What People Are Saying About
The Shows
The Books & CD’s
The Art That Invites You In
Elizabeth’s Seminars & Workshops, Consulting & Talks
The Shows
To steal from Hemingway’s most famous words, “If you’re lucky enough to have seen Elizabeth Welles perform on a stage, then wherever you go, it stays with you, for Elizabeth is a moveable feast.” In her one-woman initiatory journey through India, Speak the Lands of My Heart, Welles is hilarious, wacky, fanciful, zany, kooky, wacky and loopy, yet she always remains touching, poignant, gripping and spiritually connected. She travels through India like Dorothy through the Land of Oz and makes her alliances with her own Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. Through it all, she finds her own voice-and what a voice it is! In the Lands of Elizabeth’s heart, there are swarms of swamis, lowlifes and saints, beggars and sinners, but every one of them is so full of humanity that you will shed tears of joy and sorrow for them and with them. Join Elizabeth Welles in Speak the Lands of My Heart. It’s a journey of initiation and discovery that will stay with you forever.
Elio Zarmati,
Writer & Publisher
In Speak the Lands of My Heart, Elizabeth Welles has written an extraordinarily personal, highly energized and moving account of the experiences which led her to traveling in India. Extremely well dramatized (often a problem with one-person shows which tend to be narrative), witty, passionate and reflective in ways which extend beyond narcissism, it is storytelling of the highest order: funny and serious, a journey of the mind and the spirit as well as of the body. Ms. Welles performing skills are extremely strong. She possesses a radiant good-nature and a quirky comic talent rooted in her inner life without contrivance. She has a great stage presence, a vibrant psychic and physical energy, which coupled with her great sensitivity and passion give her acting great depth and variety. She LIVES on stage. I have watched Ms. Welles develop Speak the Lands of My Heart and have seen her perform it on several occasions. She is an extremely appealing figure on the stage, at one with herself and with her material. I think there is an extraordinary opportunity here; an engaging and vividly talented actor in a fresh and resonant play. I’ve known Ms. Welles for a long time as a writer and as an actor. I have encouraged her in both areas; I would encourage you to take notice. To identify the perspective from which I write, please check my listing as it appears in the directory of The Directors Guild of America. I will be pleased to respond to any further requests for information.
Gene Lasko,
Director & Producer
In the revelatory odyssey, Speak the Lands of My Heart, Elizabeth Welles cuts through the illusions of the spiritual journey with delightful wit and intelligence that is both honestly reverent and hilariously irreverent. With riveting clarity and humor she soars across the landscape of India debating the relative merits (in the case of enlightenment) of a kaleidoscope of yogis and swamis, spiritual retreats, crumbling nirvanas and five-star Indian hotels. Through Welles’ exquisite characterizations and vast repertoire of voice, we feel the heat, pollution and poverty of smog-swirled New Delhi and the high enchantment of Rishikesh on the Sacred Ganga, bringing vivid life to the chaos, contradiction, and beauty that is India and its People. Ultimately, Welles carries us into a buzzing zone of the profane and the profound, and then spins us out, bringing our hearts and minds to a vision of the common humanity that transcends all boundaries of time and space. Speak the Lands of My Heart is immensely pleasurable visual prose!
Dana Macy,
Author
Amazing is the word that comes to mind when watching Elizabeth Welles change characters as she acts out this one-woman show of stories about different women. Her performance at the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts Friday evening gave La Veta residents and visitors a chance to see close up her talents for acting, story-telling, and poetry. “Water from the Welles” includes four dramatic presentations of four very different women, including Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth introduces the show by expressing her belief in the magical power and importance of stories. She goes on to portray this belief as she transforms herself into a young woman exploring the world of Gandhi and Indian spiritualism, to an old German woman describing the horrors of Nazi Germany, to a rather silly but loveable Southern Belle who wrestles with an angel and talks about her relationship with her mother, to a humorous audience-participation portrayal of a “worry warrior” who locks herself out of the house, thus missing her radio show. The dramas were followed by three poems, written by Elizabeth and recited with spirit and soul, which expressed her vision about living in the world today. Elizabeth is from New York but now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is the author of the book, “Journaling for Well-Being and Peace”, the editor of “Women Celebrate: The Gift in Every Moment”, and the creator of the CD, “Meditation for Relaxation.” Her one-woman show “Speak the Lands of my Heart” is about her journeys to India. She is also a visual artist, and her evocative photomontages were available at the show for viewing.
