Begins March 1, 2024
Train to see the possible and trust the process.
Creative Strength Training
is a community designed for:
curious creatives
emerging makers
working artists
and everyone in-between
Dual-Focused Creativity Training
Define Your Artistic Voice
“Your art studio or writing desk is the altar of your creative heart, creating space for you to express the beauty rising within. When we are rushing through our days, it is easy to forget this, and so we practice presence and paying attention.”
― Christine Valters Paintner
Hone Your Technical Skills
“All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”
― Chuck Close
Examine motivations, strengths and weaknesses – and produce your best work yet.
Practice imaginal thinking — a creative state of mind. Tap the deep well of imagination and unstoppable flow.
Learn about archetypes, universal patterns of human experience. Studying them brings your own creative story into focus and can translate into art.
Is your interest in painting, digital media, stitching or collage? Learn and develop your art practice, no matter your medium.
Build your consistent art practice with monthly tutorials, projects and workshops.
Working for just a few minutes a day will lead to the completion of several pieces, each of which will reflect the story of your personal marks, as well as the story of your experience of 2024.
Creative Strength Training is like a yin yang symbol – a circle divided into two equal parts representing opposing, but complementary principles.
One half of the circle is your personal voice, message and visual language as an artist.
What are your values and what do you care about?
What do you enjoy?
Are there reoccurring themes in your life or artwork?
What emotion or experience do you want to convey to your viewer?
The second half of the circle is the technical knowledge that is the foundation of successful and powerful artwork.
This deepening understanding of ourselves as creative beings is accompanied by a year-long study of a specific art topic. In 2024, we will focus on contemplative mark making and how it can evolve into a series.
Practice and grow, all within a safe and supportive creative community
24/7 access to our private online community full of archives and resources, where you can ask questions and connect with like-minded creatives
Live journaling sessions and monthly meetings on getting unstuck, studying your archetypes and motivations as a artist, developing your visual language and more
Small focus groups discussing a variety of topics — including botanical printing, embroidery, digital art, collage and more*
*New groups form each April. Topics are not guaranteed. These topics have been included in the past three years of CST.
Strengthen Your Art Practice
Art lessons on composition, balance, focal point, color, and meaning and projects to encourage individual exploration and expression
Monthly workshops guided by a member of our community. Soul cloth, stitching, negative painting, creative improv – these are just a few of the short workshops we have offered members in the past.
Opportunities to share your own work, either for critique, or just because you want to complete the circle of creating
Distill Your Artistic Voice
Cross-training prompts to connect you to your vision and mine your truth – to create the most powerful work possible
In-depth profiles of archetypes who are relevant to the creative self inside you. And ideas about how to befriend that valuable helper
Monthly live discussions, meditations and mantras to help us all witness lovingly to the community, dismantling the negative “Committee” sabotaging the creative joy that is your birthright
Bonuses
Exclusive member discount of 10% on all other classes and products! Includes classes like Confident Color, Backgrounds and Textures and more!
Case Studies based on work in progress from a member who volunteers to share or wants help with a project (this could be you!)
Plus two annual members-only exhibitions, with physical catalogues available for purchase. See yourself in print. All inclusive, no jurying, no extra fee*
*Must be a current member to participate in exhibitions.
Participating in CST has given me a place in a community that has been absent from my art life.
To be able to be open and vulnerable, and to be honored with the openness and vulnerability of others, is a gift. The conversations I have been welcomed to have made me a partner in the growth of all of us as a group. I know I am gaining strength and confidence. As I do so I feel I have more to give back.
Elizabeth Salvia
"You are, indeed, creating a worldwide community where it is safe to create and share with support at whatever level an individual may be.
The study of Archetypes, encourages a more profound understanding of who I am and how I function as an individual and in my artistic practice."
Adriana “Gigi” Mederos
"Thank you for your devotion.
That is the only word I can think of that captures how I experience your videos, your zoom meetings, your classes. Devotion and passion.”
Lindsay Webster
FAQs
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After you sign up, you'll receive an email order confirmation and a separate Welcome Note with more information about the CST community.
If you do not get this email within 24 hours, check your spam folder and then email Zenna at zenna@janedunnewold.com.
CST will be hosted inside our Creative Strength Community on Circle. Your Welcome email will include a link to create your Circle account.
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Live meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 2-3:30 pm Central.
Live journaling sessions are Fridays 9-9:30 am Central.
Events are recorded.
Topical groups each decide meeting time and frequency based on the members time zones and availability.
Special events like openings for the catalogues and exhibitions are announced in advance, but always around that same time, as we are mindful of what time it is in the UK and Europe and also in New Zealand and AU.
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Yes!
Returning CST members received an email containing a coupon code for 2023 registration. We also have a scholarship fund. Please email Jane (jane@janedunnewold.com) if you would like to be considered for a CST 2023 scholarship!
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What I first envisioned as a ten-week online workshop evolved into a ten-month program because it was clear that in order to establish new creative habits, it takes time.
There are no assignments, there are only tutorials, essays and videos and members choose what they want to focus on. You may read/watch everything, but there is no obligation to do so. We offer a range of ideas and activities because a living, thriving community like the one we foster is all about choice and figuring out preferences, because those are at the heart of who we are as creative beings.
We offer two two-hour sessions every month (these are also recorded) in addition to the pre-recorded and written materials, and you put into it whatever you have time to do.
Some members join for the first hour of a session, some attend the entire meeting.
Everyone’s life has lots of moving parts and some times people have more (or less) time than at other times and it’s all ok.
It’s fun, and wonderful to be part of a community of like-minded people who are open to discussion and actively resist judging others. That’s who we are, and that’s what enriches lives so much members return year after year.
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Although the majority of CST members work with textiles, we have people interested in all kinds of creating and that’s part of the point. CST is grounded in strengthening creativity, no matter what medium you work in. The focus is on how to bring our creative selves into every aspect of daily living. Also, we talk about general art concepts more than we talk about specific mediums. For instance, in the past we have discussed composition in general terms and strategies for working in a series.
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We are a community of introverts, extroverts and everything in between. You will never be “called on” or asked to present work without first volunteering. We honor and respect boundaries of all members and welcome you to join a meeting to simply sit back to observe!
Jane Dunnewold is an artist who writes.
Although her popular book, Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Stories to Inspire Artistic Genius was written to help artists find deeper joy in creating, her strategies apply to anyone seeking a more creative and boldly authentic life.
Jane lectures and leads workshops that honor and encourage our human desire to create. She has a degree in psychology and religious studies from Baldwin-Wallace University, and twenty-five years of hands-on training in surface design processes.
Zenna James is an artist, seeker and mother.
She has a BA in Anthropology and History from the University of Texas in Austin and has worked as a yoga instructor, advocate for survivors of sexual assault, technical consultant and software developer.
In 2021, she joined her mother Jane full-time and manages all things tech for their business.
She is excited to strengthen her own creativity with the vibrant CST community again this year. You can see her work at zennajames.com.
These are our core beliefs:
Creativity is not only available to creatives. It is a human and innate ability.
Creativity is an essential tool that makes navigating the modern world more rewarding and fun.
Community is an important component of creative living.
You’re worth it. You deserve to be here.
