Education and the Arts
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Education and the Arts

I cannot tell you how inspiring your workshop was on a number of levels!
I continue to draw inspiration from those few days!
Deborah B. Reeve, Ed. D., Deputy Executive Director, National Association of Elementary School Principals, Washington, D.C.

The Creativity Workshop in Crete was a perfect blend of relaxation and stimulation. It was delightful to wake up each day in the beautiful town of Chania and look forward exercises that freed the imagination and refreshed the spirit. Shelley and Alejandro are talented teachers as well as talented artists. They gave us enough assignments to foster discovery and creativity, yet left us plenty of time to enjoy the natural and archeological wonders of Crete. I came away from the workshop with a sense of renewal and an array of techniques that I can call upon to encourage my imagination and creativity.
Patricia Lancaster, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida

Thank you for the great, great inspiration and fun of the Creativity Workshop. It helped me get a whole screenplay done during a trip to Mexico afterwards. It was great for me and my students. I don't think I've ever seen them so happy.
Doris Doerrie, Filmmaker, Professor, Munich Film School, Germany

The creativity workshops have not been just summer experiences for me (I've taken them twice!). Rather, they have become for me a precious part of the on-going tapestry that we weave in this journey called life. And, in deep, deep winter I am warmed by your exercises in visualizations, 'free drawing', photos of nature in the midst of a thriving city, and the memories of our collective stories shared by all.
Alice Daum Coen, Educator/Administrator, Hartford County, Maryland Public Schools

To be in an atmosphere that nurtures and supports the artistic process in safety and joyfulness is a gift. Our instructors led us through various exercises that were sometimes playful, somber, humorous, and/or magical. Storytelling as we wrote, colored, dreamed, and meditated as we deepened in the doing of the process. I found power in the "doing" and a safe place to be in an atmosphere of deep respect and creative energy with affection and warmth that circulated in the air. This is only a small instance of what the Creativity Workshop offers.
Lee Anne Fahey, Award Winning Actress and Writer, New York City

A retired school administrator and aspiring novelist, I completed the Creativity Workshop in Florence with a profound sense of admiration for its two exceptional leaders. As a former educator, I was impressed by Shelley and Alejandro's talent to reach into their bottomless bag of tricks and present the participants with an unending array of mind-stretching--and at times even body stretching--exercises. I particularly admired their ability to connect people, ideas, and techniques seamlessly. The two of them exude a naturally warm and caring demeanor from the moment they enter the room, and the nurturing ambiance they provide encourages everyone's imagination to blossom. How could imagination not thrive with two such superb teachers? As an aspiring writer, I enjoyed not only the heartfelt words of encouragement I received from Shelley and Alejandro, but also the specific approaches to creativity they presented to all of us again and again, each day enhancing, honing, and expanding a variety of skills that force us to develop a fresh vision of the world around us. The sessions last three and a half hours each, and yet they appear to fly by much too quickly, leaving us yearning for more: more of the camaraderie that develops among a disparate group of people of all ages and from all parts of the world; more of the activities that tap into yet unexplored areas of our individual and collective imagination; and, most important, more of Shelley and Alejandro's unique brand of teaching the art of being creative, a daunting task for others perhaps, but not for these two who succeed astonishingly well in their mission.
Lad Goldberger, Assistant Principal (retired), South Huntington Schools, Long Island, New York and novelist, Delray Beach, Florida.

The Creativity Workshop provided the perfect focus for my travel in Greece. The assignments brought the Crete environment and culture into sharper focus during the afternoons of exploration. When writing and drawing during the morning classes, I felt another culture's sensibilities emerging in my thoughts and feelings. There are many ideas I brought home with me from the workshop - ideas for the classroom, ideas for my own writing - and these ideas have swirled around my head all summer long.  The thing that works so well in the Creativity Workshop is the instructors’ commitment to understanding and explaining the purposes of each activity. It is very nice to return home with lots of notes and ideas but, better than that, I returned home inspired by the passion, intellect, and integrity of Shelley and Alejandro.
Courtney Reid, Writer and Assistant Professor of English, Adirondack Community College, Saratoga Springs, New York

The instructors were like wizards to us participants. They were focused only on us and our imaginations.  With the supportive and creative environment they created, their knowledge and various techniques presented and our basic tools of pencil and paper, they helped us re-awaken our imaginative powers. They raised my consciousness about how important it is to exercise the imagination.  After the workshop, I had another week to explore Dublin and the surrounding area with my newly 'toned' imagination. I hiked in the Wicklow mountains and I saw the radiance of its beauty even more so, I believe, because my imagination was more engaged after the workshop. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who, even on a very basic level, wants to feel more alive.
Kathleen O'Neill, ELL Teacher to Adults, Carver-Scott Educational Coop, St. Paul, Minnesota

Florence was a gorgeous site for the workshop, full of everything to fill the senses! My workshop leader, Kirpal Singh, was so warm and friendly. Working with partners was an interesting experience. It was wonderful to meet people from around the world and share our thoughts and feelings in our writings and drawings. Thank you for allowing me to participate in such a life long memory.
Susan Hassler, Teacher, Morris Brandon Elementary, Atlanta, Georgia.

