Creative activity has been linked to healthy aging, emotional well-being, lifelong learning, stress reduction, social connection, and cognitive flexibility. By learning new skills, engaging the imagination, and approaching life with curiosity, we continue to develop new neural pathways and remain active participants in our own growth.

But the benefits of creativity extend far beyond brain health.

Creativity can help us reflect on our lives, deepen our spiritual journey, express feelings that are difficult to put into words, and reconnect with a sense of wonder and possibility.

As children, we create naturally. We draw, imagine, build, and explore without worrying whether what we make is good enough. As adults, life's responsibilities often pull us away from that creative spirit. We become productive rather than creative, and somewhere along the way many of us stop drawing, stop imagining, and stop creating.

Yet creativity is not something we outgrow. It remains a vital part of being human.

In the second half of life, we are offered a unique opportunity—not to become children again, but to become whole.

These workshops are designed especially for those who may not think of themselves as artists. The first four weeks are intentionally gentle "art lessons with training wheels on"—playful, supportive sessions that help participants overcome the fear of making art and rediscover the joy of creating.

Through simple artistic activities, conversation, and creative exploration, we'll discover how art can become a form of meditation, a way of paying attention, a path toward self-understanding, and a means of building meaningful community. Along the way, participants will be invited to explore memory, imagination, faith, identity, and the stories that shape their lives.

The series is facilitated by Rev. Danah Cox, who holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Divinity degree. Drawing on experience in both the visual arts and spiritual formation, Danah hopes to serve as a guide throughout the process—creating a welcoming space where participants can explore creativity without pressure, deepen their sense of connection, and perhaps rediscover parts of themselves that have been waiting patiently for attention.

No artistic experience is necessary. Bring only your curiosity and a willingness to explore. A pencil, a blank sheet of paper, and a little curiosity may be all that is needed to begin discovering something that has been waiting within you for years.

Food & Fellowship

Each workshop begins with thirty minutes of conversation and a simple meal. The meal will be available throughout the session, but the formal learning and activity part will begin at the top of the hour.

The meal will typically consist of assorted croissant sandwiches, potato salad, water, coffee and cookies.

The food is intentionally simple— but enough to ensure no one has to choose between participating and eating. Participants with strict or special dietary requirements are welcome to bring their own meal.

This registration page is for the Red Deer Lake Site only. Registration can be done for all 8 weeks (at the top of this page) or for only the weeks you are interested in. Click on each week to learn more or to register for that week. (To register for the McDougall Site please click here.)

• Week 1 / July 11 - Permission to Create

  This first workshop combines conversation, creative play, and guided drawing to help participants overcome common barriers to creativity, explore both symbolic and observational drawing, and discover that making art is about curiosity, presence, and expression rather than perfection.

• Week 2 / July 18 - Walking the Labyrinth: Art of Prayer

  This workshop invites participants to experience creativity as a contemplative practice by walking a labyrinth and creating personal mandalas as expressions of reflection, gratitude, prayer, and peaceful focus.

• Week 3 / July 25 - Memory Garden

  This workshop invites participants to use collage, imagery, storytelling, and creative reflection to celebrate the people, places, memories, and experiences that have shaped their lives with gratitude and meaning.

• Week 4 / August 1 - Seeing with New Eyes

  This workshop invites participants to slow down, notice the beauty around them, and explore photography as a way of seeing, reflecting, and connecting with place, using either a phone or camera.

• Week 5 / August 8 - Many Pieces, One Story

  This workshop invites participants to collaborate on a shared artwork that celebrates creativity, belonging, and the power of many small contributions coming together to create something meaningful.

• Week 6 / August 15 - Behind the Mask

  This workshop invites participants to create personal masks that explore the contrast between their public and private selves, encouraging self-reflection, honesty, and compassionate dialogue.

• Week 7 / August 22 - Shaping Meaning

  This workshop introduces three-dimensional creative making through hands-on work with materials like clay, plaster, and stone to explore symbolic themes such as journey, memory, and what we carry and leave behind.

• Week 8 / August 29 - Finishing Touches & Celebration

  This final gathering invites participants to revisit and complete projects, reflect on the summer’s creative journey, and celebrate the shared experience of discovery, connection, and new ways of seeing themselves.