Patsy Garber
Huerfano Journal, La Veta, CO
In her one woman show Elizabeth demonstrates a unique capacity to change characters as effortlessly as changing clothes. Each character she portrays has its unique energy as well as expression and voice. Humor and pathos mingle and ebb and flow throughout the performance. Spellbinding!
Rita Marsh, Carbondale, CO
Davi Nikent Center for Human Flourishing
Your presentation tonight touched my heart and soul. Your voice and chants set the stage for me to open to new possibilities in performance art. You hold space for blessed creativity and sacred celebration of artistic expression. Thank you for a meaningful performance!
Lisa Dancing-Light,
Performance Artist, Carbondale, CO
Your show was very special, stunning performance!
Janine Canan,
Author of Ardor: Poems of Life
I have seen Elizabeh Welles perform monologues and selections from her one-woman show. She is personable, energetic, interesting and entertaining. I highly recommend her for an evening’s entertainment!
Melony Vance,
General Manager, Latitude 33 Booksshop
Laguna Beach, CA
Elizabeth Welles laughs like she has a secret no one else knows. Wonderful performance work, truly alive on stage!
Debbie Martz,
Home Professional
This is what you get when you hear Elizabeth Welles perform and tell a story: A great personal story told in a personal way, warm humanity, humor, and a calming singing voice that soothes. She’s offbeat and yet universal. Her story became a part of me, one that I’m now walking around with, a tale that reminds me to laugh in the midst of life’s hectic moments. Don’t walk, but run to see Elizabeth Welles on stage.
Kent Jones,
Ojai, CA
We so enjoyed seeing you perform. Chris thought you were “on fire.” He thought it was the best performance that he had seen at the Storytellers so far. (This includes a number of years.) You were fantastic! I love your singing, chanting and very creative new material! So heartfelt!
So very spiritual too!!!
Kelly Luscombe Bea and Christopher Bea,
Ojai, CA
William Blake sums it all up for creativity: “To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wildflower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.” When you see Elizabeth Welles perform, this is what you get, for Creativity is what she knows in her soul. In a highly creative and inspiring fun way, she tells it like it is. Her stories span from the uproariously funny to the deeply poignant and sad, always delivering us to the heart of what matters while enticing our senses, making us think and want to care. Life itself inspires this creative artist, and an evening spent watching her will no doubt inspire you too. I know it did me, and I continue to be inspired.
Carol Lynn Healy,
Energy Medicine Specialist
I truly found Elizabeth Welles’ voice to be transcending and having her there was a wonderful bonus! So, thanks again!
Participant,
From a Unity Performance Gong evening with Ellen and Jere Friedman [top_link]Back to top[/top_link]
Books & CD’s
Journaling for Well-Being & Peace
What Elizabeth Welles has accomplished with Journaling for Well-Being & Peace is astounding. This book is a specific guide to the world of journaling that offers the reader an opportunity to safely explore his or her interior and exterior worlds. Ms. Welles brings a compassionate, unique dimension, depth and breadth unlike any other book about journaling I have seen. Through her own generously shared personal experiences and process, she invites the reader to get a “feel” for their own spirit’s Knowing. The beautiful guided meditations are rich with metaphor and opportunity for both deep relaxation and stirring the creative spirit. Her gentle weaving of the body, mind, and soul in her own examples and those of other writers and thinkers, encourages the reader to venture into areas they would not normally go and go to willingly. The people who find this book will be able to dream on paper in ways never before realized, while deepening the peace at their core. Bravo for this fine and impressive work!
