What it is and Why

16 weeks of experience-based learning, exploring how we can integrate the creative principle into all elements of our living.

Live group workshops, practice experiments, peer support, visiting artists and optional weekly Maker's Exchanges. We are living in uncertain times... how can we learn to play and experiment in the territory of unpredictability and flux? There are ways of working with uncertainty that Creativity understands deeply. This course aims to lead you back to the part of yourself that knows all about this intrinsically. There is a generative principle at work in all organic life, that follows a cycle of birth - life - death . It bears little relationship to the false dominant narrative of 'continual growth'. This course will support you to build practices that dismantle these false narratives and grow pathways towards articulating your heart and nourishing our collective dreaming. . . . .

How it works

We will meet weekly on a Tuesday (5pm-7pm UK time), for most of the 16 weeks. The course takes place via a combination of live zoom classes, creative provocations, visiting professional artists, video classes, peer 'creative ally' sharing, home adventures (as opposed to 'homework' ;-) and reflection weeks. There will be opportunities to follow approaches you are enjoying as well as invitations to test out your edges. This course is also about application - so ultimately, you will be supported to bring this new (old) tool kit out of the practice room and into your life. It is set up so you can move as deeply or as lightly through the material as you want. You choose the level of intensity.
Watch Intro Video

Click to watch a short video on what's behind it...

“Magic doesn't sweep you away; it gathers you up into the body of the present moment so thoroughly that all your explanations fall away: the ordinary, in all its plain and simple outrageousness, begins to shine -- to become luminously, impossibly so. Every facet of the world is awake, and you within it.” ― David Abram, Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology

Working With Artists...

To help bring some of the themes to life, we will be joined by three brilliant guest artists, each of whom approaches their art making and life in a way that speaks deeply to that adaptive creative principle. The gift of bringing in practicing artists is that they are used to working with uncertainty as a resource. Perhaps even courting it. So we have much to learn from them. [photo of Rachel in rehearsals for my play Moon Project - photographer: Greg Allum]
Rachel in rehearsals, photo by Greg Allum

Being in Community

We learn best when there is also a relaxed social element. So when you join, you'll be offered a peer support group, a community environment via a social platform, and regular connection via Signal (similar to What's App). The peer groups will be allocated according to the level of involvement you want ... this might be weekly, bi-weekly or 'now and again'. It can also change as we go. The weekly Makers Exchange sessions are peer run, so we can get a feel of each other's practices and active creative enquiries. [photo by Annie Spratt]
Watch Intro Video

Creativity as Intrinsic Birth-right

From an earlier course

Sounds good...

how do I know if this course is for me?

This course looks at what creative practice can teach us about navigating uncertainty with more courage, playfulness and application. This course is for anyone who wants to rekindle their relationship with the creative, generative principle in any aspect of their life and work. You don't have to want to be an artist or have any experience of being intentionally creative in your life. Curiosity and openness are the only prerequisites. . . . . [egg image by David Jericó]
Sign Me Up!
Eggs image by David Jericó.

'The most interesting moment of a person's life is what happens to them when all their certainties go away. Then who do you become? And then what do you look for? That's the moment when the universe is offering up an invitation saying, 'come find me.' - Elizabeth Gilbert

Course curriculum

11 x live workshops, sessions with visiting artists, reflection weeks, practice weeks, optional weekly Maker's Exchange drop ins, creative provocations, home enquiries, Creative Ally support teams, community - and more...
*Please note that dates/order of sessions are subject to change*

  • 1

    Welcome to the Course!

    • What it's All About Really...?

    • Welcome Video and Orientation
  • 2

    Week 1. Attention as a Creative, Generative Tool - LIVE

    • Week One: Attention As A Creative Resource

    • Noticing Where We Are Placing Our Attention - Creative Task

    • Focusing tools - Asking the body for creative idea generation - Live Zoom class - 2nd November 2021

    • Body Listening for Creative Practice

    • First Creative Ally meet up.
  • 3

    Week 2. Being with Vulnerability and Discomfort - LIVE

    • Week 2: Vulnerability and Discomfort

    • Neurosis Cocktail Party: All The Reasons Why You Can't, Daren't, or Probably Shouldn't - PRE WORK

    • Creative Ally Meet Ups

    • Feeling Like An Idiot Practice / Failing at Something that Matters - Live Zoom class - 9th November 2021

    • Beginning a Habit Breaking Habit Practice - daily practice

    • Date with the Artists work

  • 4

    Week 3. What An Artist Knows I - Live Session with Guest Artist

    • Week 3 - Pre Live Session Exploration

    • Week 3 - What An Artist Knows - Live Zoom Session - 16th November 2021

    • Week 3 - Home Enquiry - Take Your Wonder for a Wander Date

    • Taking Your Wonder For A Wander - Video Intro

    • Creative Ally Meet Ups

    • Intro to the Maker's Exchanges
  • 5

    Week 4. Practice Week 1

    • Practice Week 1 - This is your first creative practice week.

