Gregory Burns MFA

Biography

Water and paint define much of Gregory Burns' life. Following doctor's suggestions that water was a good medium for a child with polio, Gregory began swimming in the White House pool at the age of three. The son of an American diplomat, when the Burns family moved to Paris two years later, Gregory took up painting still life's of bottles and bread. After graduation from college, Gregory moved to Taiwan to study Chinese painting, calligraphy and Mandarin. Concluding his studies, he spent 18 months backpacking throughout China, Tibet, Nepal, India and Pakistan with a view to capture in paint the diverse landscapes and peoples of the region. Since 1984, Gregory has lived in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Despite or perhaps because of his disability, which requires the use of leg braces and crutches to ambulate, Gregory is an athlete. As a child playing baseball and soccer, he learned to adapt and compete with his peers. As an adult he found that backpacking, scuba diving and surfing allowed him access to nature. As a member of the USA Swim Team, during the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Paralympics, Gregory set four World Records. While training under Singapore National coach, Ang Peng Siong for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, at the age of 39, Gregory achieved times faster than those he achieved two decades earlier.

Gregory has an undergraduate degree in Communications Studies from the University of California and a Master of Fine Art from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has held numerous jobs internationally including with Star TV and PepsiCo Restaurants. Gregory is an accomplished artist, having exhibited in 15 countries, while his paintings hang in numerous corporate and private collections including that of Bill Clinton. In 2010, Gregory received the ‘Fervent Love of Life’ award from the Chou Da Quan Foundation in Taiwan and in 2016 he was honored with the 2016 ‘Sports Artist of the Year’ award from the United States Sports Academy.

Gregory has spoken internationally for dozens of clients including Amazon, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Diageo, PayPal, Standard Chartered Bank, British Telecom, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, SAP, Trane, Manulife and the Singapore Olympic Academy. He writes on the arts, sports and travel and has been featured on CNN, BBC, CNBC, ESPN, and Beijing TV as well as in countless magazines and newspapers. By crafting his learning points around the theme of each of his client's conferences, Gregory has rallied audiences globally with messaging unique to each occasion.

It is Gregory's calling to inspire audiences to step beyond comfort zones and stretch limits in order to achieve goals. Gregory also encourages audiences to maintain a balanced lifestyle and to turn to their inner strengths when confronting life's challenges.

Topics

Gregory's keynotes and workshops are also available virtually

• Recovering from Setbacks: The road to recovery - Keynote
  Starting with the ‘the morning after effect’ and dealing with the inconveniences and changes brought on by the crisis, through to reprioritizing, where we ask what is most important and what needs to be done first, through staying with the daily routine while developing patience, until we emerge healed and stronger and with it the gratitude and celebration acknowledged through sharing the journey.
• Beyond Limitations: One Step at a Time - Keynote
  This keynote stresses the winner’s mindset of challenging the status quo as well as internal and communal doubts while making the most of what we have. We must leverage the resources we have at our disposal instead of focusing on what we don't have.
• The Hero’s Journey - Keynote
  Referencing Joseph Campbell’s seminal writings on the ‘Hero’s Journey’, this presentation identifies 4 stages of life that all humans transition through as they reach their highest potential. Knowing where we are on our own Hero’s Journey helps us to know what to do and where to go next.
• Adapting & Balancing Work and Personal Life - Keynote
  Keeping a holistic view of ones activities both personal and professional this keynote illustrates how we manage our lives in order to keep ourselves in top condition for the long run. Gregory challenges listeners to keep their body, mind and spirit in top shape.
• The Artist’s Journey - Keynote
  Embracing the artist within, this keynote reminds listeners to look inside to reconnect with their creative self which has often been left dormant since childhood. Trusting in our own creative abilities and being willing to move forward despite not knowing all the answers to what lies ahead brings us closer to our goals.
• Visualizing Company Culture through Art - Workshop
  In this hands-on art-making workshop, participants work with their teammates to try novel new creative approaches in order to reach shared goals. This creative journey helps participants reinforce company culture and values by creating amazing artwork that staff craft in a collaborative effort that is a testament to the team and their objectives.
• Shared Mind-sets of Great Leaders & Artists - Workshop
  While identifying 6 critical approaches to business and creativity which successful Leaders and Artists have in common, this hands-on workshop brings to light how creativity and business are intimately intertwined. This workshop is half presentation and half hands on workshop.

Testimonials

I have seen a lot of motivational speakers in my years, and I am quite certain that your talk will stand the test of time with my organization as having left a real solid imprint.
President
Procter & Gamble, ASEAN/Australasia/India

Your tenacity and perseverance in pursuing excellence in arts and sports is a reminder to all of us that we should not impose mental limitations on ourselves and to keep trying. Your session was very successful and you were able to engage our agency force because you are very genuine.
AVP
Head Of Marketing Services & Events, Manulife

I feel that you gave much more than a speech - I had a real sense of you connecting with the purpose of the summit and going significantly more than the extra mile!
Marketing Director
Diageo

Gregory's passion to help develop artistic talent in the young and his drive to challenge the perceived limitations of being disabled, have not only served to inspire the children involved in the program, but also the Journeys team and the staff of Credit Suisse as well.
Managing Director
Credit Suisse, Singapore

Perseverance, passion in relation to life and an ability to overcome adversity were the key approaches, which all clearly understood and appreciated in this demanding world.
Director of Corporate Security
Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.

Our entire team from the Asia Pacific Rim truly enjoyed your motivational messages and left our conference with a very positive attitude.
Regional Manager
Johnson & Johnson, Asia Pacific

Thank you for being an uplifting force throughout Equinix. You and your workshops embody all that I have come to cherish most in middle age: wellbeing, impact, community and creativity.
Chief of Staff
Equinix

Gregory is literally the pied piper.  If you could have seen how quickly he engaged the kids at the school...you’d be blown away. By the end of the whole experience, they were asking for his autograph and wanted their photos taken with him.  Gregory and Angie are a gifted couple who so generously share of themselves, and it’s evident in the way they draw people to them like magnets and transform them in the process.
Director
Corporate Citizenship, Equinix

Gregory’s workshop delivered a motivating message that truly inspired everyone to come together as one team working towards a common goal and fell perfectly in line with our theme.
Vice President
Global Sales, Marriott