MODULE 1 : NEW BEGINNINGS

Week 1 : Creativity Journal

Week 1 is all about getting settled into the program. We’ll begin to get to know each other by introducing ourselves and sharing our goals as Artists. Week 1 is the first step in building our community of Artists that support and inspire each other – your travelling companions for the next 12 weeks!

I’ll introduce you to using a sketchbook/creativity journal. We’ll be talking about how to make one for yourself and how we’ll be using them throughout the program to deepen and strengthen the work we’ll be doing.

We’ll gather online for our first Live Coaching Session via Zoom, where I will share with you how to best prepare to get the most from the Program and you can bring your questions.

MODULE 2 : DISCOVERY

Week 2 : Creating a Play Space

This week we’ll begin to explore the inner terrain of self by engaging with the power of play and creating a safe space for ourselves that requires no outcome or result. Through specific exercises and reflective explorations we’ll be making observations and discoveries about ourselves to more clearly understand where we are at with this integral aspect of the creative process. How easily can you engage with your play space?

I’ll be sharing an interview with a guest Artist who leads workshops in this area – offering you another perspective in the aspect of play.

You’ll learn how being mindful of your inner space will allow you to surrender attachments and make more room in your creative practice for exploration in your art making. And, we’ll have some fun doing it!

We’ll share our experiences with each other, always meeting whatever arrives with compassion and curiosity.

Week 3 : The Inner Gaze

In Week 3 we’ll begin to really look at the relationship we have with ourselves and how we can bring more kindness into that most important relationship. The relationship we have with ourselves is inextricably linked to the relationship we have with our art, so we want to nurture this and get on our own side.

Through the exploratory exercise and Live Session we’ll begin to unpack the beliefs we may be holding about ourselves, and our art. When we can be honest with ourselves about our inner dialogue, we can then make changes that support the truth about who we really are, and bring that energy into our creative work.

Through support and guidance you will begin to trust that you can make the changes necessary to fully engage with your art making from a vibrant and authentic place.

MODULE 3 : LETTING GO

Week 4 : The Art of Non-Attachment

Week 4 is where we’ll begin to explore the concept of letting go in our art making. We’ll be discussing attachment and why that can prevent us from making important shifts in our work. I’ll be talking about the importance of risk in our art-making and how to best set yourself up for it by observing your unique creative cycle.

By paying close attention to our flow of energy we’ll be the curious, compassionate observers of our own processes. We’ll focus on the key areas of art making that every Artist must learn to master.

This week’s exercise is specifically geared towards illuminating just how beneficial it is to let go of parts, if not all of your painting, for the betterment of the piece. We will go on a journey that will reveal to you that creativity is an endless supply and you are always able to access the creative flow in your work. We’ll follow this up in our Live Session with some surprises!

Week 5 : Your Internal Image Maker

This week we will be travelling inwards to discover our own internal, visual language and image maker. Through accessing the visionary that lives inside of you, you’ll be able to connect with your authentic, creative expression – your unique style, your artist’s voice.

Every Artist has a voice and this week’s exercise will lead you towards accessing the place within you where that resides. You’ll get in touch with your personal vocabulary and revisit a time when this came easily to you.

It’s an exciting week to recognize just how much you have to tap into….you are an endless source of inspiration for yourself!

MODULE 4 : INSPIRATION

Week 6 : Using Influence In Your Work

In Week 6 we will focus on working effectively with the role of influence in our art-making. We’ll come to understand how it can play a positive role and help you to discover how the seeds of your own work can be found in what you’re attracted to.

I’ll be talking the concept of Imposter Syndrome and we’ll begin to touch on how to manage fear, resistance and creative blocks by paying closer attending to our thoughts and inner critic.

This week’s exercise will expand your thinking and allow you to use the role of influence to your advantage, getting a handle on comparison energy.

Week 7 : Finding Inspiration

This week’s focus is all about how we find inspiration for our art making. We’ll be talking about various methods that can help generate ideas and give you a starting place to work from, helping you to move easily into creative flow.

There will be two exercises this week – each one having you engage with inspiration in different ways. Through this work you’ll come to understand that all Artists are keen observers. We can see inspiring colour, shape and design – often in the ordinary and mundane. By staying present to what bubbles up at these times you’ll see these observations as rich ground to pull ideas and inspiration from.

MODULE 5 : STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

Week 8 : Loosening Up!

In week 8 we’ll begin working with some real tools and strategies for moving past inertia and creative blocks. This is often a challenge place for Artists especially when encountering external influences like making work for an exhibition or taking on a commission. This is when we most need a resilient, creative mindset. We’ll dive into some potent topics such as managing feelings of discomfort, and how to embrace failure in our work.

You'll be introduced to the idea of primer exercises and how you can use them – and other strategies –  to unlock yourself from the hold of fear and resistance when it inevitably arrives.

Week 9 : Moving Forward with Limitations

Continuing and building on last week’s theme, Week 9 is where we will closely observe the habits and patterns we are bringing to our art making. We'll look at what it is that's getting in our way and causing us to attach too soon. We’ll be talking about the concept of preciousness and the ways we can quickly shift ourselves out of this potential pitfall.

I'll introduce another primer exercise and we'll explore what happens for us when we bring in limitations for ourselves. We’ll continue on the path towards understanding how we can truly let go.

MODULE 6 : SELF SUPPORT

Week 10 : Owning Your Truth

Week 10 is the first in a series of weeks where we’ll be reinforcing what we are learning by reflecting on what we have come to know about ourselves, our creative process, and the mindset we need to hold in order to enrich our art practice. By gathering and creating a set of guidelines – what I like to call our ‘knowable truths’ – we’ll reinforce and integrate these new habits and understandings.

In this week’s exercise we’ll begin drafting our Creativity Manifesto. A manifesto is a powerful way to commit to the changes we are making and establish a roadmap for our future. We’ll be working together closely in these final weeks to ensure that you become your own Creativity Coach!

Week 11 : The Real Deal

In Week 11 we really start to work with what we have been learning and discovering about ourselves – practising our new habits and our new state of being. We are empowered with knowledge and awareness that now allows us to observe ourselves more easily and make the necessary shifts that will best support our engagement with our art making.

We’ve been practising moving between discernment and creative flow. We’ve learned how to move past blocks and stagnation in our work. We’ve developed methods, unique to us, that allow us to feel more at ease, more inspired and less affected by our inner critic and any external influences.

Our exercise this week brings all this together as we engage with something more challenging. While you still have the support of this Program, you’ll get to test drive your new skill set and really validate your own growth. We’ll be inviting in some external pressure to really activate our own inner coaching skills….and I’ll be here to support you along the way!

Week 12 : Ongoing Self Commitment

In our final week of the Program we’ll take stock of the journey we’ve been on together. We'll celebrate our successes, and acknowledge ourselves for the commitment we made, and are continuing to make, to ourselves and our art making.

We’ll review the foundation and structure that you’ve built for yourself and put together our Action Plan for how we’ll continue to support and nurture our creative mindset beyond the time of this program.

Our final exercise this week will really help you to cement the core ideas, incorporating them into your thinking and actions, allowing you to feel confident that you have mastery over your mindset...and we’ll celebrate our radical self-acceptance.