PHILOSOPHY

"As a creative person, there is a vitality, a life-force, an energy that is
translated through you into action. It is not your business to determine how good it is, or how valuable it is, or how it compares with other expressions."
- Martha Graham

Many highly talented people have problems balancing time, finances and personal needs, whether they're working in an artistic field or not. Writers, artists, craftspeople, performers, photographers, actors, musicians, poets and other creative people ... what do they all have in common? They take the road "less traveled". Typically, they are unconventional, divergent thinkers, and need a special kind of training and spirit-refresher in order to bring out their creative best ...

But the Creativity Squared workshops are not just for people who make a living in the arts. EVERYONE is welcome - from all walks of life. Virtually anyone with a problem that could be solved creatively (and that includes most of us) can benefit from these sessions. Whether you're a frustrated artist, a would-be writer, a wannabe musician, a talented craftsperson who has hit a brick wall, a student seeking inspiration for your latest class project, or a housewife with a hobby you'd like to expand into something more, the C² (Creativity Squared) seminar is for you.

The fact of the matter is the basic creative process is the same, no matter what kind of artistic or creative endeavor you are undertaking. And that process can be applied to solving just about any problem you may have in your everyday life:

First, there is the RECOGNITION stage, in which you have a wish to create something that doesn't exist, or solve a specific problem.

Then there's the moment of INSPIRATION when the creative bulb is turned on. It's a time in which the idea or solution to whatever challenge you may be facing is born.

Next comes the INCUBATION phase, when various options for executing the idea, or solving the problem, are cultivated and considered.

The SCAVENGER HUNT phase usually comes next, a time when you assemble the resources or materials you'll need to execute the idea.

Then there's the EXECUTION phase, when you actually create what's in your mind - or at least a reasonable facsimile.

The REVISION phase usually follows, when your concept or solution is refined and polished until you are happy with the results. (There are no completely finished creative endeavors, by the way, only abandoned ones.)

Finally, you come to the GIFT-GIVING phase, when you share the joy of your creation or problem-solving skills with the world.

Just recognizing what stage you are in the process can help you understand what you have to do next to accomplish your goals.

While we don't pretend to be experts in your field of artistic endeavor or your particular challenge, the C² (Creativity Squared) seminars can definitely help you free up your creative spirit and jog some ideas loose along the way that will help bring your initial concept to life.