June 26 - July 3, 2012

Creativity Workshop in Crete

Program Overview

Our Workshop in Crete will take place near the cafe-lined harbor of old Chania, Crete's most picturesque town. We will meet approximately 3½ hours per day and the rest of the time is yours to explore this magical Greek town by the sea. Many of Chania's buildings date from the days when Crete was under Venetian and Ottoman rule. There are beautiful, sandy beaches only a fifteen minute walk away. The fascinating Minoan Palace of Knossos, the mythical home of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth and matriarchal culture, is only 2 hours drive away. Chania still has many traditional artisans, specializing in rug-making, boot-making, and gold and silver jewelry.

What will you learn?

The exercises and talks by the instructors will focus on ways to:

Learn practical techniques to stimulate creativity, imagination, and innovative thinking
Get over creative blocks, writers block, and paralyzing self criticism
Find new sources of inspiration in everyday life

Daily Schedule

Here is a sampling of just some of the exercises and techniques we will be working with in class. Participants tell us the time in workshop seems to fly by. The order and kinds of exercises and the instructors' talks may vary. Some exercises are done individually while others are collaborative.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012: Arrival. Free day

Time for you to settle in and relax.

Wednesday, June 27: First day of workshop

Introduction to the hows and whys of the Creativity Workshop. Exercises in relaxation technique and guided visualization.
Relaxation: Exercises in relaxation techniques to help your imagination flow.
Guided Visualization: Calling forth the vocabulary of your imagination using the myth of the hero's journey as a framework.
Automatic Drawing: Finding your hidden imagery,
Show and Tell: Retrieving and sharing childhood memories to spark new ideas. This exercise will sharpen your storytelling skills.
Instructors' talk: How some famous writers, scientists, and artists found their inspiration, and how you can use some of their methods to find yours.

More on Daily Schedule

Thursday, June 28:

Relaxation.
Guided Visualization: Map-making as a way to find, chart, and communicate your creative process and projects.
Automatic Writing: How automatic writing (also known as “free writing”) can help you create in new and surprising ways. How you can use automatic writing to outrun your inner judge, get over creative blocks and discover new ways of developing and editing written work. How alternating between writing and drawing can help you develop creative flexibility and mind dexterity.
The Interview: Listening to and experiencing a life outside your own. How listening is as important as doing in creative work.

Friday, June 29:

Guided visualization: Letter writing as a way to express voice, character and audience.
Miniature Theatre: Storytelling with found objects.
Automatic Writing: Writing in Groups. How writing and/or drawing with others can stimulate your imagination and expand your point of view.

Instructors' talks may include:

The importance of play in creative work
Valuing creative process over product
How to do on-going creative work in short modules of time
How to use luck and coincidence to jump start creative projects

Saturday, June 30:

Guided Visualization: The Myth of the Other. Imagining yourself living a parallel life. What would you do that you aren?t doing now?
Trips to the Past: Using a foreign environment to invoke memory and inspire transformation.
The Close-Up: Using photography and drawing to focus on details and change the way we see.
Instructors' talks may include:

Following your innate creativity and listening to its intuition
How to rekindle fearless imagination
The Power of the Magic phrase: “What If”

Sunday, July 1:

Guided Visualization: The Legend of the Hand.
Automatic Drawing and Writing continues with a new twist.
Cafe exercise: Writing, drawing, photographing people you find in local cafes.
The Illuminated Manuscript: A collaborative exercise in combining mediums and perspectives.
Instructors' talk may include:

The Gift of the Amateur
Creativity is a Muscle: Use it or Lose it
Making your home and work environments inspiring
How to stay creative after the Creativity Workshop ends

NOTE: There are no classes on the final day of the workshop. This day is free for participants to put to active use the various techniques learned in the workshop by exploring the cultural, historical and natural riches of each location and its people.

Excursions are not included or arranged.

Monday, July 2: Free day - Suggested visit:

Trip to Knossos, the mythical home of the Minotaur of the Labyrinth.
Trip to Samarian Gorge (for those who enjoy trekking).
Or Trip to the interior of Crete and its mountain villages and monasteries.

