I like to make things. When I am not making things, I like to help other people make things.
I’m a big believer in intellectual and creative cross-training. Writing poetry makes me a better fiction writer. Being a fiction writer helps me see the stories in the world around me. Photographing the stories I see around me makes me a better poet. Recently, I have added new fields to my cross-training: I am learning Heritage Carpentry, and I am adding to the tools I have to help other writers by training to be a book coach with Author Accelerator.
If you look around the site, you’ll see some of the things I’ve created. Perhaps we can create something together…
Toolbox
Writing
Damien has been a writer since the 4th grade. His poems have appeared in The Backwater Review and his story Little Birds, was runner up in the 10th Anniversary of the Little Bird story contest. He has also written about Global Citizenship for the Council of International Schools’ Perspectives blog. Damien earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He is currently working on a novel.
Film & Theatre
With the screening of Star Wars at the age of 4 as a formative experience, Damien went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies, with complimentary studies in Drama, from Queen’s University. He enjoys the collaboration inherent to dramatic storytelling.
Teaching
Damien earned a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University and has spent 20 years as an educator and counselor in Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and Japan. He has helped teachers to use technology in the classroom, coordinated online learning and helped to develop and coordinate the Global Citizen Diploma. In his last 6 years overseas, Damien focused on counseling, helping students with social/emotional learning and pathfinding.
Photography
Damien is a self-taught photographer. His work is divided between work shared on Instagram, focusing on noticing beauty where he finds it, and Fine Art photography and collage shared here, where he focuses on using the camera and digital editing tools as impressionist instruments.
Services
Book Coaching
Just as a coach can help an athlete identify goals, refine technique, develop helpful routines and stay motivated, a coach can also help writers complete the projects they dream of writing, whether it is refining a draft of something already written, or starting from an idea that doesn’t yet know what story it wants to be. In the coming months, Damien will need to complete a practicum for his Book Coach certification. If you would like to work with Damien on a current writing project, please reach out.
The Puddlewonder Press 