CREATIVITY
WORKSHOP

Creative Writing,
Drawing,
Storytelling,
Memoir

All Testimonials
Education Testimonials
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Arts Testimonials
Other Professions Testimonials

The Creativity Workshop changed me forever and moved me forward in managing my companies. The Creativity Workshop is far above all the other creative seminars I've taken in its inspiration, positive spirit, and techniques for nurturing creativity. This workshop is important for anyone who wants to develop their creativity in their personal or business life.
Barbara Roberts, CEO, Acoustiguides, New York City

I loved attending 4 of your Creativity Workshops back-to-back. The Workshops strengthened the practice of using my imagination and my confidence. I have you to thank, in large part, for putting me on my present path.
Pamela Boll, Executive Producer of Oscar Winning Documentary "Born in Brothels". Writer, Painter, Filmmaker, Boston

How could imagination not thrive with two such superb teachers? As a former educator, I was impressed by their unending array of mind-stretching exercises. I particularly admired their ability to connect people, ideas, and techniques seamlessly.
Lad Goldberger, aspiring novelist and Assistant Principal (retired), South Huntington Schools, NY

This stuff WORKS! The Workshop showed me how to apply my natural creative talents in the workplace. I have already used free-writing and free-drawing exercises in business applications to jump-start a team in solving a time-sensitive problem.
Bill English, Management Consultant, Chick-Fil-A Restaurants, Atlanta

I wrote my first published memoir because of this class. The instructors are magicians! They gently pushed us into discovering our unique creativity.
Carroll Blue, Author of "The Dawn at my Back" and Emeritus Professor of Film Studies, San Diego State University, CA

The Creativity Workshop showed us new ways to be creative to meet multiple business needs. Our team is stronger and deeper after this experience. We can't believe how much we accomplished while at the same time having fun.
Lia van Braaten and the Members of the Global Design Division, Procter & Gamble, Division

I was amazed at how the Creativity Workshop led me to tap a wellspring of experiences, ideas, and inspirations. The Workshop gave me the keys and the discipline to prod the unconscious to manifest its work and inspire me to write.
Cora A. Gaabucayan, PH.D., Director of School, Montessori West, Litchfield Park, AZ

The teachers are brilliant at making one feel you're the only person being attended to.
Pauline Crawford, Business Psychologist and Image Consultant, Corporate Heart London, UK

The Workshop enabled me to be a stronger instructional leader. I encourage educational leaders to attend the Creativity Workshop with fellow school administrators. It has helped us be supportive of each other as we implement new curriculum and instructional strategies. The Workshop experience was enlightening for my professional understanding of the creativity journey and enhanced my understanding of students' writing process.
Anna Marie Erbes, Principal, St. Paul Public School District, MN

The instructors created an atmosphere where everyone from student, to business professional, to published novelist felt equally comfortable creating and sharing stories, drawings, experiences. I've gone to many workshops that make me feel good while I'm there, that provide activities that I know I really should make time for when I go back to the real world. But yours is the first to provide methods and exercises I not only want to use but feel compelled to use, in fact have already used. I found them to be amazing, inspiring, fascinating people. Something about this workshop draws amazing, inspiring, fascinating participants and they added immensely to my experience.
Kelly Hevel, Planning Manager, Pfizer, Inc., New York City

A perfect blend of relaxation and stimulation. The assignments fostered discovery and creativity, yet left us plenty of time to enjoy the wonders of Crete. I came away from the workshop with an array of techniques that I can call upon to encourage my creativity.
Patricia Lancaster, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Rollins College, FL

We brought back a flood of new ideas for introducing new lesson plans and formulas for tapping into our students' creativity and expanding their knowledge and ability to learn on a much more creative basis!
Jack Degelia and Catherine Huvar, Fund for Teachers Award to attend Workshop. Katy Independent School District, TX

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

If you want to be pushed to the very edge of your creative limits, then this workshop will deliver. The Creativity Workshop ranks easily with the greatest experiences of my life. The creative activities were some of the most challenging tasks I have ever attempted. I came from Australia with my young family to attend the workshop, and it was worth every kilometer of the 40 hour round trip.
Clayton Lachmund, Teacher, Toowoomba Grammar School, Australia

This Workshop proved to be more impacting and practical than I could have imagined. Since returning home I've used its ideas and methods in my own writing and in behalf of others in my practice. When I recall the time with our instructors, I think of the warmth and acceptance they extended to each of us. They created a positive atmosphere that enhanced creativity and our connection with one another.
Denise Mullen, Psychologist, Irvine, CA