I am glad to say that I still do my 20-minute creativity exercises daily. Your workshop really enriched my life. I am using your visualization exercises with the 200 children I work with weekly and with my own creativity activities. I’m glad to tell you that your workshop is touching the lives of many, many people here in South Africa. My dream is to attend another of your workshops, in another country because I do believe that the newness of ones surroundings is playing a magical role in ones own perception of creativity.
Lanette Breedt, Artist and Teacher, Gauteng, South Africa

I encourage other educational leaders to attend the Creativity Workshop, and to do so with fellow school administrators. I found sharing ideas and perceptions during the Workshop with two of my colleagues who also attended to be very helpful. I believe it will help us be supportive of each other during the school year. As an elementary school principal, one is responsible for the implementation of new curriculum and instructional strategies. As a Creativity Workshop participant, I found the Workshop experience enlightening for my professional understanding of self-expression, and personal creativity journey. Most importantly, the workshop enhanced my understanding of the writing process, and how to reach one's inner thoughts, I believe will enable me to be stronger instructional leader.
AnnaMarie Erbes, Principal, St. Paul Public School District, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The workshop was an inspirational connection with body and soul. Through the exercises, one was encouraged to engage with the inner space of one's life. Through dreams and mindfulness, you gently moved us to see in a new way. I never would have experienced Florence, so thoroughly, so awake without your gifts. I am so grateful to have been a part of such an elegant, kind, soulful and intellectual group. Imagination is a very delicate, delicious form of communication.  You gave us back our delicate sensibilities for those moments.
Joanna Reed, Professor, Sussex County Community College, Newton, New Jersey

Thank you so much for helping me to clarify and name so many things about myself that I might never have discovered had I not been prompted by your workshop! The most important thing I think is that I don't need a huge block of time to make art! I've decided to carve out at least 30 minutes a day. I also found it valuable to know it's O. K. to just forge ahead. It's O. K. to fail, just do it and keep going. It was incredibly motivating too to be surrounded by so much art and architecture.
Janette Danielson, Art Teacher, Beaufort Academy, Beaufort, South Carolina

After the Creativity Workshop, I was amazed to go back and read some of what I wrote as the direct result of the relaxation activities! I also learned was to pay more attention to my surroundings. Your observation exercise: Doors and Windows of Florence had me noticing all sorts of new things. In the past my rolls of film might have been filled with the typical pictures of the Duomo, or a famous statue. While some of that is still there, I've also captured on film, or in writing, or simply in my memory, images of the delicate turn of a leaf, the petals of a hydrangea on a terra cotta terrace, and the contrast of a freshly fallen lemon on a bed of grass. Finally, the most valuable (though perhaps the hardest) lesson for me was to learn the value of sharing my ideas and work with others. I tend to be quiet and withdrawn for the most part, and most of my paintings and writing don't go beyond my own eyes. I loved the safety that I found by having a group surrounding me that were all open to finding the positive in my work or offering up helpful suggestions.
Heidi Lang, Teacher, Falls Church City Public Schools, Falls Church, Virginia

Combining a focus on place (Chania, Crete) with an exploration of our personal journey helped deepen reflection in a short space of time. The well thought out exercises help participants sift through the surface layers quickly and get to what matters. The instructors do not waste any class time and set a delightful tone of reflective and playful practice. Each exercise was relevant to my own classrooms so the workshop is very useful. But what was most valuable to me was how engaging the workshop was for my own imaginative work, the very work that will support my own writing and how I pay attention to and engage the world.
Cheryl Johnson, College Teacher, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

The workshop was wonderful. I left not only feeling a renewal of my creative spirit, but like my soul had been restored as well. I was so pleased with my own experience, that I brought some of the workshop exercises into my senior thesis writing class. The students LOVED them, and their writing was far better than students' work in previous classes.
Pamela Perry, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz

The Workshop was exactly what I needed to reclaim the writer in me. Over the years, I've traveled to participate in a number of writing and creativity workshops. It isn't often that a trip or a workshop meets all of one's expectations. But my ten-day sojourn to Crete to attend the Creativity Workshop did, and then some. As a writer (and teacher of writing), I needed to re-tap into my creativity for my own writing, which had been taking second place to the small publishing house I had recently started. I immediately responded to the relaxed yet structured workshop sessions, which lent themselves to connecting with other participants. Whether it was an individual exercise to tap into childhood memories or pairing up with one, two, or three other participants, we dug deeper into ourselves to reach our creative spirits. The three-and-a-half-hour sessions sped by. We were free to do what we wanted the rest of the day, along with one or two engaging assignments. We often met up with one another. The last two days we were on our own to explore Crete.
Hanna Fox, Writer, Teacher, Publisher, Red Hummingbird Press , Princeton, New Jersey

My 17-year-old grand-daughter, Jolissa, was very pleased with the time spent in the Creativity Workshop. She also enjoyed being able to participant in it with her Grandma Barbara. Everything was well planned and carried out in the workshop. The ambience was set at the very beginning with easy and restful exercises. Further exercises stimulated the imagination in some new and in some familiar ways.
It was especially nice to hear the philosophy expressed: "Creativity is a Journey, rather than a Goal." Learning is a Process, not a Product."
Barbara Hansen Epplett, Professor of Organ, Emeritus, University of Oregon

