Building Stronger Artists

Physical strength and movement can significantly enhance one’s artistic and creative expression. When the body is strong and well-conditioned, it becomes a vessel for exploration and experimentation. Engaging in physical activities like dancing, sculpting, or painting requires a level of bodily awareness and control that a strong physique can provide.

The freedom to move fluidly, manipulate materials, or express oneself through motion opens the door to new ideas and innovative approaches to art.

This physical confidence translates into artistic confidence, allowing creators to take risks and venture into uncharted creative territories.

Moreover, the interplay between strength and creativity fosters a heightened sense of discipline and focus. Regular physical training instills a mindset of perseverance and resilience, which can resonate deeply within the creative process. Artists often face challenges and moments of self-doubt, but a strong body nurtures a strong mind, empowering individuals to push through obstacles. The rhythm and repetition inherent in physical training can also inspire artistic rhythms, leading to unique patterns and themes in one’s work. Thus, the union of physical strength and creativity cultivates a vibrant synergy, enhancing the artistic journey and inviting boundless possibilities.

The Art of Strength

When Chip Conrad and I sit down together to discuss human movement our discussion usually turns towards strength, art and utility. Here’s a quick little video of a recent sit down in my very own Strength Garden.

We’ll be moving, playing and lifting at our upcoming Art of Strength workshop but I have a feeling there will be a fair share of physical culture philosophy and nostalgia.

What Happens at a Creative Movement Workshop?

I’ve been asked to share a few details about what happens exactly at a Creative Movement Live workshop.

So I thought I’d be all formal and list a few objectives of the class to give you a better idea of what takes place.

Objective:

1. To develop quality movement and to experience the joy that comes with it. Joy makes everything easier and easy is productive. Less friction equals more momentum, and more momentum equals better results.

2. To build rapport with yourself, your training partners and the client or athlete. Most of the games and drills we’ll explore are cooperative challenges and shared successes.

If we can get ourselves & our clients/artists/athletes minds out of the workplace and into their bodies and training session we’ve done a good job.

Each creative movement is specifically designed to establish rapport and enthusiasm while addressing the entire spectrum of athletic develop and human movement.

In this workshop you’ll learn and practice exercises from several traditions such as martial arts, gymnastic and old school physical culture.

You’ll also learn to adapt several training tools into your creative movement program such as medicine balls, ropes, bands and agility equipment. Many times we’ll be combining those tools as well.

Other Objectives:

1. Getting comfortable with the drills. How to coach them, what to encourage and what to avoid.

2. Where does it fit within the overall program? Creative movement training can be used very effectively in several locations during the training session, such as the warm-up, active recovery or part of an intense circuit. creative movement training is very versatile, for example, it also works very well as an initial ice-breaker with a first time client.

3. Explaining the benefits. Clients may not associate play with results. It’s best to approach this question in a hands-on manner while demonstrating some drills that focus on the clients wants and needs. For example, there are many play-based drills that directly train the “core.” It’s hard to deny a training effect after a few moments.

4. Working with the variables. The variables are endless, timing, tools, rhythms, stability, balance, laughter, joy, self- expression and creativity to name a few.

Hope to see you there: Creative Movement Live Brooklyn

Living Life as an Artist

Living life as an Artist is a Practice.

You are either engaging in the practice or you are not.

It makes no sense to say you’re not good at it. It’s like saying, “ I’m not good at being a monk.” You are either living as a monk or you are not.

We tend to think of the Artist’s work as the output.

But.

The real work of the Artist is a way of being in the world.

Thank you Rick Rubin and The Creative Act.

I write more about practice here: Every Practice has a Space, and that Space is Sacred.

Building Better Movers ( and Coaches. )

A moving body is a learning body.

In my Creative Movement Live workshops everyone moves with everyone...And often times it's the fine motor control work that people need/want the most.

And, as a teacher, artist, and leader, I try to get the creative process moving, step aside, and give it a chance to find its own way.

Creative Movement- Bear Crawl Play

The task of this movement situation is to keep the yoga block wedged between both players/artists as they move through some patterns.

This is no right or wrong. Just play, create riddles and movement situations to help one another create and grow.

I borrow heavily from martial arts and their particular approach to creative movement and problem solving, as well as physical and artistic expression.

Creative Movement is a poetic, playful discipline which aims to revitalize and rejuvenate an individual's ability to deeply perceive and listen to the body and develop expressive and creative potential.

The physical body, is a source and medium of our artistic life and is considered an essential element in the creative process, despite the artistic language in which it may be realized.