Past Events

2025 EVENTS

​The Art of Impermanence: New Beginnings
A Week-Long Retreat with Jake Lorfing & Melinda Rothouse
January 2-8, 2024
Casa Werma Retreat Center, Patzcuaro, Mexico

Conference Presentations: Creativity and Community in Challenging Times with Melinda Rothouse, PhD
and Creative Survival and Individuation with Melinda Rothouse, PhD and Robert Cleve, PhD
Oregon Creativity Conference
Ashland Oregon
May 15-18, 2025

​Conference Presentation: The Possibilities of Creative Collaboration in Challenging Times
with Melinda Rothouse, PhD, Randy Langford, JD, Alisa Carr, LCSW & Robert Cleve, PhD
5th Annual Conference of Possibilities
Maynooth, Ireland (Near Dublin)
June 30-July 4, 2025

Equinox: Balancing Energies Retreat
with Melinda Rothouse & Jenny Fairbank
​September 18-21, 2025
Nevada City, CA

2024 EVENTS

The Art of Impermanence: New Beginnings
A Week-Long Retreat with Jake Lorfing & Melinda Rothouse
January 2-8, 2024
Casa Werma Retreat Center, Patzcuaro, Mexico

Conference Presentation: The Syncreate Approach to Navigating the Creative Process
Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick
Florida Creativity Conference, Sarasota, Florida
Friday, March 8, 2024, 10:00-11:30 am

​Conference Presentation: The Syncreate Podcast 
Melinda Rothouse
2024 Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University
Friday, May 17, 2024
​Ashland, Oregon​

Conference Presentation: Fostering a Culture of Creativity and Innovation
Melinda Rothouse
Bridging the Gap Conference
July 21, 2024
Carlsbad, California

Creative Mornings Austin
Melinda Rothouse on Ritual and Creativity
Friday, August 23, 2024
8:00 am at PBS Studios Austin
Watch the Video Here

2023 Events

The Art of Impermanence: Grounding in Vulnerability through Creative Process
A Week-Long Retreat with Jake Lorfing & Melinda Rothouse
April 16-22, 2023
Casa Werma Retreat Center, Patzcuaro, Mexico
Songwriters & Storytellers: A Creative Process Workshop
with Melinda Rothouse
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern Time
Story Parlor, Asheville, NC
Conference Presentations: Exploring Creative Citizenship (with Charlotte Gullick & Melinda Rothouse) + 
Songwriting, Storytelling and the Unconscious: A Process Talk and Performance (with Melinda Rothouse)
2023 Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University
May 18-21, 2023​
The Art of Revision: Seeing Our Work Anew
with Charlotte Gullick via the Writer's League of Texas
Saturday, June 17, 2023, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Central Time (Online)
Finding Your Voice for Enhanced Expression & Joy
with Melinda Rothouse and Thais Bicalho Silva
Saturday, June 24, 2023, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Central Time
Mystic Oaks, Wimberley, Texas
Personal Sustainability and Creativity through Writing and Contemplative Arts
with Melinda Rothouse & Katherine Semler
Girona, Spain
October 9-14, 2023
2022 Events
Miksang Contemplative Photography Retreat
with Melinda Rothouse, Jake Lorfing & Patrick Larson
Casa Werma Retreat Center, Patzcuaro, Mexico
January 2-8, 2022

The Writer's League of Texas Presents: January Third Thursday: "Play, Plan, Produce: Harness Your Creativity in 2022"
with Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
Thursday, January 20th, 2022 - Online Event - 8:00 - 9:30 pm

The Call to Create: Finding Your Way Through the Creative Wilderness
Hosted by the Jung Society of Austin
with Melinda Rothouse
Friday, February 25th, 7:00 pm Central Time

​The Art of Authentic Relationships
with Melinda Rothouse and Daniel Whiteside
Free Introductory Class via Zoom, March 23, 2022, 7:00 - 8:30 pm Central Time

Syncreate April Meetup - Empower Your Creativity: Letting Go of Creative Wounds
with Charlotte Gullick & Melinda Rothouse
Wednesday, April 20th, 6:30-8:00 pm Central Time via Zoom

Syncreate Six-Week Creativity Coaching Group
with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick
Wednesday Evenings via Zoom, May 25 - June 29, 2022 - 6:30-8:30 pm Central Time

Writer's League of Texas Agents and Editors Conference
​June 24-26, 2022, Austin, Texas
Charlotte was a featured panelist and moderator of several conference presentations. 