I wanted to tell you how much I loved attending the Workshops back to back, first in Aix, then in Barcelona (4 Creativity Workshops over 2 summers)! The workshops strengthened the practice of using my imagination and my confidence that creativity was available to me if I gave myself the time, the quiet and the witnessing that I found it deserved. Now I am studying how the creative process relates to self-expression, particularly in the lives of women. I have you to thank, in large part, for putting me on this path. I don't think that I would have believed that fostering creativity in individuals and in communities was something that I could do or even that it was something of real value, if I hadn't had the affirming experience of your workshop, where these things are valued.
Pamela Boll, Writer and Painter. Producer of Oscar Winning Documentary "Born in Brothels", Boston

The workshop itself is a life-altering experience, changing our world from within, in order to change our perception of the world around us. The lessons of the workshop gave us permission to stop rushing from one thing to another, while the moment at hand slipped away unnoticed. It was a chance to experiment, explore, evaluate and learn from fellow participants, too. I returned home with many gifts, none of which needed suitcase space or a customs declaration: a renewed energy for taking creative chances; a stronger vision of possibilities and options; a pocketful of tricks to renew the creative spirit when too much "life" interferes. What great luck it is that the Creativity Workshop does not have to be a "once in a lifetime" experience!
Marilyn Landis, Educational Consultant for Deaf and Special Needs Children, Music Specialist for Hearing Impaired Children, Hearsay, South Euclid, Ohio

The Creativity Workshop may be captured in one word— Imagination! Each morning in Barcelona, we awoke to blue, sunny skies and a warm Mediterranean breeze. We spread out with our journals and colored pencils near by, and then, lulled by the cadence of our instructor’s musical voice, we switched off the editor in our heads and set out to capture lost dreams. For three hours each day, we wrote and drew “automatically” without fear or self-doubt, and listened to the stories of new friends. Absolutely amazing things happen when you take flight at the Creativity Workshop. You will return to earth, magically transformed.
Lalita Noronha, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Biology Teacher, Fiction Editor of The Baltimore Review, Author of “Where Monsoons Cry”, Baltimore

Since I've been back, I've been telling everyone about the Creativity Workshop, and they all say "It sounds like you had a great time." Which I did. But it was so much more than that. It changed my life. Freed my imagination. Awakened a longing in my heart to create that usually gets ignored in my ordinary busy life. I saw others of my classmates come alive, too. When a fellow participant said to me: "For the first time in a long time I feel joy," I knew it wasn't just me who had been transformed. It was a magical experience. One that will stay with me forever.
Rondi Aastrup, Principal, Greater Boston Academy, Stoneham, Massachusetts

The Creativity Workshop helped our actors and writers to develop their professional creativity from a new and original aspect. This workshop helped us to find different perspectives of how to increase our creativity and cultural focus in a very nurturing atmosphere.
Xavier Cifre, Producciones Xavier Cifre, Inc. -
Productora Nacional de Teatro, Inc.,
San Juan, Puerto Rico

As a writer, I have to say the workshop stands as a crucial juncture in my work. The instructors were excellent guides to finding one's buried or stifled creativity, coaxing it out with intriguing assignments in art and writing, and teaching us to relax and let go of the various "blocks" Being on a Greek island in a lovely ancient town meant there was inspiration at every turn, and the other participants--writers, advertising executives, teachers, artists, poets--were especially interesting and intelligent companions in this enriching experience.
Mary Cross, Ph.D., Former Dean and Professor Emerita, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Morris County, New Jersey

I am an elementary school principal who had completed her doctoral program and was very tired of detail writing. The Creativity Workshop was a chance to use the colorful pieces of my life story, appreciate their value, and put together those individual gems to build a bigger picture. It wasn't about statistics and making sense, it was about another type of journey. Friendships were quickly made and bonds of common history created a living patchwork of experience. I was surprised by how easily Shelly and Alejandro could tap into distant days and bring them into a present focus. Each day as I walked to class, I looked forward to the new treasures my mind would unearth.
Dr. Drucilla Clark, Principal, Lakeview Elementary School, Denville, New Jersey

I was amazed at how the Creativity Workshop techniques led me to tap a wellspring of experiences, ideas, and inspirations. The Creativity workshop gave me the keys, and urged me to continue the discipline that will prod the unconscious to manifest it's work - to delight, shock, and inspire me to write.
Cora A. Gaabucayan, PH.D., Head of School, Montessori West, Litchfield Park, Arizona

The Creativity Workshop is a practical workshop that will surely inspire The imaginative journey back to first memories, the symbolic associations between memory and life, and the wonderfully visual aspects of the course are just some of its highlights. Shelley and Alejandro are skilled guides with a talent for tapping the emotive and creative founts in all participants.
Chandani Lokuge, Author, Director, Centre for Postcolonial Writing, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.