Your Workshop provides an environment that nurtures and supports the creative process in safety and joyfulness. 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.
Lee Anne Fahey, Award Winning Actress, New York City

Participants from around the world provided an extraordinary opportunity to connect with people I would never meet in my typical work environment.
Janine Violini, Instructor, SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary, Canada

Your Workshop was faithful to every word of its description. Workshops are often misrepresented when marketers attempt to hook as many participants as possible. Not this one! Your planning, experience, talent, and dedication create a wonderful flow. I left inspired and energized.
Steve Adams, Small Business Owner, Nacogdoches, TX

I worked harder in this workshop and had more fun and felt more fulfilled than with any other professional development I have ever taken.
Jan Little, Teacher, Brentwood High School, Nashville, TN

Kudos to our teachers for creating a truly safe environment, which forged a sense of community and creativity, new friendships and ideas. Many of us didn't want to leave....ever!!!!
Nancy Gibson, Ridgefield Board of Education, Ridgefield, CT

I cannot tell you how inspiring your workshop was! 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 storytelling, the sharing, the collaboration--these were intensely moving and inspiring activities.
Kristina Baer, editor and writer, Monterey, CA

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

My 17-year-old grand-daughter and I loved the time we spent together in the Creativity Workshop. Everything was well planned and carried out in the workshop. It was especially nice to hear the philosophy: "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 taught a creative writing class yesterday afternoon and felt a new confidence after the summer's Creativity Workshop. 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, Washington International School, Washington, DC

The Creativity Workshop empowers people of many different ages to make transitions in their lives. The artist-teachers do this by stimulating reflection, remembrances, interactions, and by drawing upon the well-springs of creative energy deep inside each of us. This Workshop provides a safe space and support for the inner exploration so lacking in today’s hectic world.
Janine C. Edwards, Ph.D., Teacher/Researcher Texas A & M University

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 generosity of the instructors and participants was palpable! The Creativity Workshop was life changing.
Jan Karman, Author and Creative Writing teacher, Southborough, MA

A treasure trove of techniques! It was amazing to watch our group begin as strangers and end with open hearts and new friends.
Shara Hannah Finerman, Artist, Albuquerque, NM

I started as a skeptic, and ended up committed to coming back for more! I began the course drawing a tiny gray squiggle and ended up entirely covering a 10ft x 2ft scroll in rich colour and story! 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.

The Creativity Workshop was life changing! As a creative writing teacher and a writer for so many years, I doubted whether I'd hear anything new. But I came away with some eye-opening processes that will keep my "creative muscle" flexible and strong. Joining drawing and writing is sparking renewed energy. The generosity and intelligence of the participants was palpable.
Jan Karman, English Teacher, Wayland High School, Southborough, MA

The Creativity Workshop helped our professional actors and writers expand their creativity from a new and original perspective in a very nurturing atmosphere.
Xavier Cifre, Productora Nacional de Teatro, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The instructors really helped me tap into my creative potential. I can't wait to use their techniques in my classroom. My students will benefit from their expertise and hopefully realize their own creative capabilities.
Tonya Tobey, English Teacher, Pauls Valley Public School, OK

The Workshop helped me to determine the elements to be a successful creative thinker and how to pass those abilities on to my staff and students.
Lee Koran, Principal, St. Patrick Fine Arts Elementary School, Alberta, Canada

I got a whole screenplay done with the help of your Workshop! It was great for me and my students. I don't think I've ever seen them so happy. Thank you for the great, great inspiration and fun of the Creativity Workshop.
Doris Doerrie, Award winning Filmmaker, Germany

A wonderful way to develop your creativity with like-minded people. The atmosphere is relaxed and respectful. You can join in to your hearts content, participate reflectively, or just sit back and listen.
Nicki Hambleton, Artist and Art Teacher. Lincoln Community School, Accra, Ghana

The Workshop was exactly what I needed to reclaim the writer in me. It isn't often that a trip or a workshop meets all of one's expectations. But my sojourn to Crete to attend the Creativity Workshop did, and then some. I immediately responded to the relaxed yet structured workshop sessions, which lent themselves to connecting with other participants. The three-and-a-half-hour sessions sped by.
Hanna Fox, Writer, Publisher, Red Hummingbird Press, Princeton, NJ

The Creativity Workshop works in subtle ways like the current of the ocean. Participants are safe and wade into the creative waters gently. The Creativity Workshop is a door to understanding the unique path one can take to creative fulfillment. Never be discouraged by the doubts of others, keep true to your own being--this is what i learn from the Creativity Workshop.
Juliana James, 4th Grade Teacher, Frost Lake Magnet School, Saint Paul, Minnesota

