Bonnie Garvin is an award-winning writer, producer, painter, and USC screenwriting professor. She is the creator of Storytelling Lab, a six-person, six-week international Zoom workshop designed to unleash creative spirit. Accidentally discovering her passion for playwriting in her thirties, her first play became a finalist in a major U.S. festival. Since then, Bonnie has spent over three decades continually reinventing herself, building a multifaceted career in storytelling across stage, screen, and art. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Contact Info Website: www.storytellinglab.online Storytelling Lab Signup Most Influential Person Esther Broner Effect on Emotions I think mindfulness has helped put me more in touch with my emotions. I’m not someone who easily connects to the emotional side of things. I’ve never been very comfortable expressing feelings. I don’t cry a lot or show those kinds of emotions. One way I’ve dealt with that is by finding different approaches, rather than dismissing mindfulness as meaningless. I believe mindfulness is important, and it’s what you do with it that matters. It can take many forms, and it’s not just meditation, although some people think it’s all about meditation. To me, mindfulness is more about truly being present and shutting out the noise. Thoughts on Breathing Breathing is something we rarely notice until someone points it out. There’s a huge difference between shallow breathing from the neck or chest and deep, full breaths. Bullying Question I think a lot of bullying comes from a place where people need some therapy to find out really what the root cause of that is. It's really about what's happening kind of under the surface