What is the course about?
An introduction to and exploration of the practice of mindfulness and how it supports and enhances creativity. Through a variety of guided exercises, including drawing from observation and the imagination, you will explore how mindfulness can help to support a light/playful, yet wholehearted engagement in creative practice. This course is suitable for beginners as well as those with experience in mindfulness and/or drawing who would like to immerse themselves in a day of creative practice or stimulate new directions. The skills offered on this one day workshop are transferable to creative disciplines other than drawing.
This is a live online course. For more information please see our guide to online learning.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
During the day you will receive an introduction to mindfulness and its applications in contemporary life and the arts. There will be a series of guided exercises including drawing from observation and the imagination where you will investigate ways of consciously cultivating awareness and identify how this can support creative discipline in terms of deepening concentration, resourcefulness, and clarity of perception. You will also explore some common obstacles to creativity and strategies for working through them. You will work with a range subject matter, and simple drawing media which will serve as inspiration throughout the day.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Identify how mindfulness can support creativity in terms of increased concentration, clarity of perception and a greater ability to work with and through obstacles
• Employ a range of methods for practicing mindfulness in drawing and how this can be applied to all creative disciplines
• Practice drawing from observation and the imagination with increased confidence
• Engage a toolkit of methods and resources for exploring and developing mindfulness and creativity.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The day is suitable for beginners as well as those with experience in mindfulness and drawing who wish to re-fresh their practice or stimulate new directions
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Through guided mindfulness practices
- Demonstration of drawing methods
- Practical drawing exercises
- Pair and group discussion
- Slideshows and other practical learning resources.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Basic materials that you will need:
Pencil, paper, eraser, pencil sharpener, 20 sheets cartridge paper A4 or A3
Brushes of a few different sizes that you’d like to use
2 clean jars or yoghurt pots for water
acrylic paint – suggested colours: zinc/mixing white, titanium white, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson or crimson, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, brown, black. A basic set is also fine.
approx. 10-15 sheets of paper e.g. 300gms A2 or A3
Additional/Optional materials:
Charcoal, coloured pastels or pencils, water-soluble graphite
Gesso primer.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
VP109: Drawing and the art of mindfulness.
