Creativity: Unlocked

CREATIVITY UNLOCKED – 12TH – 19TH JULY 2010

Before the training and the arrival…


One brochure about a training called Creativity: Unlocked arrived luckily to my hands at the beginning of May. This brochure kept my attention: it was talking about a training that would happen in Salzburg, the main topic was Creativity and the participants had to be 25 persons from 6 different European countries (Rumania, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Spain and Bulgaria) somehow involved with the youth work. In that paper I could read words like drama, art, daily life, youth work, experience, material, imagination, create… Definitely I liked it very much, so I decided to apply for it.
After a long application form that I had to fill in, I sent it and wait for an answer. The answer arrived 2 weeks later with the confirmation of my participation in the training. I was happy, the hardest part was done, now I just had to understand the indications, arrive there and get involved in that training which I didn’t know exactly how it would be, a part from a few references and words from the first paper.
After some mails sent by the trainers about practical information, the 12th of July I was in a plane destination Salzburg. Just landed, I could visit Salzburg during three hours in a really hot summer day before being picked up, with other participants, by one of the facilitators who brought us by train to Seekirchen.
The whole group was separated in two different Hostels. I was, with other 5 participants, in the one which was further from the Training building, that’s why we were provided with bicycles to get there faster and easily.
The first day, the first dinner and the first impressions of Seekirchen. Everything was new, but there we were: 25 people with different backgrounds, from different countries and cultures, ready to start building a week together with three facilitators and trainers who would guide us.

12th July


The groups met altogether after the dinner. After the firsts conversations with the people surrounded by Austrian food we went to the training room. There the trainers gave us an introduction about how the week would look like and propose us a general timetable. We did some presentation games to get to know each other. Dimitri, a small teddy bird who would join us during the whole week, was the object that we passed to each other to speak, just a little bit, of ourselves.
After this, each one prepared a homemade post box to receive messages from the rest of the members during the training.

13th July


The morning was devoted to know each other (a little bit more) and work on the personal expectations. The first part was about walking around the lake of Seekirchen (a huge beautiful lake with swimming area) doing different stops. In each stop, four or five people talked about themselves and explained to the group a funny, relevant, important or memorable creative experience that each one experienced in its life. It was funny and interesting, at the same time relaxing, listening the different perspectives that the people can have about “creative experience”. At the same time, little by little, I could feel that the group was opening themselves to the others. Painting on the street, recording a CD with young people, writing a book, knowing people, meditate, skipping the legal barriers to do something that you wish were some of the experiences exposed.

After that, and back to the training room, each one wrote a letter to themselves imaging that each of us was in the future, specifically the 18th July and the training was finished; in the letter we had to explain to ourselves what we learnt during the training and which impressions we had. Once we wrote the letter, we closed it in an envelope and keep it in a box to read it the last day of the training.
The afternoon was spent creating the First Creative Laboratory. The room was set with 6 different stations were, with a few instructions, we could interact with different materials. The six stations were: Creating with Playdo, a free mural with colours, a big mural with wet paint where the aim was to dominate what there was already drawn, choosing a postcard among hundreds and write down our name and maybe a message, write a short message in a postcard and stick it in the wall, and record a 30 seconds video giving a message about Creativity.

I would like to do a special mention to this activity because of how productive it was and how I liked, enjoyed and applicable I found it. Giving to the participants this big amount of resources, materials, places, and at the same time, give the freedom to do with them what each one want, feel or like, was for me the perfect balance between structure and “let it flow” in terms of creativity. Thinking in the context of the youth work or the schools, this workshop made me come up with one idea: The ones who are involved with the youth work should think ourselves in ways to increase the possibilities, to open the chances, to work with different materials at the same time and structure the work related with art skills in a different way, where we just facilitate, help and put the things easy to let flow whatever the idea of the participants and the young people is.
After this first great creative experience with different materials, we set up the space and made the inauguration of the exhibition, where all of us could see and enjoy the work realized by the group.

14th July

That day was also great. We started with a short explanation about how to apply the creativity in our daily life. The trainer explained it under the theory of Robert Junk about Creativity and goal orientation. In general, with a good clarification and examples, the theory talks about how to focus and arrive to a realization phase in a creative process which starts with an open view and a wide horizon. The process, in general terms, takes in account, from a macro to micro, the following states: wide horizon, open view, producing new ideas and options, diverging phase, focussed thinking and converging and, finally, the deciding phase. In the firsts phases the judgement is postponed and little by little the phases are developed in order to reach a judgement phase and choose a concrete action.
Robert Junk exposed the theory talking about three different phases to reach a realization: the critique phase, the utopia phase and the realization phase. Our workshop was focussed on the topic “What hinder us to be creative” and was organised like this:

1) Brainstorming: Everyone wrote down what each one thought that hinder us to be creative.

