Workshop & Event Contributors

Meet the amazing team of artists, activity leaders and creative humans who are organizing and contributing to our day escapes, retreats and open arts sessions!


  • CO-FOUNDER (she / her)

    Sara Camille is a singer-songwriter and graphic designer based in Seattle.   Unbeknownst to her, the pandemic was a turning point in her life.  She had built a career in commercial real estate as a site selection and design strategy consultant, and in government as an economic developer for the British Government’s economic development agency.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Policy and won a national award with the American Planning Association for her analysis of the redevelopment of contaminated land.  

    During the pandemic, she taught herself to play the guitar and – to her surprise – began writing songs.  This simple challenge to herself of learning the guitar opened a new world of creative pursuits.  Little by little, her artistic skills improved, her community grew and – in turn - she became determined to help spread a life of creative discovery in others.  She left her real estate career behind to pursue a life more focused on the arts and in community-building.

    In addition to co-founding the Acorn Collective, she also founded the Queer Songwriter Showcase at Seattle’s only lesbian bar and has organized a number of community events that showcase the arts to raise funds for local nonprofits.  In recognition of these efforts, she won the 2024 Community Impact Award given by the Sonic Guild of Seattle and Bloodworks Northwest.

    Her story is one that shows that the most fulfilling dreams are the ones yet to be discovered.


  • CO-FOUNDER (she / her)

    Amy Laybourn is a Seattle based music teacher, songwriter and performer. She grew up playing classical piano, but shelved music for decades until a spontaneous $50 piano purchase from Value Village rekindled her musical journey. Since that serendipitous day, she has embarked on a transformative path of self expression, learning new instruments and passionately crafting songs that blend introspection with powerful and soulful melodies. Amy has a love for creativity which extends beyond music into writing, visual art, cooking, crafting, gardening and dreaming up ways to bring people together. She enjoys writing poetry, and is featured in a published anthology of Seattle musician/poets, Becoming Visible. Visual arts and crafts have been a persistent source of hobby and business throughout her life, and she has previously owned Leadmill Studio, an abstract stained glass company, and LuCoo Kids, a boutique applique clothing brand. Amy has a degree in environmental science and feels most at home when out in nature, ideally playing music! She enjoys inspiring youth through music teaching, leading Girl Scouts, and her favorite job of all, being a mom. A lifelong learner herself, Amy is a strong advocate for creativity at any age, and encourages others to discover and follow their passions.


  • INSTRUCTOR (they/them)

    K Van Petten is a musician and poet based in Seattle, Washington. They make music and poetry that explores themes of multiplicity, queerness, and nostalgia, drawing inspiration from their personal journey as a queer, non-binary, Gemini, middle-child, from the midwest. K started their performing journey as a musician-in-residence at a harbor bar in Chicago while living on a sailboat. They relocated to Seattle over a decade ago, and most recently authored and composed 'For Someone,' a cassette tape of poetry created during a residency at Centrum in Fort Worden, Port Townsend that explored an offset of the 200-million-gallon cistern deemed the 'Cistern Chapel'. One of their poems was adapted into a film showcased at Northwest Film Forum and selected for SIFF's NW Folklife Forum in 2023.

    Community remains central to K’s work. They are a voting member of the Recording Academy, serve on the Community Advisory Board for KEXP, and work for Sonic Guild, a nonprofit supporting local musicians through grants and secret shows.


  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Recognized for her enchanting vocals, collaborative spirit, and magnetic stage presence, Brittany Allyson is a beacon of inspiration in Seattle's vibrant music and theatre community. With a unique fusion of jazz, pop, and dynamic storytelling, she curates immersive, communal experiences, intentionally elevating atmospheres with the power of song. From commanding roles in Regional Theatre Equity Productions and National Commercials to electrifying performances at renowned music festivals like SXSW in Austin, Bumbershoot, and Cap Hill Block Party, Brittany captivates audiences far and wide, driven by a mission to raise frequencies and foster healing.

    Sharing stages with esteemed Seattle artists such as Reposado, Ollella, and Shaina Shepherd, Brittany actively tours, records, and performs with a genre-expansive array of musical projects. When not collaborating with others, Brittany mesmerizes audiences with her original compositions and collaborative orchestral works, currently preparing to release a live performance album with The Sound Ensemble.

