Creative Catalyst: The Transformative Power of Making Art

Creative Catalyst is a five-day creative workshop at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, led by artists Dana Albany and Michael "Flash" Hopkins. It is an art-making retreat built around repurposed materials, open to anyone with the desire to create, from complete beginners to experienced artists. People who want to play, collaborate and set aside their inner critic will feel at home here.

What to Expect

The workshop is an invitation to make art from what has been discarded. Participants work with recycled glass, metals, wood, plastics, paper, photographs, fabrics and old artifacts, shaping them into mixed-media mosaics, sculptures and collages. The idea is to reclaim society's scraps and give them new meaning while finding your own voice of expression and learning new skills.

The days combine solo work with a collaborative group project. You make your own pieces, and you also take part in a shared creation that the organizers describe as community-oriented magic and play. The atmosphere is meant to be nurturing, supportive and free of judgment.

The week follows a clear rhythm:

- Monday: Check-in and room assignment, with keys available at 4:00 pm. An orientation, "How to Drop Into Esalen," runs from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, and the workshop opens that evening from 7:15 to 9:30 pm.
- Tuesday to Thursday: A morning session from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and an afternoon session in the late afternoon, ending between 6:00 and 6:15 pm. Open classes and hot springs access fill the time in between.
- Friday: A final morning session from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm. Rooms are vacated by 10:00 am or after the final session, and lunch is available until 2:00 pm for departing guests.

About Dana Albany

Dana Albany is an artist who has exhibited for the San Francisco Arts Commission, SOMAR Gallery, the de Young Museum, San Francisco Airport, the Exploratorium and the California Academy of Sciences. She has received many grants and produced several large-scale sculptures for Burning Man.

About Michael "Flash" Hopkins

Michael Hopkins, known as Flash, is a legendary Burning Man figure: an artist, actor, instigator and storyteller. He has worked with Dana Albany on many projects, and is described as a character with his own creative flair who inspires and entertains in an unforgettable way.

The Setting

Esalen sits on the Big Sur coast, and the workshop includes access to its hot springs, meditation spaces and natural grounds. Meals are served in three sittings: breakfast from 8:30 to 9:45 am, lunch from 12:30 to 1:45 pm and dinner from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

Lodging varies by choice. Options range from sleeping bag space in a shared room and shared bunk rooms to standard private rooms with a queen bed or two beds. There are also premium rooms with ocean or forest views and private outdoor areas. Sleeping bag and bunk bed stays have a seven-day maximum. Guests can register with accommodations on site, or take the workshop while staying off site, and day passes are offered as well.

Before You Go

No experience is needed. You are welcome to bring recycled materials, mementos, poems or photographs to include in the creations.

Included are workshop instruction, housing, all meals, coffee, tea and snacks, hot springs and campus access, and participation in the open schedule classes. A materials fee is charged on top of the workshop price. Healing Arts sessions such as massage, specialty coffee and tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included.