I am using the Workshop exercises in teaching hard core science classes. The Creativity Workshop remains etched in my mind as one of the most rejuvenating, nurturing, enlightening, relaxing, growth-inducing experiences of my life.
Mohey Mowafy, Professor and Director of Clinical Dietetics, Northern Michigan University

Shelley and Alejandro started the wheels turning for me. I've been talking for years about writing "my book" but it was all talk and no action. This class taught me valuable techniques to get over writer's block. It is no longer something I fear as I've gained practical tools to work through it. I also 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

I've taken your Workshops twice! They have become a precious part of the on-going tapestry of this journey called life. And, in deep, deep winter I am warmed by your exercises in visualizations, 'free drawing', and memories of the collective stories we shared.
Alice Daum Coen, Educator/Administrator, Hartford County, Maryland Public Schools

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

The Creativity Workshop provided the perfect focus for my travel in Greece. The thing that works so wonderfully is the instructors’ commitment to understanding and explaining the purposes of each activity. I brought back so many ideas from this Workshop - both for the classroom and my own writing. 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, NY

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. The participants were wonderful. They warmly shared their personal lives through the creative writing and drawing exercises.
Nancy Welch, President, Welch Design Group, Madison, WI

The Workshop taught me to honor who I am as a writer and how to make time for creativity in my daily life. Inspiration unfolded in ways I never imagined.
Stephanie Merrill, Writer, New York, NY

I got so much encouragement to keep writing my own stuff and such a warm and supportive response from participants as well as from the leaders, especially Shelley. And I enjoyed working on the many exercises and projects alone and with others.
Rodman Pigrim Neuman, Editor, New York, NY

I would recommend this workshop to anyone who, wants to feel more alive. The instructors were like wizards. With the supportive and creative environment they created, their knowledge and various techniques, and our basic tools of pencil and paper, they raised my consciousness about how important it is to exercise the imagination.
Kathleen O'Neill, ELL Teacher to Adults, Carver-Scott Educational Coop, St. Paul, MN

After the workshop ended, I couldn't stop writing and sketching. I filled up three journals over the next week! When my left brain was leading me down one path, the Workshop exercises reminded me that it was the right brain's turn this time. I was totally amazed at what came out on my paper and out of my mouth.
Gwendolyn McCormick, Veterinarian, Danbury, CT

Your sensitivity and perceptivity in regard to others and the human condition is unbelievable. I wish I knew 10 more of you! The Workshop was incredible.
Neil H. Schwartz, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, California State University, Chico

It was wonderful to meet people from around the world and share our thoughts and feelings. Florence was a gorgeous site for the workshop, full of everything to fill the senses! Thank you for allowing me to participate in such a life long memory.
Susan Hassler, Teacher, Morris Brandon Elementary, Atlanta, GA

Making new friends, with lasting connections, was the icing on the cake of this Creativity Workshop in Crete.
Ronald Naylor, Librarian, Soddy Daisy, TN

I am now using your visualization exercises with 200 children. 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 my own perception of creativity.
Lanette Breedt, Artist and Teacher, Gauteng, South Africa

Absolutely amazing things happen when you take flight at the Creativity Workshop. You will return to earth, magically transformed. 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.
Lalita Noronha, Author, Novelist, Fiction Editor of The Baltimore Review, Baltimore, MD

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 the Creativity Workshop.
Daniel Lamken, Baccalaureate Instructor, American School of Prague, Czech Republic

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 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. 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, PA

The teachers understand something that many people only have vague ideas about -- how to encourage creativity.
Jerry Abejo, Student, University of Iowa

I have wonderful memories of the Workshop. Listening to our calm, wise, and inspiring instructors, 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

The workshop was an inspirational connection with body and soul. I am so grateful to have been a part of such an elegant, kind, soulful and intellectual group. The instructors gently moved us to see in a new way. I never would have experienced Florence, so thoroughly, so awake without your gifts.
Joanna Reed, Professor, Sussex County Community College, Newton, NJ

The Creativity Workshop in Florence opened up new ways for me to paint. I also made new and wonderful friends. The instruction is superb!
Vera Eisenberg, Painter, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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, Artist, Shanghai

The most important thing I learned 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 to be surrounded by the art and architecture of Florence.
Janette Danielson, Art Teacher, Beaufort Academy, Beaufort, South Carolina

A new self-awareness came to light for me during the Prague 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. I reached this awareness due to the Workshop's special exercises focused on Prague. What was remote became intimate, and your view of yourself and your perception of the past, present and future is amplified.
Stephen Bracco, Freelance Writer, Brooklyn, NY

