A workshop for creative artist/parents

Coping with parenthood is no easy feat, especially for the mother or father with artistic ambitions. Sometimes it seems impossible to combine good parenting with the intense focus required to keep creativity alive. This challenge leaves many creative artist/parents feeling confused, distracted, depleted and alone.

The Artist Formerly Known As… is an eight session workshop addressing some of the issues arising when an artist becomes a parent. Some of the weekly topics included will be:

Time Management

How to carve out time for creativity, while recognizing that new limitations, both practical and psychological, exist now that you are a parent.

Competition/Envy

The Creative Artist/Parent is particularly vulnerable to the downside of these emotions if unable to engage in his/her craft as readily as before the birth of his/her child. However, there is value to these “bad” emotions. The workshop will explore how to use feelings of competition and envy to motivate and engage the Creative Artist/Parent.

Creative Block

What is behind a dip in creative motivation and/or inspiration? Is it really just a matter of no time and/or too much creative energy poured in to parenting? Sometimes a “vacation” from the demands of a creative life is the best thing for future artistic ventures, sometimes not. The segment will offer new solutions and perspectives on this tricky subject.

Marriage

Many creative artists are married to other creative artists. Often one partner’s creative life thrives through parenthood, while the other’s suffers. The creative artist married to a non-artist may also watch his/her career fade while his/her spouse’s career continues to develop. Obvious tensions arise in either scenario. The focus of this segment will be on rebalancing the marital scale through effective communication and partnership.

Family of Origin:

This segment will explore the impact of the Creative Artist/Parent’s own upbringing on his/her feelings about parenthood, and creativity.
This workshop is led in two-hour segments by Alice Kaltman, L.C.S.W. Alice has an extensive background in treating creative artists. A professional dancer married to a visual artist, she brings her own personal experience to this workshop.
Dates, time, and location will be determined by consensus, once enrollment is set. Please call (212) 502-7979 for more information.