2) Organising the ideas: We organised the hundreds of ideas by groups and similarities.

3) Choose a topic: Each person chose the group of ideas which ones he/she wanted to work with. Each group turned this ideas in a positive message/wish that we whispered to the “ear of the universe”

The work would be carried on the next day, going again through the different phases, but starting now from the wish that each group whispered, to reach a concrete action.
We carried on the morning with some drama & games… Because the day was all about drama, theatre, improvisation, we started with some applicable games in our daily working areas. For example, we created a human washing machine where, one by one, was adding a sound and movement in a big group figure. We created several washing machines inspired by different words or references, for instance, young people.

A dramaturgic afternoon was waiting for us. We divided the group in two, the ones who wanted to work on drama and the ones who wanted to work on experimentation in arts. I was working on Drama. We work on the Theatre of the Oppressed of Augusto Boal, which is based on:

1) Choose a clear topic: By groups we chose a clear topic with a clear protagonist and antagonist. The topic or conflict had to be clear and better if related with our own experience.


2) Create 3 images or scenes (frozen image) corresponding to the idea of the three scenes: presenting the conflict, conflict, resolution.


3) Develop the scenes with dialogues, words and acting.


4) Show the play to the public. The first play is represented with non stop. After this, the actors represent the play again, this time giving the permission to the public to stop the scene and go to the stage to take the role of one of the characters in order to change and improve the situation of the oppressed.

The topics that appeared in the different plays were bullying, male-female discrimination, architectural barriers, etc.


The plays were exposed…

…and the experiments in arts were displayed.

The night was dedicated to do a Cultural Event, where, everyone did something related or no, with their own culture. Under the management of two great show man and woman the night was brilliant and plenty of cultural learning, participation, drinks, food and lots of fun. We could enjoy and learn Irish dance, Italy way of life. Deserves a special mention the Rumanian community, who showed to the group lots of particularities of its culture and costumes; we could hear Rumanian music in live sung by a beautiful voice, eat Rumanian food, drink Rumanian drinks and see how wonderful are the ancient and folkloric dress from this amazing country.

15th July

This morning was devoted to finish the workshop about Creativity in our daily life. We started the workshop with an exercise to open our mind and try to break a little bit the usual structure of our thoughts, routines and actions. The exercise was based on an improvisation. In groups of 5 people we had to find an object around us and give 5 different utilities for it, none related with the use that the object was invented for. For instance, our group chose a red rope, and we came up with this five different uses: As a firehose, as a horse’s reins, as a dog leash, as a tie, and as the measurer of a tailor. Each group represented its object and the different uses for it.

After this introduction we started the main part of the workshop, which was developed as explained in the following lines:

1) After a process putting the wishes that we created for the ear of the Universe in the first session of this workshop by groups and create different messages to resume them, each person chose the message that each one preferred.

2) By groups we had to draw, paint and stick pictures that reminded us the topic or that we related with it. That wasn’t a mental part of the process, the point was to create and produce images and work through the free association.

3) Once each group finished its poster, everybody made a round watching the different posters and leaving there short messages about its first impression, again with free association and without thinking about it too much.

4) Again with the groups, we had to agree picking two messages left by the others which were different or contradictory, and create ideas and actions inspired by them.


5) After a few minutes with this task, we carried on with it, but now trying to be more and more concrete and push ourselves to come up with concrete actions.


6) Finally, and after creating different ideas and concrete actions, each person individually chose a personal project, idea or action for themselves, something that you compromise with yourself to do in order to improve or nurture your creativity in your daily life.

The afternoon was dedicated to visit the Modern Art Museum of Salzburg and enjoy the amazing city of Salzburg.

16th July

The Open Space Technology is a new way to run workshops, chats, speaking, etc. It’s about create an atmosphere and an environment free enough and enough structured because the learning, the interaction, the links and everything that doesn’t happen during the structured training has the chance to occur. It was invented by a group of people who realised that during the coffee breaks, the informal conversations, the dinners, etc. is when the most important learning and experiences happen.
In a practical way, despite this process may has lots of shapes and structures, it use to be a day full of workshops, chats, spaces, etc. provided and run by the participants, where the person interested or expert in the topic is offered as a facilitator.
The Open Space was something that should be run by the participants and nobody knew how it would be. By the end of the day everybody was really satisfied about it and all the learning that it provided.

The principles of the Open Space Technology, by Harrisson Owen, are:


- Whoever comes are the right people.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.
- When it starts, it starts.
- When it’s over, it’s over.
- The law of the two feet.

