Similar to Mark Twain's belief, I think that personal experience is the best teacher. I have had the amazing opportunity to travel throughout much of the world and learn what life is like in many different cultures.

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For a long time, I worked out of New York City. For 5 years, I directed documentary films, including one about the first woman filmmaker, Alice Guy Blache, and her absence from cinematic history. Due to the film's publicity, MOMA NYC reached out and was interested in purchasing all of Guy Blache's remaining celluloid and career-related paraphernalia. Some of my material from that film was incorporated into another film called Be Natural. I also directed a documentary film about the World War II B-52 bomber plane, called The Buzzer, that crashed in the Italian Alps. Our crew traveled to small, rural towns and found Italian elders who had found the remains of the plane and used them for chicken coops and garden boxes. One woman even used the silk from a parachute to make her wedding dress.

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Then, I explored a career in marketing and  advertising.  I worked for international agencies that consulted for Evian, Dannon, Delta, L'Oreal, Hallmark, AAA, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Hadassah. Eventually I was asked to open the company's Los Angeles branch.

 

Six years later, I took the film and advertising experience I had gained and started a video/photography company called Iris Studios. I, and a few employees, captured weddings, special events, and portraits. Some of my work can be found on 500px and Flickr.

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Since my entire family works in education, I decided to put my MA in English to work and start teaching high school Language Arts. My career in education proved to be challenging, but rewarding.

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I edited a book written by Ann Windes Rivera called Journey to the Heart of Pachamama. And, several years ago started an award-winning podcast series titled Open Orchard Productions. The podcasts accumulated 50 national licenses and won grants, contests, and awards.

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I've had non-fiction articles published and am currently finishing a novel.