Ken Rothman

Raised in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Ken Rothman left high school at age 16 for Shimer College in Illinois, then left college at 19 for an ashram in India. "After four years, I'd had enough of celibacy," says Rothman, who returned home for a psychology degree from Central Michigan, then came to the UO in 1978 for graduate work. "I didn't enjoy school, but I liked Eugene and stayed. I planted nearly half-a-million trees in four years with the Hoedads." Working with offenders at a non-profit agency in the 80s, Rothman found that many had been abused as children. He became an activist for education about child abuse, speaking at conferences and consulting with sex-offender treatment agencies. He currently serves his third four-year term on a state child-abuse advisory panel. Inspired by a painting demo by Elaine Fielder at an Hakomi training in 1989, Rothman developed his WildArt! technique to explore the creativity of the unconscious. "I teach a meditation," he says. "People follow the meditation deep into their unconscious. Surprising things happen." After 35 WildArt! Playshops in 18 years, Rothman has done five so far this year, with five more scheduled this summer. More at kenrothman.org.