Institute Intensive | The Creative Myth
2026-10-05 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom (Link to be shared)
A four-week invitation to rediscover your creativity.
REGISTER NOW
Creativity is not reserved for artists. It is part of what makes us human: the ability to imagine what is not yet here, to see possibility where others see limitation, to make connections, to play, to experiment, and to bring something new into the world.
And yet, somewhere along the way, many of us lose touch with it.
Work gets busy. Responsibilities accumulate. Creativity becomes something we associate with artists, musicians, writers, or people who have the luxury of making things “just for fun.” Or, for those who once created regularly, creativity can become entangled with performance, productivity, commerce, and the pressure to make something good.
This four-week experience is an invitation to step out of those assumptions.
Led by Mason Ingram, you’ll explore creativity not as a talent you either have or don’t have, but as a capacity that can be awakened, practiced, and strengthened. The goal is not to turn you into an artist, but to help you become more alive to the creative capacity already within you.

The Experience
This program will run as two separate cohorts, one in the fall and one in the winter. Both explore creativity through four weeks of guided practice, experimentation, and reflection, but the cohorts begin from different places:
Cohort 1 (October 2026)
For those looking to discover or unearth their creativity.
Cohort 2 (February 2027)
For creatives looking to reconnect with a creative life that has become stuck, sidelined, or overly shaped by productivity and commerce.
Each cohort meets weekly over 4 weeks for a guided session with Mason, combining conversation, teaching, creative exercises, experimentation, and reflection. You’ll also be invited to practice between sessions, but this isn’t homework in the traditional sense. The practices are intentionally manageable, designed to create a rhythm that makes room for something you may have been missing.
All are welcome to participate in both cohorts, or you may find greater resonance with one over the other.

Two Cohorts, Two Different Invitations

COHORT 1: For the person who might not think of themselves as creative
You may have spent years telling yourself, “I’m just not a creative person.” Maybe creativity feels like something other people possess but not you, or maybe you simply haven’t made space for it in a long time. This cohort begins by challenging that myth.
Over four weeks, we’ll explore how you are already creative, why creativity is vital to every human, and how to cultivate a personal creative practice without making it another demanding project on your list.
You’ll experiment with different forms of creativity through simple exercises that are designed to be accessible, enjoyable, and immediately useful. We’ll move from discovering your creative capacity, to practicing it, to taking the small but courageous step of sharing what you’ve made with others.
This cohort is primarily for:

Professionals who want to access more imagination in their work and life
People who feel creatively curious but don’t know where to begin
Those who want a creative practice without taking on another major commitment
Anyone who wants to recover a sense of play, experimentation, and possibility

Exercises may include

Collage drawing
Kinesthetic building exercises
The 30 Uses exercise for lateral thinking
Problem solving with the SCAMPER method
Paratactic prose and stream-of-consciousness writing
Quick and easy music creation

What you’ll walk away with: A practical guide to creative habit formation without years of lessons, new equipment, and hours of YouTube tutorials. Just simple practices for making room for creativity in the midst of an already full life.

COHORT 2: For the creative who feels stuck
You know you’re creative. You may have made things for years. You may have built a career around creativity. Or you may simply remember a version of yourself who felt freer, more playful, and more alive in the act of making. But somewhere along the way, that part of you became harder to access. Maybe creativity became your job, maybe you became responsible for managing other people’s creativity. Maybe the pressures of work, family, and life gradually crowded out the practices that once gave you energy. Or maybe the voice of self-criticism simply got louder.
This cohort is an invitation to reconnect with that creative part of yourself, not by trying harder but by approaching creativity differently.
Together, we’ll explore how to separate creativity from the obligation to produce, perform, or make money. We’ll experiment with different creative practices, pay attention to what awakens a sense of flow, and gently examine the self-criticism that can make creating feel risky.
The aim is not to recover some idealized version of who you used to be, but to discover what creativity might look like in the season of life you’re actually living now.
This cohort is primarily for:

People who used to create regularly but have lost the practice
Creative professionals experiencing burnout or creative fatigue
People whose creative work has become primarily commercial
Leaders and managers who spend their days facilitating other people’s creativity
Anyone who senses that a more playful, generative part of themselves has been set aside

Exercises may include

Purpose mapping
Inner-critic / self-compassion letter
The 30 Uses exercise for lateral thinking
Problem solving with the SCAMPER method
Paratactic prose and stream-of-consciousness writing
Perspective writing

What you’ll walk away with: A guide to connecting with a part of you that felt more free in your creativity. You’ll leave with practices for reconnecting with creativity, loosening the grip of self-criticism, and making space for creative work that isn’t immediately beholden to productivity or commerce. The hope isn’t simply that you make more things, it’s that you recover some of the aliveness that made creating matter in the first place.