Shelley and Alejandro are truly masters of creativity exploration. They guide you on a most amazing journey of yourself. Under Shelley and Alejandro's skillful navigation, the cramped, stress-laden adult attitudes that you arrive with seem to melt away . They are replaced with the precious gift of childlike wonder for the world and all she holds. Next, your mind and your heart open up to be filled with incredible thoughts and feelings, There seems to be no end to your imagination, and your creative self spills out with a giggle. Oh, what joy to feel the beauty of the world and to honor your own creative self!
Sheri Matascik, Composer, Associate Professor of Music, Maryville College, Tennessee

The workshop helped me to determine the elements I need to have in my life for me to continue to be a successful creative thinker. As principal of an elementary school I have been able to put together enough the workshop’s material to last this next year as I teach my staff the skills of being a more creative thinker and, in turn, they will teach the students.
Lee Koran, Principal, St. Patrick Fine Arts Elementary School, Alberta, Canada

I will cherish my 10 days at The Creativity Workshop for a lifetime. Through automatic writing and drawing, developing stories in cafes, and working collaboratively with classmates, inspiration unfolded in ways I never imagined. The exercises were a beautiful reflection of the artistic way of living. They taught me to honor who I am as a writer and how to make time for creativity in my daily life at home after the workshop.
Stephanie Merrill, Writer, New York City

The setting in Chania was extremely conducive to creativity: a meeting room small enough to allow for easy communication while nearby tavernas offered space to sit and explore assignments with other participants. The curriculum was structured so that one did what one wanted and omitted what one didn't want. Instructors gave broad directions and were encouraging and helpful without being insistent, leading to lots of freedom to explore, imagine, and create. Making new friends, with lasting connections, was the icing on the cake of this Creativity Workshop.
Ronald Naylor, Librarian, Soddy Daisy,Tennessee

I produced as much poetry in ten days in Chania as I did in a month in a conventional poetry workshop. The primary difference was the ease of creation and the fun I experienced in the Creativity Workshop, and I also saved time and money. The emphasis on ‘In process’ works really helped me. I also enjoyed the company of my husband in this workshop; he isn't a poet and wouldn’t normally attend a poetry workshop. The multi-genre/arts approach has many benefits to this end.
Sally Naylor; Poet and English Teacher, Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee

I thought long and hard before deciding to commit the time and money to attend
a 10-day Creativity Workshop in France, but it turned out to be one of the best investments of my life. Every hour brought fresh insights, ideas, and inspirations for both professional and personal development. I'm still drawing from the wealth of stimulation that I received and I expect to do so indefinitely. Will I return for another Creativity Workshop in the future? Absolutely! I would recommend this experience to anyone.
Laura Fasick, Professor, Minnesota State University, Moorhead

I wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoyed the workshop. It was incredible. The exercises and your encouragement were wonderful. But, more importantly, your sensitivity and perceptivity in regard to others and the human condition is unbelievable. I wish I knew 10 more of you!
Neil H. Schwartz, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, California State University, Chico

When I got home after your workshop in Prague, so many people said to me: "How was your workshop? You look so alive, so happy, so fresh!" That’s exactly how I feel. I realize that there will be blocks at times, but I feel a freedom that I have NEVER felt before. The two of you, your gentle, kind manner, your way of making everyone feel so comfortable...you have a real gift to share with others. I only wish that more people could experience what you have to offer. Not only are you artists, but you give of yourselves in a way that is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for touching my soul, and helping me see butterflies, birds, flowers, colors; for helping me soar and feel like singing and writing and dancing.
Dianne Stuckey, Teacher, American School of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Creativity Workshop gave us time to breath--time to think--time to be with
others who crave writing and art as we do. For both of us, it was rejuvenation for our next years of teaching. Thanks for the opportunity to integrate our feelings and our talents in most powerful ways.
Margaret Hill, Professor of Language and Literacy and Greater Houston Area Writing Project Director, University of Houston, Texas

An exceptional choice of location, (Paris) + an intelligently conceived program + a pair of talented teachers of complementary expertise who have a knack for being present when guidance is needed and absent when the students are involved in their writing or drawing + a diverse bunch of interesting people all bent to develop a side of them that is all too often ignored = a successful and deeply enriching common experience. This seasoned teacher left the workshop with a sizable bag of useful ideas to motivate her students to write more and better, a sketchbook full of essays for herself and a bunch of sweet and fun memories. I give this course an A.
Nicole Fandel, Teacher of French, Concord Academy, Acton, Massachusetts

One of the qualities of a meaningful experience is that it grows in depth and positive regard as time goes on. That is how I feel about this workshop.
Daniel Lamken, Teacher Teacher, American School of Prague, Czech Republic

This is my third workshop coming up and I can't wait! Shelley and Alejandro ever so gently are able to get us fellow travelers into a discovery mode that submerges us deeply into the experience of our very own creativity. They are magicians!
Carroll Blue, Writer and Professor, School of Communications, San Diego State University

Crossing paths with Shelley, Alejandro, and most of those attending the workshop in Florence will remain etched in my psyche as one of the most wonderful, rejuvenating, nurturing, enlightening, relaxing, growth-inducing, experiences of my life. Their style of allowing their student's creativity to blossom was heart-warming, to say the very least, and their skillful encouragement will not only remain appreciated for years to come, but will be borrowed with gratitude when I use them in my own classes, even though I teach hard core science.
Mohey Mowafy, Ph.D., RD, CNS, CEDS, Professor and Director of Clinical Dietetics, Department of HPER, Northern Michigan University