    As a devoted performance artist and educator rooted in Seattle, Brittany is dedicated to empowering women and amplifying underrepresented voices through the transformative power of music. With unwavering commitment, she serves as a guiding light, helping students of all ages tap into their fullest artistic potential. Join Brittany for her upcoming Vocal Activation Workshop, where she will share her expertise and passion to unlock participants' vocal prowess and embrace their authentic selves. Let's embark together on a journey of self-love through the playful, transformative power of singing!

  • Professional Chef (she / they / he)

    Amy Lee is a culinary arts professional and musician. They have many years experience in professional kitchens around North America. The most common response you'll hear from people when learning you'll be eating meals prepared by Chef Lee is, "Ooooooh, you're so lucky."

    Musically, Amy Lee is known as Bolin Sparks. They started playing music in 5th grade and wrote their 1st song at 15 about their best friend and recorded an EP. Bolin has a unique and textured finger picking style, and her music is country and R&B inspired – growing up they were obsessed with Toni Braxton, Reba, Ani DiFranco, and Luther Vandross. As a kid, Bolin lived in Virginia Beach until their family moved to Seattle, and later moved to Austin, Texas for 5 years, but then came back to Seattle during the pandemic to be with family. Bolin Sparks is also a member of two Seattle bands, the Clam Slam Jammers and Queenfisher!


  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Jenny Davidson is excited to spark your creative side and have a weekend of play! She has been a national board certified art educator for over 25 years, teaching both youth and adults. Jenny received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA from NYU. Her own artwork has led to travels in Africa, Europe and Mexico where she gets inspiration from people, places and stories. She gravitates to personal expression through photography, and has recently been exploring digital storytelling. Her work with young people over the last two decades has been focused on global education and using art to help bridge cultural understanding. A recent highlight in education has been partnering with an organization where students make a heartfelt piece of artwork for children living in refugee camps. One of Jenny’s true passions is teaching and igniting passions, and she is always excited to build new connections through art.


  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Emily Persha is a singer-songwriter, music-educator and a mother of two, who lives and loves in the Pacific Northwest. Birdsong Seattle describes her as “a singer-songwriter who weaves experience, talent, and passion into emotional places you didn’t know you had. Her songs reflect the familiar moments of life while painting the accompanied complicated feelings with luscious vocals and keyboard arrangements parallel to Regina Spektor or Sara Bareilles." Emily works for the Bushwick Book Club of Seattle and teaches voice and songwriting at KPC Studios - she is passionate about building community and helping others to express themselves through music.


  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Self-described as a “strummer of stringers, singer of songs and overthinker of everything,” Taryn Hadfield is a full-time digital marketer, lifelong songwriter and part-time livestreamer. In 2019, she began writing songs and performing music around the bar scene in her hometown of Boise, Idaho. Later that year, she signed on to a grassroots indie record label, Next Records. When the pandemic put her crowdfunding plans for her first album on hold, she pivoted to performing on the live streaming platform, Twitch, where she later successfully funded her Kickstarter. Since then, she has released her first album (with plans to produce another), moved to Seattle and continues to perform and live-stream weekly.

  • INSTRUCTOR (she/her)

    Deborah May Wilk is a PNW Native, psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mindful in the Wild. Nature has always been a foundational part of her own healing and joy and 20 years ago, she began inviting clients out into Nature for their sessions and renamed her practice Riverwalk Therapy. Then in 2017, wanting to bring even more people into the Wild for peace and rejuvenation, she founded Mindful in the Wild and began teaching her unique blend of Mindfulness Meditation, Shinrin-yoku ( Japanese Forest Bathing) and Wandering at gardens, parks and Wild places all over the Northwest, often with co-teacher and Naturopathic physician Jessica Hancock.

