What we’re about
Creativity is more than what we make; it’s how we live. Writing, painting, research, teaching, designing, thinking: all these forms of expression are sustained not only by talent or inspiration but by the art of practice itself. The Art of Creative Practice is a community for writers, artists, academics, thinkers, makers and everyone in between who want to deepen their creative relationship with themselves, build sustainable rhythms, and grow within a space that understands the complexity of a creative life.
At its heart, this is a place for people who take their inner world seriously. A place to explore ideas, cultivate courage, steady your practice, and connect with others walking a similar path. Whether you’re starting something new or carrying a long-term project forward, this community gives you structure, companionship, and breathing room.
This community is for you if you’re looking for:
- A circle of fellow creatives who understand both the exhilaration and the vulnerability of making.
- A more sustainable, nourishing rhythm for your creative life.
- Encouragement that feels authentic, not performative.
- Tools and practices to help you move from intention into action.
- Space to think, reflect, and build a deeper relationship with your work.
Whether you’re just beginning or have been practicing for years, you are welcome here. We honour the process as much as the outcome, and we believe that showing up for your creativity—imperfectly, experimentally, consistently—is a profound act of self-trust and possibility.
Here you’ll find a blend of practical structure and reflective depth. We host:
- Weekly Creative Flow Coworking Sessions: two-hour co-working gatherings where we write, think, sketch, or plan side by side.
- Group coaching sessions to help you clarify your goals, navigate blocks, and nurture a more resilient creative life.
- Meditation and contemplative practices to ground your imagination and connect creativity with inner stability.
- Special events and workshops from guest speakers to themed explorations of how creativity shows up across disciplines.
About Your Facilitator
My name is Allan Johnson, and I’ve spent more than twenty years working at the intersection of creativity, scholarship, psychospiritual development, and contemplative practice. I am an academic and writer with extensive experience teaching, researching, and publishing on literature, creativity, and contemplative practices. Over the course of my career, I have worked with thousands of students, artists, thinkers, and practitioners at all levels, helping them to develop clarity, confidence, and depth in their own work. Alongside my academic work, I am a qualified Psychosynthesis Coach and Clinical Hypnotherapist, trained to support personal growth, transformation, and wellbeing. I am also a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher (MBSR/MBCT) and a registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), which allows me to bring together contemplative, embodied, and psychological approaches in an integrated way. This combination of scholarship, coaching, therapeutic training, and meditative practice gives me a unique perspective on creativity as both discipline and discovery. I also draw from integral pedagogy, contemplative studies, and a long-standing personal practice in meditation and inner work—disciplines I regularly explore on my YouTube channel and in my writing.
Featured event
✨ The Five-Day Soul Map Challenge ✨
Bring Focus, Clarity, and Deep Alignment to Close the Year Powerfully
Are you ready to end the year clear, centred, and deeply connected to your true purpose?
The Five-Day Soul Map Challenge is an immersive, transformational experience designed to help you reconnect with your purpose, release the roles that no longer fit, and set the stage for a new year aligned with your authentic self.
This isn’t just another goal-setting challenge. It’s a guided journey supported by a set of new, research-informed tools and contemplative protocols designed to help you work at both the psychological and psychospiritual levels. Throughout the week, you’ll learn and apply practical frameworks for inner inquiry, self-mapping, and alignment that you can return to again and again in your own reflective practice.
🎁 BONUS: When you sign up, you get free access to:
- Reflect & Reset: Q1 Planning Meetup (normally £10)
- Your first Integrative Meditation class (normally £4)
***
What to Expect:
From December 8th–12th, we’ll meet live each morning from 8.00–9.00 AM GMT, the perfect time to pause before the busyness begins, reflect intentionally, and start your day feeling centred and clear.
If you are not able to attend live, every session is recorded, and everyone who signs up receives access to the videos, so you can revisit the material and complete the exercises at your own pace.
The £19 registration fee covers all 5 days of live sessions (that's 5 hours of content in total) as well as recordings to revisit the material.
Here’s a taste of what we’ll explore together:
- Day 1 (December 8th) — Remembering the Roles You Play
Step back and notice the “characters” you’ve been performing in life — the helper, the achiever, the peacemaker, the rescuer — and begin to see how these scripts have shaped your story.