The Florence Creativity Workshop taught me the value of sharing my ideas and work with others. The observation exercises 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. The Workshop changed all that. Now I've 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, the contrast of a freshly fallen lemon on a bed of grass.
Heidi Lang, Teacher, Falls Church City Public Schools, Falls Church, Virginia

The exercises helped me to explore my creative side, which in my current profession, I don't get to do very often. I highly recommend this workshop for people who are just beginning to explore their creative talents.
Rencher Gutteridge, Field Operations, Chick-fil-A, Inc., Atlanta, GA

The instructors do not waste any class time and set a delightful tone of reflective and playful practice. The well thought-out exercises help participants sift through the surface layers quickly and get to what matters. Each exercise was relevant to my own classroom 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, ID

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. 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

I brought 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

Thank you for a wonderful experience!
Mike Corum, Director, Vermeer Mfg. Co., Pella, IA

The lessons of the Workshop gave us permission to stop rushing through life. The Creativity Workshop is a life-altering experience that changes our perception of the world It was also a chance to experiment, explore, and learn from fellow participants. I returned home with a stronger vision of possibilities and a pocketful of tricks to renew the creative spirit when too much "life" interferes.
Marilyn Landis, Children, Music Specialist for Hearing Impaired Children, Hearsay, South Euclid, OH

The workshop was amazing! Through the exercises I was put in touch with
long-forgotten events of my youth. I learned new ways to access my memory and how to uncover unexpected relationships in my ideas. An excellent investment indeed and so much fun!
William E. Avera, Ph.D, CFA, Economic Consultant, Dripping Springs, TX

The Creativity Workshop awakened a longing in my heart to create that gets ignored in my busy "everyday" life. The Workshop really changed my life. Freed my imagination. I saw 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, MA

I learned how to get back to that "fun" part of writing at the Workshop. Because I write for a living, I had forgotten how to write for fun. 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 exploring my creativity in other ways: drawing--to learn how my hand moves; photography-- to learn how to see differently; working with classmates to learn how to collaborate. All this on a Greek Island!
Amy White, Vice President, Internal Corporate Communications, Cardinal Health, OH

I was able to experience how creativity works for me and I was able to share my insights with other seminar participants. I was able to experience new, and deeper levels of awareness regarding myself, my values and my creativeness than previously experienced. This growth and awareness is what I hoped to get from the seminar and did receive. Thank you for the experience as I will cherish it always!
Joseph Richardson, Adjunct Faculty, Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis, MN

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

The Workshop participants-writers, advertising executives, teachers, artists, poets--were especially interesting companions in this enriching experience. 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 let go of the various "blocks" Being on a Greek island in a lovely ancient town meant there was inspiration at every turn.
Mary Cross, Ph.D., Dean and Professor Emerita, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Morris County, NJ

The workshop was truly amazing. I walked into it not knowing what to expect and I came out with so many great tools. I'm not a writer per se but I was thrilled by the imagination I discovered was within me. The bonus was the group itself. I made so many great travel buddies. A wonderful experience from start to finish.
Jamie Rotman, President, DesignersCenter.com, Worcester, MA

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. Friendships were quickly made and the bonds of our common history enhanced the experience. 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, NJ

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

There were so many kindred spirits with such wonderful diversity. The Workshop was the right environment for us to share our insights and experiences. In each session we were encouraged to open ourselves to new imaginative possibilities. Something 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.
Mitchell Dowalgo, Pastor, Las Cruces, NM

The Creativity Workshop is a practical workshop that inspires. The imaginative journey into 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 have a gift for tapping the creative founts of every 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 their 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. 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, PA

Thank you for the illuminating experience of your Creativity Workshop in Dublin. Even though I've resumed my usual busy working day, I have already put into practice the Workshop's daily practice-- taking 20 minutes to write in my notebook and take a little mental journey away from my business. Your warmth towards us all and your love for what you are doing made for a truly nurturing ambiance.
Judy Spenser-Morris, Designer, Property Developer, Newmarket, United Kingdom

I produced as much poetry in the 5 day Crete Workshop as I did in a month in a conventional poetry workshop. The emphasis on ‘In process’ work really helped me. I also enjoyed the company of my husband in this workshop; he isn't a poet and wouldn’t attend a poetry workshop. The multi-genre approach of the Creativity Workshop has many benefits to this end.
Sally Naylor; Poet and English Teacher, Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN

The class's spirit of spontaneity gave me energy.
Achieving results in a playful way helped me believe in my imagination!
Claudine Merkel, Dancer/Choreographer, Münster, Germany