Dates & Registration
Cohort 1 – October 5, 12, 19, 26 (2026) – For those looking to discover or unearth their creativity.
Monday evenings, 7:30-9p ET via Zoom
Cohort 2 – February 1, 8, 22 and March 1 (2027) – For creatives looking to reconnect with a creative life that has become stuck, sidelined, or overly shaped by productivity and commerce.
Monday evenings, 7:30-9p ET via Zoom
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Cost: Choose your Tier – A Pricing Model Rooted in Generosity & Relationship
At Goldenwood, we believe in a gift economy—where our work and giving is not transactional but part of a relational and generative system. Like a root network, where some trees bear more fruit in one season and others in another, this pricing approach allows for a shared ecosystem of flourishing—some contribute more so that others may receive, and all are sustained together.
Our tiered pricing model reflects this, allowing participants to contribute at a level that aligns with their capacity while supporting the mission to see work revived by love. We invite you to participate in a way that reflects your own season and capacity.

1. Full Value (Sustainable Tier) – $200 per 4-week Cohort
Reflects the true value while balancing affordability, including the unseen work that makes this a meaningful and transformative experience. Includes all virtual sessions, exercises, and access to your coach.
2. Covering Costs (Supported Tier) – $150 per 4-week Cohort
Covers only the essentials, ensuring the program is financially viable. Includes all virtual sessions, exercises, and access to your coach.
3. Generative Giving – $250+ per 4-week Cohort
Goes beyond covering costs, helping make our programs accessible to others and investing in the long-term flourishing of this work. Includes all virtual sessions, exercises, and access to your coach.
REGISTER NOW

Meet Your Guide

Mason Ingram has spent his working life inside the creative process, learning what makes it move and what makes it stall. Those years brought him to a place where he wants to guide others in discovering their own creative ability and process. His approach comes from working across different creative forms in the music industry, where he learned that creativity is rarely about waiting for inspiration. It’s about building the habits, attention, and technical footing that let inspiration show up.
That belief comes directly from his career as a drummer, composer, and producer, one that has taken him from recording studios and Broadway stages to composing wellness-focused ambient music, and that has meant constantly translating between structure and openness: the discipline of keeping time and the freedom of letting a piece breathe.

Why This Matters
We often treat creativity as a specialized skill. But creativity is woven into ordinary human life. We use it when we solve a problem no one has solved before, when we imagine a different future, when we make something beautiful, when we find a new way to communicate, when we respond to a difficult situation with wisdom rather than habit.
To cultivate creativity, then, is not simply to become better at making things. It is to become more attentive to possibility.
Goldenwood’s work begins from the conviction that work at its best is creative, relational, and redemptive. The practices we cultivate shape how we perceive the world and how we participate in it. This experience creates a small, intentional space to practice that kind of attention.
You don’t need to arrive with a portfolio, call yourself a creative, or know what you’re doing. You simply need some curiosity and a willingness to try.

Trellis | New Voice: Discerning God's Tone
2026-10-25 19:45 - 2026-11-06 13:00 | Virtual
Our perception of God shapes how we relate to Him. Misunderstandings or distortions can keep us at a distance, missing the joy of communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. Yet the good news of the gospel is that the Triune God draws near—welcoming us as both friend and child, inviting us into ongoing conversation with Him.
Over these two weeks, you’ll be guided through a variety of prayer practices that foster a conversational walk with God—attuning your ear to His voice in the midst of daily life. Trellis creates a structure that supports this journey: rhythms that renew, a community that listens alongside you, and the spaciousness to encounter God afresh.
As a companion to this Trellis, we’ll be reading through Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly. You’ll want to either borrow or pick up a copy to have on hand for these two weeks. With Scripture as its foundation, this book unveils the deep tenderness of Jesus and communicates the very heart of God towards us.
This experience offers not only tools for hearing God but also the lived experience of His nearness—reshaping our sense of calling and bringing vitality to our everyday rhythms.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]
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The Trellis structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Oct 25, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri from 12:35-1:00p EST, during the weeks of Oct 26 and Nov 2. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.

