the sensitive creative: writing to heal and harness your strengths
“Half of me is filled with bursting words and half of me is painfully shy. I crave solitude yet also crave people. I want to pour life and love into everything yet also nurture my self-care and go gently. I want to live within the rush of primal, intuitive decision, yet also wish to sit and contemplate. This is the messiness of life - that we all carry multitudes, so must sit with the shifts. We are complicated creatures, and ultimately, the balance comes from this understanding.”
― Victoria Erickson
the sensitive creative: writing to heal and harness your strengths … $55
next offering: friday, april 28 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm
DESCRIPTION:
The Sensitive Creative workshop is an invitation for creatives of all kinds to use the act of writing to reimagine who they are and what they're capable of becoming. Through self-discovery and storytelling exercises, we will examine the labels and perceptions that influence our self-concept as sensitive creatives, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
We will explore the needs, obstacles, and opportunities that come with being creative and full of purpose, while also easily overwhelmed and highly sensitive. We will study five creativity archetypes, determine the traits that define them, and how to leverage that knowledge to overcome self-doubt and creative blocks.
Participants will come away with a deeper appreciation of their unique strengths and an arsenal of writing tools that build self-awareness and confidence. This workshop includes a pre-workshop discovery exercise, a 3-hour workshop session, and a post-workshop writing practice to help you implement your discoveries into your life.
Please note: I am not a mental health professional. This course should be taken for self-care and personal growth, and is not a replacement for therapy.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HIGHLY SENSITIVE?
Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) is a personality trait that affects 15–20% of the population. It’s not a disorder that needs to be fixed or a weakness that needs to be toughened up. However, the anxiety that may come along with it can be a burden, particularly when you don’t know how to take care of your needs as a sensitive person.
Highly sensitive people are deeply intuitive and easily overstimulated by our environments, which can make us prone to feelings of anxiety. We are susceptible to emotional overwhelm, perfectionism, and overthinking, and many sensitive creatives doubt their ability to thrive in their calling. When we think that the aspirations we have will be overpowering, and the path that calls to us is too difficult, this inner conflict fights with us every step of the way.
Your sensitivity could be your greatest strength, the thing that allows you to feel the most purposeful and connected in life, but it can also be the source of great suffering until you learn to embrace it.
High sensitivity comes with a light and dark side like anything else. What you experience depends on how you embrace the advantages and manage the challenges.
WHEN YOU EMBRACE YOUR SENSITIVITY AS A GIFT, YOU CAN ENJOY THE ADVANTAGES.
You are deeply in tune with your inner world which makes you an ideal vessel for creative expression.
You are inspired by the entire spectrum of human emotion from deep joy to profound sadness and you see the possibility for creative interpretation in all of it.
You bring empathy to your relationships and interactions. You naturally hold space for what others are experiencing and care about creating harmonious environments.
Your emotional intelligence allows you to understand what moves and motivates people making you a compassionate leader and visionary.
You intuitively look for subtle cues and make unique connections that help you sense conflict, anticipate problems, and find solutions.
You are always curious about and tuned into the deeper meaning of things and you are driven by purpose.
You have an insatiable thirst to learn, particularly when it comes to your personal passions.
WHEN YOU TRY TO REPRESS YOUR SENSITIVITY, YOU INVITE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.
Your need for deep reflection can become chronic worry and overthinking.
Your need for downtime and space to recharge can turn into escapism and avoidance.
Your ability to sense the emotions of others can become distracting and exhausting.
Your tendency to become overstimulated can become a feeling of being ineffectual or powerless.
Your appreciation for extremes can become an excuse to let your emotions run wild.
You are so emotionally invested in your passions and callings that you easily become tunnel-visioned and out of balance in other areas of your life.
You might limit your curiosity and potential because you feel ill-equipped to handle the emotional ups and downs of leveling up.