The Joy and Discovery of Revision: A Step by Step Approach
with Charlotte Gullick
​Charlotte will be presenting as part of the Writer's League of Texas Summer Writing Retreat 2022
A Wednesday Evening Series Class, July 11 - August 1, 2022​

Finding Your Way Through the Creative Wilderness 
with Melinda Rothouse
Saturday, July 16, 2022, 3:00 pm Pacific Time
Oregon Creativity Conference,  July 14-17, 2022, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon

Creativity in Songwriting: A Process Talk and Performance
with Melinda Rothouse
​Sunday, July 17, 2022, 11:00 am Pacific Time
Oregon Creativity Conference,  July 14-17, 2022, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon

Exploring Creative Citizenship
with Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
Thursday, September 8, 2022 via Zoom
2021 Events

January/February 2021: Virtual Six-Week Class - What is Buddhism? The Philosophy, History, and Practices of Buddhism.
University of Texas Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) Forum Seminar
with Melinda Rothouse, Ph.D. and David Zuniga, Ph.D. 

March 26, 2021: Virtual Workshop and Discussion - Contemplative Creativity: Transcending Ego and Opening to Experience 
with Melinda Rothouse. Jung Society of Austin, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

May 1, 2021: Virtual Retreat and Community Gathering - The Art of Sacred Living 
with Daniel Whiteside, Carol Van Der Meulen, and Melinda Rothouse.​

May 23-June 27 (Six Sundays from 4:00-6:00 p.m.): Cultivating a Mindfulness Practice in Turbulent Times 
​A six-week deep dive into practical mindfulness life skills, with Melinda Rothouse and Daniel Whiteside. 

​July 7-11, 2021: Virtual Conference Presentations - Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University. 
  • Melinda will be giving two presentations, The Call to Create: A Musical Performance and Discussion of the Creative Process, and a 15-minute boom talk focusing on the highlights of her new book, A Mindful Approach to Team Creativity and Collaboration: Creating a Culture of Innovation, published in 2020.
More info and virtual registration available at: www.soucreativityconference.com 

July 18-Sept 19, 2021: Tracing the Journey to Wholeness: The Path of Creativity and Individuation
​A nine-week series class with Melinda Rothouse, presented by the Jung Society of Austin
Sunday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 pm via Zoom.

August 11 - September 15: Coaching Skills for Authentic Relationships
with Melinda Rothouse & Daniel Whiteside.
​Six-week peer coaching group, Wednesday nights  7:00 - 8:15 pm via Zoom.

September 4, 2021, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Flash Nonfiction: The Charm of the Focused Essay 
​with Charlotte Gullick, offered by the Writers League of Texas.

October 28, 2021: Syncreate October Meetup: Why Community is Essential for Creativity
with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick
6:30 - 8:00 pm via Zoom

November 4, 2021: Official Syncreate Book Launch Day.

November 10, 2021: Syncreate Book Launch Celebration and Webinar. 
with Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
6:30 - 8:00 via Zoom

Thursday, December 16, 2021: Syncreate December Meetup: Getting Lost and Finding Your Way Through the Creative Process
with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick
6:30 - 8:00 pm via Zoom
2020 Events

Recurring - Creative Exchange, a monthly creativity meetup group hosted by Melinda and Charlotte. [Currently on hold due to COVID-19 situation]. For more information, please visit our Syncreate Meetup group page: https://www.meetup.com/Syncreate-Creativity-Collaboration-Community-in-Austin/

January 3-5, 2020: Women's Creative Visioning Retreat in Wimberley, Texas, facilitated by Melinda.

January 31, 2020: Musical Performance - "On Longing" with Jennifer Leigh Selig, Ph.D. Jung Society of Austin. Melinda will provide musical accompaniment to Dr. Selig's talk on archetypal longing. Trinity Church of Austin, 4001 Speedway, Austin, Texas. 7:00-9:00 p.m.

March 27, 2020 - Conference Presentation (Melinda) ~ The Call to Create: A Musical Performance and Discussion of the Creative Process, International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) Annual Conference, Phoenix, Arizona.  [Canceled due to COVID-19 situation] For more information: https://ieataconference.org/sessions-2020/the-call-to-create-a-musical-performance-and-discussion-of-the-creative-process-2020/

April 23, 2020, 12:30 pm - Free Coaching Webinar: Resilience in Leadership: The Collective Mastermind Edition, with Melinda as a featured panelist, Coaching4Good, Austin, Texas. 

