We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Ramm a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep creativity alive in my life by realizing that life itself is a creative act, and even simple things like whimsically arranging a colorful meal for my children is an act of creativity that is not lost to the world. When I feel blocked, I always turn to Nature. I literally will stop what I’m doing, step outside and start walking, stretching, or jumping on my rebounder, letting energy and movement shake up blockages. I find it best to not try to force creativity but let it flow! We are creative beings at our core, and once we realize this, we can tap into unlimited creative expression from within.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was born and raised in New York City and thanks to my parents who loved the arts, I was encouraged to follow my passion for dance which led to a career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist. It sounds like an easy, linear journey, but it was filled with challenges and detours of all kinds.
While living in Hawaii in 2016, I founded a non-profit dance company, RammDance, which combines the discipline & beauty of ballet with the grace & aesthetic of the Isadora Duncan style to inspire, enliven, and empower. RammDance is now located in the Bay Area of California and hosts classes, performances, and women’s movement retreats with an emphasis on connection to the wild, raw beauty of Nature and the power of inner transformation.
In 2020, I published my debut memoir, Eris Rising which has been made into a play premiering in Oakland, CA. Eris Rising is a page-turning memoir which details an intense and life-altering 16-month relationship. It’s a story of breaking deep karmic patterns, grappling with the calling of destiny, and changing long-held karma into mission. With the powerful feminine warrior spirit of Eris as inspiration, this memoir shows how it’s possible to move forward after life-altering “mistakes”, and recover the true “genius” within.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Curiosity: One innate quality that I am grateful for is a strong sense of curiosity. I love the motto, “Stay curious!” There is always more to learn, understand, and assimilate if you keep an open mind and realize you may not have all the answers. Being curious allows you to be open to possibilities you may otherwise not see, and to live with a youthful spirit.
Resilience: Challenges, unforeseen circumstances and setbacks are what we all do our best to avoid, and yet they appear despite our best efforts. Once you shift your mindset (easier said than done!), and realize that those very challenges are your soul’s gold allowing you to grow and breakthrough deep patterns, you develop a strength and resilience that is a shining light radiating out to all those around you.
Gratitude: When things are going great, be grateful. When things are not going great, be grateful! There is always something to be grateful for, even in the most trying of times, and the tiniest drop of true gratitude has the power to grow and become a stream, river, and ocean of overflowing fortune in your life. The simple acknowledgement of what’s going right in your life is setting you up to attract more of what you desire into your outer world.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I am currently creating a new online program and community for women who have left toxic relationships, and are ready to embark on a holistic mind-body-spirit reboot including movement, meditation, and nutrition specific to women in this circumstance. My ideal client is struggling after her reality has been turned upside down and is stuck. She wants the support and understanding of others who have left toxic relationships and a way to heal and move forward, aside from traditional therapy. She is so ready to move forward in her life and embody the light, free version of herself that she was before getting into a toxic relationship, and she needs support to get there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rammdance.org, www.courtneyramm.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rammdance, www.instagram.com/courtney_ramm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rammdance
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rammdance
