about Kelli

I started matter + pattern in 2012, as a project seeking to integrate Eastern philosophy alongside Western business practices—creating a system similar to the way that acupuncture supports Western medicine.

It has morphed and expanded over the years, as my knowledge base grows, and as I learn from experience and exploration.

Integrating mindfulness techniques, bodywork, and feng shui, I work to create the physical conditions that allow for growth and healing, with an emphasis on the professional space—the arena where people often feel the most lost and overwhelmed.

From my experience in publishing, marketing, and retail, I recognize that the way that we conduct business overall is in need of some serious refinement, and the aim of Matter + Pattern is to continuously develop tools that empower us on a personal level to help make those changes.

“Mater, the Latin word for “mother,” has given rise to the word ‘matter’….

The Latin word for “father,” pater, gave rise to... “pattern.”

Thus, [our circumstances] can be seen as coming from both a mother and father, the mating of matter + pattern.”

— A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe

"The mating of matter and pattern."

It’s that binary yin/yang simplification that makes Taoist thought one of the the simplest and most powerful tools to navigate complex systems, from ecology, to the human body, to modern-day professional success.

Focusing on matter (material) and pattern (time/season/behavior) allows us to play with perspective in a way that can help us catalog our resources, see our strengths + weaknesses, direct ourselves toward greater opportunities, and set more ambitious goals.

Applied to professional life, this work involves involves focusing on seasonal (quarterly) patterns to unearth highly personalized, simple solutions for business—ones that otherwise might be hidden beneath layers of complexity and confusion. Nature-based metaphor can be used to supplement meditation and/or ritual practice—all in alignment with current business goals.

Balance in business is crucially important—whether setting out as an entrepreneur, working remotely as a freelancer, or even following the traditional 9-to-5 path. Balance is what allows us to focus and innovate, so that our work sustains us instead of draining us.

Using classical Chinese theory as the organizing principle for meditative practice, workspace design, and quarterly business planning, we creatively explore the professional lifestyle, shaping it into one that is successful, fulfilling, and uniquely our own.

Respectful of all cultural contributions, we take a syncretic view of ancient scholarship, borrowing tactics from a variety of traditions in an attempt to improve the modern professional lifestyle—as long as the outcome is elegant, balanced, and uniquely expressed.