229: Bruce Gelfand | How Writing Your Story Transforms Your Life, Part 1

Thank you for listening to our Finding Brave show, ranked in the Top 100 Apple Career Podcasts! "It's a miracle what happens when people are invited into a safe space and invited to speak their hearts and speak their minds. There's no wrong way to do it, you just drop onto the page and you go." - Bruce Gelfand  I'm so excited to bring today's amazing guest back to Finding Brave to share his expertise with you. Not only has Bruce Gelfand been my own writing coach, but he has been so instrumental in my life in many ways beyond writing. In this episode, he dives deeper into the tremendous impact that writing your own story, and sharing it with others, will have on your life.  Based in Santa Monica, CA, Bruce has over 30 years of experience in theater, film, television, and publishing in both New York and Hollywood. His plays have won national playwriting awards, and been produced Off-Broadway and in theaters around the country. He has written numerous feature films and movies for television, and has written and directed the feature-length documentary, "The Family Safe." He is also a writer of fiction, non-fiction, songs, and award-winning poetry. His book, Brighter the Light, Deeper the Shadow was published in 2004. His many screenplays include "Rainbow Man." Bashert," "Touched," "The House at Otowi Bridge" and, most recently, "Refugee," an adaptation of the award-winning Holocaust memoir "Choices." Bruce is also a renowned writing teacher and coach. He has taught at Emerson College in Boston, and in the M.F.A. program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and taught hundreds of writing workshops and seminars in venues around the world—from gang members in LA to patients in the Mind-Body Institute at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard. He has worked with tens of thousands of writing students – from masters in the field to absolute beginners. His current online course, A WRITERS' HOUR, is being used by writers all over the world. Bruce has a list of private coaching clients that range from age 10 to age 95, and includes CEOs, corporate trainers, Academy and Emmy-Award winning writers, directors, actors, and leaders in the worlds of politics, health, and spirituality. Today's conversation with Bruce is deeply inspiring as he shares how everyone has a riveting story to tell, and the process of giving yourself permission to find and hone your voice – and use it to contribute to the world – can be learned, and is a transformational experience when you do.  Enjoy this, and don't miss next week's Part 2 of this uplifting conversation.  To learn more about today's guest, visit: http://brucegelfand.com/