the curriculum for our creative year rose from a combination of many research papers and interviews. my biggest inspiration and the backbone of our monthly themes came from keith sawyer, psychologist and author of “zig zag: the surprising path to creativity”. in an article published by inc that highlighted sawyer’s book, my heart raced in excitement as I learned simple but insightful ways to maximize one’s creative potential. the article shared here will give you deeper understanding of “the why” behind this experience. the second resource I attribute much of this methodology to is an article by positive psychology that educates on how to induce flow state. in reading this I finally felt at ease with our curriculum because it is in direct alignment with the various paths to achieve a flow state. at the end of this journey, my hope for us is that we are able to learn what exercises enable us to be our most creative selves. if all goes well, at the end of our journey we will know what types of activities allow us to reach flow state. a place where “a person functions at his or her fullest capacity with their attention so focused on a task, that factors such as fatigue and boredom do not interfere; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will participate for the sheer sake of doing it” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). while this curriculum has a set period of time, our creative journey has no time limits. this method is purely meant to be an experiment to learn about the various ways to dance with creativity and which method resonates best with who we are.

to learn more, click on the links below!

25 ways to be more creative: this was used as the backbone for our curriculum

types of creativity: this was used to compartmentalize our activities into the different types of creativity so you can understand at the end which type you identify with

flow state: the results you will find in this article define success for this experiment. by the end of this, you should have achieved flow state at least once during one of the monthly activities.

week one resources linked below

brené brown and james clear podcast on building atomic habits part 1 and part 2:

the key to achieving your goals is setting up the right systems to become the person you want to be. "you don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems." it is best to root your goals in your identity, as intrinsic motivation will outrun extrinsic factors. create an environment that encourages the behavior you wish to have, you make it easy for yourself to choose the positive action. the 4 laws to behavior change include making your desired behaviors clear, attractive, a frictionless choice, and satisfying. know that you don't need intensity to validate who you are, show up and be consistent and the tiny gains will multiply in interest.

glennon doyle podcast on how to say no with simone biles and lauren hernandez:

the word quit really means "to set free" and it gained its negative stereotype during the industrial revolution when humans were expected to devote their entire lives to their work. this podcast is about setting boundaries and knowing that you play the most significant role in choices, they belong to you. gaining encouragement to stand up when you see something is wrong and be what the child version of you would need. when we are treated improperly, we don't have to come up with excuses that relieve others of responsibility for their actions. "being pushed may have made me a stronger athlete, but not a stronger person". trust and respect yourself.

adam grant podcast “taken for granted” with lin manuel miranda, the director of hamilton, on creative processes:

you cannot rush creativity. Know yourself and how you best get inspired, then allow yourself to follow that path. the sooner you are clear on your working style, the more efficiently you can work with others to achieve success. open communication is everything.

instructables living blog on how to use ordinary things in unusual ways:

get inspired to see items around you in new ways. sometimes we are too quick to assume that what we are told is the end all be all truth. this blog provides many examples of how to broaden your perspective of product use cases.

Live Music

Saturday Sounds - every Saturday there is a free rooftop folk concert at Salesforce park 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Comedy

Hella Secret SF - every thurs/fri/sat there is a secret location comedy show for $20. Once you purchase a ticket, the location will be emailed to you!

Movement

HIIT, Zumba, Yoga, & Bootcamp - weekly rooftop workout class at Salesforce park.

Yoga, Meditation, & Live Music - every tues there is a 3 -in-1 class for $15 at Grace Cathedral.

HIIT Yoga - on 3/19 class at The Yard for $20 and the first 20 people to register receive a $50 Athleta gift card.

Yoga, Dance, & Live Music - on 3/25 join for a collab class with Girls on the Run and Outdoor Yoga SF for a $35 donation class during a Baker Beach sunset.