Shape/Shift: The Artist's Way, In Practice + 1:1 Coaching
A 12-week method to manifest your creative dreams, break through blocks, build empowering habits and put your work out there through The Artist's Way, Jungian philosophy, personalized coaching, and a supportive community of fellow artists.
Welcome! By landing on this page, you've received a digital invitation from the universe to take your creativity to a new, more abundant level. This will be our fourth cohort at Index, and over the last three, we've manifested some very cool and very real things. We're talking new careers, early retirements, confidence through the roof, limitless self-love, homes abroad, deep relationships, getting rich off our art, and a beautiful community that continues to uplift and inspire each other to shine as our true creative selves in our everyday lives.
The Artist's Way is a book designed to unlock your creative potential through tried-and-true exercises and a bit of manifestation magic. But Shape/Shift is much more than a book club. We're a collective, and your membership is valid indefinitely.
To be clear, you do not need to be an artist to participate. Creativity is a birthright. You choose how you express yourself, and if you don't know what ignites your spark, this course will help you figure that out, too.
During the course, we meet once a week to work through The Artist's Way. We'll discover more about ourselves and who we want to be, while also developing our community and fostering new creative relationships. Some weeks, we'll have guest speakers for extra inspiration, and other weeks, we'll dive into special activities like meditative birdwatching or zine-making. To practice your practice, each member of the cohort will have an opportunity to host a workshop of their own, and the course culminates in a group art show party for you to display your work and invite your loved ones to celebrate you. We check in daily and use our vibrant digital community (a WhatsApp Group) to hold each other accountable and create space for what comes up through the course and beyond. Additionally, you'll meet with Ella for 1:1 creative coaching sessions to help you conjure, set, and achieve your creative goals.
The goal is for you to go beyond your aspirations and have the audacity to overcome perfectionism and put your work out there in the world. Ella’s role is to support you in that, practically and spiritually.
You can join us IRL at Index in NYC, or dial in via Zoom. We've found a method that seamlessly integrates our digital and in-person cohorts. And if you're usually with us IRL but traveling that week, you can join digitally and stay accountable to your practice.
What you get:
13 class gatherings to connect, share + bloom with the cohort
1:1 creative coaching session and development of a 3-month project plan for you to execute on to bring your ideas to life
4 Q&As with alumni who've manifested creative abundance
Extracurricular activities such as birdwatching, cyanotyping, vision boarding, drinks & dinners
Lifetime access to the digital community + free meetups
Option to host your own workshop or skill presentation with production support from Ella
Option to participate in a group gallery show/party
Additional coaching, production support, and materials may have separate costs.
Beyond the course, our cohorts stay intact. We meet for dinner parties worldwide, collaborate on projects, and use the digital community to chat it up, share success, and ask for support. The magic is limitless.
Index Access
To deepen the sense of community within this cohort, Index is offering free coworking at Index Greenpoint to all registered students on days when class is held. We'll reach out the week before class starts to get you set up.
Scholarship & Teacher's Assistant
Index scholarships are designed to benefit underrepresented groups, BIPOC members of our community, and those for whom the class price is not accessible. These need-based scholarships will go to the candidates who best demonstrate why they should be chosen for the free spot to our class. You can apply for a scholarship here.
Additionally, we provide one scholarship for a teacher's assistant who is able to attend class in person each week and assist with AV and class logistics. You can apply for the TA position by emailing ciao@loverllc.com.
Syllabus
September 16 – Week 1 – Developing a Sense of Safety
Establish a safe and nurturing environment for creative exploration.
Introduce the course and its objectives.
Discuss key concepts from "The Artist's Way."
Journaling: Reflect on personal creative fears and aspirations.
September 23 – Week 2 – Developing a Sense of Identity
Define and embrace your unique artistic identity.
Discuss the importance of self-identity in the creative process.
Explore relevant essays from "The Artist's Way."
Journaling: Explore personal boundaries, needs, and desires.
September 30 – Week 3 – Developing a Sense of Power
Alumni Q&A #1
Embrace your creative power and break free from limiting beliefs.
Examine bursts of energy and emotional peaks in creative expression.