Dale Atkins, Ph.D., Psychologist, author of Sanity Savers: Tips for Women to Live a Balanced Life, commentator in the media and frequent guest expert on The TODAY Show
Journaling for Well-Being & Peace is the essential “how to” book on personal transformation through writing. Elizabeth Welles shows us how to traverse our own lives with fresh eyes that see magic in the mundane, hope in the grief and humor in just about everything. The writing exercises, personal insights and mindfulness practices, taken together, empower us to live our most joyful and reverential lives. It is truly a book of wisdom and love from a wonderfully gifted writer, teacher and actor. Brava!
Lauren Furst, President of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, and Founder of Pathways to Wealth
Elizabeth Welles’ Journaling for Well-Being & Peace is a rich compendium of journaling practices that will take you on a lifelong exploration of your self – as you have been, as you are now, and as you might become in the future. These powerful practices will serve as expert guides as you plumb the depths of your past experiences to retrieve all of their hidden transformational treasures; pause in the present moment to fully appreciate intricate contours of your emotional/motivational body; and playfully create myriad possible future worlds to step into and ‘try on’. Whether you’re on an established path of self-discovery, or wish to carve out your own, this is one book you’ll want to have in your satchel.
Peggy La Cerra, Ph.D., Evolutionary Neuroscientist, author of The Origin of Minds: Evolution, Uniqueness and the New Science of the Self and featured columnist for Spirituality and Health Magazine
A seamless blend of writing practices, meditations and personal stories, Journaling for Well-Being & Peace will not only nurture your creativity but bring you closer to the intuitive wisdom of your body, mind and soul. A revelatory book!
Prill Boyle, author of Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Booming Women
Journaling for Well-Being & Peace is a rich resource of practical tools that show you the way back to your own creative wealth, your vision and voice. It is a manual for personal peace that will resonate in your life long after you have finished reading it.
Charlotte S. Hunter, US Director, Pocketful of Joy, Inc.
Elizabeth Welles understands our deepest need to feel connected, heard and understood. In Journaling for Well-Being & Peace she offers us paths to wholeness that nurture the psyche and soul.
Susan L. Atchison, founder of A Healing Soul, Ltd.
When I started reading your book, I wept. It was like coming home.
Amy Hadden Marsh,
Colorado
Women Celebrate: The Gift in Every Moment
Women Celebrate is a richly variegated collection of stories and poems about women becoming intimate with their own experiences. In reading them, I was reminded of one of life’s most elusive and valuable lessons: That it is only when we truly feel the full range of emotional texture in our lives that we begin to sense the shape of our real self. Somewhere in this volume is the inspiration for every woman to more deeply explore the contours of her being.
Peggy La Cerra, Neuroscientist and Author,
The Origin of Minds: Evolution, Uniqueness and the New Science of the Self
Reading the new book “Women Celebrate” is almost like finding a friend – or a group of friends. Each story, essay, and poem is a piece of the author’s soul. Some will make you cry. Some will have you nodding in understanding. Some will shock you. Others inspire. Whatever your mood, whatever your need, something in this book will speak to your heart. “Women Celebrate” is an excellent gift for all of the special women in your life and recommended reading for men who want to understand women a little better.
Cathe Olson, Author,
Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will Love
By weaving women’s stories into a creative and compelling tapestry, Elizabeth Welles affirms the healing power of gentle truth, and reminds us to live fully, embracing life in all its many colors. Women Celebrate is a stirring and insightful accomplishment.
Carrie Gibson, Author,
Crossing the Bridge
Women Celebrate sings of beauty and a sense of what it is to be human.
A Contributor
Like steak and eggs for a woman’s soul.
Anonymous
Meditation for Relaxation
I listen to your CD all the time. It’s the best one I have for relaxing, thank you, thank you!
– Cindi Reiss, Writer
Elizabeth Welles’ Relaxation for Meditation has been used in my meditation class as part of our body awareness and body relaxation before going into our breath meditation. I, and my meditation group, find it very very helpful and healing. Her voice, tone, music background, and movement of words and thoughts allow the listener to travel within in a deep and full way. It is an incredible resource.
