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Workshops
and Classes
for
Artists & Writers
In recent
years I've offered over fifty short workshops for artists and
writers.
These workshops typically include a brief informative presentation,
experiential or writing exercises, and a chance for the participants to
share thoughts, feelings, and experiences relating to the evening's
topic. Such focused, informal gatherings have helped artists and writers
gain a deeper and broader perspective on their creative lives.
Here are
some comments by participants:
"I enjoyed the session. I got both some theoretical tools & some
concrete next steps. Thanks!"
"This evening was very helpful. It gave me some insight on what I
must do to continue my writing project."
"Good interaction by the group. Your guidance kept everyone involved.
Very helpful topic."
"Very good discussion and excellent questions for thought. Thank you,
and I look forward to next week."
"Very helpful to hear so many points of view. Questions will take a
long time to answer; looking forward to it."
"Good ideas broken down intelligently."
"Focused, well-organized, thoughtfully presented ideas. Good
workshop."
"Excellent directing so no one was left out. . . . Great exercise!
Well worth the time."
"I got a lot out of it. Extremely valuable and very rewarding."
—
If you'd like to be notified about future workshops or similar events,
give me a call at
415.289.2212.
And if you know a group of artists
or writers who might like me to lead a workshop for them, let me know. I
can tailor it to their needs.
The workshops described below also suggest the range of issues I can
help people with in individual coaching sessions and in my coaching
salon for
artists and writers
PAST WORKSHOPS
The
Courage to Create . Fear may be the greatest obstacle to an
artist's or writer's best work. Tonight we'll discuss a range of
views--from artists, writers, psychologists, and others who face danger--on how
to manage fear with courage.
Disarming the Enemy Within. This will be a presentation of
six distinct ways to respond to creative self-doubt and the voice of your
inner critic.
The Agony of Success and the Ecstasy of Failure. This will
be an opportunity to clarify and share views on the various meanings we
attach to artistic "success" and "failure." How do
these meanings affect our creative work and the way it feels to do it?
Exposing Yourself. Submitting, publishing, performing, or
exhibiting your creative work presents a profound challenge of
self-exposure. We'll explore the psychological roots of this challenge and
what can help us meet it.
Guide It or Ride It ? An evening devoted to the
understanding and management of the complex tension between exercising
control and letting go in the creative process.
Four Masks of Creative Struggle. Procrastination, laziness,
artist's or writer's block, lack of talent--beneath the surface of each
lies a more interesting and multi-layered process. Learn how to better
control these impostors by unmasking them.
Beauty and the Beast. What are your particular talents and
shortcomings as an artist? Which are most difficult for you to see
clearly? Explore how your artistic gifts and failings can make exciting
work together.
Dabbling in Depth. Did you ever regard art as play when you
were a child? This is a chance to recall, revive and encourage the impulse
to play as a way to enliven your work.
Artistic Alchemy. A consideration of how pain--your own,
that of others, the world's--can deepen and inspire your art and how art
can transform and redeem suffering.
Buried Treasure. Is there some project or piece of work you
would treasure, but haven't yet been able to do? Learn how a map, a
compass and a shovel could help you unearth it.
Creation and Your Family. Since we are creatures of
families, it's little wonder that our creative tendencies will reflect our
family experience. This can take the form of inspiration, inhibition,
compliance, defiance, or unique mixtures and conflicts. This evening will
give you a chance to reflect on the past and thereby perhaps untangle some
knots that keep you from reaching your full creative potential.
The Others in Your Creative Life. Partner, competitor, ally,
critic, angel, leech, wet blanket, audience, obstacle, compadré, spouse
— how do other people presently play a role in your life as an
artist or writer? Is there something you wish you had from others (or an
other) but aren't getting? Learn what you can do about it.
The Muse With a Thousand Faces. Creative inspiration can
appear from anywhere, yet also can be missing in action. We'll track the
many guises, habitats and behavior patterns of the elusive muse —
the better
to receive inspiration from a wide range of sources.
Art Is Long, But Life Is Short. From seizing the moment, to
finding time in the day, to facing the fact that your days are numbered,
artists must grapple with time problems. Share and explore ways to address
the time issues that vex you most.
Bucking the System. Do you make art for money or make money
so you have time for art? How do art, the market place and your personal
finances mix? A chance to work on the money issues that affect your
creative life.
Creative Nourishment. By reviewing your own past and
listening to others, you can gain greater clarity about what kinds of
environments, circumstances, and activities support or are toxic to your
imagination and productivity.
Inner Enemies. Everyone has them. The better you know your
inner critics, demons and despots, the less power they have over you.
We'll examine how particular negative messages and images got in our
heads, how they operate to interfere with creative work, what arouses
them now, and how they can be transformed.
Inner Allies. Everyone has them. Learn how to revive,
strengthen and mobilize sources of inner strength and support for your
creative work when confronted with your own negative voices or with
challenging circumstances.
Show and Tell. A chance to consider with others what's the
best place and time for feedback on our work. What kind of feedback is
really helpful and what kind ruinous? Learn how to control the process and
make the best use of it.
The Audience. A discussion of the desire and need for an
audience, our fantasies and fears of it, and where they come from. A look
at how, why and by whom you want your work to be received.
Stairways to the Stars. An evening devoted to examining your
artistic or writing goals and the obstacles that stand in the way of
achieving them. Also a chance to pick a particular goal and design steps
for reaching it.
Doubt and Desire. Doubts about one's abilities, one's career
prospects, or even the value and meaning of any artistic pursuit sometimes
can plague any artist or writer. We'll discuss these and seek ways to
dispel them through reconnection with our innermost sources of desire for
creative expression.