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“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Life & Death in NYC 2026: Save the Date!
2026-11-07 09:30 - 19:00 | E91, 150 E 91st St, New York, NY, 10128
Save the date! Registration to open in September.
A one-day immersive summit exploring death, mortality and meaning as a path toward living more fully. We invite you to visit this recap page for a video, photos and description of Life & Death in NYC 2025, for a sense of what to expect this coming November. Hosted in partnership with Here to Honor and All’s Well Initiative.
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Location: E91 | 150 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
Currently looking for additional sponsors for this year’s event! Interested? Please reach out to hello@heretohonor.com.

Institute Retreat | "Beauty x Justice: Creating a Life of Abundance and Courage" with Makoto and Haejin Fujimura
2026-12-04 18:00 - 2026-12-06 13:00 | Princeton, NJ, NJ, 08540, United States
What if the pursuit of justice requires more than activism? What if it also requires beauty?
Join us this December for a reflective retreat led by Goldenwood Institute Deans Makoto and Haejin Fujimura, exploring the deep connection between beauty, justice, faith, and the work of cultural renewal. Drawing from stories of their global work in the arts and advocacy, and from their book Beauty x Justice, they will invite us to consider how beauty can sustain us in the slow work of restoration.
Together, we’ll explore how gratitude and generosity can keep our hearts open, why justice without beauty can become harsh, and what it looks like to cultivate a generative life, one that courageously participates in God’s work of making all things new.
This will be a space to slow down, encounter beauty, share stories, and imagine new ways of living and serving that are not only faithful and just, but deeply life-giving.

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Details:
Weekend Schedule: (more details to come)

Friday December 4, 7:30p-9:30p
Saturday December 5, 9:00a-9:00p
Sunday December 6, 9:00a-1:00p

Location: Princeton, NJ (exact address provided after registration)
Cost: Choose your Tier – A Pricing Model Rooted in Generosity & Relationship
At Goldenwood, we believe in a gift economy—where our work and giving is not transactional but part of a relational and generative system. Like a root network, where some trees bear more fruit in one season and others in another, this pricing approach allows for a shared ecosystem of flourishing—some contribute more so that others may receive, and all are sustained together.
Our tiered pricing model reflects this, allowing participants to contribute at a level that aligns with their capacity while supporting the mission to see work revived by love. We invite you to participate in a way that reflects your own season and capacity.
1. Full Value (Sustainable Tier) – $1000 + accommodations
Reflects the true cost and value—while balancing affordability—including the unseen work that makes this a meaningful and transformative experience. Includes several meals, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.
2. Covering Costs (Supported Tier) – $850 + accommodations
Covers only the essentials—venues, facilitators, meals, materials—ensuring the program is financially viable. Includes several meals, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.
3. Generative Giving – $1250 (or choose amount) + accommodations
Goes beyond covering costs, helping make our programs accessible to others and investing in the long-term flourishing of this work. Includes several meals, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.

Lodging: Your retreat registration includes several of the group meals and all retreat materials, but does not include lodging. We have a room block reserved at Princeton Theological Seminary’s Erdman Center, details provided at registration for your selection.
REGISTER NOW
Space is limited for this retreat. Registration will close once at capacity.

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About your Guides:
Makoto Fujimura, Dean of Nature for the Goldenwood Institute, is an internationally renowned painter, cultural thought leader, and author whose work sits at the intersection of art, faith, and nature. An influential voice in both the art world and the broader cultural landscape, Makoto has authored several acclaimed books, including Art+Faith: A Theology of Making, Silence and Beauty, and Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture. Through his writings and paintings, he invites readers and viewers alike to explore the profound connections between creativity, spirituality, culture, and the natural world.
As a leading practitioner of Nihonga, an ancient Japanese painting technique that uses natural materials such as minerals, gold, and silver, Makoto’s work is deeply informed by his reverence for nature. His art captures the intricate beauty of creation, drawing attention to the subtle details of the natural world and offering a meditative space to reflect on life’s deeper meanings.
Beyond his contributions as an artist, Makoto is a cultural thought leader who speaks passionately about the role of creativity in society. His work challenges contemporary notions of utility and productivity, advocating instead for a culture that values beauty, contemplation, and the nurturing of the human spirit. As the founder of the Fujimura Institute, IAM Culture Care, and a former Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts, Makoto has influenced a wide array of disciplines, from education to public policy, with his vision of cultural renewal through the arts.

