ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL DETOUR“I shouldn’t be alive.”Amy Oestreicher was college-bound with ambitious sights on Broadway when, the week before her senior prom, excruciating stomach pain sent her to the hospital. Moments after arriving, a blood clot caused her stomach to explode, and she nearly died in the emergency room. Waking from a coma months later, attached to machines and covered in tubes and drains, she was told she might never eat or drink again. As she regained consciousness, Amy finally came to terms with the long-stifled secret of her sexual abuse by a trusted teacher and its devastating impact on her emotional and physical health.Doctors called Amy a “surgical disaster,” but after twenty-eight operations and seven years without a drop of liquid or morsel of food, Amy’s digestive system was miraculously reconstructed and she began healing from her visible and invisible traumas. My Beautiful Detour leads readers through Amy’s unthinkable journey while sharing her hard-won insight on the restorative power of creativity to forge a roadmap where none existed.TALKING POINTS● What is a “detourist”– and why is it important to take those detours?● The importance of detours for college students● How to transition from being a “survivor” to a “thriver” ● The four hardcore skills to resilience● Finding your own unique path to recovery: the first three things you must do● How to find uniqueness: it’s not what’s happened to you, but what you choose to do with it● How to incorporate art into the healing process● Our innate ability to be artists; why creativity is an essential mindset● Using creativity to reframe your narrative● Turn messes, mistakes and setbacks into beautiful artistic detours● How NOT to be daunted by a blank canvas, page or Square One● Storytelling through the arts can reframe the narrative of an individual● Transform passion into business: how to turn creativity into a livelihood● How to take your own hero’s journey through obstacles

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) ASSERT Project is intended to increase adolescent access to treatmentand recovery supports for behavioral health disorders, particularly opioid treatment. DCF has subcontracted with TheHub to map statewide recovery supports for youth and young adults on the TurningPointCT.org website, to use theTurningPointCT social media to help promote these supports, and to develop and launch SMART Recovery ® groups. The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CTA program of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP)

Highly skilled, dedicated and accomplished PTSD Peer-to-Peer Specialist, Artist, Author, Writer for the Huffington Post, Motivational Speaker for RAINN and TEDx, Award Winning Health Advocate, Actress and Playwright, survivor of 30 surgeries, and winner of Convatec’s “Great Comeback Award” sharing my experiences to empower others to face and overcome challenges, cultivate resilience, and transform adversity into creative growth.

Gutless & Grateful is the one-woman musical autobiography of Amy Oestreicher, taking her audience on a journey of hope, resilience and gratitude. Appropriate for audiences of all ages, the 70 minute performance can be customized as an ideal event for:fundraiserssupport groupshospitalsnon-profit organizationstheatres & cabaretsschoolsconferences &seminarsmotivational speaking engagements and special events. Gutless and Grateful is at the New York New Works Theatre Festival, along with four other new works on August 29th at 8pm. This is the first festival of its kind and we’re thrilled to be helping make the dreams of Broadway and T.V.’s next generation of writers become realities, creating a terrific evening of theatre. Broadway Producers, Emmy Award Winners, and Tony Award Winners donate their time for the next generation of talented writers aspiring for Broadway and television.See feature: https://malinism.com/2016/08/22/ny-new-works-theatre-festival-meet-amy-oestreicher-gutless-and-grateful/

Writer and Reviewer for BroadwayWorld Cabaret

Gutless & Grateful will be part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival August 6th at 8:30 p.m. at the Workshop’s Main Stage, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC.

Art Kibbutz is a volunteer-driven artists’ community, residency, and a hub that offers artists of all mediums, ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and affiliations opportunities to explore universal issues through a Jewish artistic lens. Art Kibbutz provides inspiring and peaceful space to work, learn and seriously explore the rich heritage of Jewish experience that informs their creative process.Art Kibbutz explores important conversations about economic, environmental, and social conditions in a 21st century Jewish context. Art Kibbutz is an artist-driven, grassroots, volunteer organization with a 501c3 status.

"Imprints" is a new drama exploring the bondage of secrets, the re-membering of a life broken open by trauma and the healing power of art. A poignant story of a family, ripped apart, reassembling with the imprints of a heartbreaking past.

MHA’s 2016 Annual Conference: Media, Messaging and Mental Health will take an in-depth look at the impact and influence of media and the entertainment industry on the complex issues of mental health and mental illness. https://www.amyoes.com/2016/02/04/amy-presents-gutless-grateful-at-mental-health-america-2016-annual-conference/

Speaker at TEDx Syracuse University on April 16th, 2016

Actress, Playwright Gutless & Grateful will be presented at the Emerging Artist Theatre’s New Works Series: Tada Theatre, between Broadway and 5th Avenue 15 West 28th Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10001, on Friday March 11th at 9pm.

Anti-sexual assault organization working with local rape crisis centers across the U.S.

