CULTIVATING CREATIVITY:

Crafting Your Artistic Practice.

A workshop and mentorship series with Doug Casebeer and Giselle Hicks.

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY:

CRAFTING YOUR ARTISTIC PRACTICE

The Cultivating Creativity program, led by Doug Casebeer and Giselle Hicks, offers a series of transformative workshops designed to deepen creative practice and foster artistic growth. This non-academic yet structured approach encourages ceramic artists to refine their technical skills, explore personal value systems, and translate them into a cohesive visual language. Through intensive mentorship, guided self-evaluation, and a supportive community, participants will cultivate a distinct creative voice, develop sustainable studio practices, and gain confidence in their artistic identity. The program provides tools for overcoming creative blocks, building a strong portfolio, and clarifying artistic values, all while fostering meaningful connections with like-minded peers. Ideal for ceramic artists seeking deeper engagement, structured mentorship, and a community-driven experience, Cultivating Creativity is an opportunity to grow, take risks, and evolve in a thoughtful and intentional way.

We aim to bring together a dedicated group of ceramic artists who will support and challenge one another to evolve their studio practices. We invite you to join us for one or more in-person workshops and commit to a year of growth and creative exploration. After attending an in-person workshop, you can schedule virtual studio visits with Doug and Giselle at your own pace, ensuring we stay connected and accountable as you continue to develop your work. Doug and Giselle will work together to create a customized learning experience tailored to your unique needs and artistic goals. To join us for a workshop, please fill out the application at the bottom of this page. We look forward to working alongside you.

Listed below are the in-person workshops scheduled for 2025/2026.

These workshops are designed to:

  • Cultivate a distinct creative voice and artistic growth.

  • Develop tools for self-evaluation and overcoming creative blocks.

  • Foster sustainable studio practices and self-confidence.

  • Connect with a community of like-minded creatives and allies.

  • Refine your portfolio, CV, and resonant artist statement.

  • Clarify personal artistic values and strengthen individual creative identity.

  • Encourage personal awareness and understanding of strengths and limitations.

These workshops are for you if you are: 

  • A ceramic artist seeking more profound engagement with your creative practice.

  • Open to challenging questions, feedback, and self-reflection.

  • Willing to participate in exercises or assignments that spark new ideas.

  • Comfortable with discomfort and vulnerability in the creative process.

  • Ready to give and receive constructive feedback in a supportive group.

  • Highly motivated to build stronger connections, develop confidence, and align their practice with personal values.

This workshop series will be a transformative experience for ceramic artists, combining hands-on skill development, mentorship, and community building. The program will support meaningful artistic growth through structured workshops and personalized guidance and help sustain creative practices. As mentors and fellow artists, Giselle and Doug will actively engage in the process alongside you, challenging themselves with the same questions and exercises they pose to participants. Together, we will explore ways to push our work forward, refine our practices, and evolve as makers.

Doug and Giselle first met 25 years ago when Giselle, then a college student, attended a workshop at Anderson Ranch Art Center, where Doug was the Director of Ceramics. During the workshop, Doug spoke about his values as a maker and traveler, inspiring participants to consider joining him for field workshops in Nepal or Jamaica. His perspective deeply resonated with Giselle, sparking a determination to expand her understanding of ceramics and culture by working with potters around the world. After graduating, she returned to Anderson Ranch as an intern, working alongside Doug and forming a lasting mentor-mentee relationship rooted in shared values and a passion for exploration. Over the years, they have traveled together in Jamaica, Chile, Japan, and the U.S., leading workshops, building kilns, and fostering connections with ceramic artists. Their collaboration has evolved into co-teaching and facilitating workshops that emphasize the power of travel, community, and creative exchange. They believe that working in a new environment—immersed in different cultures and perspectives—can spark fresh ideas, deepen artistic voices, and cultivate meaningful relationships that sustain and inspire lifelong creative practice.

Upcoming Workshops

  • IN THE OKLAHOMA STUDIO

    Sun, Sep 21, 2025 5:00 PM  - Sat, Sep 27, 2025 5:00 PM

    Join us for an immersive six-day workshop in Doug Casebeer’s brand-new home studio on 10 serene acres just outside Norman, Oklahoma. As the inaugural workshop in this inspiring space, we will spend the week working together in the studio, balancing individual projects with guided exercises designed to refine your creative voice and cultivate a sense of play and discovery. Through writing prompts, collaborative group exercises, demonstrations, and thoughtful conversations, we will meet you where you are and help guide your work to the next level.