Drudgery and Delight. Successful art requires an integration
of work and play, discipline and freedom, diligent practice and unfettered
imagination. We'll look at why these requirements are complimentary, not
contradictory, and how we can better achieve the balance.
Vision and V-v-v-voice. Each artist's unique vision, each
writer's unique voice must be found in the territory beyond the examples
and judgments of others. This will be an exploration of the challenges
contained in the pursuit of artistic authenticity and the rewards for
seeking it.
Art and Soul. In the age of the blockbuster novel, movie and
art auction, it can be hard to remember that you practice art first for
it's personal, spiritual and social value. This will be a chance to share
and affirm what these values mean to you.
Solitude and Creative Community. Artistic work requires some
solitude, but social isolation can be deadly. This evening will help you
move toward a balance between your solitary work and your need for
supportive contact with other artists and writers.
But First, I Think I'll . . . Is your life what you need to
do before you get to your art or writing? Does the mere thought of
creative work bring to mind laundry, your shopping list, a snack, or the
TV Guide? If you want to better understand, confront, and manage your
tendency to be distracted from creative work, this evening is for
you--unless, of course, there are other things you need to do instead.
Artists and Writers on Craft and Creation. An inspiring and
enlightening feast of listening to and discussing the published thoughts
of artists and writers on the creative process. If you have some favorite
quotes, bring them along.
Art as Teacher, Art as Torture. Someone said that "art
is the only teacher except torture." Someone else said: "Writing
is the hardest work next to coal mining." And someone also said:
"If the oyster had hands, there would be no pearl." Tonight
we'll discuss how to make better use of the connections among art, pain,
personal limitations, and personal growth.
Ground Control to Major Tom. We sometimes have trouble
bringing glorious ideas down to Earth in the form of realized work.
Tonight we'll see what creates and fills the gap between
inspiration/intention on the one hand and execution/fulfillment on the
other. We'll also discuss how to do what it takes to bridge that gap.
Perfectly Imperfect-Part I: Good Enough for Whom?
Symbolically, whom do you try to satisfy (or refuse to satisfy) with your
work? What does it take to do it? We'll discuss perfectionism and
compulsive rebellion, standards of quality, how we come by them, and how
they both help and hurt us.
Perfectly Imperfect-Part II: Aesthetic Flaws. Do you ever
dare to gaze upon your own artistic blemishes? We'll consider how to deal
with them from several vantage points, including a number of western
artistic movements and the Japanese aesthetic philosophy known as
Wabi-Sabi.
Embarrassment of Riches. Do you sometimes have too many
ideas, too many talents, too many unfinished projects and unfulfilled
dreams? Do you ever escape one piece by jumping to another? Is that OK?
This will be a chance to consider the tensions between focus and freedom.
Change Is Good. If there were one thing you could change
about yourself or your environment as an artist or writer, what would it
be? We'll share answers to that question and look at how positive change
comes about.
Routine Magic. Most productive artists and writers have a
routine that helps them do what they want to do. Tonight we'll explore
aspects of routine and ritual that can help you be more creative and
productive.
For Meaning and Joy. Meaning in life is an abstract
construction that creative work can give one. The path to it often is
arduous and painful. Joy is an immediate feeling that creative work also
can give one, but it's often transitory and elusive. We'll talk about
these two rewards and the part each plays in your creative life.
Strengthening the Weak Spots in Your Game. Creative
satisfaction and productivity depend on a multitude of skills and talents.
This evening will give you a chance to better identify your own weak
spots, how you can work on them, and what the rewards might be.
That Bitch, Success. Consciously or not, you probably carry
around some vague definition and some images--positive and/or
frightening--of success in your own creative endeavors. We'll use this
evening to uncover these images, where they came from, and how they affect
us.
Your Art and Your Personal Myth. All of us carry powerful
guiding beliefs about the meaning and purpose of our lives, usually based
on family and societal messages. Tonight you'll have a chance to examine
your personal mythology and how it relates to your art or writing.
Taskmasters and Slouches. Too hard on yourself? Too easy on
yourself? BOTH?? This will be a look at your style of creative
self-management (how the boss within you motivates and supervises the
creative worker within you) and how you can improve it.
Feedback On Your Work. Why get it? What kind is helpful?
When should you get it? From whom? We'll discuss these questions. Then
those who wish to can share a piece or two of their work, and ask for
feedback from others in the form that suits them best. (Bring some work
with you just in case you decide to seek feedback on it.)
The Mountain So High, the Valley So Low. What are the links
between moods, mood swings and creativity? Listen to the experiences of
other artists and writers and learn about some recent research on the
issue.
Managing Disruptive Emotions. Periods of anxiety or
depression are common occupational hazards that afflict artists and
writers and interfere with their work This will be an evening devoted to
helping you better understand and manage these feelings.
Artists of a Certain Age. This will be an inter-generational
look at how we can overcome confining beliefs about youth, middle age, and
other time-of-life factors that limit our outlook as artists and writers.
A Breath of Fresh Art. An opportunity for artists and
writers to learn, share, and practice forms of meditation that can help
identify and clear blocks, reduce anxiety and other interfering emotions,
and inspire new work.
How Deep Dare I Go? We'll examine the notion that our best
work comes from our "deepest" places. We'll take a peek at what
we think lies there. We'll also ask what helps and what stops us from
entering these realms.
Art to Change the World. One of the reasons people
write and make art is to help--in however small a way--awaken, enlighten,
heal, or bring justice to the world. Here is an opportunity to discuss the
rewards and challenges of such an aspiration.
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