Centre for Creative Development

Promoting creative development at all levels

Programmes

This “people-based” programme offers a safe, encouraging space for you to:

Explore the full range of your creativity

Embrace your true goals and dreams

Start the journey to a richer life

For a number of years the Centre for Creative Development has facilitated creativity programmes based on “The Artist’s Way” workbook by Julia Cameron. The exercises, readings and activities in this new “people-based” approach will depend on the needs of the group.

Rody Ryan, Director of the Centre for Creative Development, is a trained bio-energy therapist as well as a professional change facilitator in the business area. His creative expression includes music, drama, dance, singing, painting, writing and public speaking.

Centre for Creative Development

57 Charleston Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Phone 087 240 6040

www.centreforcreativedevelopment.com

Read Mary Phelan’s short story written after her participation in one of our Programmes:

”Julia Cameron Course – Walking in this World”

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The Centre is currently planning an exciting series of courses commencing shortly.

The “Journey into Creativity” programme will be run again, building on the success of recent “voyages”.

There will also be another offering of “Channelling the Flow - Structure and Creativity in Business” - targeted at the commercial sector where many people spend their lives with varying degrees of creative fulfillment. Some would say “Creativity in Business is an oxymoron” - that the two are incompatible. The Centre challenges that view and encourages an approach to business in which creativity and structure are balanced and aligned—rather than one being promoted at the expense of the other. How? Come along and find out!

Click on Testimonials or the short story at the end of this page to get a flavour of some of the programmes we’ve run and what our participants have to say about them.

Defeat the Monsters! Retrieve the Treasure!

a preview of the “Journey into Creativity”

The Journey into Creativity is modelled on the image of an eight-week voyage of adventure and discovery. During the voyage we will visit a series of islands with odd-sounding names. On each island we will find wonderful jewels to fill our treasure-chest of creative expression - but only after we have learned to deal with the monsters that try to frighten us away.

Week 1: On the Island of Departure we will prepare for the journey, get to know each other and learn some of the ropes.

Week 2: On the Island of Direction we will explore where we are coming from, where we are now and where we want to get to. We will share tales of the monsters we've encountered in the past and those we've only heard of. We'll remind ourselves of the treasures these monsters are trying to hide from us - and strengthen our nerve for the journey ahead.

Week 3: On the Island of Inner Resources we will explore how our ideas, thoughts and beliefs affect our sense of creativity. We will meet the Monster of Self-Sabotage and discover the fabulous wealth he guards so jealously.

Week 4: On the Island of Outer Resources we look at relationships, money, work, home and other issues that impact on our creative expression.

Week 5: On the Island of Outer Expression we find our way over the Wall of Resistance that is protected by yet another group of monsters. On the other side is a magical chest whose treasures increase the more we use them.

Week 6: On the Island of Inner Expression we meet a group of monsters who set our bodies, minds, hearts and souls in conflict. As we learn to align these parts of ourselves, we find the key to our own creativity.

Week 7: The Island of Time is ruled by the Monster of Procrastination. We will need to confront this monster in order to ensure that all our other treasures arrive home safely.

Week 8: At last we reach the Island of Return, the Voyage is over, but the Journey has only just begun - again. As we take our leave, we look back at the Monsters we've dealt with and the Treasures that we've gathered and strengthen our hearts for the journey home - to our true selves.

The Programme - what does it involve?

The Programme involves the following basic commitments:

- a weekly 2-hour meeting

- a writing exercise (the Morning Pages) for about 30 minutes first thing every morning

- a weekly walk of about 20 minutes

- a weekly “Artist’s Date” of 1-2 hours of nourishing the soul

- a weekly connection with a significant place or experience from your past

- a small number of tasks or exercises related to the theme for each week.

A typical programme for a weekly meeting:

“Join us on a journey of discovery to explore the hidden depths of your own creativity. Start to unravel the issues that often prevent us from expressing our full potential. Develop a greater sense of connection between your body, mind, heart and soul. Learn to let your creativity shine through your work, your play, your relationships - your life”

Rody Ryan

Start	End	Time	Activity	Description
07:45	08:00	00:15	Opening	An opportunity to become fully present and to leave behind any distractions for the next two hours.
08:00	08:40	00:40	Checkin	Each member of the group reports on their week gone by - how they got on with the various exercises or special activities, significant developments etc
08:40	08:50	00:10	Break	A short break, accompanied by a suitable "surprise" provided by a different member of the group each week.
08:50	09:30	00:40	Exercise	A creative activity designed to "set the theme" for the week ahead.
09:30	09:45	00:15	Activities for week ahead	Discussion and clarification of the theme for the week ahead and the exercises associated with that theme.