April 24, 2020, 7:00 pm - Virtual Discussion: Facing Fears of the Coronavirus, Jung Society of Austin - co-hosted / moderated by Melinda, Austin, Texas.

April 29, 2020, 12:30 pm - Free Coaching Webinar: Strategies for a Resilient Mindset, with Melinda as a featured panelist, Coaching4Good, Austin, Texas. 

May 18, 2020, 12:30 pm - Free Coaching Webinar: Mindfulness Practice in Uncertain Times, hosted and facilitated by Melinda via Coaching4Good, Austin, Texas. 

July 8-14, 2020 - Conference Presentations (Melinda): Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University. [Canceled due to COVID-19 situation] - The Call to Create and a 15-minute boom talk focusing on the highlights of her new book, A Mindful Approach to Team Creativity and Collaboration in Organizations: Creating a Culture of Innovation. More info at: www.soucreativityconference.com 

September 17, 2020 - Official Book Launch for Melinda's new book, A Mindful Approach to Team Creativity and Collaboration in Organizations: Creating a Culture of Innovation. Click on the book title link for details!

October 22, 2020 - Free webinar with Melinda to preview A Mindful Approach to Team Creativity and Collaboration in Organizations: Creating a Culture of Innovation, and discuss how you can use specific the tools and exercises from the book to support creativity and innovation in your organization.

Previous Events

Creative Exchange - Monthly Creativity Meetup Group, The Commune, 101 E. North Loop Blvd., Austin, Texas, 78751. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup event page at: https://www.meetup.com/Syncreate-Creativity-Collaboration-Community-in-Austin

June 21, 2019, The Call to Create, Jung Society of Austin, Friday, 6/21, 7:00-9:00 pm, Trinity United Methodist Church, 4001 Speedway, Austin, Texas, 78751. For this special JSA event, Melinda will be presenting about her songwriting process and sharing music from her forthcoming album as it relates to depth and archetypal psychology. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to share their own creative work. 

July 11-14, 2019, Southern Oregon Creativity Conference, Creating a Culture of Innovation, presented by Melinda. Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon. 

October 12, 2019 - A Character for All Seasons - A talk presented by Charlotte for Texas WRITES, Bandera, Texas.

October 26, 2019, Workshop: Wimberley Wellness Day, Cedars Ranch, Wimberley Texas. Melinda will be co-facilitating this event with several other teachers and wellness practitioners. She will be leading a workshop on creativity and contemplative arts. For more information and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-wellness-day-tickets-72423268947

​November 16-17 and 23-24, 2019, Photography show: East Austin Studio Tour (EAST). Melinda will be showing her photographs, along with fellow contemplative photography artist Tashi Cowen, at her studio in East Austin. They will be hosting a salon and reception in honor of the tour on Saturday, November 23rd. For more information about EAST, please visit: http://east.bigmedium.org
PAST EVENTS

Syncreate Waypoints Creative Process Retreat, December 9, 2018, Austin, Texas.
Chaos, Stillness, and Creativity, a presentation by Melinda Rothouse.
​Jung Society of Austin, Friday, June 22nd, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

For more information and tickets, please visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/chaos-stillness-and-creativity-tickets-47111773583
Storytelling for Business, with Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
Texas Women in Business Luncheon
​Wednesday, April 18, 2018
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Workshop: Mindful Creativity
Tuesday Restoring Balance Luncheon at Seton Cove
with Melinda Rothouse
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017, Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Seton Cove Spirituality Center
3708 Crawford St.
Austin, TX, 78731

“It is not necessary that you leave the house.  Remain at your table and listen.  Do not even listen, only wait.  Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone.  The world will present itself to you for its unmasking.  It can do no other.  In ecstasy it will writhe at your feet.”—Franz Kafka

This Tuesday, join creativity coach, consultant, educator, musician, and PhD psychology candidate, Melinda Rothouse, MA, for a lively exploration of the creative process from the perspective of mindfulness and the contemplative arts.  The contemplative arts disciplines—arising out of traditional meditation and mindfulness practices—regard creativity as a basic human faculty that most anyone can cultivate and express.  From this perspective, creativity emerges naturally from the practice of meditation, which helps practitioners to slow down, become present, and experience the world of the senses more clearly and directly.  This session will include a brief guided meditation, experiential activity, and interactive discussion.  Don’t miss this informative and engaging lunch hour session!  Register now at https://www.setoncove.net/programs/classes/tuesday_restoring_balance_luncheon
Infusing Creativity into Your Entrepreneurial Process
with Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
Thursday, February 9th, 2017, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Tech Ranch Austin

