Unlearning for artists*
This workshop series was first offered in the spring of 2022. The whole series/single workshops are currently available by request.
retrieving our inner authority
This is an invitation to join with others to explore, identify and unlearn cultural/collective ideas that limit our creative expression and ability to contribute what is authentic and meaningful to us.
What are the cultural beliefs and practices that limit our creative powers, and how can we unlearn them? What happens when we view life from the truth of our inter-dependence, and not from the belief that we are separate? What and how do you want to create? What kind of artist/creator do you want to be?
In this series of workshops, we will approach these bigger questions by looking at our relationship with commonly held ideas around success, failure, others´ approval/disapproval, and productivity. We´ll explore what we want to unlearn, redefine and embrace - to create more space, curiosity and meaning in our creative work and life. The intention is to listen to where our inspiration, joy and values would like to lead us, and to cultivate self-trust, courage and community support.
*These workshops are for, but not limited to, people who identify themselves as artists. We are all creators, and if this invitation speaks to you, you are welcome to join.
Below is information about the first upcoming workshops. You can join one workshop or all.
exploring success
What exactly is success? How consciously have you defined what success is for you? Where are we trying to live up to others´ definitions of success? In this workshop we will question our ideas of success. We will look at success from different perspectives, including: our individual career, recognition in our field, joy, growth, social change and community building. What ideas of success support our creative process and our courage to express who we are to the world? What perspectives on success foster social equality and care for the natural world? What ideas of success do we want to unlearn? What do we want to succeed at?
Sunday March 13, 12-14 CET on zoom
exploring FAILURE
What does the word failure bring up for you? The fear of failure is a deep-seated fear for most of us. What does this fear do to our ability to create? And what exactly does it mean to fail? Failure is the key to the kingdom within, says Rumi. We all know intellectually that failure is a part of life, and an opportunity to grow and learn. So why can it still feel so scary? In this workshop we will look at the “anatomy of failure”. What deep-seated fears does failure confront us with? How can we face them, and turn them into our allies? What ideas of failure do we want to unlearn? What new perspectives on failure will support our creative work?
Sunday April 10, 12-14 CET on zoom
APPROVAL/DISAPPROVAL
We create to share with others, but where does our dependency on others´ approval block the creative flow and inspiration that is moving through us? What is your relationship with others´ approval/praise/recognition of your work? In this workshop we will look at our desires for approval and our fears of disapproval. Who do we give the power to decide if our work is valuable or not? How do we reclaim our inner authority to know when we are on the right track for us? And what are healthy and supportive ways for us to relate to how others´ receive our work? We will look at how clarity around our values and who our creative work is trying to reach, can support us here.
Sunday May 15, 12-14 CET on zoom
productivity and rest
What is it to be productive? What does your mind think about productivity, and what does your body say? When is being productive a way to “prove” that we are worthy and enough? When does economic instability drive us to be overly productive? In this workshop we will explore our relationship with “productivity”. What is sustainable for you - and what do you want to sustain? What do we need, to find a healthy balance between work and rest? What opens up when we honor our boundaries, our natural rhythm and the wisdom of our body? What do we need to unlearn, to be able to trust this way of being and creating?
Sunday June 12, 12-14 CET on zoom
Logistics
The workshops are on zoom and will not be recorded so live attendance is required.
We will create a shared space of inquiry, of listening to and learning from ourselves and each other. This is an open space where you are invited to come as you are - with both clarity and confusion. Exploring in community allows us to tap into a bigger field of intelligence and opens us to new ways of seeing. Through new levels of awareness and curiosity, we expand our choices and possibilities.
You will receive written reflection/journal prompts to prepare and as follow-up after each workshop, which you can keep and re-visit as needed.
You can join one workshop or all of them.
Sign up by sending me a short message through my contact form and I will send you the payment information and zoom links + preparatory material.
Is this for you?
These workshops are for you if this invitation speaks to you and some part of you wants to join! We are all creators and if you sense that exploring these topics can support you in whatever you are trying to create and bring into the world, please join, regardless of whether you identify as an artist or not.
Do you have questions or suggestions?
If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to me. This includes if you want to join but the times don´t work, or if you are not able to pay the suggested amount.
I hope to explore with you!
Testimonials and feedback from participants
- I think all of the workshops were extremely relevant, looking back at them. It surprised me how important and relevant the topics actually were to my work and life, and how little I have reflected on them prior to the workshops. It also surprised me what direction the conversations took, it wasn't as "obvious" as I expected it to be.
- Group explorations are a great way to become aware of both positive and negative unconscious beliefs. You get the chance to air these beliefs with others, which broadens your horizons and your possibilities. It was wonderful to participate in these sessions!
- I so appreciate Miriam’s ability to create this safe environment, as that in itself made it possible for me to «rest» in the ongoing conversation. Instead of stressing about what to say or how to contribute to the conversation, I could allow myself to just listen and receive, and that really shifted it for me and made me open up to new insight from what the others had to say. I felt seen and heard by the others in the space and I also appreciated that the others also seemed to feel safe to be vulnerable and honest. I think we shared some touching moments, and a lot of the things that were shared and said in the space had a great impact on me. I experienced that we came to some sort of core understanding or profound insight towards the end of each session.
- I participated in 'Unlearning for artists' as an academic and benefited greatly both from Miriam's thoughtful questions and observations, and from the many valuable insights of the other participants. Spending time to reflect on how we understand success and failure, in what ways we are affected by and contribute to interactions of (dis)approval, and how we relate to productivity and rest, is incredibly valuable and important both on an individual and collective level.
- With the concept “Unlearning for Artists” Miriam invites us into a safe space where we can explore topics that may often be taboo. I experienced a loosening up of blocks that may limit creativity. Through conversations with other artists, we created an experience of community, which feels important in a field where you can often experience a lot of competition.
- Having the group discuss different topics showed me how many people have similar struggles, and also gave me new perspectives on the topics. The emails prior to the workshops were really valuable. It was important to do some digging on my own, so that during the group meetings I could go even deeper into my reflection.
- Although I joined this series with the intention of looking into these themes as an artist, I quite often found each session valuable to more aspects of my life than just my identity as an artist.
- I have felt a strong momentum and inspiration from this last workshop to come back into better alignment with myself.
- I didn't expect the meetings to have such an impact on the way I viewed the topics and my work. They have pushed me and gave me enough strength to make some important changes in the way I organize my work and free time in relation to work. It gave me the clarity and developed my ability to see how much I am affected by my ideas of success or failure, how my focus is affected by trying to be productive or follow the expectation I think other people have of me.
About Miriam Latif Sandbæk
Miriam guides individuals and groups through transformational processes of exploration, growth and healing. She is a certified coach from the Co-Active Training Institute and holds an MA in Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen. Miriam has worked as a coach since 2015 and since 2017 as a coach for Talent Norway with artists in feature and documentary film, theatre, dance and music. This offering weaves together her interest in both individual and collective change and transformation, and the relationship between them. More information here.