Acknowledgments

This site, being a home for my work and writing, naturally centers on me and what I do to some degree.

But even the most original or innovative ideas (by which I don’t mean to imply that mine are) could scarcely be linked to an individual.

We all stand on the shoulders of many giants and draw on the lived experience of lineages that go back millennia, whether we are aware of it or not.

To thank everyone I am indebted to in my work (and credit those they are indebted to in theirs) would be near impossible.

If we trace who made us back to its very roots we eventually end up with everything and everyone.

And this is true not just philosophically but also practically.

We are so connected that all of us are indebted to each other for our own existence and continuing to shape it every day (especially now that we’re also on the internet).

Regardless. I believe that some people deserve specific mention on here for just how much they have influenced my career.

Without that, this website would be incomplete.

First things first, major thanks are due to Ari. Not just for partnering with me in life, but for the way her own purpose, passions and values showed me the gaps in mine, and made me see the importance of community and attuning to groups rather than just myself.

For being who she is and what that brings out in people.

Also for her faith in me (sometimes more than my own), and pouring her love, heart, soul, devotion and resources into our lives and this project, even in challenging times.

In the realm of Authentic Relating, which forms the broad foundation for a lot of my work, I want to thank ART International as an organization for the way they distilled this work into a clear framework.

I particularly want to thank many of the people at ART for their mentorship, inspiring leadership styles, the way they embody the practice and the growth opportunities they gave me that help deepen my understanding of this work.

In particular (but in no particular order) Margo Fisher, Natasha Figueroa, Danya Seraye, Ranjit Krishnamma, Christopher Gray, and Sydney McGary.

Indirectly, I also want to thank Jason Digges & Ryel Kestano for developing the initial art curriculum.

On that note, I want to thank Sarah Ness & Authentic Revolution for all the work they did compiling Authentic Relating games from all over the world—which was invaluable for me in a period when I was trying to invent these games from first principles, still unaware others were doing so.

I am also indebted as a facilitator to the many people I co-facilitated or exchanged support with, including (and I apologize in advance for this list being incomplete, I’ll update it) A.C., Jagratti, Lowra, Daphné, Tim, Kevin, Percy Ray, Sara, Emily, Eugene, David, Nadine, Danijela, Jocelyn, Sarah and Sébastien.

In the field of Bioenergetics, I am most indebted to Devaraj Sandberg, for passing on the many decades of oral and embodied tradition that might otherwise have gone lost in the decades between Alexander Lowen’s work and today.

When it comes to Circling, I want to directly thank the Relateful Company, who, back when they were still called “Circling Anywhere” offered me an entry point into the practice during the covid lockdown.

Other people I want to thank for the skills that shaped my work are:

Tara Brach, for her embodied meditation cues that helped me see the underexplored link between bioenergetics and Authentic Relating.

Ariadne van den Brande, whose work on applying Laban Movement analysis to vocal coaching and willingness to expose me to it while still developing the theory sparked the realization in me that it can be applied to relationships and communication too.

Tasshin, for his mentorship on collaboration, leadership, strategy and productivity.

Tori Reid, for her early mentorship in helping my writing find its people.

Thierry for teaching me how to breathe.

Steve Pavlina and Toomas, who both played a role in discovering my penchant for experimentation and relational writing styles.

Speaking of writing, I want to thank, among many others, Nisargadatta Maharaj, A.A. Milne, Chris Carrabba, Eminem, Fat Mike, Lars Faber, Rumi, Robert Frost, Osho and GZA for showing me the many different shapes and musicalities ideas can be conveyed through. And inspiring my approach of playful seriousness mixed with irreverent reverence and jazzy trance.

I also owe this career to my parents, for obvious reasons, among which giving me the gift of my existence, raising me the way they did, and giving me the space to figure out my place in society.

Beyond that, there are some people who played such a pivotal role that it would be unfair not to mention them:

MariaPaula, for making the Dojo possible as its first member.

Enya & The Twinsisters: for helping me bring my work to people in Bruges.

Sonny, for giving me many opportunities to develop new skills and actively pushing me to do so.

Wout, for naming where he noticed I was heading and pointing me in the direction of ART.

Gia, for unknowingly setting in motion a chain of events that led to me discovering the most important skills I use in facilitation.

Ward, Bart, Gerard, Snor and many others who maintained a friendship of over 15 years through changing personalities, projects & interests where we continue to support each other.

The H8000 scene for making me realize the world wasn’t gatekept and you can just go out, create things and find your people.

Ela, for being the only person I remember actively pointing out to me that I was not living in reality.

Judo Club Olympia, for teaching me Seiryoku-Zenyo.

And of course, anyone with (or because of) whom I experienced challenges, hardship, suffering and bliss. Anyone I’ve loved or been in contact with, really.

Like I said, I believe we’re all indebted to and connected to each other for mutual impact beyond what we can imagine.

And that, at the risk of sounding cheesy, includes you, dear reader.

Without you there would be no Pep Talks.

With you, there would be no me.

Not in the shape he exists today at least.

Thank you for everything.

Much love,

Pep