For speaking inquiries, contact Maria directly at maria@atomica-arts.com.
Maria is a dynamic keynote speaker and workshop leader who blends storytelling, theatre, and mindfulness to inspire creativity, resilience, and radical imagination. Her talks are interactive and experiential — audiences don’t just listen, they participate, leaving with practical tools they can apply to their own lives and communities.
Why Invite Maria
Maria brings over two decades of experience designing creative and mindful programs for schools, nonprofits, and communities. As co-founder of Atomica Arts and author of Be the Protagonist, she offers a unique voice at the intersection of imagination, resilience, and social connection. Her speaking engagements have included audiences ranging from intimate workshops to international conferences with hundreds of participants.
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Recent & Featured Talks
2025
Awakening Resilience Through the Senses and Imagination
Speaker, Early Learning Coalition Teacher Restorative Retreats, November 2025
Maria served as a featured speaker for early childhood educators, guiding participants through an interactive, sensory-based workshop designed to support teacher well-being. Blending breathwork, movement, imagination, and the five senses, this session offered calming, science-informed practices for stress relief and renewal. Teachers experienced simple, playful tools for grounding and resilience that they could carry into both their personal and professional lives.
Resilient Classrooms: Creative Tools to Support Educators and English Language Learners
Speaker, Embracing Our Differences, November 2025
In this interactive session, participants explored practical, arts-based strategies to nurture resilience, both their own and their students. Through reflection and experiential activities, examined how creative practices can support emotional well-being, engagement, and language development for English language learners and beyond.
Arts & Resiliency
Panelist, Arts &… Speaker Series, Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, October 2025
Presented by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, this session is launching the Arts &… Speaker Series with a focus on creative tools for healing, adaptability, and emotional well-being. Maria will join a multidisciplinary panel of facilitators to explore how the arts support resilience in both personal and community contexts. Drawing on her background in applied theatre, trauma-informed facilitation, and mindfulness, she will guide participants through interactive moments designed to foster emotional awareness, nervous system regulation, and imaginative reflection.
The Resilient Protagonist: Tools for Navigating Uncertainty with Creativity and Care
Keynote, Global Applied Improvisation Network Conference, 2025
Maria guided an international audience through playful, interactive exercises rooted in theatre and mindfulness. This keynote explored imagination, resilience, and nervous system regulation, balancing depth and humor while offering practical tools for navigating uncertain times.
Awakening Wonder: Art, the Brain, and Theater as Pathways to Healing
The Wonder Symposium, The Ringling Museum, 2025
Maria co-presented on the power of theatre and art to awaken imagination, support brain health, and serve as pathways to individual and collective healing.
The Power of Now: Embracing Mental Health, Presence, and Mindfulness through Improvisation and Meditation
Mental Health Summit, Sunshine from Darkness, 2025
This presentation explored how improvisation, theatre, and mindfulness practices can support emotional wellbeing and resilience in individuals and communities.
Artists at the Table: Rehearsing Change Together
Arts and Cultural Alliance Arts Summit, Sarasota Opera House, 2025
Maria shared insights on the role of arts and education in shaping Sarasota’s cultural identity, emphasizing equity, access, and imagination as civic tools.
The Literacy of Theatre and Improv for Autism
National Arts Integration Conference, Denver, 2025
This session highlighted theatre-based strategies that support creativity, collaboration, and communication skills for students with autism, demonstrating how applied theatre and improvisation build resilience and connection.
10×10 Series, January 2025
Maria was featured in the 10×10 speaker series, sharing her story and the power of imagination as a compass for resilience and belonging.