"Don't ask what the world needs. 
Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. 
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
--Howard Thurman, minister, educator, civil rights leader

Investing In the Most Important Part of Yourself

Doctor.  Lawyer. Indian Chief.  Parent.  Engineer. Stock Broker.  Librarian.
Everyone needs creativity!

Being creative is about getting out of your head, being in charge, carving out space in the world, having influence, making noise, and being yourself.  It's scary and exciting.  No two people do it exactly the same way.  It's about transcending your internal backlash--those defenses inside each of us that once helped us to survive but now do us in as we try to thrive.  It's about tapping into the mysterious flow of the universe.  It's a permission slip to take baby steps toward your dreams.

Dare to investigate, pursue, and realize your innate and unique potential!  You're a grown up!  You get to choose that for yourself.  You would pay $300 or more for a root canal or a car repair.  Why not invest in your creativity?

"Courting the Muse" is more than an art class because it addresses the inner work of creating.  It is a place to find the most important part of yourself, and perhaps, to be changed forever.  Connecting with your creativity--a part of you that may have been sidelined and/or silenced by the "demands" of your life--means fewer obstacles, more fun, and more success realizing projects and ideas.

Topics Covered (A Sketch)

Meeting One:  Your Identity As An Artist
Meeting Two:  "Success"
Meeting Three: Self-Care for Artists
Meeting Four:  Teams and Tribes
Meeting Five:  Creativity as a Spiritual Path
Meeting Six:  Big, Bold, Crazy Dreams

Agenda for Meetings (subject to tweaking as needed)

Check In (Timed Writing Exercise)
Sharing
Introduction of Meeting Topic
Make
Share What You Make
Discuss
Wrap-Up and Homework Assignments

What's a Scrapbook?

It's all yours:  a place to dream, to delve, to play.  Your scrapbook is where you meet yourself, 15-30 minutes at a time.  You can "scrap" about an event, a feeling, an image, or an idea.  All you need is a glue stick, and you're off!  Take a seemingly small moment and show it as the most pivotal instant of your creative life.  Create a visual "trail of crumbs" back to the precise spot where you last saw yourself.  You get to be your own biographer, and if anyone doesn't like it?  Perfect!  Make a new page about it!  See some examples on the Photos page.