- Day 2 (December 9th)— The Threads of Purpose
Trace your unique themes: the passions, skills, and callings that have quietly been weaving through your life all along.
- Day 3 (December 10th) — Transforming Pain into Purpose
Revisit life’s turning points and discover how your challenges, losses, and detours have been part of your soul’s curriculum.
- Day 4 (December 11th) — Aligning with Your Soul
Distinguish between ego-driven ambition and soul-aligned intention. Learn how to recognise the voice of guidance beneath the noise.
- Day 5 (December 12th) — Mapping the Path Ahead
Integrate everything you’ve uncovered into your personal Soul Map, a living guide for the year ahead that reflects who you really are and what you’re here to give.
***
What You’ll Gain
We’re standing at the threshold of a new year — a time when reflection and renewal meet. This is your chance to pause, breathe, and reorient your inner compass. Most people rush into January with lists of goals and half-formed resolutions.
By the end of the Five-Day Soul Map Challenge, you’ll walk away with:
- A clear understanding of the roles you’ve been playing, and which ones you’re ready to release
- A deep sense of purpose that connects your story, your gifts, and your calling
- A practical yet soulful roadmap for living in alignment in the year ahead
- Renewed energy, direction, and inner calm
And remember, when you sign up, you get FREE access to the Reflect & Reset: Q1 Planning Meetup and your first Integrative Meditation class. That’s two extra sessions to help you embed the clarity you gain from the challenge into real, lasting change.
***
Who This Is For
This challenge is perfect if you’re:
- At a crossroads, ready for clarity about your next chapter
- Feeling called to live more purposefully but unsure where to start
- A creative, professional, carer, student, teacher, or entrepreneur who wants to bring deeper alignment into your work and life
- Simply ready to feel more you again
Whether you’re new to inner work or a seasoned practitioner, you’ll find yourself part of a supportive, thoughtful community of fellow explorers who are also rewriting their stories for the new year.
Upcoming events
32
- £19.00•Online
✨ The Five-Day Soul Map Challenge ✨
OnlineBring Focus, Clarity, and Deep Alignment to Close the Year Powerfully
Are you ready to end the year clear, centred, and deeply connected to your true purpose?
The Five-Day Soul Map Challenge is an immersive, transformational experience designed to help you reconnect with your purpose, release the roles that no longer fit, and set the stage for a new year aligned with your authentic self.
This isn’t just another goal-setting challenge. It’s a guided journey supported by a set of new, research-informed tools and contemplative protocols designed to help you work at both the psychological and psychospiritual levels. Throughout the week, you’ll learn and apply practical frameworks for inner inquiry, self-mapping, and alignment that you can return to again and again in your own reflective practice.
🎁 BONUS: When you sign up, you get free access to:
- Reflect & Reset: Q1 Planning Meetup (normally £10)
- Your first Integrative Meditation class (normally £4)
***
What to Expect:
From December 8th–12th, we’ll meet live each morning from 8.00–9.00 AM GMT, the perfect time to pause before the busyness begins, reflect intentionally, and start your day feeling centred and clear.
If you are not able to attend live, every session is recorded, and everyone who signs up receives access to the videos, so you can revisit the material and complete the exercises at your own pace.
The £19 registration fee covers all 5 days of live sessions (that's 5 hours of content in total) as well as recordings to revisit the material.
Here’s a taste of what we’ll explore together:
- Day 1 (December 8th) — Remembering the Roles You Play
Step back and notice the “characters” you’ve been performing in life — the helper, the achiever, the peacemaker, the rescuer — and begin to see how these scripts have shaped your story.
- Day 2 (December 9th)— The Threads of Purpose
Trace your unique themes: the passions, skills, and callings that have quietly been weaving through your life all along.
- Day 3 (December 10th) — Transforming Pain into Purpose
Revisit life’s turning points and discover how your challenges, losses, and detours have been part of your soul’s curriculum.
- Day 4 (December 11th) — Aligning with Your Soul
Distinguish between ego-driven ambition and soul-aligned intention. Learn how to recognise the voice of guidance beneath the noise.
- Day 5 (December 12th) — Mapping the Path Ahead
Integrate everything you’ve uncovered into your personal Soul Map, a living guide for the year ahead that reflects who you really are and what you’re here to give.