    Beyond the studio, participants can explore Doug and his wife Susan’s remarkable collection of art and objects, gathered over four decades of travel and artistic collaboration. Their home is a testament to a life dedicated to creativity and cultural exchange—a truly inspiring setting for this experience.

    Accommodation options include limited private rooms, shared rooms, campers, or nearby hotels. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided, ensuring you can focus fully on your work and the workshop community. We look forward to welcoming you into this space for a week of making, learning, and connection.

    Please fill out the application form above to register for the workshop. We have 10 spots available. Our goal is to bring together a dedicated group of artists who will support and challenge one another to evolve their studio practice.

    TUITION (includes food): $2,250. PAYMENT IN FULL DUE: September 1, 2025

    REGISTRATION FEE: $250 (non-refundable, non-transferable towards tuition)

    HOUSING: Shared bunk room/bathroom $75 per night - $525 total

    RV Camper rental located on the property $115 per night - $805 total

    Private bedroom/bath in house $150 per night - $1050 total

    Some nearby Local Hotel options: Express Inn & Suites, NCED Conference Center

    Transportation is up to the individual. Airport pickups and drop-offs at the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City are included.

  • IN THE JAMAICA STUDIO

    Sat, May 16, 2026 9:00 AM - Sat, May 23, 2026 5:00 PM


    Dynamic Forms: Hand-Built Vessels with Giselle Hicks, Doug Casebeer and David Pinto

    Join us for a 9-day intensive workshop on the north coast of Jamaica. Designed for artists of all levels, this workshop will introduce participants to the foundational coil-building process, focusing on creating dynamic and expressive forms.

    Through demonstrations, hands-on practice, and personalized guidance, Giselle will cover essential techniques for achieving clear transitional edges, dramatic cantilevered planes, and full, bold curves. Each participant will have the opportunity to develop a unique vocabulary in clay, experiment with form, and refine their approach to vessel making.  This workshop offers a supportive environment for deepening your skills and developing a thoughtful approach to your work. 

    Doug Casebeer and David Pinto will share their process. We will be single-firing light and dark clays. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite hand-building tools. In addition to the studio experience, participants will interact with local school kids and gain cultural and historical knowledge of Caribbean history.

    The studio is situated on the 2,000-acre Good Hope Farm, originally built in 1755 as a sugar and citrus plantation. The historic cut-stone buildings have been thoughtfully restored into charming villages, blending old-world character with modern comfort. There are private pools near the villas to cool off at the end of the day and a private beach just a short drive away to enjoy while the kilns cool.

    Registration fee: $500

    Double Room: TBA by June 1, 2025

    Single Room: TBA June 1, 2025

    The above rates INCLUDE airport transfer, room, meals, and studio expenses. Airfare NOT included.

    To register, please email Doug at casebeerartworks@gmail.com or David at pinotpottery@gmail.com

    Find out more HERE.

  • IN THE MONTANA STUDIO

    Sun, Sep 20, 2026 5:00 PM - Sat, Sep 26, 2026 5:00 PM

    Join Giselle and Doug for a week-long workshop in Giselle’s spacious 2,000-square-foot studio in Helena, Montana—a fitting culmination of a year of working together.

    Located in the picturesque pasturelands of the Helena Valley, just 2.5 miles west of the Archie Bray Foundation, Giselle’s home studio offers an inspiring setting to reflect, create, and push your practice forward under Montana’s expansive ‘Big Sky.’

    We’ll continue our conversations about studio practice and personal growth throughout the week while engaging in hands-on work. We will also visit the studios of regional artists and take field trips to the Archie Bray Foundation and Missoula.

    TUITION (includes food): $2,250 PAYMENT IN FULL: TBA

    REGISTRATION FEE: $250 (non-refundable, non-transferable towards tuition)

    HOUSING: There are plenty of local hotels and Airbnb options in Helena. Please feel free to reach out to Giselle for recommendations. giselle@gisellehicks.com

Let’s Work Together.

We invite you to apply for the first workshop in our new series, hosted in Doug’s studio in Oklahoma this September. Our goal is to bring together a dedicated group of artists who will support and challenge one another in the pursuit of evolving their studio practice. We hope you will join us for one or more of the workshops and commit to a year of growth and creative exploration.

Application deadline: July 14, 2025. Applications will be reviewed and participants will be notified by August 1.

After attending an in-person workshop, you can schedule virtual studio visits with Giselle and Doug at your own pace. These one-on-one sessions ($200 per hour) provide continued support, accountability, and guidance as you develop your work and practice.

For questions about the program or application process, please email giselle@gisellehicks.com and casebeerartworks@gmail.com.