I taught a creative writing class yesterday afternoon and felt a new confidence after the summer's Creativity Workshop. I was much more in control and more confident of what I was doing and saying. My students seem more excited about their work using your exercises. I feel that in several months time I shall still be doing and saying things that echo what we covered in your wonderful workshop.
Noel Shepherd, Creative Writing Teacher, grades 5 and 6, Washington International School

The greatest gift I received from the workshop was to learn in a different
way. We took time to focus, experiment with different media and take risks. I have used so many of the ideas and exercises from this workshop with my own students.
Joyce Standing, Teacher, Overlake School, WA

This workshop challenged my assumptions of the concepts of "time" and "memory" and gave me a new way of "seeing" and interacting with my images. This workshop has transformed my art and teaching. It is a gift that I treasure and at every opportunity share with my students.
Savneet Talwar, Artist, Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University

The Creativity Workshop in Florence was two weeks in Paradise. I wrote the first chapter of a first novel, and opened a new door in my creative life. I'm still in touch with friends I made there. An unforgettable experience!
Lowry Marshall, Acting and Directing Teacher, Playwright, Dramaturg, Brown University

I came back so energized and excited about the prospect of really creating something. Thank you so much for your encouragement and sharing so generously of yourselves.
Kathleen A. Paris, Ph.D., Sr. Consultant, Services for Planning & Improvement, Office of Quality Improvement, University of Wisconsin at Madison

The Creativity Workshop in Italy has been a very special experience for me. It opened up new ways to look at my work and I found new friendships. The instruction is superb!
Vera Eisenberg, Painter, Buenos Aires, Argentina

I found the workshop extremely valuable in generating awareness of my creativity and in stimulating ideas.
Jeanne Arthur, Executive Officer, ACT Board of Secondary School Studies, Australia

Our only tools were an artist’s pad with unlined paper for writing or drawing, a lead pencil, pen and colored pencils. Writing became effortless, seamless, an outpouring from the heart. One of the biggest surprises was the effect of drawing on my work and life. I’m one of those non- drawing people, but as I sketched (poorly, of course), it helped me to see more and more and I realized that there was really no end to seeing. Some of the group had taken the workshop 3 and even 4 times before. Everyone jumped in wholeheartedly and we supported each other’s undertakings. The workshop was a wonderful celebration of our individual possibilities, coupled with tools for jump-starting writing or any artistic endeavor. Everything the instructors gently poured into our receptive hearts continues to resonate. I've finished a play I've been playing hide-go-seek with for two years. I can’t wait to take the workshop again. It is food for life.
Stephanie Satie, Actress and Playwright, Los Angeles

In the Creativity Workshop, I found a place to dream, to question, to understand. I strongly believe that we should fearlessly guard such spaces and ensure that they remain a part of this university. The Creativity Workshop and Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel’s teaching are invaluable assets to the University of Iowa.
Evan Mazunik, Student, University of Iowa

Whenever I feel blocked, I go back to a lot of the techniques I learned in the Creativity Workshop. It was a great atmosphere for a class, where you felt that you were free to create and not worry about judging your work. I tremendously value the Workshop. Its teachers understand something that many people only have vague ideas about -- how to encourage creativity.
Jerry Abejo, Student, University of Iowa

I was blocked until I took this course.The Creativity Workshop is amazing in that it breaks down all your fears about thinking and writing. If it wasn't for this class I fear I never would have finished my master's thesis.
Francesca Salidu, Ph.D. candidate in Shakespeare, University of Pisa, Italy

The experience of taking the Workshop in Prague two years ago feels like yesterday -- it is that close to me. The Workshop has and continues to have a huge impact on me and my work.
Paulette Laufer, Playwright and Theatre Manager, Kennedy Center for the Arts, Washington, D.C.

The Creativity Workshop provides a unique opportunity for persons of many different ages to make transitions in their lives. The artist-teachers empower individuals by stimulating reflection, remembrances, interactions, and by drawing upon the well-springs of creative energy deep inside each of us. Using the psychology of Carl Jung and examples of artists/writers of many periods, they help participants to see anew, rather than by teaching writing, drawing, or painting. These teachers provide a safe space and time with warm support for inner exploration so lacking in today’s hectic world.
Janine C. Edwards, Ph.D., Teacher/Researcher
Texas A & M University System

As a practicing visual artist, I came to the workshop desiring to develop my writing skills. I was looking for practical, but creative exercises I could use outside of the idyllic conditions workshops offer. I was not disappointed! The visualization exercises, and the daily observational writings were creative, practical and transferable to any situation. I left with many ideas for personal short stories and am happy to say have made time to write everyday!
Robert Davis, Art Instructor, Shanghai American School, China

I had a wonderful time and would love to attend another workshop, either in Europe again or when I eventually travel to the States. I found the techniques presented very useful and will continue to use them in my creative journey.
Donna Reed-Harrison, Administration Officer, Clarkson, Australia