– Bernice Mennis, Writer
During my cancer treatments I listened to Meditation for Relaxation. What we noticed was that it was the ONLY thing our grandson, age 2, would fall asleep to. Nothing else worked. Your voice has a soothing quality to be heard. Thank you from the baby and us!
– Tamara Engel, Psychotherapist
Thanks so much for your CD. I have used it every night and it really has made a difference. I had trouble falling asleep because my mind wouldn’t let go of the day’s events. After using your Meditation for Relaxation CD I was able to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. It has changed my life!
– Lora Lang
I just have to also tell how much I have enjoyed your ‘Peace with Every Breath’ meditation/relaxation CD. It is one of the best ones…If not the best one, I have ever listened to. Thank you again!
– Susan Rybicki
I wasn’t able to ever meditate until I found your CD. Now I have learned to find peace with every breath, deep quiet and rest. Superb and I thank you!
Elio Zarmati, Publisher[top_link]Back to Top[/top_link]
Luminous Visions ~ The Art That Invites You In
The first thing that struck me about the picture was the dove as well as a sense of peacefulness. I feel so blessed to have met you and honored to have acquired one of your beautiful masterpieces!
Patti Cann,
Phoenix, AZ ~ Owner of Doves
Ethereal, timeless are words that come to mind immediately. They reminded of some Bach I listened to a while ago where the sound washed over the house and it felt peaceful, like a gap in the universe that reassures you that you can start again.
Nick Theophilou
Melbourne, Australia
I’ve never seen anything like this. I love that they can be both playful and compelling, that you can give collectors something spiritual and mysterious. Whatever idea one has, whatever ‘feel’ one wants to create for their preferences, you are able to create that for us. I’m so glad you are doing custom work now, as well as your own.
Jenny Friedman,
Los Angeles, CA ~ Owner of several pieces
We want to feel like we are in the presence of something positive, something bigger than ourselves. Elizabeth’s art makes me feel like that, like I’m walking into a mystical magical world.
Danielle Daigle,
Photographer, Scottsdale, AZ
The artwork conveys a sense of peace, compassion, luminosity and subtle spirituality.
Hannah Caratti,
Santa Rosa, CA ~ Owner of Mary’s Cave & Orbs
Elizabeth, these are amazing. This one reminds me of a tissue paper collage. Gorgeous.
Katina Drennan,
Ojai, CA
I love your art. It’s captivating, unique, and full of Light. I’m impressed.
Ayanna Mojica,
Orange County, CA
It’s gorgeous. We love it and have it hanging.
Susie Kartzmer,
Nyack, NY ~ Owner of Mist, Apples, and Yellow Joy
Beautiful art! Mesmerizing.
Lindsay Woods,
Fort Collins, CO ~ Owner of Blaze[top_link]Back to Top[/top_link]
Seminars & Workshops, Consulting & Talks
Elizabeth Welles, author, artist and playwright who lead this workshop is one of those women whose energy you just crave! She was gentle, intelligent, strong, focused, sincere and electric. You know those people you just feel good by being around them? That’s her. Whatever she’s having, I’ll have!!
Jennifer Mims, workshop participant
Tempe, AZ
Thank you for the creative energy you put into my essay: 1771 – The American Evolution. As a result of your contributions, it is my strongest and best-written work to date. Friends and fellow readers agree it is an original piece. I’ve given it to Kevin Spacey, and Marilyn and Alan Bergman to explain my overall project, Visions of America. It is being submitted to various publishers and will be posted on my website. I enjoyed the process of working with you and look forward to future collaborations.
Joseph Sohm,
Photojournalist and Historian
I cannot begin to thank you for today. I kept thinking about all the women out there who are in deep need of your assistance. I feel very blessed to have gotten to know you. I cannot begin to express how healing it was for me today. Touched my soul and realized that I do have a voice. You cleared so much that I had a friend book a session with me today, a paid session :)
Thank you so much Elizabeth for the vocal healing and the path to finding my own voice. WOW:)
Tracy Brooker,
Educator
I tend to forget about myself day to day. Between job, friends, and family, I rarely find the time to replenish lost energy. Elizabeth has the sensitivity and expertise to make me feel whole again.
