TCP Approach: Foundations in Creativity

(formerly Professional Workshop Series)

Transformative Practices that Nurture Creativity, Agency, Flow, and Joy

If you are ready to: embrace process-focused creative experiences, see children as capable and full of good ideas, learn our approach for deep engagement in the classroom, and find your joy in these experiences… then this foundational 5-part workshop series is for you!

Enroll in our Workshop Series

Note: This is an individual registration. Email us for schools & groups.

$140.00
One time
$28.00
For 5 months

Get full access to our 5-part TCP Approach learning series exploring our transformative approach to materials, environments, mindsets, and systems. Developed for classroom educators, art studio educators, childcare providers, pre-service educators, parents, and caregivers.

✓ One portal to access all workshops
✓ Includes 5 PD certificates, printables, & resource links
✓ Slide deck PDFs included
✓ Unlimited lifetime access

TCP Approach Workshop Series

1. Set It Up and See What Happens

The 1st workshop in our 5-part TCP Approach Series, and the foundation of our work, begins by clearly defining the difference between step-by-step crafts and process art, and explaining why agency, choice, and pacing are so crucial for children’s cognitive, creative, and social-emotional development. When children are trusted to direct their own experiences, they develop independence, autonomy, and the ability to follow through – skills we often wish they had later in life. From there, we explore how to intentionally curate materials and environments that invite discovery, decision-making, and flow across ages and settings. Our approach provides opportunities to learn deeply about children, including what interests and engages them, the funds of knowledge they bring to the learning environment, and what brings them joy. All the while, helping us embrace a flexible mindset and fortify our belief that children are capable and full of creative potential.

2. Designing for Discovery: Cultivating Creativity in Any Learning Space

The 2nd workshop in our 5-part TCP Approach Series builds on the practice of setting it up and seeing what happens (our 1st workshop) by turning attention to the learning environment itself. In this workshop, we invite educators to begin with two essential questions: How do we want this space to feel? and, What do we want it to communicate to the children who spend their days here? We explore how intentional design choices shape emotional regulation, a sense of safety and belonging, and children’s willingness to engage, explore, and take creative risks. You’ll learn our framework for reimagining any space, from a full classroom or studio space, to a shelf or art cart, using simple, low-cost materials and thoughtful organization. Whether you teach indoors, outdoors, or on the move, this session will help you design environments that communicate: You are creative. You are capable. You belong here.

3. Back to Basics: Use What You Have

The 3rd workshop in our 5-part TCP Approach Series is an invitation to see everyday materials with fresh eyes. In this session, we explore how creativity doesn’t require specialty supplies or big budgets, but starts with a mindset shift, an environment designed for discovery, and the basics you already have. Crayons, copy paper, white glue, cardboard, recyclables, and loose parts become rich tools for play, problem-solving, and expression when we shift our focus from what children should make to how materials can be explored. We introduce the idea of “HOW not WHAT” and share powerful material pairings and playful sourcing strategies that keep experiences feeling fresh and engaging. You’ll leave with ideas, inspiration, and an invitation to get to know children on a deeper level and to find the good through these simple, playful, artful experiences. This workshop supports educators in offering joyful, open-ended play that builds creative confidence, social-emotional growth, and a deep sense of possibility… using what’s already on hand.

4. Digging Deeper: Art is Play & Play is Learning

The 4th workshop in our TCP Approach Series focuses on helping educators see, document, and communicate the learning that unfolds through open-ended art and play. In this session, we move beyond offering experiences and into reflection, documentation, and advocacy. You’ll learn how to identify meaningful lenses for observing children’s work, reflect on what matters most in your setting, and make learning visible to children, families, and colleagues. We share practical strategies for documenting process, centering children’s perspectives, and starting conversations that honor creativity, problem-solving, and social-emotional growth. You’ll also explore ways to advocate for play-based learning in increasingly rigid systems using real examples, clear language, and aligned values. This workshop supports educators in shifting the focus from products to process, while helping others understand that when children are deeply engaged in art and play, they are actively learning in powerful, developmentally appropriate ways. When we slow down, observe, and reflect, we see it clearly: art is play, and play is learning.

