Celebrating over 1000 ceremonies and beyond
I am currently on sabbatical leave and continuing my education throughout 2024 in Brisbane, Australia.
Over the years my business evolved and diversified far beyond the original scope of Lisa Grosskopf Celebrant which officially launched in 2010. I reflect on the last 13 years with immense gratitude. I'll be forever thankful to all my clients, my close family, friends and mentors who have supported me continuously. I feel very blessed to have witnessed so many important milestones in people's lives. Working in a broad variety of ways with individuals, couples, families and groups has been both meaningful and humbling. It's been my true privilege to walk alongside each of you. Life is both beautiful and messy and I will carry both the joyful and poignant memories with me always. THANK YOU!
During this transition, I won't be conducting ceremonies (except for honouring prior arrangements) nor offering official on-going pastoral care, but am still taking bookings as a guest speaker/facilitator for events, as well as disability and aged care related support.
You'll currently find an eclectic range of posts at www.facebook.com/Brisbanescelebrant on topics that interest me or may assist others during this period. Feel free to send me a message or call me if you need my assistance in any way.
So until we meet in person, make the most of the moments you have and don't hesitate to reach out.
Lisa :)
QUALIFICATIONS
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Accredited Lifeline Telephone Counsellor (2009, Lifeline, Gold Coast)
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Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
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Clinical Pastoral Education (PA Hospital, Brisbane)
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Diploma of Counselling (ongoing)
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Former Associate Lecturer at CQU (Mackay) and guest lecturer at QUT (Brisbane) in Performing Arts
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Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
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Current First Aide Certificate
BIO
a few highlights from my story thus far should you revel in detail :)
In recent times a doctor of psychology described me as a polymath. After looking up what that word meant, I decided I couldn't compete with the Renaissance man but could relate to his processes.
I've never been one to follow the crowd and have happily danced to the beat of my own drum. I enjoy drawing from the broad base of disciplines I studied, particularly in the arts and solving problems creatively. I love the cross pollination of ideas and challenge myself by continuously striving to develop and expand my capabilities.
People have often been perplexed when trying to squash me into a conventional, standard-sized box and I don't blame them. I have trouble clarifying and condensing my eclectic, yet surprisingly complimentary, work history.
When I was a young child a well-meaning yet ill-informed elder in my hometown of Rockhampton,
warned me that 'a jack of all trades is a master of none'.
My brain was wired in a way that produced endless curiosity, enthusiasm and a thirst for new and creative challenges. I thrived in many diverse environments and knew no different. Still, I struggled with the elder’s words for many years and assumed (despite evidence to the contrary) that I was somehow defective, until I came across the correct and complete phrase - 'a jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one'.
In midlife, I fully appreciate that flexibility and adaptability are essential to personal growth but also in maintaining a youthful disposition. Whilst it's not always easy to preserve one's lightness of being, I'm driven to continue weaving a rich and colourful tapestry which has served me well. And I don’t intend to stop weaving any time soon!
I'm so incredibly grateful for the many opportunities my late mother, Judy, afforded me throughout my childhood. She was both wise and clever, intuiting that the key to my happiness would be to keep my creative, busy brain occupied. No loitering around the streets after school for me or my siblings! I was also very blessed to have had excellent teachers both academically and artistically who encouraged me in all my endeavours. For a small country town, Rockhampton in the 1970s/80s had a prodigious amount of extraordinary teachers in the performing arts - music, dance and acting - too many to name individually in this brief overview. I immersed myself happily and lapped up every opportunity that was on offer.
ACT 1
I trained in multiple disciplines as a child but my first love and focus was dance.
I began dance lessons at 7 years of age under the tutelage of the well-known teacher Valeria Hansen. I adored her and she believed in me. Every child needs someone to believe in them and Valeria sewed the initial seed which contributed to my development as a dancer, teacher and choreographer for the next 37 years. I was fortunate to be able to thank her personally for her support and understanding just prior to her passing in Brisbane.
