Workshop Brief

Leap over large, blank white sheets of paper in a single bound. Laugh maniacally in the face of dangerous deadlines. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to overcome creative blocks not only with short-term tools such as non-traditional brainstorming techniques, but also long-term tools such as lucid dreaming and exercises that will stimulate cognitive growth. Meta Newhouse, former Creative Director and current Design Educator borrows from her own professional and academic experience to lead this session. Pen/pencil and paper required.

Questions: What causes creative blocks, and identifying which cause (of 5) is affecting you. Each cause is addressed with the solutions that best fit that cause. For example, if the cause of the “block” is a general sense of feeling overwhelmed, the solution is to define a structure (set a time limit) and process (i.e. listing, synthetic listing, atypical synthetic listing, flower mapping) for moving forward out of the block. Throughout the workshop the participants will practice the strategies presented to students for overcoming blocks several times.

Ideal Workshop Candidate

Anyone who is put into a situation where they need to be “creative” on demand: Writers, designers, art directors, photographers, illustrators, architects, educators, CEOs, parents, scientists, small-business owners — you name it.