5. What Brings You Joy? Finding Focus & Flow

The 5th and final workshop in our TCP Approach Series is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what sustains you as an educator. This session weaves together the core practices from the first four workshops (setting it up and seeing what happens, designing for discovery, using what you have, and recognizing that art and play are learning) and asks how they can support you in finding focus, meaning, and flow in your daily work. We explore mindset shifts that build trust and openness, observation practices that deepen connection and understanding, and material choices that invite creativity and ease. Through reflection, conversation, and playful exploration, you’ll consider what matters most in your practice and how to create conditions that feel joyful, grounded, and sustainable. This workshop supports educators in finding their own creative flow, trusting children more deeply, and remembering why this work matters, especially in challenging times. (Includes a peek into Bar’s system of collecting and curating materials at home.)

  • Thank you for this reaffirmation on the importance of play-based learning and open-ended art. A fire in my belly, and lots of lovely inspo for setting it up and seeing what happens!

    Emma, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I am inspired and energized as a museum educator. I've always struggled to come up with ideas for how to use abundant, available materials. Your "how not what" approach feels like a revelation to me.

    Katy, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • Just when I think I’ve learned all that I can from TCP, bam! You give me so much more to refresh, inspire, and energize my creative process. It’s no coincidence that I have to pull my kids out of the art room at bedtime in the days and weeks following a workshop :) Item

    Katy, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • Shannon and Bar - you both speak with such confidence and beautifully illustrated this program. My biggest takeaway is the advocacy you have for this movement and the use of empowering language when discussing this as a right for children

    Suzanne, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I love how your workshops are organized and the simple, effective way you share ideas. Our preschool already does a lot with open-ended art experiences, loose parts, and recyclables, and yet I walked away with new ideas and inspiration. Thank you!

    Kevan, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • My takeaway is to start with a couple of simple choices. Sit with the discomfort of wanting to direct students.

    Kari, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • Love all your visual examples! You have reaffirmed my commitment to process art! Loved getting some new ideas -fence weaving, varying sizes of paper for more choice, egg cartons for glue.

    Lainey, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I think its so brave to challenge stereotypes and the need to conform. You allow us to value and encourage independent learning. Through your workshop I learned - Process not product. The possibility of merging structured learning with free learning. Respecting the process of learning. Not expecting a finished stereotypical response.

    Janet, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • “Learn to see learning” stuck with me. I tend to get stuck in a rut of just “getting in and getting out” when I go into schools to teach. What a great reminder to slow down and see how the students are learning, so that I can celebrate OUR hard work!

    K.Z., “Digging Deeper” workshop participant

  • I am taking away the idea that the image of the child that we hold affects the way we approach learning. When we believe that the children are capable, creative, and valued, then we can "set it up and see what happens."

    Chryssa, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I love the resourcefulness of the workshop. Sometimes we feel we don't have the budget but I think you have offered so many free solutions! Thank you.

    Heather, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • Thank you for all the amazing ideas for how to invite children to get creative, how to set up space, how to pare down, how to inspire other teachers, etc. Everything was just what I was looking for!

    Kim, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

  • So many wonderful visuals, and how you organize the information conveys your message so well. As a preschool director, I now have ideas for how to better communicate "less is more" to our amazing teachers!

    Kevan, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

  • So many a-ha moments you brought me to! You answered my questions and then some for organizing, dealing with art accumulation, and starting from scratch with creating or redesigning a space.

    Katy, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

 FAQs

  • Once you register for the series, you will receive an invitation to create an account or log into your TCP account. The workshops are all posted in your portal along with PD certificates, supporting printable resources, and links to materials. You will have lifetime access to your portal.

  • We ask that you purchase one registration per educator, please. If you plan to sign up more than 5 educators, please email us for a bulk discount code. We’ve made this series and all of our products incredibly inexpensive and offer discounts whenever possible. We appreciate your support in our work!

  • Yes, please email us with documentation and we will provide a discount code.

  • Yes, printable certificates are available to download on your portal. They total 5.5 hours of professional development.

  • Our Materials Matter course covers many of the principles in this workshop series but through the lens of specific materials exploration. It also encourages teachers and those working with children to become comfortable with each of the materials and find ways to organize and offer them to meet the needs of the learning space. This workshop series allows us to dig deeper into The Creativity Project approach with new ideas, mindset work, and fresh takeaways in a personal, face-to-face setting. There is a whole new level of learning that can happen when engaged in active listening, visual context, and conversation. This workshop series is a wonderful extension for those who have taken our Materials Matter course or an inspirational beginning to our approach, leaving room to take the course in the future.

  • Workshops are no longer live but you can always email us with questions!

    This series will be in a webinar format without cameras on for attendees. We feel that this is a more relaxed way to spend the hour for attendees. There will be a chat feature open during each workshop so that we can answer questions in real-time, and we will save time at the end to highlight and discuss recurring themes from the chat.