Meet Lissa Rankin, M.D.

I first met Lissa Rankin on stage at the SF Design Center, after I’d just finished moderating the ‘Queens of the Web’ panel at a Bay area women’s group live event. She popped up to introduce herself as my neighbor on the Monterey Peninsula. I was delighted. Lissa’s energy is palpable. Since then, I’ve been intrigued, impressed and inspired by the many ways she puts her gifts to great use.

Here’s the official bio of the woman of many hats, Dr. Lissa Rankin:

Lissa Rankin is an OB/GYN physician, a nationally-represented professional artist, and an author, as well as the founder of Owning Pink which invites women to explore the healing power of art, writing, and femininity through workshops that facilitate health and wellness.

She practices integrative gynecology at Clear Center of Health in Mill Valley, California. Her nationally-recognized abstract encaustic paintings and sculptures are represented by galleries in San Francisco, Santa Fe, Boston, Atlanta, Laguna Beach, Houston, and Bethesda.

She is the author of the forthcoming Encaustic: A Guide to Creating Fine Art With Wax, which is based on her studio visits with artists around the world. She has also written a memoir, Delivering Doctor Rankin: Confessions of an OB/GYN. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and fellow artist, Matt Klein, and their daughter, Siena.

Lissa explains her many roles:

“I am a doctor. I am a writer. I am an artist. I am a teacher.

I am also a mother, a dog walker, a reader, a yogi, a spiritual seeker, a wife, a chauffeur, a cook, and a music lover.

First and foremost, I am a woman and, like many women, I once thought I had to put myself in a box and choose who to be. But I now accept that, while I am all of these things, no single identity defines me. I am more than what I do.

As women, we all struggle with who we really are and whether our lives reflect our truest selves. I now strive to be authentic, in all aspects of my life, whether I’m healing or painting or writing or teaching.

And I encourage others to do the same.”

Check out Lissa’s new and ever-evolving site and blog: http://www.lissarankin.com/ On Twitter: @lissarankin