One of the best investments of my life! I thought long and hard before deciding to commit the time and money to attend the Creativity Workshop in Provence. 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. Will I return for another Creativity Workshop in the future? Absolutely!
Laura Fasick, Professor, Minnesota State University, Moorhead, MN

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. I met some fantastic fellow participants.
Nikki Kearns, Director, CRM Standard Bank, South Africa

I only wish that more people could experience what you have to offer. You gave me a feeling a freedom that I NEVER felt before. Shelley and Alejandro have a great gift to share with others. They give of themselves in a way that is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for touching my soul, for helping me soar!
Dianne Stuckey, Teacher, American School of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Workshop was a wonderful celebration of our individual possibilities. Everyone jumped in wholeheartedly and supported each other’s undertakings. 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, it helped me to see more and more. I can’t wait to take the Workshop again. It is food for life.
Stephanie Satie, Actress and Playwright, Los Angeles

The Creativity Workshop gave us time to be with others who crave writing and art as we do. It was a rejuvenation for our next year's teaching. It helped us integrate our feelings and talents in very powerful ways.
Margaret Hill, Professor of Literacy, University of Houston, TX

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.

There was a diverse bunch of interesting people all bent on developing a side of themselves that is all too often ignored. I left the Workshop with a lot of great ideas to motivate my students to write more and better, a sketchbook full of essays for myself, and many sweet and fun memories. I give this course an A.
Nicole Fandel, Teacher of French, Concord Academy, Acton, MA

The Workshop was extremely valuable in generating my awareness of my creativity and in stimulating ideas for my professional life.
Jeanne Arthur, Executive Officer, ACT Board of Secondary School Studies, Australia

As a working poet who was in a bit of a dry spell, I found the exercises very helpful and a lot of fun. The exercises were also easily adapted to my creative writing classes. Your office in New York was very responsive to my practical needs. I strongly recommend this experience to my colleagues.
Nancy Miller, Poet, Phillips Academy, North Reading, MA

The greatest gift I received from the Workshop was to learn in a different way. We took time to focus, take risks, and experiment with different media, I now use many of the Workshop ideas and exercises in the classroom.
Joyce Standing, Teacher, Overlake Elementary School, WA

The Creativity Workshop transformed my art and teaching. It is a gift that I treasure and at every opportunity and share with my students. It gave me new ways of "seeing" and interacting with my images.
Savneet Talwar, Artist, Associate Professor, Georgetown University

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

I came back so energized and excited about writing my book. Thank you so much for your encouragement and sharing so generously of yourselves.
Kathleen Paris, Ph.D., Sr. Consultant, Office of Quality Improvement, University of Wisconsin Madison

Shelley and Alejandro take you on an adventure that ignites your creative spirit and opens you to greater choices in your life! We were encouraged to see, smell, taste, feel Dublin as a creative task. A journey of co-creation with strangers who became friends. A journey that makes you see life in a whole new way.
Rita Haque, Branding and Marketing, Haq Centre, Singapore

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 Workshop 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 enables me to be that much more available to my clients, and paves the way for my own continuing exploration.
Sheila Coelho, Marriage and Family Therapist, Syracuse, NY

For my work in advertising, the workshop helped me 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 really enjoyed the exercises; automatic drawing and writing are my favorites. I never smiled and laughed so much!
Sasa Erzen, Copywriter, LUNA TBWA, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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 learned is that I don't need a huge block of time to make art!
Janette Danielson, Interior Designer, Beaufort, South Carolina

The Florence Workshop provided a privileged space for participants to connect to their creative processes. In the nurturing atmosphere, we explored and developed our personal stores of images and ideas, made connections that became friendships, emerged energized and inspired.
Ann Murphy, Psychoanalyst, Dublin, Ireland

I unreservedly recommend this course! Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel taught their Creativity Workshop as American Cultural Specialists under the United States Information Service. 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

The Workshop helped me expand my views on myself and my creativity. Most importantly, the Workshop taught me about creative structure. Through the gentle guidance of the instructors and through the trusting forum created by the group, I found my route.
Claudine O'Leary. Entrepreneur, London, United Kingdom

My best friend and I met in NYC to participate in the Creativity Workshop. I traveled from Germany, she from Virginia. We explored the corners of our minds where creativity had been pushed aside by busy work and family demands. I have written more since attending Creativity Workshop than I had in the decade prior!
Kim Oshirak, MD, Germany

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the workshop immensely. I have already started applying the exercises in my life. I have a very stressful job so this relaxing, inspiring workshop was like a piece of heaven for me.
Natalia Bukharova, ESL Teacher, Monterey, CA

