client spotlight: Maxime

As a young artist, I did not know how to connect mind and body. I had a lot of rage as a main canal for expression. I was very tense. In 2019, I took two Acting classes with Miriam, which grounded me in a way I did not expect. I remember coming out of the classes telling myself I was living in the present (not in the before or the after) and it felt like actually/finally truly living, capital L.

I started free writing in Miriam’s classes and I still use this tool today, even when I am facilitating. Feel what I feel and Expect the unexpected: phrases I used to write a lot. This self-reflection encouraged me to make artwork from what is here and now, not trying to push anything or create something that is not. Miriam’s classes created a passage toward a fuller potential of myself. In 2020, Miriam invited me to collaborate on a research project into safer methods for actor training. Over eight weeks, I dug deep into writing, improvisation, and ensemble work.

At first, Acting was really more therapeutic, and the more I do it, the more knowledge I have of myself. Working with Miriam shifted my practice as a visual artist to an acting/performance art practice. To this day, I feel being an actor/performer is a life’s hack: the more I know who I am and discover the world that is me, the better the actor I will become, it is a win-win situation. I now work as a professional actor in film, tv, and stage.

As a person, artist, and facilitator Miriam brings: Presence. Deep listening. Availability. No judging. Humility. Curiosity. Not pushing, but always inviting. These qualities enable the people she works with to become their own guide. Miriam creates the conditions in which people can heal themselves through the Acting work. She is a true leader.