RoseMarie Terenzio,
Account Executive
Our guests speak highly about Elizabeth Welles’ Corporate Guest Seminars. Her programs are assets to our conferences, and she is a delight to work with. We look forward to her next seminars with us.
Doffie Farrar, Executive Education,
The Concours Group
Elizabeth conducts tailored individual and group sessions and people who work with her rave about her. I am one. In just one session, she was able to improve my interview performance significantly. I know the agency world, and I believe any agency could benefit from having someone like Elizabeth available. However, there is only one Elizabeth. Her perceptiveness, creativity, articulateness and especially her intuitive sensibility set her apart.
Stuart A. Cowan,
Executive Consultant
Her work is inspired and concrete. Guests rave about her programs and we hire her again and again.
Elizabeth Horton,
Director of Activities at the Oaks in Ojai
Elizabeth combines a compassion for people with a true gift for healing that is rare to find.
Richard Lipton,
Television Producer
You would not believe how far I’ve come since we last met. My healing started with my first journaling workshop with you. I continued journaling for years and years and then stopped. I had come to a point in my healing that there was nothing to say. I’ve started journaling again and it is so fulfilling. PS – Love your newsletter.
Steffi T.
Thank you for being a presenter in our Lifelong Learning Seminar Series. Your seminar, Journaling for Well-Being, was well received and very much appreciated by all those in attendance. Our goal is to provide quality programs that meet the needs of our students including those students who are returning to education. Your seminar contributes to that goal.
Donna Mosher,
Paradise Valley Community College
While the bad news is time flies, the good news is you’re the pilot. And if you’re lucky, the great news is Elizabeth is the teacher. All great teachers have a passion for what they teach, a true knowledge of their subject, and hopefully are living examples of what they teach. Elizabeth Welles is such a teacher. An exceptional multi-talented artist, writer, performer and healer, Elizabeth is living proof that no matter what it is you love or are inspired to do, you can find creative ways to do it with more joy, love, satisfaction and success. Among her gifts is that rare ability to see your special gifts. Her ability to see my own gift for healing was a Godsend in my life that set me off into my chosen work today. She was the first to tell me I was an energy healer, which led me to my present day career, and love and passion for Energy Medicine. If you need help finding or pursuing your creative gifts, then Elizabeth is the guide you want. Nothing else can quite substitute for the knowledge and know-how she brings to the table. I’m honored that I had the privilege to work with and come to know her. She inspires the artist and creator within us all with wisdom, compassion, and grace.
Carol Lynn Healy,
Energy Medicine Specialist
Elizabeth’s lifetime experience of journaling is inspiring! Her presentation reminded me of the capacity of journaling to reveal soul’s purpose, the soul’s deepest longing to be of service. A delightful evening!
Rita Marsh, Carbondale, CO
Davi Nikent Center for Human Flourishing
Thank you so much for your love and support during our first GFG retreat. Your sessions were both meditative and deeply profound for all of us. Your gentle groundedness helps to balance us all. I am so grateful for your spirit.
Ali Grace, MA. MNLP, CHT
Founder of Guilt Free Goddess
Thank you so much for your inspiring words and friendly down to earth style. The talk you gave at my school gave me permission to relax and let life’s divine flow do its work. I was inspired by your way and felt relieved afterwards. It was ok to finally give myself the pause that I needed to go inside myself and figure out what I want. You have a special way of speaking to the heart and mind of us all. You are a free spirit and warrior woman who lives their truth. And since hearing you speak, I am no longer afraid to live in my light, to be authentic in my life, and to live my truth. Thank you, Elizabeth, for your support, and kind words.
Marjanii McCline, L.M.T
The Center of Natural Wellness, Albany, NY
I thoroughly enjoyed your workshop and I am not one to sit for several hours! So thank you for an enjoyable evening of words, thoughts and sisterhood!!
