How to Think Like a Creative Genius Workshops

Need to work especially on your writing voice? Or just want to think more creatively, for personal or professional reasons? These workshops are for you.

Most people believe you’re either born creative or you aren’t, sort of like hitting the artistic jackpot (or not). This isn’t true. Just look at any toddler exploring the world. Everything is new, creative, a learning experience. We’re born creative, but socialization, schooling, work, and other environments that reward conformity and group-think gradually erode our creative birthright.

This is particularly ironic when we consider that 1, 500 CEO’s, recently polled by IBM, assert that creativity is a top desired professional quality.

In these workshops we’ll explore what it means to build and live a creative life. We’ll function on the premise that creativity is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Using Leonardo da Vinci’s 7 principles and journal-keeping style, we’ll return to our senses and creative centers. No art skills beyond stick figures will be required.

What to Expect from the Workshops

1. You’ll identify your creative strengths

2. You’ll obtain a set of skills for accessing your creativity

3. You’ll develop a new way of looking at creativity and the creative process

4. You’ll learn how to banish those creativity-squashing monsters who stand between you and your creative work or your truest writing voice

5. You’ll come away with specific actions you can take to make your life more creativity-friendly

Workshop I • June 17-July 15th Currently in Session

Includes an exploration of Da Vinci’s 3D approach to life and art, the pursuit of insatiable curiosity, the refinement of the senses, and whole-brain thinking (developing the balance between art and science, logic and imagination). Journals as art and visual word will be employed.

Workshop II July 22- August 19th Sign Up Now

Builds on Workshop I but can be taken without Workshop I as a prerequisite. Explores Da Vinci’s systems thinking (interconnectedness), the ability to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, how to learn from mistakes and become persistent, how to harness your neurobiology, and how to cultivate flexibility and the art of switching perspectives. Journals as art and visual word will be employed.

Basic Course Approach in an Online Classroom

1. Live Online Teaching and group discussion will be offered on Mondays, 8:30-9:30 pm EST. If you cannot make a live online teaching time, you can listen to the recorded session at a later time.

2. You’ll complete exercises and excursions related to the topic of the week and submit for general discussion to the online classroom. The private online classroom is available at all hours for your access to assignments and commenting.

Your Creative-Genius Workshop Leader

How to Think Like a Creative Genius workshop will be taught by scientist, poet-and-writer, and chocolatier Kathryn Neel. Kathryn has helped develop creative solutions for a Google-preferred partner company, as well as entities like Marriott, Sony, and Disney.

What Our Workshop Participants Have Said

Brad Grout: I am personally getting so much out of this memoir workshop…you people are AMAZING!

Lane Arnold: I struck gold. An afternoon session of writing poetry is good for the soul. Poetry Workshop is a catalyst to creativity.

Lexanne Leonard: The most important step I’ve taken is to join Tweetspeak’s Poetry Workshop 2013 with Anne Doe Overstreet. I cannot begin to thank Tweetspeak, Anne, and my fellow students for this journey.

Sandra Heska King: This was absolutely the single best whim I’ve followed.

What You’ll Need

Most materials for the workshops will be available through the private setting, including:

• exercises and excursions to be completed along the way
• supplementary materials that draw from a wide range of Creativity literature
• a free digital copy of Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing

You should purchase, before the class begins:

• a copy of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci
• a large journal

How to Think Like a Creative Genius Workshop II • 4 weeks, $250 • BUY NOW

Yes! Get a free, sneak-preview digital copy of Claire Burge’s upcoming illustrated book on Creativity, when you take our Creative Genius Workshop!

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Kathryn Neel

Kathryn Neel used to travel the world for her tech job, and she visited restaurants, bakeries, and chocolate makers along the way. She learned a great deal about making chocolate and eventually founded Sappho Chocolates. She is also a Florida Coastal Naturalist at Canaveral National Seashore.

Latest posts by Kathryn Neel (see all)

• Eating and Drinking Poems: WendellBerry’s “Fall” - October 24, 2014
• Eating & Drinking Poems: Dorianne Laux’s “A Short History of the Apple” - September 12, 2014
• Eating and Drinking Poems: May Swenson’s “Strawberrying” - August 8, 2014