Creative Process

Through developing The Healing Palette workshop, I learned that the creative process isn't always set in stone and can shift in a second. Instead, it is adaptive and responsive to participants' needs. Initially, I approached the workshop with a structured plan focused on specific techniques such as watercolor layering and collage. However, as the sessions continued, I realized the importance of being flexible and seeing how the students respond to the lesson plans. This relates to our discussions in CPSA260 about facilitating group discussion and student-centered learning. Another way that I integrated the lessons from CPSA26 would be the lessons from the room arrangement to having a gallery walk, in order for students to be able to interact with their fellow classmates and me. This was needed for students to be able to view the lesson and interact with one another to share ideas and collaborate!  Before implementing the room arrangement strategy, it was difficult for me to interact with the students since I would need to walk around the room. However, after the arrangments i could walk around the big table I set up and be able to reach people quickly if they had questions or wanted feedback!

The main idea was to create a welcoming environment for dialogue among students. This allowed participants to interpret prompts in their own way instead of controlling the discussion. As we discussed in CPSA260, I put this into practice by asking open-ended questions and having participants pair up and discuss any questions I asked the group, in case some felt more comfortable pairing up in small groups and not having the whole class listen to their thoughts. Overall, this experience improved my leadership skills by teaching me how to balance structure with openness, ultimately creating a more inclusive and meaningful creative space.