The creative development component of your 'Living with Decadence' holiday explores the so often misunderstood “creative process”. So many of us believe – because of the sophisticated level of most art forms and the general societal need to specialize – that creativity is the gift of but a lucky few. The truth is that we are all creative, everyday and all day long from the drawer we organize to the story we concoct to get out of a jam. If nothing else, that is what a human being is: a creative being.
This very hands-on workshop will – through entertaining game-like activities in the visual and performing arts – awaken you to the creativity you already possess. We will play with the words, sounds, movements, materials and objects that are the building blocks of any art form and, in the process, demystify “art”, exposing it for what it is: a re-organization of the stuff of life around us. As we do some of this re-organizing we will light-heartedly grapple with the “conflicts” and “limitations” that arise which keep us from trusting our instincts and enjoying what is in front of us, both here in the workshop and in our daily lives.
Over the course of the workshop you will increase your powers of observation and concentration. You will learn to enter a state of creative flow and to improvise with imagination and spontaneity. And you will create your own personally-tailored strategies for transforming negative stress into positive creative energy.
You will also be introduced to some basic skills in drawing, dance, music, drama and creative writing. If you have wanted to try your hand at an art form but feared you didn't have the talent or felt daunted by the commitment here is the perfect opportunity to get your feet wet in a relaxed and non-competitive environment. If you have no such frustrated ambitions this course simply offers you the chance to see yourself in a new light while having a very good time.
Dianne Ferrari has been guiding people from all walks of life out of the forest of creative self-doubt for over twenty years. She is a visual and performing artist, a writer and professor of arts education. She has designed and conducted teacher training and creativity development workshops for universities, public school systems and community arts programs throughout New York City and Portugal.