A new self-awareness came to light for me during the workshop, a realization that the creative and personal issues of my life were not there by accident, that they were in fact central to my growth as an individual and an artist. I reached this awareness primarily due to the workshop exercises involving our unique interaction with the city of Prague. The tactility of experience shifts your perceptions: stare at a castle door, trace the contours on a statue that's been there waiting for you since the 1500s, rub your palm on a seven-hundred-year-old cornerstone. You shudder and creative possibilities come forth riding on the back of personal issues--you connect with history--your own, the wider world's, and with the craftsmen of centuries past. What was remote has become intimate, and your view of yourself and your perception of the past, present and future is amplified.
Stephen Bracco, Freelance Writer, Novelist, Copy Editor, Brooklyn, New York

The enjoyment of spontaneity gave energy.
So many ideas in my head, so many possibilities which made me so aware. Achieving results in a playful way - what a wonderful experience. I believe now in my imagination! Thank you.
Claudine Merkel, Dancer/Choreographer, Münster, Germany

I liken Shelley and Alejandro to Pied Pipers, leading workshop participants along a path of creativity that opens both inner and outer worlds to an extreme new awareness. The workshop in Barcelona was interesting on a professional level as well as fully rejuvenating on a personal level. Shelley and Alejandro are trustworthy guides on the varied paths being traveled by the workshop participants. The workshop will charm you, challenge you, and refresh the very way you approach your work and daily living.
Diana Matteson, Art Therapist, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

The Creativity Workshop ranks easily with the greatest experiences of my life. I was actually quite overwhelmed by the nurturing aspect of Shelley's and Alejandro's teaching. As a teacher myself, this is exactly the type of impact I wish to have on my students - the sort of gentle encouragement that empowers learners to experience a genuine sense of achievement. The creative activities we covered over the four days were some of the most challenging tasks I have ever attempted; if you want to be pushed to the very edge of your creative limits, then this workshop will deliver. I traveled from Australia with my young family to attend the workshop, and it was worth every kilometer of the 40 hour round trip. Fantastic.
Clayton Lachmund, Teacher, Toowoomba Grammar School, Australia

Thank you for a wonderful week in Provence. As a working poet who was in a bit of a dry spell, I found the exercises very helpful and also a lot of fun. As the 6 days progressed I felt myself shifting to the right side of my brain and the ideas flowing. All of that would have been enough of a gift, but in addition, I realized the exercises you had us do would all be easily adapted to the creative writing class I have taught for the past 10 years. I also plan to share some of the strategies with my writing group that meets on a regular basis. Your office in New York has also been very responsive and accommodating. I would not hesitate to recommend this experience to my colleagues. I know the Provence workshop will continue to feed my muse.
Nancy Miller, Poet, Phillips Academy, North Reading, Massachusetts

Corporate and Business

I have attended at least 10 creative seminars and this creativity workshop is far above the others in its inspiration, positive spirit and techniques for nurturing creativity. As the present and former President of companies in photography, music, and sound creations, nurturing creativity in myself and the culture of these organizations is critical to their and my success..The Creativity Workshop changed me forever and moved me forward in managing my creative companies, but more importantly in my personal determination, commitment and creativity in my own projects. This workshop is important for anyone who wants to better understand, develop and celebrate their creativity in their personal or business life.
Barbara Roberts, President and CEO, Acoustiguides, New York City

The Workshop allowed me for the first time to really hear my own voice and find a way of expressing it in a way that has been so freeing. From the work we did, I now have loads of snippets from which to continue to write and explore. I see this workshop as a transition point in my life where a new and more powerful way of being will come in to its own. In the Workshop I met some fantastic people who helped me to express myself and enrich my experience and I will always appreciate those precious moments.
Nikki Kearns, Director, CRM Standard Bank, South Africa

The course was wonderful and made more inspiring by the magnificent setting of Barcelona. I find myself thinking about creativity every day.
Cherie Martin, Project Manager, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Shelley and Alejandro take you on an adventure that ignites your creative spirit, stretches your mind and opens you to greater possibilities and choices in your life! It was truly an adventure for me in every way! A journey to delightful Dublin- then encouraged to see, to smell, to taste, to feel Dublin as a creative task. A journey into feeling spaces I had forgotten. A journey of co-creation with strangers that became friends. A journey that makes you want to play and see life in a whole new way.
Rita Haque, Branding and Marketing, Haq Centre, Singapore

I should like to thank you for an illuminating experience in your Creativity Workshop in Dublin.  Even though I have resumed my usual busy working day, I have already put into practice the Workshop's belief in daily practice-- taking twenty minutes or so to return to my notebook and take a little mental  journey, away from my desk and business papers.

