Creativity and Awareness with Dori DeCamillis

$120, supplies needed. $50 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to hold your place. Saturday, March 14, 10am – 3pm. Space is limited to 12.

Students will learn to break through artist blocks and self-criticism while savoring the joy of being creative. This day of awakening your curiosity, stretching your imagination, and welcoming self-honesty will enliven any area of your life that needs a spark.

The workshop will offer participants creative exercises in various artistic media that explore personal mind states and perspectives in a judgment-free setting. With humor and self-acceptance as touchstones, participants will explore their own mind states, both light and shadowy, to engender courage, promote self-honesty, and acknowledge the universality of human frailty. The practices will fuel creative thinking while helping to develop resilience and equanimity. The group setting enhances a collective, unifying experience that facilitates individual growth and trust.

Possible exercises will include explorations in visual arts, written word, drama, story telling, photography, and other mediums. No experience, talent, or skill necessary. Participants will probably not go home with a work of art to hang on their wall, and no one will be asked to do anything they’re not comfortable with.

Sample Projects

Play games with Without a Net Card Deck for inner exploration and group sharing
Visual Arts project: Create with various media to connect with present moment awareness
Written word: Try a fool-proof way to write a decent poem
Found object diorama: Create and photograph a telltale scene with everyday junk
Sound project: Play with sound to create an imaginary situation
Photography: Take photos that convey a state of mind
Create an action figure: With simple props make a tiny hero, villain, friend, or guardian
Movement: Perform your state of mind with expressive gestures and postures (like charades)

Please bring your camera phone, charged and with a charger.

Level 1: Beginner – This class is appropriate for beginner to advanced painters. Covers the basic techniques of the medium and offers individual assistance. No prior experience is required.