Stories worth telling
Encourage Thought is a creative studio devoted to emotionally honest storytelling.
Through fiction, we strive to share enduring truths about what it means to be human, by exploring complex, unexpected, and deeply felt ideas.
Stories are one of the oldest ways wisdom is carried from one generation to the next. Their power lies in their ability to bypass the mind and land in the body, touching hidden places within and awakening a felt sense of recognition that stays with us.
At the heart of our work is the belief that people deserve truthful and beautiful art, no matter their age, and a good story stands the test of time.
A creative studio where resonance matters
Hi, I’m Leigh Marino, Founder of Encourage Thought.
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember.
When I was fourteen, I realized something that would shape the rest of my life: If I wanted to fully experience joy, I also had to allow myself to feel pain.
Watching films, reading books, and disappearing into other people’s worlds became a safe way for me to explore the full spectrum of emotion and feel things I didn’t always have words for.
Over time, that exploration evolved into my own creative work. Today, I share the stories that move me and feel remembered rather than invented.
Things I love: hot tubs, sunshine, hammocks, fires, yoga, dancing, singing, beautifully told stories, children
Influences: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Charlie Kaufman, Ky Dickens, Madeline Miller, Eckhart Tolle, nature
Education: BFA in Film/TV from New York University, cinematography studies at The Los Angeles Film School, and cross-cultural dialogue at the International People’s College in Denmark