This was my fourth time taking the Creativity Workshop, and every time it has been different and special.  These workshops have helped me transformed my life.
Kelly Hevel, ex-Pfizer Project Manager, Ex-pat Business Consultant, Istanbul, Turkey

I loved having a study experience along with being a tourist. One of the delightful aspects of the Workshop was having classmates from all over the globe.
Christine Shanley, Teacher, Oak Knoll School, Summit, NJ

Wonderful teachers and very stimulating participants.
Ulrika Sjöström, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Ahus, Sweden

The workshop was delightful. The work we did was like play and really brought out my creativity I'm just beginning my first non-fiction book, and now I feel energized to keep going and not give up.
Carolyn Tracy, Decorative Painter, San Ramon, CA

I am not a good at drawing, but it didn't seem to matter at all. Because the instructors were passionate and inspiring, I felt at ease and happy to engage in something that fell well outside of my comfort zone. The Workshop experience was beautiful and goes down as one of the most productive professional development activities ever.
Amy Zipperer, Assistant Professor of English, Georgia Military College, GA

Working together with others greatly enhanced my capacity to stop being worried about results and simply create. You showed me that process is what counts, and we owe it to each other and the world to share our gifts. Thank you again, Shelley and Alejandro!
Willemina van Eeghen, Visual Artist, Doha, Qatar

The workshop was a cultural renaissance for me..... It will help me prepare a new summer literacy course for young writers. Also, it has reawakened my own creative spirit to pursue writing endeavors. The new discoveries, friends, and cultural experiences will last forever!!
Eileen Hutchinson, Reading Specialist, West Chester Area School District, PA

I was a participant in your Paris workshop about 5 years ago. I truly cherish the memory of that wonderful week with you and our group. Thank you for the confidence you gave me and permission to create something new! After 15 years, I finally finished my book, Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations. In writing this book, when I would get stuck, I would imagine myself back in the workshop doing our visualization and free-form writing and drawing exercises. Somehow, that would get my mind flowing again.
Kathleen A. Paris, Ph.D, Business Consultant

The combination of writing and drawing exercises were a nice blend, as were the varying size groups we worked in and the various individuals we paired up with. The class had a nice flow to it and enabled us to dip our hands and feet into various creative art forms.
Amrita McKinney, Librarian, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Creativity Workshop was enriching and enlightening. There were no "right" or wrong" answers, no grades, no judgement. We had ample time to write and think -- freely, few time limits. I am going to use the exercises that I learned in my classes. The workshop was inspirational. I learned innovative ways in which to encourage, and teach, my at-risk students.
Amy Kempler, High School Biology Teacher, Fishers, IN

The workshop was a wonderful and a worthwhile experience and very satisfying in every way. The group was dynamic and the material was presented in a beautifully orchestrated and well-planned way.
Sara Waskuch, Interior Designer, Morrisville, VT

The workshop was brilliant. Shelley and Alejandro did a great job engaging everyone and inspiring us to create from our own experiences.
Pamela Scholl, Coordinator, Saint Louis University School of Law, MO.

The Workshop practices are easy to remember and can be used on an ongoing basis to continue to stimulate creativity. The class was well-paced and offered a lot of ingenious techniques to spark creativity. It was good to see the teamwork between Alejandro and Shelley and to experience their different approaches. I especially liked the good mix of folks who participated in the workshop.
Noemi Santana, OD/HR/C & Govt Rel. Consultant, TANA Communications, NY

I am so glad my husband and I took the time to do this. My teaching career requires me to move from topic to topic at breakneck speed, so the luxury of complete focus on one task at a time allowed my mind to go places I had not dreamed it could find. The people who were drawn to the workshop, along with the gentle guidance of Shelley and Alejandro, reinforced the positive experiences of the four days.
Cindy Tochterman, High School Science and Future Problem Solving Program Teacher
Andrews, Texas

The people I met through this workshop were inspirational and heart warming. I will always remember them. The location was spectacular and the facilities were perfect. The overall experience has been life changing for me and I would recommend it highly for everyone.
Susan Hydrick, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA

I spent a terrific week in Brugges with the Creativity Workshop. I didn't think I had one single creative bone in my body but the Workshop exercises proved otherwise. I was quite surprised. Now I'm hoping to find ways to let my new creativity flow in my
"real" life.
Barbara Bicanich, Teacher, Kwajalein High School

My workshop experience was fun, enlightening and a chance to meet international individuals who were open to increasing their realm of creativity through various exercises. I was very much at ease in the class and it positively reinforced my way of thinking and operating, personally and professionally. Of course, Florence couldn't have been a more perfect setting, in the heart of Italian creativity.
April Goral, Career Advisor, UC-Santa Cruz, California