At 16 I was accepted into a Bachelor of Arts at Queensland University of Technology after completing a special entrance exam but deferred the offer in lieu of private dance training. At 18 I left for Europe and pursued my dream as a multi-skilled performing artist. This set me on a path of travel, performance and teaching around the globe until I was 38 years old.
In Germany I initially had the privilege of training for a short time with a graduation class at the Hamburg State Opera Ballet School before embarking on an audition tour and securing a position with the Gelsenkirchen Opera Ballet in Germany. It was an exciting time as the theatres were financially well supported by the German Government during the late 1980's allowing for my contract to be extended continuously for over 2 years. I danced in both traditional and contemporary productions of various operas/operettas including The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), Bluebeard's Castle (Bartok) and The Fairy-Queen (Purcell, an adaptation of Shakespeare's, Midsummer Night's Dream). I also danced and sang in German casts of the musicals Cabaret and My Fair Lady. Sadly due to budget cuts the Opera Ballet no longer exists. These years spent at Musiktheater Im Revier, suited my multidisciplinary training as a dancer, singer and actor perfectly.
I returned to Australia and joined the Queensland Ballet Company's School Tour program in conjunction with the Queensland Arts Council in 1993. In 1994 I finally headed to university as a mature age student. I began studying for my Bachelor of Arts majoring in dance and voice at QUT, Kelvin Grove, and also became a qualified fitness instructor. I ran my own dance school in Ascot whilst studying, with a special interest in teaching adults, using dance as a form of physical and mental conditioning. I was awarded runner-up in the Telstra Executive Woman of the Year Award (Arts) for my small, community-based dance school, "Dance-In Time". Despite recommendations from my professor that I continue on to post-graduate studies, I knew that the life of a performing artist was often limited so accepted a singing gig in Japan. Once this contract ended, I applied for one of my dream jobs as an Associate Lecturer of Dance Studies in Music Theatre at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQU, Mackay) and later worked as guest lecturer for a Music Theatre elective at QUT, Kelvin Grove. I was well nurtured creatively and intellectually. I learnt so much from both my highly skilled artistic and academic colleagues as well as my delightful students throughout these years. When funding for the arts came under pressure and universities began decreasing fulltime teaching positions in certain sectors, I decided to take advantage of other opportunities. I continued teaching, choreographing and singing in various capacities for the next 10 years, but one special professional opportunity came along and I couldn't resist.
In 2003 I left for Hamburg, winning a contract as soprano soloist aboard the luxury German cruise liner, Arosa Blu.
She was a beautiful vessel and our on-board theatre held 900 audience members nightly. This was one of the happiest times of my life. Earning my money from singing in German, French and English whilst travelling extensively was fantastic and I sought additional opportunities whilst on board to continue developing my skills - training the Ukrainian dancers with ballet classes and teaching a little English whilst improving my German language - I was in heaven, but home beckoned and the next chapter of my life began.
ACT 2
After returning to Australia and retiring from fulltime professional performance, I moved to the Gold Coast and was offered some executive sales roles whilst exploring another lifelong interest - psychology. I trained as a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor when I was pregnant with my daughter in my 40th year and worked on the phones for a time. The skills gained at Lifeline continue to enrich and inform every new venture I undertake.
In 2010 my business as a civil celebrant began. I became a marriage celebrant and was later recruited by an established funeral director as a funeral celebrant. My business has allowed me to utilise a vast amalgam of my accumulated skills in diverse and innovative ways - teaching and facilitating, public speaking, pastoral care, writing, performing and counselling (particularly in the area of grief and loss).
I started to reduce my formal work commitments around 2020 to care for my mum who was palliative for 4 and a half years. This precious time spent with Mum was golden. Her courage, internal fortitude, graciousness, sharp wit, supportive counsel, beautiful smile, sparkling eyes and gentle spirit will remain with me always. She passed away on the 12th of March, 2023.
Currently, I support an inspirational, courageous warrior with paraplegia. Can't wait to see where my next adventure will take me.
Stand-by for ACT 3.
Thanks for reading this far. Go gently with yourselves.
Lisa