***
What You’ll Gain
We’re standing at the threshold of a new year — a time when reflection and renewal meet. This is your chance to pause, breathe, and reorient your inner compass. Most people rush into January with lists of goals and half-formed resolutions.
By the end of the Five-Day Soul Map Challenge, you’ll walk away with:
- A clear understanding of the roles you’ve been playing, and which ones you’re ready to release
- A deep sense of purpose that connects your story, your gifts, and your calling
- A practical yet soulful roadmap for living in alignment in the year ahead
- Renewed energy, direction, and inner calm
And remember, when you sign up, you get FREE access to the Reflect & Reset: Q1 Planning Meetup and your first Integrative Meditation class. That’s two extra sessions to help you embed the clarity you gain from the challenge into real, lasting change.
***
Who This Is For
This challenge is perfect if you’re:
- At a crossroads, ready for clarity about your next chapter
- Feeling called to live more purposefully but unsure where to start
- A creative, professional, carer, student, teacher, or entrepreneur who wants to bring deeper alignment into your work and life
- Simply ready to feel more you again
Whether you’re new to inner work or a seasoned practitioner, you’ll find yourself part of a supportive, thoughtful community of fellow explorers who are also rewriting their stories for the new year.
11 attendees 
•OnlineWeekly Creative Flow Coworking | Creative Courage in Micro-Doses
OnlineA two-hour session designed to help you show up for your practice, make progress, and connect with a community of fellow creatives. These sessions are for writers, artists, academics, thinkers, and anyone who wants to nurture a sustainable creative routine.
What to expect:
- 15-minute check-in & input/exercise: We start with a brief grounding exercise, prompt, or discussion to set intentions and focus your energy.
- 90 minutes of focused co-working: Work on any project you choose: writing, painting, research, or something else entirely! We use the Pomodoro technique with short breaks to stay refreshed and motivated. (You can keep your camera on or off—whatever helps you maintain focus.)
- 15-minute sharing & reflection: We finish by coming together to share progress, insights, or challenges. This builds accountability and a sense of community over time.
These sessions are more than just co-working—they’re a way to grow a community of practice, where learning, making, and reflection happen together. Over time, this shared commitment strengthens your creative habits, provides inspiration, and connects you with like-minded practitioners who understand the challenges and joys of sustained creative work.
These sessions are completely free to join, because the goal is to create a welcoming, accessible space for anyone who wants to show up for their creative practice. If you find value in the sessions and want to support the community, you’re very welcome to make a small contribution via BuyMeACoffee or by becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack. Donations help cover costs for the group (e.g. Meetup and Zoom subscriptions, web hosting, etc.) and allow me to keep the focus on building a vibrant, inspiring space for all participants.
Come as you are, bring your current project, and leave feeling supported, motivated, and creatively energized.
### About Your Facilitator
I am an academic and writer with extensive experience teaching, researching, and publishing on literature, creativity, and contemplative practices. Over the course of my career, I have worked with thousands of students, artists, thinkers, and practitioners at all levels, helping them to develop clarity, confidence, and depth in their own work. Alongside my academic work, I am a qualified Psychosynthesis Coach and Clinical Hypnotherapist, trained to support personal growth, transformation, and wellbeing. I am also a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher(MBSR/MBCT) and a registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), which allows me to bring together contemplative, embodied, and psychological approaches in an integrated way. This combination of scholarship, coaching, therapeutic training, and meditative practice gives me a unique perspective on creativity as both discipline and discovery.39 attendees- £99.00
•OnlineThe Artist’s Way Circle: A 12-Week Creative Journey
OnlineAre you ready to reconnect with your creativity, overcome blocks, and cultivate a sustainable, joyful creative practice? Our 12-week Artist’s Way Circle offers a supportive, structured environment to work through Julia Cameron’s iconic book The Artist’s Way, widely celebrated as a roadmap for creative recovery and growth. This Circle is for writers, artists, academics, and thinkers at any stage who want to explore creativity as a practice, not just a product.
We will meet on Tuesdays from 7.00–8.30 PM (UK time), starting on 23 September, for 12 consecutive weeks. Over 12 weeks, we will come together online to:
- Engage with weekly exercises from The Artist’s Way, including the transformative Morning Pages and Artist Dates, designed to help you uncover and nurture your creative voice.