Entrepreneurship is essentially a journey of creativity, requiring the generation of innovative products and services to solve real-world problems. Creative innovation requires both divergent (non-linear, so called “right brain”) and convergent (linear, “left brain”) thinking, integrating different neural pathways to imagine and envision solutions and put them into action. This dynamic, hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to move between the two types of thinking with agility and clarity. Each participant will have the opportunity to focus on a specific entrepreneurial challenge or project to arrive at a better understanding of their own creative process and productivity.

For tickets and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/infusing-creativity-into-your-entrepreneurial-process-tickets-30928811909
Syncreate Creative Mornings Summit Workshop
Your Creative Sandbox: Plan, Play, Produce
with Syncreate Co-founders Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse
November 3, 2016
Vuka Austin
The Creative Mornings Summit brought together Creative Mornings organizers from all over the world to share ideas and learn from on another. We were honored to be selected as presenters for the 2016 Summit, and we had a wonderful time meeting and working with creatives from this worldwide community.
Miksang Contemplative Photography Level 1:
Touching the Phenomenal World
With Melinda Rothouse
Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, 2016
Austin Shambhala Meditation Center

Miksang, or “good eye” in Tibetan, is a process of learning to synchronize mind and body, allowing one to open to the world without labeling or evaluating.

Please join us for a relaxing and fun-filled weekend workshop for photographers of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. Explore what happens when we begin to see our world directly, openly, as it offers itself to us.
Through talks, discussion, assignments and reviews, and photo explorations, we deepen in presence and appreciation. No previous photographic experience is necessary - All you need is a digital camera, a water bottle and some sunscreen!

For more information and to register, please visit: http://austin.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=261529
Meditation, Creativity, and Contemplative Arts: Shambhala Art Parts 1 & 2
with Melinda Rothouse and Miriam Hall
Austin Shambhala Meditation Center
Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2, 2015, 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.
  
Join us for a weekend workshop exploring meditation, creativity, and the contemplative arts. We'll explore the world of the senses and learn how meditation practice can support and enhance the creative process through experiential exercises in a peaceful, contemplative setting. This program is open to everyone; no specific artistic training or meditation experience needed. For more information and to register, please visit: http://austin.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=216763

StorytelLing for your professional life

November 18, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
International Coach Federation Meeting
Riverbend Church, 4214 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746
$10 for ICF Members, $15 for Non-members

In business, success requires the ability to connect and resonate with colleagues, employees, vendors, and clients. The path to authentic connection begins with sharing our ideas and experiences, yet many struggle with the level of vulnerability needed for true connection, which can often be perceived as weakness in the professional context. We suggest that appropriate vulnerability can actually establish credibility and create opportunities for collaborative thinking and connection, as well as foster professional growth. At the root of a good story is the power of empathy – the ability to create emotional connections that resonate between individuals and across the human experience. Not only do vulnerability and storytelling create connection, they can also transform individuals, relationships, and organizations. Join us for an evening of exploring and expanding how you're telling your professional story.

Join us for an evening of expanding our professional storytelling tools. In this interactive workshop we will:
         •  cultivate awareness of where our stories live in the body
          • convey our professional narratives with power and intention
         • deepen working relationships through empathy and authenticity 

For more information: www.austincoaching.com

Through the Lens: Bearing Witness, Creativity, and Healing 
with Jake Lorfing and Melinda Rothouse 

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Austin Shambhala Meditation Center
Friday, September 5, 2014, 7:00 p.m.

Join Melinda Rothouse and Jake Lorfing in a visual and spoken exploration of the Holocaust and the practice of bearing witness, based on their recent trip to Holocaust sites in the Czech Republic and Poland. The evening will include discussion of mass trauma, the potential for healing through art and creativity, and how these wounds continue to manifest in today's aggressive world. 
What can we do to become peace makers? 
http://austin.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=186121
The Power of Story: Creative Engagement with Your Personal Mythology
August 14, 2014, 6-8 p.m.
Cost: $50
Seton Cove Spirituality Center

In this evening workshop, we will explore personal mythology and the power of story to enliven and inform our spiritual and creative lives, as well as the healing power of personal narrative in the journey to wholeness.