Now there are so many paths I want to explore and the workshop inspired me to progress with various concepts I have been nursing for some time. Your warmth towards us all and your love for what you are doing did indeed make for a 'nurturing' ambiance.
Judy Spenser-Morris, Designer, Property Developer, Newmarket, United Kingdom

I have some wonderful memories of the Creativity Workshop. Sitting on the floor listening to calm, wise and inspiring instructor, Kirpal Singh; sharing stories with one and all, feeling energized and relaxed at the same time. Florence is an exceptional venue!
Greta Thomas, Marketing Officer, City of Wodonga, Victoria, Australia

Because I write for a living, I had forgotten how to write for fun. I learned how to get to that "fun" part of writing again at the workshop -- writing without rules or consequences -- letting words and ideas spill out -- taking off the handcuffs I've been wearing in my corporate life. The bonus for me was being able to explore my creativity in other ways: drawing to learn how my hand moves; photography to learn how to look at things differently; working with classmates to learn how to collaborate -- all in a place that was far, far away from my house, my office, my commute, my schedule, my cell phone and my e-mail. Participating in the Creativity Workshop helped me to see myself and my life from a different perspective. As much as I love my work, and as good as I am at my job, I can imagine myself doing something completely different -- I couldn't do that before I went to this workshop in Crete.
Amy White, V.P. Internal Corporate Communications, Cardinal Health, Worthington, Ohio

The Creativity Workshop teaches techniques not taught in schools, which are essential for creative thinking. They are also priceless when applied to the creative process of living.
Katie McCann, Trainer, London, United Kingdom

I started as a skeptic, and ended up committed to coming back for more! I began the course drawing a tiny gray squiggle in the top left of an A3, and ended up entirely covering a 10ft x 2ft in rich colour and story, wow, what a week! And I was not alone. Everyone I worked with was making similar giant strides in their ability to express and communicate their own personal vision.
Charles Houghton, ACII, Chartered Insurer, Norwich, United Kingdom.

Too often in the workplace, a fear of being judged, of "failure," or of appearing "foolish" to others stifles our most creative thinking. The Creativity Workshop showed me how to first examine, then overcome my personal insecurities so that I am contributing with more freedom, boldness and confidence than ever before.
Barbara Bazaldua, Director of Editorial, Disney Consumer Products, Anaheim, California

Shelley and Alejandro allowed the wheels to start turning for me. I've been talking for years about writing "my book " but it was all talk and no action. Since returning from their workshop I have a file that is filling rapidly with ideas and the backbone is starting to take shape. For me, the benefits of their guidance include increased confidence. I've learned valuable techniques to get me through writer's block..It's no longer something I fear as I've gained some practical tools to work through it. As if those benefits weren't enough, I also met some great people at the workshop and had a lot of fun. Hats off to Shelley and Alejandro for their wisdom, patience and guidance.
Diane Pick, President, Negotiation Mastery, Inc., New York City

"It showed me new ways to be creative to meet the multiple business needs."

"What totally impressed me was just how much I feel that we accomplished while at the same time coming away feeling refreshed."

"What impressed me was the creativity that was brought out in us. It was an incredible time for us all."

"After the workshop my brain was so refreshed. My senses were sharpened."

" I feel like our team and the individual relationships are stronger and deeper after this experience."
Lia van Braaten and the Members of the Global Design Division, Procter & Gamble, Division Retreat

The Creativity Workshop is one of the best ways to discover a new city. Exploring our creative spirits each evening opened my visual and kinesthetic senses for the following day. Barcelona is a wonderfully beautiful city, enhanced by the sensitivities that were stimulated in class. The participants were as rich as the city and they so warmly shared their personal lives through the creative writing and drawing exercises.
Nancy Welch, President, Welch Design Group, Madison, Wisconsin

> These days everyone craves thrillers like The Da Vinci Code, page turners with mysterious plots that pay off with an ending both startling and salient. My personal experience in your workshop was better, than The Da Vinci Code plot. You figuratively took my hand and helped me perceive multidimensional clues that literally revealed themselves on paper. Amazingly, I learned that and more in only 3 hours a day. A great bonus to me was being in dazzling Aix-en-Provence.
Merry Lynn Katis, President, Psychic Resources, Inc., Carlsbad, California

The contents of many workshops are often misrepresented when marketers attempt to hook as many participants as possible; however, yours was faithful to every word of its description. Your planning, experience, talent, and dedication blended to create a wonderful flow. I left inspired and energized.
Steve Adams, Small Business Owner, Nacogdoches, Texas

If your creativity needs a shot in the arm, a whack in the side of the head or a kick in the backside do the Creativity Workshop. I am fairly cynical about such programs having attended others. But my cynicism quickly evaporated. Why? Four reasons really: 1.The Instructors - welcoming, passionate, talented and committed to drawing out the best in people. 2.The process and tools - challenging and at the same time empowering and illuminating. 3.Time - to take a block of time from my busy schedule to focus on developing me and my creativity. There is no way I would do that in my everyday life. 4.The environment and other participants - challenging, supportive, each on individual journeys but leaving open the opportunities for paths to cross and to learn from and with each other. It was great.
Wayne Morris, Director of Future Edge - Organizational Improvement Consultancy, New Zealand

Other Professions

The exercises that we did in the workshop sessions were new and quite stimulating. When my left brain was leading me down one path, the instructors' directions said, no, it's the right brain's turn this time. I was totally amazed at what came out on my paper and out of my mouth. In the process of doing those exercises, so much emotion that had been held in-check came through. After the workshop ended, I couldn't stop writing and sketching. I filled up three journals over the next week!
Gwendolyn McCormick, Veterinarian, Danbury, Connecticut.