- Reflect and share in a warm, structured group setting, exploring insights, breakthroughs, and challenges in your practice.
- Build accountability and routine, creating a supportive rhythm that helps sustain your creativity beyond the Circle.
- Grow a community of practice, connecting with fellow creatives who understand the joys and struggles of showing up for your work.
This Circle is hands-on and experiential, not just a discussion group. Each session combines guided exercises, prompts, and open reflection, giving you the chance to actively practice creativity while learning from others. Participants are encouraged to work on whatever projects inspire them: writing, painting, research, music, or any other creative endeavour. Over time, the shared commitment and mutual support help strengthen your creative habits and deepen your connection to your work.
Who this is for:
- Anyone who wants to build a regular creative practice
- Those feeling stuck or blocked in their work
- Creatives looking for community, support, and accountability
- People who want to explore creativity as a lifelong practice, not just as output
The full 12-week Artist’s Way Circle is available for £99, giving you access to the complete journey and all sessions. To make it even easier to join, we also offer early bird pricing for participants who sign up in advance. Investing in the full Circle not only secures your place, but also supports a committed, consistent practice and the growth of a vibrant, supportive creative community.
If you want to learn more about The Artist's Way Circle with no obligation, you are invited to our free taster session on 7th September from 7.30-8.30 pm UK time. At the taster session, you will participate in guided exercises that you can immediately apply to your own creative projects, and experience the benefits of working in a supportive, structured creative environment.
###
About Your Facilitator
I am an academic and writer with extensive experience teaching, researching, and publishing on literature, creativity, and contemplative practices. Over the course of my career, I have worked with thousands of students, artists, thinkers, and practitioners at all levels, helping them to develop clarity, confidence, and depth in their own work. Alongside my academic work, I am a qualified Psychosynthesis Coach and Clinical Hypnotherapist, trained to support personal growth, transformation, and wellbeing. I am also a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher (MBSR/MBCT) and a registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), which allows me to bring together contemplative, embodied, and psychological approaches in an integrated way. This combination of scholarship, coaching, therapeutic training, and meditative practice gives me a unique perspective on creativity as both discipline and discovery.11 attendees - £10.00
•OnlineReflect & Reset: Quarterly Planning Workshop (R&R Q1)
OnlineStart 2026 with focus, calm, and inspired direction.
Reflect & Reset Quarter 1 (R&R Q1) is the first of a quarterly 90-minute workshop series designed to help you align your goals with your deeper values and create a grounded, high-clarity plan for January, February, and March.
This session is designed for creatives, makers, thinkers, and doers, people who thrive on ideas but sometimes struggle to carve out the time, structure, or focus to bring them fully to life. Whether your creative work lives outside your 9–5 and you’re craving rhythm and accountability, or your day-to-day role is already creative but needs clearer direction and renewal, R&R Q1 provides the perfect space to realign.
In R&R Q1, you’ll be guided through a unique Reflect & Reset Map, an evidence-based framework that blends reflection, mindful goal-setting, and creative structure. You’ll clarify what truly matters, define your key priorities, and leave with a clear roadmap for January, February, and March.
Together, we’ll:
- Revisit your larger vision and refine what matters most for January, February, and March
- Translate your insights into clear, energised action steps
- Balance personal and professional aims through a single, coherent plan
You’ll leave with a beautifully structured roadmap for your next 90 days that's anchored in self-awareness, purpose, and ease. If you’ve completed the Five-Day Soul Map Challenge, R&R will extend and deepen your insights, but no prior experience is needed.
By the end of R&R Q1, you’ll have:
- A complete 3-month action map based on your authentic priorities
- Renewed energy and creative focus
- A deeper sense of alignment between your inner life and outer goals
This is the first Reflect & Reset session (R&R Q1). Each workshop is a stand-alone experience, designed to help you clarify your direction, set meaningful goals, and stay aligned over the next three months. But together, these sessions build and evolve, quarter by quarter, helping you shape your ultimate year. Whether you join us for one or for all four, you’ll be part of a growing cycle of renewal and momentum that keeps you connected to what matters most.
Bring your journal and your favourite hot drink. You’ll leave with more than a plan; you’ll leave with a rhythm for your year!5 attendees
Past events
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