Tuesday, July 3: Departure

Tuition and accommodations packages

Our tuition and accommodation packages include a wide range of possibilities.

PRIVATE ROOM (2 stars): $1,950
This package includes tuition, 7 nights hotel (with A/C) and breakfast in a private room with private bath at Hotel Porto del Colombo (2 stars).

PRIVATE ROOM (3 stars): $2,200
This package includes tuition, 7 nights hotel (with A/C) and breakfast in a private room with private bath at Hotel Samaria (3 stars). Hotel Samaria is in the center of the city this is also where our classes are to be held. It is a 15 minute walk from the old harbor and our other accommodations.

PRIVATE ROOM (3 stars): $2,550
This package includes tuition, 7 nights hotel (with A/C) and breakfast in a private room with private bath at Hotel Porto Veneziano (3 stars). Hotel Porto Veneziano is a 20-minute walk to the classroom.

We have special hotel prices for participants bringing a spouse, friend or family members. Check with us for details and pricing.

TUITION ONLY: You can register for the Creativity Workshop and make your own housing arrangements. Check with us for details and pricing.

To reserve your place: we require a non-refundable $50 deposit.
To secure your place after February 15: you need to pay a deposit of $450.
After April 1: full payment is required.

By registering you agree with our Terms and Conditions.

The Creativity Workshop will take place at Hotel Samaria (3 stars).

NOTES

1- We cannot guarantee the quality, cooling level, or functioning of the hotels' air conditioning. Air conditioning in Europe is seldom up to American standards of cool.
2- European hotel rooms tend to be smaller than American ones.

EARLY REGISTRATION PROMOTION

$100 off early registration if you register by December 15, 2011 (Prague and Dubai workshops), and by January 15, 2012 (Crete, Barcelona, Provence and Florence workshops).

DISCOUNTS

$500 off for participants taking the workshop for the third time or more.
$300 off for participants taking the workshop for the second time.
$150 off each participant for groups of 4 people or more registering together. (Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence and Florence workshops only).
$100 off Bring a friend to one of our Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence or Florence workshops and get $100 off.
$100 off each participant for groups of 3 people registering together. (Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence and Florence workshops only).
$50 off each participant for groups of 2 people registering together. (Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence and Florence workshops only).

Share a double room with another workshop participant and save on the package price.
Special offers and discounts cannot be combined.

Special offers and discounts cannot be combined.

Spouses/companions who would like to travel with their partners but do not want to attend the workshop may share a room for an additional fee.
Vacancies are limited and hotel rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. We encourage early registration in order to obtain the level of accommodations you seek.

By registering you agree with our Terms and Conditions.

“A perfect blend of relaxation and stimulation. The assignments fostered discovery and creativity, yet left us plenty of time to enjoy the wonders of Crete. I came away from the workshop with an array of techniques that I can call upon to encourage my creativity.”

Patricia Lancaster, Ph.D. Dean Emerita of the Hamilton Holt School and Professor Emerita of French, Rollins College, FL

Upcoming Workshops
2012

New York March 16 - 19
Prague March 24 - 30
Dubai April 4 - 10
New York June 8 - 11
Crete June 26 - July 3
Barcelona July 5 - 12
Provence July 15 - 22
Florence July 24 - 31
New York August 17 - 20

On-Site Training
Personal Mentoring
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“This was my fourth time taking the Creativity Workshop, and every time it has been different and special. These workshops have helped me transform my life.”

Kelly Hevel, Pfizer Project Manager, currently Ex-pat Business Consultant, Istanbul, Turkey

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Creativity Workshop Return to top Register Now

Creativity Workshop in Crete

Program Overview

What will you learn?

Daily Schedule

Tuition and accommodations packages

Jumpstart your Creativityin just 15 minutes a day

About Us

Special Information

Take a Workshop

On-Site Training

Testimonials

Pricing

Register

Contact us

Jumpstart your Creativity
in just 15 minutes a day