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AESTHETIC PATHS TO FLOURISHING

Exploring and Creating Expressions of Beauty

(Online Course)
November 3 & 17

Introduction

“Man cannot do without beauty, and this is what our era pretends to want to disregard.”

― Albert Camus

We are affected by the world around us as we experience it through our bodily senses. This course is designed to teach the importance of aesthetic experience for our personal well-being, drawing from ideas and research from philosophy, art, and science. We look at ancient and recent wisdom to find and learn habits that can increase our capacity to engage with beauty.

Bringing decades of experience, we invite you to join us for this course aimed to help you think, act, and express yourself more creatively and aesthetically. We guide you through an exploration of ideas and practices to help you flourish through aesthetics.

This hands-on course provides both learning and discussion moments as well as facilitation exercises geared toward enabling you to create your own expressions. Creative activities encourage curiosity and cultivate an aesthetic sensibility as a way to see the world from a fresh perspective.

Aesthetic experience is a basic human drive, and this unique course guides you to become more proactive in shaping your aesthetic future

This Course Aims To

In this course, we help reorient you toward the importance of aesthetic experience, showing how it makes your life more meaningful, vibrant, and fulfilling. We guide you to become more aware of your own aesthetic preferences, sensibilities, and expressions. Aesthetic experiences can help lower stress, increase positive emotions and mindfulness, stimulate innovative thinking, deepen social bonds, boost your personal development and performance, which is part of why it is extremely valuable for our lives.

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What To Expect

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Dialogues & Connections

Active participation will be integral to our learning together. Build connections by sharing aesthetic experiences and personal stories.

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Playfulness & Imagination

Taking part in play-oriented activities that expand imagination and inspire new possibilities within a playful and fun atmosphere.

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Artistic Expressions

Experimenting with various art modalities for creative self-expressions, facilitating deeper reflections and uncovering new insights.

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Practical Application

Any theories we discuss will be placed into practical contexts with activities crafted to deepen your learning and understanding. 

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Experiential Learning

Deepening your understanding through embodied experiences of beauty rather than conventional knowledge-feeding methods.

Course Outline

Session One

Date: 3rd November 2024

Time: 10:00 to 12:00 EST (check your time zone)

Location: Online

Overview: People naturally seek out aesthetic experiences as a core motivation that has even contributed to our survival. In this session, we will delve into our aesthetic needs, focusing especially on the aesthetics of our everyday environments, and cultivate sensitivity and awareness to these experiences. Sensory activities crafted to allow you to experience beauty in a more embodied way.

Session Two

Date: 17th November 2024

Time: 10:00 to 12:00 EST (check your time zone)

Location: Online

Overview: To develop better aesthetic sensibilities, we need to cultivate intentional habits of noticing the beauty in our surroundings and even in the most mundane chores of daily life. We are all artists and creators in our own ways, and in this session, we will guide you in exploring and developing your unique aesthetic expressions through simple creative art.

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Course Leaders

founder of artful banyan tree, consultant, facilitator, artist, creative wellness coach

Organisational Consultant, Arts-Based Facilitator & Coach

Creative Artist, Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor

Working as an organisational consultant and arts-based coach and facilitator, Bella integrates art, nature, and aesthetics into individual, team, and organisational change and development processes. She strives to promote holistic well-being, flourishing, and positive social change through aesthetic living and co-creation. She believes we all have the creative power within us, by nurturing imagination and cultivating curiosity and playfulness, we open up new possibilities to think and do things differently.

  • Master of Arts in Business Psychology 

       Hochschule für Medien, Kommunikation und Wirtschaft

  • Master of Arts with Honours in Psychology

      The University of Edinburgh

  • Certified Expressive Arts Facilitator

      Expressive Arts Coaching & Consulting

      The Expressive Arts Institute Berlin

      The European Graduate School

  • Certified Yoga Instructor​

  • NEO-PI-3 Accreditation 

  • Acting, Voice Acting & Improvisation Training 

  • Dance Performing (Edinburgh Arts Festivals)

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Michael R. Spicher, PhD

Speaker, Philosopher, Writer, Consultant

Michael writes and speaks about aesthetics, beauty, taste, and digital fashion, especially how theories connect to different practices. In 2016, he founded the Aesthetics Research Lab, which brings together different sectors engaged with aesthetic questions and solutions. Drawing from his perspective as a philosopher, he speaks to professional and general audiences, including contexts like fashion, business, and architecture. He has written academic articles about aesthetics, but he has turned his attention to more public contexts and is a regular contributor to BeautyMatter, a resource for the beauty industry. He is also the aesthetics area editor for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Based in Boston, he teaches regularly at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Boston Architectural College.

Aesthetic Research Lab (A.R.L)

Theories of beauty and taste have a long history in philosophy. However, new research—from neuroscience to organizational management to user experience and product design—has heightened our understanding about how aesthetics influences everyday decisions and actions. Keeping a pulse on all that is new in aesthetics, Aesthetics Research Lab (ARL) serves as a think tank to bring together different sectors engaged with aesthetic questions and solutions.

Prospective Participants

We warmly welcome individuals from all walks of life. Here's whom we have in mind:

Open to All: Everyone is welcome to join. There are no restrictions based on age, background, or experience. We

embrace diversity and inclusivity.

No Artistic Skill Required: No need for prior artistic expertise to participate. The focus is not on artistic proficiency; rather, art serves as a valuable tool to explore the inner resources we possess and those that art itself offers.

Open-Minded Explorers: We're looking for open-minded individuals who are curious to explore their inner creative power and wisdom. If you're ready to embrace new perspectives and experiences, you'll find a welcoming crowd here.

Building Connections: Wish to build friendships and connections with people who share similar interests. Aspire to be part of a dynamic and inclusive creative community.

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Course Enrolment

General Admission - 890 SEK ($85, €77)

EarlyBird - 790 SEK ($75, €68, register before 30th September 2024) 

Pricing Notice:

The prices listed are primarily in Swedish Krona (SEK). For your reference, approximate prices in US Dollars ($) and Euros (€) are also provided. Please note that these reference prices are based on the general international exchange rate. The actual prices in SEK may vary according to the real-time exchange rate at the time of purchase. For the most accurate pricing, please refer to the current exchange rate applicable at the moment of your transaction.

Check the price in your Currency.

Registration CLOSES on 20th October

Limited spots are available. 

Please sign up and complete the online payment before the course.

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Cancellation and Refund Policy

We understand that plans can change, and we aim to accommodate your needs as best as we can. Please carefully read our cancellation and refund policy before signing up:

  • Free Cancellation: If you need to cancel your workshop registration, you can do so free of charge before 20th October 2024. We appreciate your early notice.

  • 50% Refund: For cancellations made between 21st to 27th October 2024, we offer a 50% refund of the workshop fee. We understand that unexpected situations can arise, and this partial refund is our way of assisting you.

  • No Refund: Unfortunately, we cannot provide a refund for cancellations made after 28th October 2024. At this point, we have made preparations and commitments that prevent us from offering refunds.

 

Instead of canceling, you have the option to transfer your seat to another individual or exchange it for credits that can be used for our other services.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we're here to assist you.

 

Note: The workshop must meet the minimum participant requirement. If this requirement is not met, the workshop will regrettably be canceled. In such an event, we will inform you before 21st October 2024.

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Our Philosophy and Framework

The Symbolism of a Tree

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Our approach in this workshop

Essential Elements in Our Work

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Get in Touch

+46 (0) 738376876

Falkenberg, Sweden

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©2023 by Artful Banyan Tree.

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