Play-filled
EVOLUTIONARY & DARING
Mindful
CONSCIOUS CREATIVITY
Healthy
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
START BELIEVING. START THRIVING.
Create & lead from within your passion, purpose, and community.
In 2007, Creatively Independent was born from a desire to destroy the “starving artist” stereotype and activate creative ownership and sustainable artistry as foundational in training and art creation.
Now, the revolution slips into every crack like liquid: flowing from original to classical works, from teacher to student, from performer to audience. CI tours internationally engaging with artists at every stage of art education/creation in residencies, keynotes, consultations, and retreat intensives with the hope of embedding the roots of art back into our daily lives.
JUMP IN NOW
The Experience Break Down
Physical theatre – The body is your mind’s hard drive. It holds all your experiences. As Martha Graham says, “The body cannot lie”. And the big kicker, the body is grounded in the Now. Our physical skills are always growing: dance, combat, clown, mask, circus, and acro are the current kickers. . Ensemble Devising – An activated ensemble creating together can catapult the individual to new levels through support, challenges, and collaboration. Many hands… as they say. . Mindfulness – Without self-awareness, each exercise in a bubble. You are merely a copy of the teacher. Mindfulness drops you into how and why you create. . To the Power of Play – It’s what makes a formula a playground. And we say “play” we mean the life-evolving, multi-leveled world of buoyant exploration that we are hard-wired with as children.
. LEARN MORE WHILE SWEATING & LAUGHING
Creatively Independent’s Pedagogy & FLow
Spiral Learning – Art of Now
This foundational play/work is tailored to you in many forms—devising residencies, workshops, keynotes, one-on-one coaching, online courses, books, and art-as-education pieces.
There are three stages to the process, spiraling with your current level of skill and awareness. New possibilities reveal themselves from your evolution. You have vantage points to dare… to ask… to create.. Curious?! Tailor your experience with CI.Creatively independent pLAYGROUNDS
Conduits for Creativity & Consciousness
Using physical theatre as a metaphor for the rigors and joy of life, CI helps you consciously create a healthy artistic practice. From the roots of education to the horizon of the impossible, articulate, own, and sustain the three elements that make you unique:
Identity. Intention. Impact. Tempt yourself to thrive in your art. Come play!
Results
The proof is in the pudding.
Ty Defoe
Actor, “Straight White Men” B’dway
Founder, Indigenous DirectionsLove. Play. Fun. Spirit. Fire. Community. Intention. Thank you, CI. Miigwetch for leading! Incredible retreats, workshops, knowledge, and good times-good times. More!
J. David Brimmer
Assoc. Professor, NYU/Tisch
Fight Master, SAFDIt was a pleasure and a revelation watching them open up a safe, joyous environment for the students to rediscover their sense of play… empowering them to go deeper into the material with greater ease and facility. I fully intend to use these techniques in my own classroom!
Meredith Fox
Assoc. Professor,
Catawba College…life-changers! They will get you off your seats, out of your heads, and into your physical imagination within an ensemble. CI challenges all to take risks with playfulness, listen, be present and connect with the people and world around them. Above all else they encourage everyone to own who they are, what they want, and why it matters, which is crucial to growing into the holistic human beings we each want to become. Their philosophy and practical approach to learning and discovery through creativity and play is the rejuvenating breath of fresh air our educational system and artistic community needs.
Lara Segura
Artistic Program Manager,
Malashock Dance Co.Jess Pillmore is a sensational creative sounding board! She is an understanding and supportive listener and has a gift for helping you pinpoint your creative goals. She guides you to clarify your process by asking mindful questions shaped to your individual needs. She does not push her own aesthetic and her criticism is always thoughtful, constructive and without agenda. She encouraged me to embrace my unique artistic voice and has been a pivotal part of my growth as a human and a maker of accessible art.
Tanya Perez
Actor, stage & screen
Founder, Blue Pavement FilmsThe work we did was exciting and really challenging in the most delightful way, that I wish I could do it again in 6 months… Or just every day of my life… The playing was not just about fun, but it was boundless bits of work and collaboration and brevity as CI unraveled the theme of the day. It was like we were unwrapping presents every day. I every day say that you should join them on this journey because the kid in you totally deserves it!
Victoria Row-Traster
Ed. Dir., Miami Theatre Center,
T. A., Royal National Theatre, Former Curriculum Dev., New VictoryWhere do I begin… Taking part in the Creatively Independent 4-day intensive retreat is like breathing in ice-cold, refreshing, mountain quality fresh air. Exploring, discovering and questioning in a supportive, playful and creative setting is the “reset” button you are looking for. I agreed to attend for professional development but walked away with life-changing strategies and affirmations that cleansed my insides. I need to play more. We ALL need to play more. Go for it… you will not regret it!
Contact us
The readiness is all!
Take creative ownership of how you: create, teach, produce, expand, and integrate your art into your life… Call (276) 455-1851 or email info@creativelyindependent.netKeep in the loop with creative prompts and tour updates with our monthly newsletter:
CI’S COMPASSIONATE LEADER – JESS PILLMORE
A horizon activator with an infinite supply of hope and a knack for making the impossible possible.
Jess is a shapeshifter in the worlds of theatre, dance, music, and creative coaching with a solid spine of “Yes, you can!” Over the past 20 years, Jess has worked as an international guest artist (K-post grad, professional development, conferences), director/choreographer (International, Off-Broadway, fringe, regional, educational), singer/songwriter (3 Nat’l releases, 1 musical) and published author. Her book, Creatively Independent: Life on Your Terms with Play, Community & Awareness, was supported by international best-seller Seth Godin, her provocative essay on ageism in education appeared in Psychology Today, and her series on Sustainable Artistry is now at HowlRound. TRAINING: MFA Interdisciplinary Arts (Goddard), BA Theatre (FSU), RADA, Movement Studio Theatre, Society of American Fight Directors, Pilobolus AWARDS: Best Female Actor Combatant (Nat’l SAFD), Founder’s Award (Nat’l SAFD), Best Musical (Dir./Chor., Minneapolis Frings w/ Neo-Futurists)
Creatively Independent’s Happy Clients
It’s an honor to play with these leading-edge creators and educators.