    When she isn't sitting for hours in quiet, hidden Nature places near her home in the Snoqualmie Valley ( and trying to capture the Wonder of the Moment in photo and words), she can be found volunteering for the Lee Arts Foundation, advocating for peace and social justice causes, cuddling with her kitty Coco, or connecting and dancing to live music with old and new friends at Millers: A Gathering Place in Carnation ( where her musician husband is the sound engineer and she recently met Amy and discovered the incredible Acorn Collective!). She loves listening to the birds while soaking up the orange pink splendor of dawn all over the world ( and in her backyard), rocking out at concerts, cheering on the Mariners, and hiking with her brother and 2 adult sons, backpacking solo by the mesmerizing and soothing waves of the wild Washington coast and singing along with Eddie Vedder and Aretha Franklin with the windows down while driving around the back roads of Mt Tahoma (Rainier).

  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Raanah Amjadi is an Iranian American writer, performer, and healing facilitator certified in the arts of Reiki (Level 3 Master Practitioner) and Ayurveda (Health Counselor). I view my role as a healing facilitator and poet-performer to be one and the same—to serve as a tuning fork that helps others find internal harmony and resonate with the frequency of healing. Whether channeling a poem on stage or channeling Reiki in a healing session, I live for the moments when the supposed boundaries between self and non-self start to dissolve. I delight in the shared sensations, impressions, shivers, tears, giggles, and breath that remind us we are not so different or separate after all. I've been living with multiple sclerosis since 2022 and know firsthand just how much our hearts, minds, and bodies can heal when we pair ancient medical wisdom with modern medical science. I revere and believe in both, knowing full well that they are better together. You can learn more about my offerings at www.lilijade.com


  • Instructor (she/her)

    Adrienne Pierce is a Canadian-born, Seattle-based visual artist, musician, and art educator working across painting, drawing, mixed media, and photography. With years of classroom experience, she’s passionate about helping artists overcome perfectionism while igniting creativity through process-based art-making.

    Pierce studied at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, BC, and Gage Academy in Seattle and has performed at Lilith Fair, Bergenfest in Norway, and across Canada and the US, including live appearances on the CBC and BBC. She’s released four solo records, numerous EPs, and several albums with her band The Royal Oui.


  • INSTRUCTOR (she / her)

    Esther Loopstra is a Seattle-based interdisciplinary artist, writer, educator, speaker, and creative coach. With a rich background in both commercial and fine art, she is recognized for her unique insights into flow, intuition, and creativity. Esther’s work has been featured on the Adobe blog, and she has offered talks and workshops at Creative Mornings, Amazon, Auth0, Seattle University, and

    the Bend Design Conference. Esther holds a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and has has over 10 years of experience teaching art and design at institutions such as Kent State University, Cornish College of the Arts, and Pacific Lutheran University. She co-hosts the Flow Into Authenticity podcast and offers coaching and workshops that help creative thinkers navigate transitions and develop work that genuinely inspires them.

  • Katana Sol is a creative designer and artist specializing in public arts and arts education spaces. Katana is the founder of Entangled Oceans design agency, and is experienced in project management, community engagement, and incorporating client business aesthetics and personal stories through visual works and music. She is a workshop leader, musician and performer and has partnered with groups like NW Folklife, 4Culture, Shunpike, Rhapsody Project and Seattle Public Library.

  • Bios are coming for activity leaders in visual arts, music, personal empowerment and others!

    Are you interested in being a contributor? Send us a message!


  • Instructor (she/hers)

    Writing songs ever since she can remember, Andi Scher (aka Her Mountain Majesty) has been performing ever since she was 13 years old. Songwriting has always been a way to process the world around her and move through the intricacies of life. She regards her songs and her physical expression of music as something that moves through her, rather than something she owns. Scher explains that she never feels more like herself than when she’s on stage. A Certified Life Coach, Scher is passionate about empowering creators to design their most rebellious life and to begin to nurture their own creative process through embodiment practices, self-reflection, and simply granting the permission and the freedom to dream wildly. Outside of her creative endeavors, Scher has built a career helping consumer products companies build brand licensing partnerships with major entertainment studios, brand agencies, and other IP holders. Within the past three years, Scher has begun to integrate the different parts of her life to fully embrace her creative calling while also striving to maintain a more healthy work balance and cultivate a sense of groundedness within herself and her community.

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

- Amy Poehler