THE QUEST FOR INSPIRATION

"Where does inspiration come from?" asks writer and illustrator Leslie McGuirk. The process she uses to "take a blank page, and make something out of nothing" can be of immense value to others, no matter what their profession. McGuirk believes "creativity lies in how you see the world, and not whether you can draw or write." McGuirk has developed a series of unusual exercises, which entice her student to enter new realms of possibilities. She invites her student to look at life as a series of continual inspirations.

An engaging speaker, McGuirk's goal is to increase one's sense of wonder, and get people out of the zombie-like "numb zone" where modern life leads most of us. Her students gain an understanding of how to ride the waves of the creative process. The end result is an increased amount of freshness in one's own life, so that more and more episodes of enchantment naturally follow.

McGuirk is the founder of McGuirk's Quirks Design Company. In Japan, she is a well-known designer, with over 800 retail products featuring her artwork. Her nine children's picture books have been translated into many languages and are selling in over sixty countries. She is one of a few artists who have taken ideas about creativity into the corporate world. A Senior Vice President at Wachovia Bank wrote, "McGuirk's messages and techniques are clever, creative, and simple. She does not pontificate on process, technique or methodology. Our employees have consistently rated her sessions very highly." Her workshops have also been conducted at many high-end spas around the world, including The Golden Door, Rancho La Puerta, and Red Mountain Spa.

McGuirk grew up in Bronxville, New York, and has traveled extensively, both as a teacher, artist, and as an environmental researcher. She holds a degree in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

For more information about workshops for schools, corporations, and resorts, please email us at quirks@atlantic.net.

Come join Leslie at Rancho La Puerta the week of Dec. 9th-16th, where she will be teaching with Stuart Brown of the Institute for Play.

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