Whether in painting, poetry, performance, music, dance, or life, there is an intelligence working in every situation, a force that is the primary carrier of creation. If we trust it, collaborate with it, and follow its natural movement, it will find the place we need to be, a destination we could never have known in advance. Creativity requires relaxing into periods of uncertainty and trusting that the creative intelligence, also known as the muse, will find its way. Creating involves balancing surrender and initiative; imagining involves a magic that cannot be controlled by ego.
People hunger for personal relationships with the creative spirit. This will be an experiential workshop exploring the integration of varied forms of artistic expression and ritual. Painting will be the primary focus. We'll use movement, sound, ritual, and performance to deepen our engagement with images as we paint and construct in three dimensions. One expressive medium feeds another, generating a healing, creative energy. Music and drumming help us out of our heads and into our bodies, which physically expresses our inner vision. There is a shared sense of "I didn't know I could do this. I never realized what I have inside me."
Our culture restricts creative expression to an anointed few. As children, we all created art until, in school, the identification of "talent" overshadowed universal participation. Join us to create spontaneous art again, whether or not you've made art before. Renew your childlike wonder. Let art free and heal your soul. Participants will receive an art materials list before the workshop. This very popular workshop is limited to 20, so sign up now.
Shaun McNiff, an artist and an internationally renowned figure in the creative arts therapies, is University Professor at Lesley University and President of the American Art Therapy Association. His many books include Art as Medicine: Creating a Therapy of the Imagination; and Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go. His life work is freeing the artist in every person. His visits to Rowe have been "absolutely terrific," so we keep inviting him back.