I have taken this workshop twice and have found each time equally enlightening and enriching. The experience allowed me not only to see the world around me in a different way, it also paved the way for a deeper understanding and perspective of myself.  The environment the instructors created stimulated my imagination and brought out parts of me I never knew existed. As a therapist I found the journey into my own inner world to be an invaluable experience. It enables me to be that much more available to my clients and it paves the way for my own continuing exploration.
Sheila Coelho, Marriage and Family Therapist, Syracuse, New York

The Creativity Workshop was truly a reawakening. After decades of mostly working on and developing the creativity of others, my own spring was drying up until Shelley and Alejandro led me back to it.
Ramesh Balan, Editor-in-Chief, The Saudi Gazette, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

For my work in advertising, the workshop helps you explore kinds of creativity you forget in the money oriented business world but is necessary to it. I've been in advertising for 13 years now, working as a copywriter, and you've opened new doors for me in my creativity on the job as well as personally. I realized that other fields of my creativity are as important for my profession and it's need for, as you say, imagination muscle training as my primary occupation, writing. My colleagues at work were thrilled as I presented the workshop and some of its Creative Work-out exercises. We are all creative, that's the essence of homo sapiens, and your workshop helps people see the potential that is present -alive or dormant - in everyone. You reminded us how great it is to be child-like in a creative sense. I really enjoyed the exercises; automatic drawing and writing are my favorites. I think I've never smiled and laughed so much!
Sasa Erzen, Copywriter, LUNA TBWA, Ljubljana, Slovenia

In the warm days and golden light of Florence the Workshop provided a privileged space to connect with an individual creative process. In the nurturing atmosphere provided by Shelley & Alejandro, we explored and developed our personal stores of images and ideas, made connections that became friendships, and emerged energized and inspired.
Ann Murphy, Psychoanalyst, Dublin, Ireland

I would unreservedly recommend their course. Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel taught their Creativity Workshop as American Cultural Specialists under the United States Information Service auspices. To say that they were extremely effective is a vast understatement. They have abundant creativity, energy, and a wealth of skills.
Gloria Berbena, Assistant Cultural Attache, US Information Service, US Embassy, Rome, Italy

There were so many kindred spirits with such wonderful diversity and the workshop was the right environment for us to share our insights and experiences. As the days progressed the combined insight and experience of our leaders gently unfolded. In each session we were encouraged to open ourselves to new levels of imaginative possibilities. Something that was dormant within me came back to life as I rediscovered my own creative spirit. Barriers seemed to melt and my horizons in creative expression have begun to expand. The whole experience began a new process that is opening new vistas for me. I'm looking at things with wider eyes, and it is exciting.
Mitchell Dowalgo, Pastor, St. Albert the Great, Newman Parish, Las Cruces, New Mexico

My best friend and I met in NYC to participate in the Creativity Workshop. I traveled from Germany, she came in from Virginia. We were able to explore the corners of our minds where creativity had been pushed aside by busy work and family demands. The sessions gave us a renewed sense of the daily opportunities to express ourselves in thoughts, words, journal writing, graphic and pictorial imaging. I have written more since attending Creativity Workshop than I had in the decade prior!
Kim Oshirak, MD, Germany

The Workshop was such a powerful experience for me, something I never expected nor would I ever be able to repeat it.
Rolfe Werner, Engineer, Canberra, Australia

The workshop helped me to reveal subtle yet powerful altered views on myself and my creativity. I was swimming in my own imagination and playing all day long, thanks to my previous corporate job and buying myself time. Most importantly for me, the workshop taught me about boundaries and creative structure. And through the gentle guidance and framework provided by the instructors and through the trusting and open forum created by the group, I found this route. Now my homework is to use it. And often.
Claudine O'Leary. Entrepreneur, London, United Kingdom

This is one workshop that has proven to be more personally impacting and practical than I could have imagined. Since returning home I've used many of the ideas and methods taught by Shelley and Alejandro in my own writing and in behalf of others in my practice. When I recall the time with them I think most of the warmth and acceptance they extended to each of us in the workshop. They created such a positive atmosphere, one than enhanced creativity and connection with one another. I'm looking forward to the next time I can attend!
Denise Mullen, Psychologist, Irvine, California

The Creativity Workshop provides a unique opportunity for persons of many different ages to make transitions in their lives. The artist-teachers empower individuals by stimulating reflection, remembrances, interactions, and by drawing upon the well-springs of creative energy deep inside each of us. Using the psychology of Carl Jung and examples of artists/writers of many periods, they help participants to see anew, rather than by teaching writing, drawing, or painting. These teachers provide a safe space and time with warm support for inner exploration so lacking in today’s hectic world.
Janine C. Edwards, Ph.D., Teacher/Researcher,
Texas A & M University System

I liken Shelley and Alejandro to Pied Pipers, leading workshop participants along a path of creativity that opens both inner and outer worlds to an extreme new awareness. The workshop in Barcelona was interesting on a professional level as well as fully rejuvenating on a personal level. Shelley and Alejandro are trustworthy guides on the varied paths being traveled by the workshop participants. The workshop will charm you, challenge you, and refresh the very way you approach your work and daily living.
Diana Matteson, Art Therapist, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

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