The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind–creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people–artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, counselors, big picture thinkers–will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys. (Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future)
Our lives require an enormous volume of complex thinking and creative strategies. While our brains have an unlimited potential to generate new ideas, the demands of instant access driven by technology, and a global time clock often leaves us feeling tapped out of fresh ideas and innovation.
Our quest for creativity often gets blocked by things like perfectionism, criticism, jealousy, and time. We make time for meetings, email, Facebook, phone calls, colleagues, and family, yet we devalue our refueling time, the time and intention we need to nurture our inner artist, creator and innovator. We tell ourselves old habits die hard. We rattle off lists of obstacles that stand in the way of becoming who we want to be. We give excuses. We excel at excuses.
In a non-stop world, how do we embrace creativity in our daily lives?
The Invitation
Open yourself up to a new mind. Engage in this 12 week, restorative process. Authorize yourself to be your own priority.
The Process
We will use the classic book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron along with additional exercises, tools, and strategies (such as meditation). We will build upon two basic tools of the Artist’s Way practice: Morning Pages and Artist’s Date.
- Malcolm Gladwell suggests that we, as creative thinkers, need to “reverse the normal human tendency to edit.” Writing three pages of stream of consciousness writing (aka Morning Pages) every day helps us to embrace the chaos that is a necessary part of the creative process.
- Harlem Renaissance poet Helene Johnson advised that “In order to create, a person needs time in which to do nothing. To simply stare out a window and let thoughts come to them.” We honor ourselves by carving out a small period of solo time each week, i.e. an Artist’s Date, to nourish our thoughts and feed our muse.
In our process, we will choose to dedicate a sixty minutes every day to reconnect with our creative selves. We will participate in weekly group phone conversations to discuss our journey in community. We will email one another our questions and connections.
We will recover our sense of identity, power, abundance, autonomy and connection. We will emerge changed, with our personal and professional relationships transformed, and empowered to take ownership of our creative abilities and productivity.
This course is great for ANYONE who wants to reacquaint him/herself with creative habits, creative thinking, and the creative processes. Experience in writing or the arts is not required.
They say if you don’t use it, you lose it. If you think it’s lost, this course is a way of getting it back.
The Details
Your journey towards creative recovery begins September 25, 2011.
12 weeks; Sundays 5pm-8pm CT/6pm-8pm ET. $550.
- Attend class at home or on the go
- 24 hours of group instruction
- 50 minutes of private (one-on-one) consultation by phone or online chat
- Email communication and support
Participants will need:
- A copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- A journal
- Pen
- Phone
- Internet/Email access
Instructor: Simone Monique Barnes (EdM, Harvard Graduate School of Education), has been working with, for, in, and through the arts and honoring creativity and culture for more than 20 years.
REGISTER TODAY.
Space is limited. Register today to secure your place in the Artist’s Way course. Pay now via Paypal.com. Paypal, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.
12 weeks; begins September 25; Sundays 5pm-8pm CT/6pm-8pm ET. $550.
For More Information
For additional information, or to request private coaching, or custom small group classes, please use the form below.
Simone Monique Barnes 