Rudi Harst Celebration Circle Spiritual Director Rudi Harst spent many years training for his current position as Spiritual Director of the Celebration Circle without knowing why – always following his passion for creative expression through writing, singing and public speaking, while seeking to deepen his understanding of spirituality and human nature. An Indonesian-Dutch native of Holland, Rudi's family immigrated to the small, South Texas town of New Braunfels when he was five years old. In the process of learning English as a second language, he became an avid reader and developed a life-long love affair with the process of juggling words and meanings for the sheer fun of it. He sang his first solo in the church choir before he was six, and performed the lead role in a community theater production of Amahl and the Night Visitors at age eleven. But the performing bug really bit him (along with countless others) the night the Beatles first performed on the Ed Sullivan show.  He started strummings his father’s acoustic guitar the next day and joined a garage band just a few months later. He attended Trinity University on a full academic scholarship, graduating in 1974 with a B.A. in psychology. But within months after fulfilling his scholastic obligation, he moved to England and signed a publishing contract with Horizons Unlimited.  Working under veteran producer Denis Preston at the legendary Landsdowne Studio, Rudi recorded his first album with some of London’s finest session musicians of the time, including Toni Campo, Ronnie Ross, Henry Spinetti and Chris Spedding.  The album was produced for release on EMI, but never was published – leading him to embark on a career as an indie-musician, writer and performance artist.  Since then, he’s performed thousands of times in concerts, churches, schools, festivals and corporation.  He has numerous recording credits, including seven albums of Contemporary Acoustic music, several soundtracks, singles and jingles. He’s the author of numerous articles and essays, as well as Hurry Slowly:  Living from the Inside Out, a book of essays and creative non-fiction.  He adapted the book into a musical drama, a well-received, one-man show he has staged several times. Along the way, he's managed to combine his interest in transpersonal psychology with extensive training in theater, education, movement, spirituality and group process to create a national reputation as an inspirational speaker, consultant, and workshop leader.   He works in a variety of formats, but his presentations always invite people to open their hearts and minds to new possibilities.  Perhaps most important of all, he's learned to relax, reflect and enjoy life fully -- and encourages others to do the same wherever he goes. Click here to buy Books, CD's, and more