Let’s see some interesting things that happened during the Open Space day. One of them was a workshop of Dance run by different people. We did some dance exercises to unlock our bodies and stop thinking, letting the body express with its own language. In this workshop, we learnt how a deaf person can enjoy and feel the music with a balloon in his or her body, which help the person to feel the vibrations that the music produces. It was incredibly interesting…
Before finishing the workshop, and in order to find some objects with which we could produce different sounds, we created different “natural” instruments and we did a small Orchestra that, with a balloon in their hands, everybody could enjoy and dance.
During the afternoon, some people still interested in Drama created a group where we shared different experiences and good practises.
A Goodness Space was one of the other spaces created and there we could learn and experiment about different relaxing techniques, or just let flow our body, dance, meditate, relax, or join some Yoga exercises.

One interesting project that one of the participants was running is one of the other spaces we had during the day. The project consists in two questions that each person can answer in a piece of paper. The project tries to collect as many pictures as possible of different people answering these questions:


Why do you do what you do?


What do you want to do with your wild precious life?

The results are amazing and the process really great.
Have you ever thought about these questions?

Finally, by the end of the day, the entire group together joins one of the proposals of one of the participants. The action is called Lip-Dub, and is based on the record of a video clip of a song. We did it the entire group together, separated by small groups; each group prepared one part of the song. We dressed up, made up, try the scene and we were ready for the shot! The result was lovely. The song we chose was Shinny people (REM).

17th July

The Youth in Action Program was the star for the morning of the last day. After choosing which action or area of the program each person was interested in, we divided the group in two and we did a little workshop where the trainers explained specifically one of the actions of the Program and resolved different questions that we had. I joined the group where the Youth Initiatives was the main topic. I learn about it; policies, terms, conditions, budget, duration, etc. In resume, a Youth Initiative is a local project for the community which means an exception to the normal everyday activities. It’s for the young people between 18 and 30 years old (although they use to accept projects where some of the young people involved are 15 or 16), it is needed a coach and no international partnership is needed. One important part of the Youth in Action Program and the different projects or initiatives is that they must be related with the objectives, ideas, stars of the Program, which are:


- European Citizenship
- Cultural Diversity
- Inclusion
- Participation

A Youth Initiative should have duration from 3 to 18 months, including the preparation process of the project and the evaluation. Despite no international partnership is needed it can have a transnational dimension and can might involve two or more groups. The minimum of participants required for a Youth Initiative is four young people.
In this space I also had the possibility to talk about my experience being an EVS volunteer and explain a little bit about my experience in BRYR and all the learning process where I’m involved since October 2009 in my EVS project.

Closing time…

The days of the training were finishing, and the afternoon, unfortunately, had to be dedicated to evaluate and close the training.
After a specific evaluation process where we can put our suggestions, impressions, opinions, etc. about every single part of the training, we did the closure.
The moment to remind that on the first day each of us wrote a letter with our personal expectations arrived. So we read it again… And not only the expectations had been accomplished but we could have written lots more about what we could bring with us… My impression was that we planted a seed on the first day and we picked abundant fruits.
After reading the letter we created a circle with the group to express one wish, expression, sensation, or just a few words to the group about what the training had been for each one: Gratitude, learning, openness, sense of group, connection, friendship, etc, etc, etc.

When it starts, it starts. When it’s over, it’s over…

And whoever came was the right people. Definitely, despite a bit sad to leave Seekirchen, the training, and all the colleagues with whom I shared an intensive week, I was coming back physically tired but at the same time fool of energy and good vibrations.
During the training I could learn a lot about different perspectives, cultures and lives and, at the same time, I could bring my experience through all the uncountable number of times that we spoke about my life, the EVS experience and what it means to me.
The training gave me lots of new perspectives, lots of news insights, thoughts. It built my confidence a little bit more, provided me with new resources, reminds me that I am the first responsible to do with my wild precious life something creative and something to love. Opened my eyes to the world, made me more aware about how sometimes I am who back my creativity away, made me see the value of little things that I didn’t know or already forgot, and it broke old structures and help me to realise that everything depends on the perspective where it’s seen.
And the most important, I was so lucky to meet 25 amazing persons from different countries fool of ideas, energy, positivism and love.
Last but not least, I want to thanks my EVS organisation, BRYR, to give me the opportunity to join this training, and the Leargas (Ireland’s National Agency) to provide me with the information and give me as well the chance to take part of Creativity: Unlocked.
Finally, a very special thanks to all the people who was involved in the training, I came back to my daily life with something of everyone with me. Thanks to be there and make it real. Whatever happened was the best thing that could have happened.