Dear Kerstin, thank you for taking the time for our interview. I got to know you for the first time in a seminar of Google, with the topic "Empowerment - What I really want!". Your methods really inspired me. Can you introduce yourself and what does "Creative Facilitation" mean?

I am a cultural scientist and studied creative writing and visual arts during my studies. As a child and adolescent, creativity has been an important motive in my life and is still there today. After graduating, I first wrote as a writer, but when that did not work out so well with book publications and I did not just want to live on scholarships and literary prizes, I started creative-writing workshops. That was 2003. Working with groups made it a lot of fun. I had participated in many seminars myself since I was twenty-two years old. Inner orientation and meditation are topics that have accompanied me a long time ago, so over the years I have developed my own style of work with groups and the topic of creativity, self-clarification and inner work. I combined contemplative practices with creative expression. Creative facilitation means creating spaces of possibilities and experimentation that make it easier for people to gain new experiences and to try out their creativity. They discover themselves - also in contact with other people - new and different, and strengthen their creative future themselves.
In addition, I'm always artistically active, currently writing is more in the background. I have a daily artificial practice that I call “Every Day Art”.

 

What motivated you to bring more creativity into our society and why is it so important in your opinion?

Since the age of twenty, I have consistently followed my impulses, that which drives me at heart. And that always included creativity. This is me. That turns me off. And what could be better than giving what makes you one with the world? AND: I feel a great longing in many people for creative expression, liveliness, creative power, I believe that works in each of us. Everyone is basically a creative being, I hold it with Beuys, who said that every human being is an artist?
I believe that creativity is healing. What is expressed is outside. Revives. Makes happy. Fires self-efficacy.

Do you know when participants tell you that they are just unhappy without knowing why, since they basically have everything? A good job, security, a good relationship. A point where I stood for a long time. How do you manage to tease out what the person really wants in life?

My approach is to bring people into the NOW as much as possible. Many of us are constantly busy with planning what should be, etc .. This saying is quite accurate:
“The best way to look after the future is to look carefully at the present.” Thich Nhat Hanh

It's about re-connecting, getting in touch with my core, how are you NOW? When I go there, it usually becomes clear what the topic is. I often formulate the question "What do I really want?" but this can cause stress.  “What is really important to me right now?” “What concerns me?” - this is a more relaxed perspective. Then I "work" with the people. This is an important track.

Many of my community ask me how to call up creativity whenever you want. I know this feeling well, where you want to create something new but sit in front of a blank sheet. What do you do in such a situation?

There are various creativity techniques, one very effective: Free Writing.
Look at my website under Every Day Art, there is how I do it in a longer text.
It also has a lot to do with regular practice. To train creative muscles over and over again. I do not necessarily experience creativity as retrievable, but as trainable. I can not force results, but I can regularly make myself available and do, and again, start, discard, start, destroy, be courageous, start again, make, into insecurity. Creativity means letting go of all security (Erich Fromm).

For me, the Art Dance Love idea from the beginning to now has developed in a completely different direction. Originally, I was thinking of art and dance retreats that I wanted to organize in Lisbon and the surrounding area. Not that I've buried my ideas, but I've started to set priorities. What do you advise someone when he has so many ideas but does not know how to arrange them? How are you proceeding?

On the one hand, I would advise you to deal with the topic of scanner personality. These are people with unbelievably many ideas and interests, read on! And secondly, of course, life is essentially processual in nature. It meanders in this way. I can not say a general rule how I would do it. This is really individual coaching work.

Would you say that you lead a creative life? What belongs to you, Do you have a special daily routine with creative breaks, what does your everyday life look like?

My everyday life is strongly influenced by my motherhood. I have 2 children, 6 and 12. The daily schedule: 6.30 am. 7.30 am the kids are off to school.
Home Office, Home Atelier - or if I have training then train somewhere outside. I travel a lot this year, so I do not have a regular weekly rhythm. At the moment I usually have 2 seminar days per week.
When I am in the home office, lunch is served from 13.30. In the afternoon often family stuff. Evening program. Every day art, I do in the morning or in the evening. I do not know if I lead a creative life. I also experience a lot of corset, time pressure, compatibility of family and job is a huge topic, complexity that sometimes overwhelms me AND I care for creativity in all this. I paint, I find my work creative, I cook creatively. Be outside. Gardening, friendships. Creativity definitely has a place in my life.
 
Dear Kerstin, thank you so much for your time, I'm a big fan of your work :)

You can also find all information about Kerstin Döring on her website: kerstindoering.com

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