Newspaper Article: "Speakers coming to town with message about peace, diet"

By STEPHANIE FOSNIGHT Contributor

Will and Madeleine Tuttle spend their life slowly touring the country in a house on wheels so that they can offer people a vision.

"It's a beautiful vision," said Will Tuttle, pianist, Zen master and author of the vegan book The World Peace Diet. "Too often we think we're always going to have wars and violence and that we're just miserable people -- it's not true."

For Tuttle, finding inner peace is what leads to outer peace, and, if he can just reach one person at a time, this is what will finally lead to world peace. Now he and his wife are pulling their 5th wheel trailer into the Oak Park neighborhood for awhile so they can spread the word here.

"Once we authentically connect with ourselves and live in a way that reflects that, we start to feel happier and more at peace," said Tuttle. He's the guest speaker and musician at a series of special events running at Unity of Oak Park this weekend that are based around the twin themes of food choices and rediscovering inner wisdom.

"The basic idea is about human potential," Tuttle said. "We humans have so much more potential than we are actually using, because we're born into a culture that forces us from the time we're little children to ignore what we're actually doing to animals. Routine mistreatment of animals for food in this culture has created this sense of disconnectedness from our wisdom."

Through his talks and concerts, Tuttle urges people to live in a more peaceful manner, especially when it comes to food. He uses techniques built on meditation, his music and his wife Madeleine's painting to help audiences rediscover their own creativity.

"We all have this inner wisdom that will help us live our lives creatively and authentically and to find the unique contribution that we are each here on this earth to live," Tuttle said. "It doesn't mean life will be easy, but it will be fulfilling and our lives will be an adventure that we love."

It's been 14 years since the Tuttles went on the road full-time, leaving their home in California's wine country for a life spent speaking three or four times a week in churches and meeting halls across America.

"A lot of the events have maybe only 25 people at them, or maybe a few hundred," Tuttle said. "But it's a very good way to meet people in a grassroots fashion."

They don't actually put that many miles on the pick-up truck that pulls the trailer -- only about 20,000 a year. No, the Tuttles make their way slowly across the country. It takes them about 12 months, for example, to go from the East Coast to the West Coast.

"We've been working our way north from Florida and Washington, D.C. the past couple of weeks," he said. "Chicago is the next stop."

Although Tuttle is driven by a mission, he's not a militant, in-your-face type. Rather Tuttle is friendly and enthusiastic about his book and the connection he sees between veganism and a peaceful life that makes a difference. He quite often finds himself giving the book out to new friends he's made while getting his car serviced or eating at a restaurant.

"If we're really serious about creating a culture where peace, sustainability and justice are actually possible, we have to look at our food choices," Tuttle said. "It's very challenging. But it's very liberating. I get a lot of e-mails from people saying that not only have they lost weight and have more energy but they're just much happier."

All events take place at Unity of Oak Park, 405 N. Euclid Ave, (708) 848-0960 or www.unityoakpark.org. A free will offering will be taken during these events.

Awakening Your Inner Genius -- Sunday, June 14, at 9 and 11 a.m. Tuttle will discuss ways to develop your own creativity and intuition. He will perform original piano music throughout the service.

Creating a New Culture of Peace -- Sunday, June 14, from 1 to 3:30 pm. At this workshop, Tuttle will present the main ideas of his book about how food choices affect our lives and also the world around us.

Piano Passion Concert -- Monday, June 15, at 7:30 pm. This concert of piano music is composed and performed by Tuttle as an affirmative musical prayer for world peace.

Individual Sessions for Personal Music and Art -- Monday, June 15, times available by appointment. Tuttle will create a CD of original piano music and his wife Madeleine will create a watercolor painting for you both inspired by your essence. Sessions last about 45 minutes and are available by appointment only. Suggested donation is $135.

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