Workshop Details

You’re only given a little spark of madness.You mustn’t lose it. – Robin Williams
Have you ever suspected that the upside-down, off-kilter, whimsical ways of history’s holy fools might inspire something new and exciting on your own meandering wisdom path? If so, join author and filmmaker Phil Cousineau, Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski, and painter Gregg Chadwick to explore the weird and wild power of your inner court jester.
Jump down the rabbit hole and consider the notion that within every creative person is a holy fool who reveals the truth by performing seemingly ridiculous acts. Our models are plentiful, from philosopher-fools like Lao Tzu, medieval court jesters, to humorists like Mark Twain, Jon Stewart, and Tina Fey, artists from Van Gogh to Karen Finley and Basquiat, inventors from Leonardo da Vinci to Buckminster Fuller, and all manner of hipsters, rebels, and dudes.
Together, let's seize the crazy moment and take the path of “the fool’s journey” from innocence to wisdom as we use hilarious film clips, uproarious slide shows, wildly innovative painting and writing exercises, and freewheeling open discussion to gain access to the spontaneous genius within all of us. The workshop is designed for artists, comedians, teachers, psychologists, innovators, and inventors —everyone who believed Steve Jobs when he said, “Stay foolish.”
Recommended reading: Cousineau, Stoking the Creative Fires.