Getting Messy: A Guide to Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches and Mentors

by Kim Hermanson

Written in accessible prose with inspiring exercises, Getting Messy shows how teaching and learning are creative endeavors in which we create space for the expansion of our knowing to happen. You will discover how to: Find your voice and own your inner brilliance; Lead a group with beginner's mind; Uncover inspiration when you most need it; Recognize and utilize the creative wisdom in the room; and Turn the messy business of being human into the stuff that makes you grow. Shakti Gawain said, "I loved Getting Messy! It's one of those gems that will guide you toward greater self awareness." Getting Messy is a must-read for teachers, trainers, coaches, mentors, and group facilitators. Parents, consultants, counselors, and others who work with people in meaningful ways will also find it helpful. Packed full of wisdom and insight, Getting Messy is a valuable resource for those who wish to expand the range of creative possibility in a range of diverse teaching and learning situations.

Genres: Teaching, Nonfiction

260 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2009

About the author

Kim Hermanson, Ph.D. is a pioneering educator and faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is the author of Deep Knowing: Entering the Realm of Non-Ordinary Intelligence, a 2022 National Indie Excellence Award winner, Getting Messy: A Guide to Taking Risks & Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches & Mentors, and Sky's the Limit: The Art of Nancy Dunlop, which received an Independent Publisher Book Award. Her seminars attract visionaries, pioneers, and trailblazers who are 'pushing the wall' with her to bring forth a new world.

Reviews

[Jennifer Louden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my very favorite books about teaching. Nobody else outlines what teaching is really like and how to approach is soulfully like Kim does. I created an entire course before i read this book on teaching - and it's great - but I wish I had this book before I created it because it would be even better. Luckily, Kim let me interview her to be part of the course. :) If you have an interest in teaching anything in a way that is real, sustainable and honest - as well as fun - please read this book. And if you suffer as a teacher, double triple please read this book. You will be so happy you did!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really helped me imagine teaching differently. It is wise and practical and draws on other sources but also adds a lot from the author's own experience and training.
I've been studying hospitality (as in the spiritual practice, not as in hotels) and I like the connection between this and creativity that is hinted at in the book. I think a hospitable, creative approach to teaching, as to many other things, is the way forward.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eigenlijk veel praktischer dan Csikszentmihalyi's Flow. Op basis van zowel haar ervaring, gezond verstand als een fijne keuze uit beschikbare literatuur, geeft ze aanwijzingen hoe je als begeleider beter kunt werken met anderen en met groepen. Bevat text en uitleg en handige oefeningen.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago the esteemed filmmaker David Lynch (Elephant Man, Eraserhead) said in response to a question about making movies, “You know, when I’m making a movie I don’t know what I’m doing.” Of course there is something that is guiding his actions but whatever it is, isn't something he can easily verbalize. That's the territory that Getting Messy explores. Specifically, how do we traverse unknown territory when we teach, train, coach, mentor, parent, or work in some other capacity with other humans?

"Messy" in this case, is not about making a physical mess. Messy means we're human, we make mistakes, and sometimes...we don't know what we're doing, yet we find ways to forge ahead anyway. All in all, human learning is messy, and that’s the invitation. It’s only when we step out of the mold and allow a little disarray, that learning and growth begin to happen. Getting Messy is a friend and guide for those times when you find yourself feeling trepidation about stepping into an unknown place.