Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Transforming Practice through Photography, Sacred Landscapes, and the Art of Georgia O'Keeffe.

As an adult educator, I often incorporate creative expression into my teaching practice through engaged pedagogy and student assignments.  My major influences came not from education but from the art world and natural surroundings.  In the 1990’s, I discovered New Brunswick-based photographer Freeman Patterson.  His style and philosophy of photography not only influenced my own photography but also found its way into my academic practice.  In 2001, I visited Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico and knew I had found a spiritual home among the red rocks and wide-open spaces.  I identified with Georgia O’Keeffe who lived there for many decades.  I taught creativity and photography there but also started bringing more creativity into teaching graduate students in adult education.  This article chronicles my transformative journey as an artist and educator, using original photography and personal narrative. I offer practical strategies for teaching and learning