Creative Process Seminar

Commit to your own creative process with this seminar and fill a sketchbook showcasing your art experience and evolution.

The Creative Process Seminar provides space for artistic growth, weekly support and feedback. The seminar lasts 8 weeks and guides artists through the Creative Process Framework. Each week artists will receive sketchbook prompts, art activities, and reflection questions. The group class meets for one hour each week. The 1:1 session meets 45 minutes each week. This course is offered online or in the studio.

The Creative Process Seminar is perfect for portfolio development, removing a creative block, homeschool art intensive, and exploring new ideas, materials, and techniques.

The seminar will be offered each season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Check the class schedule for available seminars. If you are interested in alternative start dates or class times, please click below to inquire. We look forward to creating with you!

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Explore

In the EXPLORE phase, we present a collection of “explore” challenge exercises that open concept schema, extend material exploration, and activate prior experience and multiple intelligences.

Artists warm up their hands and their minds to great ready for a new experience.

This phase might be where some children stay, especially ages 3-5, repeating experiences, watching others, or combining discoveries.

“I have seen the process inform the work… meaning sparking curiosity, seeing “mistakes” turning into something I like. I recognize my limitations, try not to compare my art to others in judgement and keep making something.” – Lynette

Engage

In the ENGAGE phase, we provide skill workshops, tool and technique demonstrations, and provide visual references and exemplars.

Artists practice new skills and connect to content and concept by making many versions.

This phase might be where some children stay, especially ages 6-7, repeating experiences, watching others, or inventing their own way to use materials.

I committed to a prompt.
I learned about my prompt and chose some reference ideas I wanted to try.
I combined different elements to get something unique and mine.
By limiting myself to a prompt, I was able to consider creative ideas without limitations.

— Chrissy

Express

In the EXPRESS phase, we make different mediums and materials available to make multi-step projects, prototypes, sketches, and models to express ideas, apply skills, and express the concept in both 2D and 3D forms.

Artists create their personal expression of the concept and develop a “story” that expresses the meaning behind their creative choices.

Kids ages 8-9 will likely spend the longest in this phase working through the individual steps of a bigger project to get satisfaction from realistic, true to concept, or authentic results.

Does creativity have developmental stages, like life? I feel like I have to go through the concrete to reach something more abstract. — Student

The unconventional challenge guided me to work with the abstract concept not just the literal content. — Student

What our students (and parents) have to say

This is my favorite two hours of the week! Genie opens the session with a group warm-up that is both fun and instructional. Then, the participants can work on projects of their choice. If you're not sure what you want to do, or how to do it, Genie guides you. As you work, you feel supported and by your fellow artists. The sense of community is second only to the spirit of creativity at Social Studio.

Elated Adult Student

It’s so much more than an art class. She had them engaging with science, nature and geography. They were singing songs. My daughter was bubbling over with pride after class. When she draws with us she is easily discouraged that she can’t draw like an adult. With social studio the projects are age appropriate and she is able to engage with peers. As a fellow arts educator I’m super impressed.

Happy Parent

Love that it was interactive. I wasn't sure if my daughter would be allowed to talk during the class because of the size but, she was able to talk and show her art work. I was very impressed. The teacher is very enthusiastic and you can tell she genuinely loves her job.

Diana B.

Lila has absolutely loved this class! Being exposed to different types of media and techniques while getting to explore an inspiring artist has been a wonderful experience for her. Genie is awesome and — even at a (Social) distance — has built a relationship with all of the students and a sense of camaraderie. What a fabulous experience!

Happy Parent

Go to Social Studio Baltimore for all your kid and adult art making needs! R made this treehouse playground in a mere two hours this morning. Genie Arnot is such an amazing teacher and she has put together a beautiful studio that makes art accessible to everyone.

Happy Parent

Genie, congrats on accomplishing a such meaningful feat. With art, we can feel the ground move beneath our feet and the air more oxygenated. You’ve given the community a dedicated place to grow and daydream. You’re amazing!! Go on!

Social Studio Enthusiast

You taught me negative space, how to draw faces and many more really cool things! Most of all you showed me how to connect to other people and things and that is really powerful.

Art Student

Being a student in your class is a gift that we are so thankful for.

Grateful Parent

I could not let this year end without telling you how grateful I am that you were Avelynn's art teacher for four years. She sees herself as an artist and a problem solver because you expect them all to be.