In February, URI Soča (Slovenia) held the second workshop from a series of workshops created within the Power of Creativity project. The workshop, eloquently titled “Finding Solutions” gave the trainees knowledge on how to solve problems more creatively as a group and as individuals. Part of the workshop activities took place outside, in nature, and the knowledge acquired there could later be used in activities that took place indoors.

The group was attended by 7 trainees and was led by three trainers (Anja, Denis and Brigita). Our goal was to encourage a healthy lifestyle with the help of the presented methods and to provide the user with opportunities to express themselves in a creative and innovative way. During the workshop, the participants were encouraged to cooperate and socialize with each other. At the same time they improved their ability to concentrate, learned to observe and extract the essence from the observed.

In the first part of the workshop, we develop ideas and solutions in nature. The task was to create a picture, a motif, and trainees could only use natural materials they found in the park. At first our attempts were a bit clumsy, but after a while we saw a potential image in every pebble and branch that crossed our path.

In the second part of the workshop, by completing the lines into meaningful pictures, we continued to train and develop our creativity with the search for solutions in seemingly meaningless lines. To find those ideas is not always easy and requires a lot of imagination and creativity.

We finish our workshop with deep breathing techniques, which help us when we are under stress and want to calm down. Due to various factors, participants of this workshop are often stressed, so this technique can allow them to relax quickly.

From the evaluation questionnaires that we distributed to the participants at the end of the workshops, it is clear that they found the topic of the workshop interesting. They gained new ideas and learned new skills that they will be able to transfer into practice. At the same time, participants met new friends at the workshop and felt accepted into the group. Through the workshop, they could express themselves and express their personality and emotions without shame.

We were pleased that participants found this workshop useful and expressed their willingness to participate in similar activities.