Regular Contributor for Hampshire College

Using eclectic materials, unique insights, messy fun, and guided prompts, this class will inspire you to draw on creativity as a means of personal expression and to make beautiful, personal art. You’ll discover what being in the “flow” feels like and how freeing it can be to use art to navigate through life’s difficult detours. Learn to embrace the beauty of your mistakes, negotiate the curves that all artists come across in their work, utilize a range of materials, and deploy innovative strategies for conquering a blank page or empty canvas.

Helping to train Middle School and High School Actors in Improv, Playback Theater and other ensemble acting techniques. The company will perform in schools, community settings and organizations, addressing the relevant issues that youth face: peer pressure, bullying, conflict management and more. One to two public performances will be scheduled as part of the class at a school, or after school program, and one for the general public.

Based in part on Amy’s personal experience surviving ten years of medical interventions, sexual abuse and PTSD, Gutless & Grateful is a 60-90 minute program combining storytelling, music, and a keynote speech. Amy will perform her autobiographical one-woman musical (70 min), talk about the healing process of telling her story, and provide hope, help, resources, and insights.

Amy will be presenting "Gutless & Grateful" as part of a workshop she is leading demonstrating the transformative power of words for the 2015 Power of Words Conference.“How can one diminish the power of words and what they have done to me? They’ve changed my life, taught me to love, described what deep learning is, opened my eyes, shaped my speech, all bound together and much more to give me an amazing life, and this conference swells with that importance. It’s the epiphany and epicenter of using language to learn to love ourselves and others.” — Jimmy Santiago Baca.Come join the Transformative Language Arts Network for the 2015 Power of Words conference featuring over 50 writers, storytellers, performers, educators, health professionals, activists, community leaders and others using the art of words to change the world.

Ridgefield Art Walk 2015https://www.amyoes.com/2015/08/20/ridgefield-art-walk-2015/

An independent contractor, not an employee of Huffington Post. Contributing to the Huffington Post Blog regularly. For my previous articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-oestreicher/

Selling mixed media art and greeting cards

Solo Art exhibition in Discovery Museum Gallery, with artist reception

Regular contributor for Miss Millennia - lifestyle, women's issues, inspiration, health, wellness, business advice, motivation

Regular contributor for Elite Daily on women's issues, lifestyle, inspiration, ostomy awareness, career, and overcoming obstacles.

Selling inspirational greeting cards, posters, and mixed media inchie pins. Outsider Art and Mixed Media

Art Show: "Forever Young"

Regular contributor for the online publication Sammiches & Psych Meds, writing about women's issues, empowerment, motivation, work, lifestyle, and tackling sensitive issues such as PTSD, sexual abuse and medical obstacles.

Featured artist in "Pairings" at Blue Lemon, sponsored by Beechwood Artshttp://patch.com/connecticut/westport/ev--art-opening-at-blue-lemon-restaurant-with-beechwood-arts

Presenting original monologues, recipes paintings and 3D installations, taking part in Resilience documentary"We have gathered together award-winning classical & Broadway musicians, visual artists, authors, actors, chefs & filmmakers who have faced life-altering events with resilience and emerged with a deeper, more meaningful view of life. Join us for their inspiring interpretations of "Resilience!" followed by an idea exchange with the audience on what makes us resilient. Our unique Salon Around the World™ program ties in audiences from around the world, making it a globally shared experience."

Actress, Writer, Artist, Contributor

Solo Art Show: "Canvas Talk: A Forum of Dreams"http://newcanaanite.com/new-canaan-event/opening-reception-for-canvas-talk-a-forum-of-dreams-at-ridgefields-tusk-cup-fine-coffee

"Gutless & Grateful" as part of the United Solo Festival - an international showcase of one-person performances

College Mental Health Advocacy Programhttps://www.amyoes.com/2015/11/12/gutless-grateful-at-hampshire-college-highlights-and-student-testimonials/

Mental Health Advocacy, Overcoming & Managing Disabilities, Dealing with Trauma (i.e. PTSD, physical and emotional abuse), Sexual Assault Prevention, Alternative Medicine, and Establishing a Creative Mind Set.

Speaking and trauma-informed programming for healthcare professionals.Held in conjunction with American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2016 and open to the public.

Presented "Gutless & Grateful" - Mental Health Advocacy Programhttps://www.amyoes.com/2015/10/02/gutless-grateful-comes-to-eating-recovery-center-foundation-of-denver-co/

Art Education with third-graders, private and group classes

"Gutless & Grateful", featured performer in various concerts

"Gutless & Grateful" as part of Mr. Finn's Cabaret Series

Writing, directing and starring in my one-woman autobiographical musical, "Gutless & Grateful"

Gallery Showing

Nursery school teacher

Artwork displayed as part of a juried art show

Actress in Children's Company