As Feinstein and Krippner (1997) describe in the introduction to The Mythic Path, “Your personal mythology is the loom on which you weave the loom of the raw materials of your daily experience into a coherent story…To discover and begin to transform your mythology is one of the most empowering choices open to you. A renewed mythology calls up fresh perceptions, values, and a revitalized sense of purpose.”

Through writing, discussion, and experiential exercises, we will each identify a dominant personal narrative and examine whether this narrative truly serves and supports our spiritual and creative life. We will begin to explore how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves can either hold us back from, or empower us toward, full flourishing and we will begin the process of consciously shaping a more empowered personal mythology.
Deepening Your Creative Life Retreat

 Join Syncreate Co-Founders Charlotte Gullick and Melinda Rothouse for an intimate, interactive, joyful weekend of embracing your creative life. Be prepared to unplug from technology, embrace not knowing, and delight in collaboration. This retreat is open to anyone interested in exploring, re-igniting, or deepening their creativity; no specific experience, training, or expertise needed.

At Syncreate, we believe in the power of creativity to evoke transformation; this is one of our major interests and areas of focus. Our events encourage transformation by offering an understanding of the psychology and neuroscience of creativity, experiential exercises to facilitate the creative process, a community of like-minded people interested in exploring creativity together, and concrete tools for bringing more creativity into your professional life, your artistic endeavors, and your world.

Retreat activities will include creative visioning, ritual, meditation, movement, writing, and group meals, all set in a natural retreat setting on upper Lake Travis. Click here to see some photos of the retreat location.

Dates: April 4-6, 2014.
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Storytelling for Life 

In this half-day workshop, we will explore personal mythology and the power of story to enliven and inform our professional, creative, and personal lives. All are welcome – no specific writing or storytelling experience necessary.

As the article “Storytelling 2.0: When New Narratives Meet Old Brains” describes, the identities we construct through our narratives affect how we view the world. We also know from neuroscience that storytelling, when approached with authenticity, can create deep empathy and resonance, as described in the Psychology Today article “Why Sharing Stories Brings People Together.”

As David Feinstein and Stanley Krippner describe in the introduction to The Mythic Path (1997), “Your personal mythology is the loom on which you weave the loom of the raw materials of your daily experience into a coherent story. You live your life from within this mythology, drawing to yourself the characters and creating the scenes that correspond to its guiding theme. A great deal of this activity occurs outside your awareness. To discover and begin to transform your mythology is one of the most empowering choices open to you. A renewed mythology calls up fresh perceptions, values, and a revitalized sense of purpose.”

Through writing and discussion, we will identify two or three of our most powerful personal narratives and examine whether these narratives truly “serve” and support us. If necessary, we will let go of or rewrite the stories that hold us back from our best creative selves, revising our personal mythologies to include a fuller, more artistic stride.

Sunday, February 23, 2014, 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Soma Vida, 1210 Rosewood Ave, Austin, Texas 78702
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Embodying the Muse: Where Creativity and Spiritual Awakening Converge

Creativity is not just for artists; it’s something we all need to be successful in our relationships, livelihood, and soulful expression in life. In this intimate and inclusive workshop, we will cultivate and embody creativity through somatic movements, contemplation, and relational spiritual practices to feel inspired, physically energized, and able to move with more agility in our increasingly complex lives.

An Evening with Melinda Rothouse of Syncreate and Michael Brabant of Integral Awakening

Thursday, February 6, 2014, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
Soma Vida – 1210 Rosewood Ave, Austin, Texas 78702

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Finding Your Voice

Connect to your creative force with powerful vocal and writing exercises in an intimate workshop setting. Get out of your head, into your body, and find your deepest resonance. This workshop is open to educators, professionals, artists, and anyone interested in exploring their creativity and artistic expression. No particular writing or singing experience required; all are welcome.

Saturday, September 21, 2013. 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
Serena Room, Casa De Luz, 1701 Toomey Road, Austin, TX 78704

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The Art and Science of Creativity: Exploring the Path and Expanding Your Tools

Open to anyone interested in bringing more creativity into education, work, leadership, art-making, or everyday life. Learn how to think and work creatively, use technology to enhance your communication and effectiveness, and ignite your creative and professional life. Topics include: the neuroscience of creativity, how to facilitate the creative process, and concrete tools to foster dynamic, creative learning and leadership.

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Casa de Luz, 1701 Toomey Rd., Austin, TX 78704