Carolyn Abrams,
Painter and Visual Artist
Elizabeth helped me regain my confidence and focus. A session with Elizabeth is like taking a two week vacation.
Beth Salamon,
Advertising Adm. Assistant
In my life of deadlines, shoulds, and have to’s, Elizabeth is the fresh air which fills my being with peace.
Cidny Klein,
Painter
Thank you again for the inspiration to begin anew at journaling and for providing very powerful techniques to motivate the process. I have been writing! And it has helped mellow the emotions so that other ideas can flow, just as you said it would happen. I loved the “magic box of words” and the “letters to yourself” and the “starting point of the present” that really does get you started! I have already told several people about the workshop and have sent them to your website. Thank you again, Elizabeth. I got a lot out of it!
Joy Bell, workshop participant
Tempe, AZ
In this sometimes-overwhelming world we live in I find myself trying to accomplish too many things at once. Elizabeth teaches you to slow down and focus. Great workshop.
Angela Inscoe,
Artist at a Corporate Seminar
Elizabeth provided me with concrete tools to ease me through a period of grief and loss. Her letter writing idea- one of many useful, soulful techniques – helped me to heal a hurting heart and go forward with my life with more joy and connectedness to my creative self. She really knows how to listen and can accomplish small miracles in even one session.
Jenny Phelps
Librarian
This training is about making more time in your day without taking more time.
Rebecca Brownstein,
Managing Director, IMI
A unique and special experience packed with powerful tools to ease the tensions of day to day living . . . completely different from any other type of relaxation therapy.
Keith Prince,
Actor, Writer
Elizabeth Welles is more than a healer. She’s an inspiration. She invoked my creativity, which I feared had seen its day. She empowers, inspires and encourages. Thank you for reminding me, I am an artist.
Cindy Gregor,
Ojai, CA
When I met with Elizabeth, I was blocked creatively, overwhelmed by to do lists and responsibilities. All I said to her was ‘I need help feeling creative again. I’m burned out.’ From that wonderful session with her, sprang forth a wealth of creative ideas. I put to use the suggestions she had to enhance my creative writing space and things to do to nourish my spirit. The creative spurt has not halted, thank Goodness. I thank Elizabeth.
Shy person requesting anonymity
Gentle methods, magical results.
Amy Powers,
Lawyer, Songwriter, Lyricist
She was delightful and insightful. She engaged the audience in a relaxed, easy manner that made everyone feel comfortable. She was generous with her time, answering our many questions in an open conversation. As a group, we left inspired and uplifted. I would love to hear her speak again!
Kathy Honea,
Artist & Entrepreneur
I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Welles’ talk on creativity and writing at the Wyly in Basalt. It was so inspiring and full of ‘helpful hints’ that I went home and wrote a page of ideas for future writings. It involved the audience at every step. It included quotes from her work as well as others about writing techniques, ways to get started, getting teens to write, and using different mediums of writing (computer versus hand). I have since written in my own journal about just the items that she mentioned in her talk. Listening to her words of wisdom helped me to move forward and believe in my writing.
Thank you Elizabeth for this opportunity.
Maurine Fitzpatrick
Educator & Avid Reader
An impenetrable peace came over me after speaking with Elizabeth. I was in a crisis that threatened a career I loved, one I had worked long and hard to build. Elizabeth reminded me of a perspective that was way beyond what I could see at that moment in time. Before I spoke with her, I was ridden with anxiety and fear. After speaking with her, I went to bed peaceful and woke the next day with a peace that lasted. I was so grateful for Elizabeth in my time of duress. She later told me that she had a talk with God after we spoke. While Elizabeth doesn’t wear her very deep spirituality on her sleeve for all the world to see, this woman prays with mastery. After her prayer and spiritual support, my problem disappeared into thin air in 24 hours—nothing short of a miracle. If you’re in a crisis or transition, run to see her. She’s grounded and creative, and can speak to anyone regardless of faith, race, gender or creed. Her peace crosses all boundaries in this or any world.
Patrick W.,
Physical Therapist Assistant