The Creativity Workshop in Florence was a unique and wonderful experience, both individually and in the community spirit it created. Through its original weave of play and process, it reminds us that creativity must be allowed, not forced, and provides useful tools to access and stimulate the imagination. A lively group and a supportive, learning-friendly atmosphere, all in one of Europe's loveliest cities.
Melita Schaum, Professor/Writer, Berkeley, CA

The Creativity Workshop was very challenging and thought provolking. When I returned home I put together an album of my work and shared it my friends and co-workers. It really opened my eyes to see the humanity and creativity in each of us.
Elizabeth Winchester, Audit Director, Saint Louis University, IL

So many interesting people from all over the world-- so many different backgrounds, but everyone there wanting the same thing-- better access to their creativity. I can't say enough good about my Creativity Workshop experience in Florence. Each day I learned something new and useful. I have been in a great big creative slump and this is definitely what I needed to get me back to work with confidence and a set of tools to help me when I need them. Being in Florence was a tremendous gift, as well. The idea of being away from the ordinary was important to letting go of old blocks, and the visual stimulation was so extraordinary.
Karen Shaylor, Art Teacher, St. Mary Central Catholic H.S., Sandusky, OH

The workshop in Florence was wonderful. I'd spent months imagining who the leader and participants would be and how I would reach the creativity within. This workshop far exceeded my expectations. And, I am so glad I took the workshop in Florence. What a beautiful city. I would assign a grade of "A" to the entire production.
Jill Mendelson, Development/Alumni Director, Westminster School, Annandale, VA

As a creative writing Master's student, the Workshop in Bruges allowed me to explore my creativity through free-form drawing, storytelling, observation, and automatic writing. As a result of the class activities, I am more connected with myself and the world around me. This experience has given me new outlets for my poetic soul. Thank you Shelley and Alejandro for being such nurturing souls.
Marina Duff, Writer, LAUSD, Los Angeles, CA

Having just gotten back yesterday and reflecting on my workshop experience in Florence, I feel as if it has
all been a dream...that is how outstanding my entire experience was. The workshop, the professor, the participants (and the Florentine atmosphere) were all wonderful. I cannot wait to implement what I learned in my classroom. I even made some friends for a lifetime...it took coming to Florence, Italy for us all to meet. I feel blessed to have had this experience. Grazie mille to the entire Creativity Workshop Team.
Maria Bountempo, French/Latin High School Teacher, Mother Seton Regional High School, Cranford, NJ

The Creativity Workshop opened up new ways of thinking and creating for me. I am a visual artists and I found the writing exercises very freeing and flowed quite easily. This surprised me because I communicate through my paintings and drawings. It excited me that I could create through words as well as images and I am now contemplating ways to blend the 2 in new pieces of work. Thanks to Shelley and Alejandro , they where very inspiring!
Christine Myshka, Artist, Plainfield, NJ

I had an incredible experience. Not only was I amazed by how much I learned through my instructors, but I learned so much from the other participants. I hope to participate in more classes in the future. Everything was just perfect!
Alexandra Beyda, Teacher, Bethesda, MD

Upon arriving in Bruges, I found myself wondering why I flew half way across the world to take a workshop with a bunch of strangers! Well, due to our fabulous instructors, within the first fifteen minutes of the first day of class, there wasn't a stranger in sight, only friends!
JoAnne Southard, Accountant, JMS Consulting, Los Angeles, CA

The Creativity workshop in Florence was amazing. The city inspired my artistic side while the classes pushed me to try new techniques and ideas. I found my muse and rekindled my love of writing in Florence.
Kristy Spisak, teacher, Richmond, VA

The workshop was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It took me out of my "safe zone" and exposed me to so much more. Amazing people and talents. I loved being in NYC and surrounded by such a unique group. I have signed up for the November class already.
Melinda Sih, Stay-at-Home-Mom, Kansas City, KS

The Workshop awakened the creativity bug within me. I would do this again and again. The new people that I met and the new friendships that I have formed will last me till the end of my life time. I am so grateful to you.
Tanya M. Keels, Admissions Records Specialist, Brevard Community College, Melbourne, Australia

I was delighted by the course and didn't want it to end. Beforehand, I wasn't sure what to expect and was pretty nervous. The emphasis on relaxation, fun and imagination was excellent. This experience has helped me to continue on my personal journey in a more integrated and soulful way. What a lot to get from five days!
Jo Sumner, Consultant, Ethics Policy and Organizational Development, London, UK