…
The understanding of who you are, what turns you on, and what turns you off can support you through experiences that would otherwise overload your senses and keep you from experiencing life in your own unique way.
Pursuing your life goals and creative dreams will require that you face all your hidden fears and insecurities.
NAVIGATING AMBITION WITH A HIGHLY SENSITIVE DISPOSITION
For a long time I doubted my ability to walk in my creative calling due to the chronic anxiety and overwhelm that I experienced in my adult years. Being ambitious with a highly sensitive disposition means you have to learn your triggers and practice self-care or you will struggle and you won’t understand why.
Your creative vision might be an idea, project, or service you want to develop to make a difference, inspire people, bring awareness to an issue. But perhaps core negative beliefs about who you are cause you to doubt your ability to pursue it. When you have mixed feelings about what you want and what you believe you can have, this shows up in your life as contradiction and mixed signals: progress then self-sabotage, vulnerability then defensiveness, chasing then running away.
No matter where you are in your creative journey, you’re only scratching the surface and there are more layers to the creator you are and what you’re here to do! You have the ability to harness your creative power by becoming aware of the stories in your mind that don’t serve you and creating new narratives that align with your gifts and your vision.
No matter where you are in your creative journey, you’re only scratching the surface and there are more layers to the creator you are and what you’re here to do.
FOR WRITERS OF ALL LEVELS
My workshops attract writers of all levels who:
… are particularly interested in deep reflection, creative self-discovery, and personal narrative.
… want to be more fully expressed in their lives but are uncertain about how writing can help them achieve that.
… have stories they want to tell and ideas they want to share in a creative, supportive environment.
… want to stop holding in and holding out for the ‘perfect’ words and start writing from the heart.
…
“Thanks to GG's gentle facilitation and strong core of integrity as well as the wonderful and passionate group of women who were part of the intensive, I have come away invigorated by a sense of immense possibility and openness to my own well of creativity." - Sri Padmanabhan, workshop participant
I believe that approaching life with a self-care mindset allows the greatest expression of who you are to be released.
MY APPROACH TO CREATIVE COACHING IS HOLISTIC…
I believe that your creative well-being is influenced by your mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being.
I believe that approaching life with a self-care mindset allows the greatest expression of who you are to be released.
A self-care mindset sets the tone for the way you do everything: the conversations you have, the company you keep, the way you choose commitments, and the way you handle conflict and manage your emotions.
Through self-discovery and storytelling exercises, my workshops:
…address the limiting beliefs and fears that are in the way, so the unique perspective that is already inside of you can be revealed and elevated.
… show you practical ways to infuse your unique writing voice into your current life, career, and social presence.
… provide a safe space for connection, inspiration, and accountability between writers.
…
“GG Renee not only builds confidence; she also builds community. She’s poised and professional, and she positions your group to discover, heal, celebrate, and advance.” — Heather Hopson, CEO, Motor Mouth Multimedia and Single Mom Defined
WHAT TO EXPECT
Pre-work:
Once you register, you will receive a download that includes the prework and details to access the online workshop. You will also receive a reminder the day before the workshop.
Live Session:
The session will include my prepared presentation, writing exercises, discussion, and Q+A.
Post-work:
The day after your session, you will receive access to the replay video, presentation slides, and post-workshop writing exercises. Replay videos are password-protected and available temporarily only to workshop participants.
CONTACT ME:
If you are interested but not sure if this workshop is right for you, please feel free to contact me with questions. If you’d like to be notified the next time this course is offered, please fill out this form.
REFUNDs and cancellations:
There are no refunds if you register and are unable to attend the workshop, but if you have a problem or concern about your purchase, please contact me and we can discuss your situation. In most cases, I offer a credit that can be used at a later date for another workshop.
I have a minimum enrollment requirement of 5 registrants. If enrollment is not met 3-5 days before the workshop date, the workshop may be canceled a minimum of 3 business days prior to the workshop. In this case, all registrants receive a full refund.