion, Virginia. I swear, Catherine, they must have written the job description based on your bio."
Catherine was unsure at first. This was her dream job right in front of her and it was in a place she wanted to raise her kids. But she had faced so many disappointments, it didn't seem to be realistic.
Dean convinced her to apply for it…And 48 hours later, she got a rejection letter!
But Catherine knew in her heart that this position was made for her so she decided she was not going to take “no” for an answer. .
She drove to Marion intent on telling the hiring manager he was making a huge mistake. On her way, she ran into the town's mayor. When she told him what she was up to, he said, “I'd like to see that!”
So, the mayor walked with her for the conversation that turned her life around. Catherine laid out her experience, her passion, and her vision for the Henderson.
This time, they hired her within 24 hours!
Now, when people ask her who hired her. she replies, “I hired me!”
Changemaker Catherine
Catherine often revisits the “Magic Refrigerator” because everything she builds at Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts started with just an idea. She knew what she wanted in her life and she watched for signs that pointed her in the right direction. Through every challenge and struggle, she has found a way to achieve her goals.
Her property backs up to 300 acres of protected land and the TOM she envisioned turned out to be the TOWN OF MARION.
Catherine's story has certainly made a believer out of me!
Today, she builds programs at the Henderson school to help people get involved in the arts, return to the arts, and heal through the arts. She starts by building up a team she trusts to carry it off. Once the program is able to run itself, she starts working on a new idea and a new program and builds another dream team to bring it to life.
So far those dreams have included pottery programs and luthier programs, printing, quilting and so much more. Her current passion projects include a program supporting people in recovery.
A return to art brings people hope and positive affirmation that they can achieve anything. Once you lose hope, it is easy to allow negative thoughts to dictate where life takes you…With art and beauty in your life, you can take the reins and live a happy and hopeful life.
To learn more about the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts, visit their website at https://thehenderson.org/.
Catherine also recommends you visit her website http://catherineschrenker.com/ to check out her blog. Get in touch also if you're interested in learning more about how she can use her special intuitive insights to help you learn more about yourself and your own life's path and purpose.
Catherine's insight in manifesting change is so powerful because the possibilities in life only open when you believe in them. Her efforts are helping us advance the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal #11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities and Goal # 4 – Quality Education.
Likewise, returning to art is a beautiful and inspiring way to improve your mental health, which advances Goal #3 – Good Health and Well-Being.
Do get in touch to let us know what YOU and the people you know are doing to realize these Global Goals by the year 2030. I believe it if we all work together and take our place as Changemakers. That's what I'm putting on my Magic Refrigerator!
CHECK OUT our CHANGEMAKER YOU course to help you get started today!
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Patti cultivates homegrown changemakers prepared to step into their power and work with others to create the world they want to live in. Get in touch to find out how you can grow the social changemaker in yourself and those you serve with Blue Roads Changemaker YOU.