Study the concept of open mindfulness and its application in art.
October 7 – Week 4 – Developing a Sense of Integrity
Cultivate self-awareness and integrate newfound insights.
Discuss the concept of integrity in creative work.
Reflect on essays about self-definition.
Journaling: Document personal introspections and revelations.
October 14 – Week 5 – Developing the Sense of Possibility
Extracurricular: Vision boarding
Break free from self-imposed limitations and explore creative potential.
Analyze personal payoffs and limitations in creativity.
Discuss chapters about expanding possibilities.
Journaling: Identify areas where you've limited your creative potential.
October 21 – Week 6 – Developing a Sense of Abundance
Alumni Q&A #2
Shift perspectives on creative abundance and address money-related blocks.
Explore the relationship between creativity and financial abundance.
Reflect on creative blocks related to money.
Reflect on personal attitudes toward money and luxury.
October 24 – Extracurricular – Birdwatching walk
October 28 – Week 7 – Developing a Sense of Connection
Deepen creative receptivity and engage with personal dreams.
Discuss the importance of receptivity and connection in creativity.
Discuss essays about connecting with creative interests.
Journaling: Document your genuine creative interests and dreams.
November 4 – Week 8 – Developing a Sense of Strength
Overcome time-related obstacles and empower your creative journey.
Explore time-related challenges and creative blocks.
Reflect on sections addressing time management.
Identify practical changes to make more time for creativity.
November 7 - Extracurricular - Cyanotyping
November 11 – Week 9 – Developing a Sense of Compassion
Alumni Q&A #3
Heal emotional wounds and cultivate self-compassion in the creative process.
Discuss internal blocks to creativity and emotional difficulties.
Explore healing and compassion.
Journaling: Address past failures and embrace self-compassion.
November 18 – Week 10 – Developing a Sense of Self-Protection
Identify and overcome toxic patterns that hinder creativity.
Explore common obstacles and toxic patterns in creative work.
Discuss strategies for protecting your creative process.
Reflect on personal toxic patterns and ways to break free.
No class November 25 — Wednesday before Thanksgiving
November 25 – Extracurricular – Gratitude dinner party for those in town
December 2 – Week 11 – Developing a Sense of Autonomy
Nurture your artistic self and develop behaviors that enhance creativity.
Discuss the importance of self-nurturing and autonomy in creativity.
Reflect on nurturing the artist within.
Journaling: Document behaviors that strengthen your creative journey.
December 9 – Week 12 – Developing a Sense of Faith
Alumni Q&A #4
Cultivate trust in the creative process and overcome last-minute doubts.
Explore the relationship between creativity and trust.
Set creative aims to bring with you into the new chapter of your creative process!
December 16 – Closing Session – Metamorphosis
Cohort-led workshop series begins (running through late December/early January)
Celebrate the transformation of the cohort and close out the book together.
January 16, 2027 (TBC) – Shape/Shift Gallery Show
Public showcase of cohort work, open to loved ones
Learning Outcomes
Overcome perfectionism
Build confidence and audacity
Identify goals
Practice your work
Share your work
Resources
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Instructor Bio
Ella Fitch is a creative spiritualist and award-winning producer living between Brooklyn, NY and Venice, Italy. She is the founder of Lover LLC, where she hosts creative retreats, produces community events, leads courses on taking artistic leaps and works with individuals and businesses as a creative coach.
She’s produced documentaries, commercials, political campaigns, music festivals, experiential events, websites, apps, a few hundred meals at the soup kitchen, many dinner parties and probably a thousand poems. All this has made her an expert in identifying a creative vision and developing the path to its success. She can talk endlessly about the connection between quantum physics and spirituality, your dog, Carl Jung, the taste of wild figs, how Venice looks under a full moon, and the democratization of art.
You can grab copy of her recent book of poems at Index, view a list of awards she’s received on her website, and book a free consultation for creative coaching with her.
Refunds
We get that things come up, but we rely on headcounts to make our programs viable. If you request a refund...
More than 4 weeks before the program begins → 100% refund
More than 2 weeks before the program begins → 50% refund
Fewer than 2 weeks before the program begins → No refund
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