Activities
The creative activities collected on these pages are used by Ross Laird in various workshops and courses. They are intended to help participants deepen their creativity (often by making them a bit uncomfortable), help participants reflect on their own development as creative people, and encourage them to discover whatever comes their way.
General Guidelines
Reminders and Considerations for Creative Activities
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:39 p.m. • Ross Laird
Safety — but not too safe If a given exercise makes you too uncomfortable, adapt it or skip it. But the question arises: what’s too uncomfortable? Panic attack? Definitely. Stay safe and avoid t...
Opening to the Creative Process
Wandering, Stillness, and Wonder
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:39 p.m. • Ross Laird
After you have watched the above video, find a time and place where wonder is more likely. Here are a few possibilities (all of which require that you put your phone awa...
Mythological Storytelling
The Roots of Creative Expression
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:37 p.m. • Ross Laird
Begin by reading the The World Tree . When you’re done, come back here and do the next part. Find a partner to work with. It can be anyone; it’s up to you — but your partner should be someone who...
About the Activities
Exploration and Discovery
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:30 p.m. • Ross Laird
The creative activities are intended to help you deepen your creativity (often by making you a bit uncomfortable), helping you to reflect on your own development as a c...
Juggling
The Activity You Dread (probably)
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:38 p.m. • Ross Laird
For hundreds of years (maybe more), juggling has been one of the most cherished creative activities. It is a complex skill for sure – but it’s not that hard to learn. Wat...
Storytelling through Movement
The Body is the Source of All Our Stories
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:40 p.m. • Ross Laird
Find a partner to work with. (If you are unable to find a partner, let me know.) Your partner should be someone who will not act like a jackass, or ridicule you, or do any number of unhelpful thing...
The Warrior Princess
An Unfinished Fable
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:40 p.m. • Ross Laird
The Parable of the Warrior Princess is part of an interconnected series of tales from Tibetan Buddhism. Here it is: A young warrior princess completed her training under a renowned teacher and ...
Themes Part Two
The Inner Life and the Outer World
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:40 p.m. • Ross Laird
Ten Themes Pick one! Write about something you know deeply. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Wh...
Themes Part One
Taking a Moment to Go Inward
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:41 p.m. • Ross Laird
Ten Themes Pick one! Write something about yourself that no one else yet knows. Describe a childhood memory in which you felt particularly empowered, or loved. Write about one of your dreams. ...
The Golden Key
Last Tale of the Brothers Grimm
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:37 p.m. • Ross Laird
The Brothers Grimm gathered together stories from many times and places, and the influence of their work is still felt today ( Cinderella , Beauty and the Beast , Snow White, Little Red Riding ...