Gianluca Avanzato is a writer, artist, poet and teacher living in upstate New York. Gianluca holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, where he studied religion and spiritual care. He has engaged in interreligious dialogue trainings and sessions around the world and holds a Diploma in Interreligious Studies from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. Avanzato teaches writing as a spiritual practice of self-knowing and offers one-on-one creativity coaching. Along with his work in higher education and teaching Italian, he has developed and led workshops, pilgrimages and programming around the United States and Europe, including Sacred Writing Circles and Apothecary of the Word. Gianluca strives to help others honor, enkindle and cultivate their sacred creativity and connect more deeply to the universe.