Inspirational people, inspirational places and most of all inspirational mentors!
This is my third workshop with Shelley and Alejandro. Every time it has given me a fresh and invigorating approach to stimulating my perceptions and kicking off those creative juices. The ideas and activities allow you to throw off your inhibitions, and put your thoughts and feelings into practice. As a teacher of drama for middle schoolers, it is the development of the creative processes which interest me most as I search for new ways to present drama activities. I have utilized, adapted and integrated the workshop ideas to develop techniques in improvisation and storytelling styles. I have also adapted the Workshop's wonderful use of listening, retelling, retrieving memories, using prior knowledge and the environment. Personally, developing ways to practice daily creative habits has provide a greatly needed structure for my own creative processes to flourish.
Kay Young, Award Winning Actress and Middle School Drama Teacher, ACS International School, Surrey, UK

Shelley and Alejandro are gentle sorcerers! As a repeater -- my first time was 2 years ago in Provence -- I found the workshop in Prague wonderfully freeing. This time I also went with my husband and sharing each other's work was a lovely addition. I allowed myself to play unencumbered and had a wonderful time. The city is impossibly beautiful and filled with music and so well informs the work we did in the workshop.
Stephanie Satie, Actress, Los Angeles, CA

Powerful! The Creativity Workshop touched our imagination and emotions from the innermost heart part and soul.
Lalita P. Klainatorn, School Projects Manager, Ruamrudee International School Bangkok, Thailand

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 learned is that I don't need a huge block of time to make art!
Janette Danielson, Interior Designer, Beaufort, South Carolina

The conference was an incredibly meaningful experience for me. It fueled my creativity in writing and art and provided me with lots of ideas I can use with other teachers and students. Despite the incredible range of experiences and abilities of our group, Shelley and Alejandro facilitated experiences that pushed and supported each of us. We had opportunities for meaningful and productive individual, pair, and group work. I ended up with an exciting idea for children's books with another participant, and had the opportunity to share and get feedback. Prague was an incredible backdrop for the workshop.
Ronda Goodale, Teacher, Boston Public Schools, MA

Thank you for reminding us that it's okay to play and to allow our creativity to flourish. Shelley and Alejandro are so gentle and inspiring. I sincerely appreciate their compassion and encouragement throughout this workshop.
Francine Filion, Director of Communications, Canadian Teachers' Federation, Ottawa, Canada

Shelley and Alejandro are fabulous teachers. They bring back the inner curiosity and creativity that you once had as a child. They made me remember that it is okay to be imaginative at all times and that thinking outside the box is really what makes the world go round. And what better place to experience creativity, curiosity and imagination then in Brugges?
Gretchen Powers, Central Bucks School District, Tamanend Middle School Social Studies, PA

Prague--what a beautiful and historic city to explore creativity! The facilities were gorgeous. Shelley and Alejandro guided our creative exploration so that it was non-threatening for even the most inartistically inclined. It's given me excellent ideas I'll be using in my classroom as well as applying in my daily life.
Anna Morrison, Oak Creek High School, WI

I attended with professional goals in mind, both for myself and the children that I teach, and I was very pleased with what I got. I can also appropriate many things for myself on a purely personal level. I enjoyed the variety of exercises as an adult, and can very much see how I can adapt them for use with children. I much enjoyed hearing the stories and experiences of other workshop participants, both in the large and small groupings.
Amy Sicarios, Boston Public Schools, MA

The workshop in Barcelona was amazing. Using the city as a context for inspiring creativity was a marvelous experience. All of the class activities were interesting and stimulating. I came home with a greater appreciation for patience, relaxation and the concept of the beginner's mind.
Jean Avera, Social Work Educator, University of Texas

The Creativity Workshop works in subtle ways like the current of the ocean. Participants are safe and wade into the creative waters gently. The Creativity Workshop is a door to figure out the unique path one can take to creative fulfillment. Never be discouraged by the doubts of others, keep true to your own being--this is what i learn from the Creativity Workshop.
Juliana James, 4th Grade Teacher, Frost Lake Magnet School, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Thanks very much for an excellent workshop. Your workshop provided new ideas for how to evolve individual creativity into creative collaboration. Since returning from our workshop we’ve designed a collaborative wall in the office for sharing and extending creative ideas as a team. As instructors you and Alejandro were skilled facilitators with a wealth of expertise and knowledge that inspired students without overwhelming or intimidating. It was a great experience for my team and one that I know will improve our marketing efforts overall but also felt like a reward to all who attended. Well done and thanks.
Gail Freeman, Sr. Director Corporate Marketing, RSA, The Security Division of EMC

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Creativity Workshop
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Contact us
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