INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINED CREATIVITY

Workshops

ISC workshops take many forms, from small, intimate gatherings to large-scale teaching environments and online convenings. We prioritize current, lived experience over outdated, recycled advice, and all of our workshops provide real, peer-to-peer pragmatic examples, vetted connections, and other productive pathways and methods that support artists in building sustainable creative lives.

Topics include:

• Foundational tools and examples of pragmatic pathways artists use to sustain their creative lives.

• Ways artists can apply studio-based creativity to daily living.

• Community-building events centered on artists’ specific, evolving needs.

• Emphasizing how artists give to the well-being of others by expanding creative thought and problem-solving into other non-art sectors, such as caregiving & nursing, for example.

OUR METHODS

• In collaboration with nonprofit and academic partners, we continually develop new workshops that spotlight sustainable pathways supporting both artists and the communities they serve.

• We prioritize intergenerational participation, diverse perspectives, and environments grounded in warmth and care, where artists can share openly, support one another, and engage in honest conversations that lead to lasting connections.

• Each workshop includes intentional follow-up with participants, most often conducted remotely and, when possible, through return visits to host communities. This continued engagement ensures that ideas translate into action and that relationships deepen beyond the initial gathering.

ISC workshops recognize that there is no single path to sustaining a creative life. Led by artists and arts professionals working across disciplines and roles, these programs bring diverse voices, lived experience, and multiple perspectives into every conversation — reflecting the wide range of artists and needs we serve.

Past & Ongoing Examples

Traveling to many different types of communities, Sharon and other ISC colleagues have been able to assist artists in a variety of venues. The following are only a few examples of dozens of workshops conducted over the past 10 years:

• Needs, Wants & Gives + Mechanics of Sustaining a Creative Life
  Facilitated gatherings bringing artists and arts professionals together to share real conditions of their working lives to collectively identify solutions and opportunities. Workshops have been conducted in Sharon Louden’s Brooklyn studio and other venues across the country. Ongoing.

• Investing in Wyoming’s Creative Economy
  A series of six, day-long workshops for artists across Wyoming, focused on community-building, creative enterprise concepts, and arts-based businesses. Implemented through the University of Wyoming Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity in collaboration with the Wyoming Innovation Partnership. 2023-2024.

• Creative Thinking in Healthcare, University of Central Arkansas
  Workshops introducing nursing students to the way that artists think, see, problem-solve, and leverage adaptive solutions in caregiving environments. 2025.

• Colorado Creative Industries Summit
  Presentations in Crested Butte, CO, focused on opportunity-building for administrators, bridge-building across diverse communities, and models for sustaining creative lives. 2023.

• Statewide Artist Convenings, Tulsa, OK
  Informal gatherings and museum-based workshops connecting artists from across Oklahoma, supported by partners including the Philbrook Museum of Art and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. 2019-2020.

• Nationwide Artist Convenings, Australia
  Large and small gatherings that were both formal and informal throughout the country, including Sydney, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Alice Springs, and Warlukurlangu (Aboriginal-owned art centre). Events included book presentations, needs-and-wants workshops, mentoring students, and promoting indigenous artists working in the Outback of Australia. 2017.

• Artist Career Development Program, Tel Aviv, Israel
  In partnership with Artport, this two week visit was directed towards emerging Israeli visual artists to advance their professional skills and build a community of artists. The program was organized by Asylum Arts to help artists develop individualized, practical action plans to achieve their career goals. 2017.

• Creative Sustainability Workshop, South Jersey
  A three-hour workshop developed in collaboration with Creative Capital and the Dodge Foundation convening local artists to generate connections and explore sustainable pathways. Outcomes included new professional relationships and successful residency placements. 2015.

Workshop Videos:

Crested Butte, CO (June 2023)

“The Mechanics of Sustaining a Creative Life” (excerpts)

Presentation to arts administrators:
Colorado Creative Industries Summit — Program of Events (pdf).

University of California, San Diego & San Diego Community College + Yale University (Feb 2020).

“Building a Sustainable & Creative Career in the Arts” (excerpts)

Students & faculty in visual arts, theater, music, history & literature.

Louden Studio, Brooklyn, NY (May 2019).

“Needs & Wants” (excerpts)

Convening of 42 artists (30 in-person / 12 remotely).