Claudia Erzinger began her meditation practice in her 20s through extended retreats. She mainly practiced within the insight meditation community, while also sharing experiences through the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and friends in the Zen community.
In 2000, she began intuitive painting at the Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) with Barbara Kaufman. From the start, she felt that meditation and painting were closely connected. What drew her to painting was its demand for honesty, visibility, and expression from the inside out.
She began teaching intuitive painting in 2006 and continued learning from Barbara Kaufman, as well as Michele Cassou, founder of Point Zero Painting. Barbara and Claudia also taught at Spirit Rock Meditation Center as part of their recurring 7-day retreat, Meditation and the Spirit of Creativity.
In 2018, she became Executive Director at The Center for Creative Exploration, where she continues to lead weekly classes, workshops, and long intensive programs.
Alongside this work, Claudia has also served as a hospice nurse and completed Zen hospice volunteer training in 2000.