    • Photographing what pleases, intrigues or fascinates you

    • First Creative Practice Week - Creative Adventure!!

  • 6

    Week 5. Active Day Dreaming and What-Ifness - LIVE

    • Intro to Week 5 - Video

    • Different forms of Conscious Attention - Pre session reflections & Writing exercise

    • Ways In And Down - Not Knowing As Creative Opportunity - Live Zoom Session - 30th November 2021

    • Use going 'Inward and Down' and use it as a starting point to generate some creative material this week

    • Go to Sacred Space and use it as a starting point to generate some creative material this week
  • 7

    Week 6. Opening to the Ordinary and Non Ordinary World - LIVE

    • Week 6 Intro - Opening to The More Than Human World

    • Week 6 - Pre session exploration

    • Genies, Muses & the More than human world - Live Zoom Session - 7th December 2021

    • Week 6 - Home enquiry - Being another 'I'
  • 8

    Week 7. Reflection Week - Being a Transmitter & Receiver (Recorded session)

    • About Reflection weeks - What is the invitation & what is the point of these?

    • Reflection Week 1

    • Being a Transmitter & Receiver - Set up Video

    • Home Enquiry: A Giving Less Fucks Practice - Creative Task

    • Giving Less Fucks Practice - Set up
  • 9

    Week 8. Navigating Obstacles and Road Blocks LIVE

    • Week 8 - Navigating Obstacles & Road Blocks - Intro

    • Week 8 - pre session exploration... Taking a line for a walk

    • Navigating Obstacles and Road Blocks - Live Zoom session - 11th January 2022

    • Week 8 - Home Practice Experiment - Cultivating Curiosity for What is in your way at the moment

    • Date with the Artists work - prep
  • 10

    Week 9. What An Artist Knows II - Live Session with Guest Artist

    • Week 9 - Intro Video

    • Week 9 - Pre-session exploration

    • Week 9 - What an Artist Knows - Live Zoom session - 18th January 2022

    • Week 9 Home Practice Experiment
  • 11

    Week 10. Practice Week 2 - Story & Our Themes continued...

    • Week 10 Over-view video

    • Week 10 - Pre-Session Exploration - A Story Experiment.

    • Practice Experiment - Considering Your Audience & the flow of story

    • Week 10 - Intro to the 2nd Practice Experiment

    • Date with the Artist prep
  • 12

    Week 11. What An Artist Knows III - Live Session with Guest Artist

    • Intro to Week 11

    • Week 11 - What An Artist Knows, with Guest Artist - Live Zoom Session - 1st February 2022

    • Week 11 - Home Enquiry
  • 13

    Week 12. Problems, Irritants, Inequalities and Injustices - Creation as Transformative Medicine - LIVE

    • Week 12 Intro - Problems, Irritants & Injustices

    • Week 12 Pre Session Exploration

    • Problems, Irritants, Inequalities and Injustices - Creation as transformative medicine - Live Zoom Session - 8th February 2022

    • Home Enquiry for week 12

    • Practice Experiment bonus session
  • 14

    Week 13. Reflection Week 2 - Being on a Useful Edge

    • Intro for Week 13 - Being on a Workable Edge

    • Reflection Week 2

    • Being on a Useful Edge - with Brooke McNamara (Pre-Recorded Session)
  • 15

    Week 14 - Practice Week 3

    • Discipline, Editing and Refinement - Honouring your Audience

    • Life Application Intro - prep for next week.

  • 16

    Week 15. Co-creating What Is Already Becoming & Applications - LIVE

    • Alchemy - Your Life as Raw Material - Live Zoom Session - 1st March 2022
  • 17

    Week 16. Endings and Celebrations - Onwards Journeys - LIVE

    • Ritual for Ending And Commitments to Continue - Live Zoom Session - 8th March 2022

    • Revisiting our Journey Together

Rachel Blackman - Facilitator

Theatre & Feeling Ridiculous | Embodiment & Somatic Re-Education

Rachel Blackman will be your guide and lead facilitator through out this course. Most of your course content will be either be hosted by or led by Rachel. Rachel is an artist, somatic educator, theatre maker, trainer and mentor. Rachel has been creating original theatre since 2008 and collaborated as an actor, director and movement coach on many artistic projects for others. Her latest piece is a celebration of the creative potential of failure, called, You Aren't Doing It Wrong If No One Knows What You Are Doing (Tiny Failures) and is a Brighton Festival Commission. She is also an actor & you may remember her best when she had a lot less hair, as Charra in Matrix Revolutions.... (Photo by Hugh Fox - promo shot from the Tiny Failures show)

What people say...

'I can't recommend this course highly enough.'