Haejin Shim Fujimura, Dean of Justice for the Goldenwood Institute, is a lawyer, entrepreneur, speaker, and strategist whose work bridges justice, beauty, and cultural transformation.
She is the founding attorney of Shim & Associates, a law firm rooted in cultural renewal, and the CEO and cofounder of Embers International, a global NGO working to end intergenerational exploitation and prevent human trafficking. Fujimura is also the creator of the Estuary, an innovative vocational ecosystem where law, art, advocacy, and business converge for culture care.
Her entrepreneurial ventures include Culture Care Creative, Academy Kintsugi, and Fujimura Institute. She has served as an Equity in Action Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania with her husband Makoto Fujimura.

Trellis: Guided Spiritual Rhythms | Becoming Fully Alive
2026-12-06 19:45 - 2026-12-18 13:00 | Virtual
There is a moment in every Christian’s life when everything changes. Despite the seismic nature of this event, it can come about quietly and invisibly without pomp and circumstance. Scripture describes this moment as a miraculous movement from death to life. Theologians refer to this as regeneration, not meant as a metaphor or symbol, but as an ontological reality.
Biblically speaking, to live is to live by the Spirit who is the Spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7). This is what animates the Christian life and brings to the world the aroma of life and of Christ. It does not arise from sheer resolve or discipline but from the generous outpouring of the Spirit who animates parts of us that have never come alive.
Over the course of this two-week journey, you’ll be invited into new ways of prayer, learning to walk conversationally with God and to recognize His voice amid the patterns of your life. In pausing with intention, we rediscover that stillness is not stagnation—it is fertile ground for growth, authentic connection, and living more fully in God’s presence.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]
———————————
The Trellis structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Dec 6, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri 12:35-1:00p EST, during the weeks of Dec 7 and Dec 14. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.

———————————
“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Trellis: Guided Spiritual Rhythms | Loving in Exile
2027-01-31 19:45 - 2027-02-12 13:00 | Virtual
In a culture that prizes independence, we can forget that we are made for one another. As image-bearers of the Triune God, our lives are deeply interwoven—our identity, our growth, and even our calling take shape in relationship with others. God often speaks through the people He places around us, shaping us and inviting us into redemptive love.
This Trellis invites you to reflect on the question: Who are the others God has given me, and what calling do I carry toward them? Together we will explore how love—grounded in God’s love for us—becomes the rhythm that transforms our daily interactions and communities.
Over these two weeks, you’ll practice prayer forms that nurture a conversational walk with God and attune your heart to His voice. Trellis provides a framework of spiritual rhythms and a supportive community where you can listen, discern, and be renewed.
Through shared practices and intentional reflection, we’ll rediscover that love is not merely an emotion but a way of life—rooted in God’s presence and lived out in the ordinary patterns of our days.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]
———————————
The TRELLIS structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Jan 31, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri 12:35-1:00p EST, during the weeks of Feb 1 and Feb 8. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.
———————————
“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Trellis: Guided Spiritual Rhythms | Hidden Hope
2027-03-07 19:45 - 2027-03-19 13:00 | Virtual
Hope often begins in hidden places. The book of Esther reminds us that even when God seems unseen, His presence is quietly shaping lives, communities, and history itself. This Trellis invites you into a two-week “Listening Journey” to reimagine your work and calling through that lens of God’s hidden-yet-active presence.

Week 1: Journeying in an Enchanted Frame — Learning to notice God’s subtle movements in the ordinary patterns of our days.
Week 2: Listening to the Pains of the World — Attending to both personal and communal pain, and discovering how it can become soil for renewal and transformation.

Through Scripture, prayer, reflection, and guided practices, we’ll slow our pace, step into kairos time, and cultivate a deeper awareness of God’s presence in the midst of our work and routines.
Trellis provides both structure and community to help you listen for God’s voice, integrate life-giving rhythms, and renew your sense of calling. Enter this season of Lent with practices that open space for hope—a hope that is rooted not in our striving, but in the faithful presence of the God who works all things toward redemption.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]
———————————
The Trellis structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Mar 7, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri 12:35-1:00p EST, during the weeks of Mar 8 and Mar 15. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.

———————————
“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