L V

I can't recommend this course highly enough. Rather than being just another course on improving creative output, it takes a wholesome approach to transform the ability to live as a creative being in the world. It helped me not only to be more inspired and more confident with my creative work, but also with my overall connection to spirituality and wellbeing. This is partly due to the perfectly picked, placed, and developed skills, topics, and methods, and partly due to Rachel's brilliance as a teacher. She knows how to create a space that feels not only warm, but also safe to show vulnerability in order to transform it. I still use her methods to approach new and challenging tasks, and I still have her voice in my head to remind me to be more confident and playful.

'I wish I could have a course like this always...'

L W

All classes were explorations rather than ‘have tos’, all ‘homework’ was optional, and I did all of it as I wanted to explore, see where a prompt can lead me. Very interesting guests, varied people who shared their own creative processes. I wish I could have a course like this always, to be accompanied and cared for and carried through without intrusion on my own process, in a knowledgeable nurturing way as Rachel is able to do. Also to be reminded, while going through the thicket of every day life, that we have a body, there is a lot more out there and we could just dare: as being creative is everybody’s birthright.

'I got so much out of it - connection, tools and methods, new ideas and inspiration, and plenty of fun'

H F

It was magic! So glad I joined the course, got so much out of it - connection, tools and methods, new ideas and inspiration, and plenty of fun. I loved how immersive and integrated the course was, so that I could see the blossoming of ideas in most surprising ways. I'm still drawing on the wisdom of it all! Rachel seems to be breathing creativity, and designs and holds this (co-)creative space with amazing clarity and grace.

'I honestly surprised myself with my bravery in sharing and making in this space.'

C P

I was kinda blocked last year, had a hunch Rachel might bring just the right amount of humour, curiosity and care to challenge that. Her somatic explorations were a new way of working for me, took me to unexpected and often uncomfortable parts of myself, which of course are a ripe place for creating from. The open and playful nature of the course was a safe container for student sharing and experimentation and the regular co-practice exploration with fellow students works incredibly well online and some of us have continued to meet. I honestly surprised myself with my bravery in sharing and making in this space. Rachel is incredibly skilful to tease that out of me. I’m most grateful. I put together my first live art piece for Brighton Fringe next month.

'I loved this course...like a magical pop of colour.'

M C

I loved this course. It came along at the perfect time and was a great source of both creativity and curiosity. It reminded me that creativity is always available even if you think you’re not that creative. I started to dream more and see the world more curiously. I naturally wanted to create tiny normal things during my normal day to day life. It was like a magical pop of colour during an otherwise not very eventful Covid winter.

'It helped me redefine what creativity is and helped me fall in love with my practice again'

M M

I’ve been an artist for 20 years and I thought I knew what an artist was. This course opened up a permissible space, all manner of undiscovered avenues within myself and within my practice. It issued the invitation for honesty, authenticity, mutual exploration with both the teacher and the group members. It was a journey we took together and it changed me. It helped me redefine what creativity is and helped me fall in love with my practice again.

'A perfect blend of structure and freedom, support and allowing to go with your own flow'

AS

Rachel is an incredible teacher who creates a very supportive environment for exploration a growth. The tools and principles she shared in the course allowed me to dive deeper into the nature of creativity and explore it as an embodied experience. The course was a perfect blend of structure and freedom, support and allowing to go with your own flow. I was not sure if the course was for me as I am not an artist, but it is absolutely relevant regardless of what you do and deals with creativity as principles applicable to anything in life. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially if you, like me, are tired of 'creative thinking' as the only way to focus on being creative.

It felt refreshing to free up my own limitations ...and reignite my spark and sense of wonder.

AH

I enjoyed the subtle variety of all the practices. It felt refreshing to have several "ways in" to creativity, to free up my own limitations of myself and reignite my spark and sense of wonder. Rachel has a brilliant way about her- able to encourage, invite, and challenge us all with a deep delight, curiosity and genuine love for this work that radiates.

What's The Investment?

Time, Money and Process...

There are 11 live, 2-hour long classes, 3 1-hour live set up sessions for the Practice Weeks, and about 25 pre-recorded mini classes and creative explorations you can do in your own time. If you can't make any of the live classes, they are all recorded and made available the next day. You can scale the intensity of the course based on how much you want to get out of it. Minimum recommended commitment to get benefit is 2 hours per week. If you're a deep diver, there is up to 6 hours of content you could be engaging with each week, not including home explorations. Of course the more time you invest in the explorations and make space in your life for this work, the deeper your experience and the more value you will get from it.

Pre-order price is £329. Consessions and installment options will be available later, subject to demand. If you would like to be notified when the Guest Artists are confirmed, or when other prices are available, please Sign Up to the mailing list below.

[image by Leo Rivas]
Pre-order now at £329

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Like to know more?

If you're interested but unsure about a few things, you're welcome to get in touch and ask me anything you'd like. Before you do, please take moment to watch the video and re-read all the content here to make sure your question isn't already covered.
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