Paris

The best of Passion Never Retires condensed into three unforgettable days in PARIS.

Passion Never Retires is a worldwide project i have created, dedicated to teaching creative professionals skills not covered by the regular education system – skills that develop the story they themselves about themselves, their business, their money, their time and their self promotion. To inspire, amuse and enrich them in making money doing what they love. Passion Never Retires brings together the very best.

In this journey, founder of Passion Never Retires Peter de Kuster will dedicate himself to guiding you to identify and unravel old and unworkable stories that block your creative spirit. Is it time to stop telling yourself it’s too late? Is it time to stop waiting until you make enough money to do something you love? Is it time to stop thinking it’s just your ego whenever you yearn for a more fulfilling life? Do you yearn for creative adventure? Are you hungry for a deeper and fuller life? Do you wish you could find a more authentic ‘you’? Join Peter de Kuster for an intensive trek through creative Paris and your own creative kingdom. Tools will include The Passion Never Retires Story Index and Testdrive your Dream Business, and the journey itself will be a mix of lecture, Q&A, and experiential work. Expect this journey to jump-start your creative process, refresh your own thinking around creativity, and introduce you to a worldwide creative community of rolemodels who participated in Passion Never Retires. In a gentle step-by-step process, explore your creative dreams, wishes and desires, and quickly find that it’s never too late. No prerequisite. Please bring a notebook and pen.

We will cover in a fascinating tour in Paris such themes as how to become a better storyteller, how to create a life and work you love and never want to retire from, how to choose our projects and partners more wisely, how to do self promotion in a way you enjoy and making new business relationships last, how to make a testdrive in your dreamjob when you start your creative business, identify your professional talents and succeed, how to manage you time creatively, how to tell yourself a great story about you and your work and overcome anxiety, regret and shame, how to focus on our creative quest and how to more regularly experience the creative flow and happiness.

TESTDRIVE YOUR DREAM BUSINESS

Creative people have made a testdrive in their dream business or profession for centuries and many generations. Talking to or even working with somebody who does the creative work they would love to do or explore. For architects, artists, designers, writers, cooks, actors etcera it is quit normal. Mostly however something you do at the start of your creative career. You can do it any time in your career however. To sharpen the story you tell yourself about you, your work, your business, what you are capable of doing. In meeting a mentor, somebody who has a creative dream business in your eyes and makes money with it.

Years ago I started advising creative people who started their business to make a Testdrive in their Dream Business. Speaking with a heroine who has your dream business. It can save you years and a lot of money having direct feedback and stories of someone who does what you feel you would love to do. Almost everybody who has made a testdrive has come out of it with a more clear story and more determination than ever to make their dream business come true. They landed exciting projects, started an education or found other ways to further their dream business. After years of fantasizing their Testdrive has given them in hours or days the strength to come into action.

Partly this was due to a learning effect – the concrete knowledge they gained about the business of their dreams. Partly it was the mentor who held their hand, gave their confidence a boost en offered them help. Partly it was the contacts they made, which made the next steps more simple.

But the most important of all, next to these practical matters, was something different. The Testdrive in your Dream Business awakened and gave energy to something deep inside of them, a part that once awakened, refused to be ignored. Know that when you consider a dream business it not only is about how you spend your hours at work. Het is about the connection between your work and the deepest feeling about yourself. It is about doing what you love, work that energizes you instead of exhausts you, work which has meaning for you.

Reasons to do Passion Never Retires in Paris

1. To make a testdrive in your dream business before you committ yourself to a business

2. To find a mentor

3. To learn about the ins and outs of a business

4. To make contacts in a profession or market

5. To raise your confidence level

6. To explore a passion

7. To satisfy your curiosity about ‘ the road not taken’

8. To test possible businesses when you don’t know yet what you want

9. To make an unusual, exciting journey

10. To try out something new and challenge yourself in new ways

11. To create a new story about yourself, your present company, job, lifestyle and future

12. To reconnect with some passion(s) inside of you

How does this unique tour in Paris look like?

DAY ONE. THE POWER OF YOUR STORY. REWRITE YOUR STORY, TRANSFORM YOUR CREATIVE LIFE AND BUSINESS. I will examine with you the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves — and, most important, the way we can change those stories to transform our business and personal lives.

Your story is your life. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories — of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our work, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we’re capable of achieving. Yet, while our stories profoundly affect how others see us and we see ourselves, too few of us even recognize that we’re telling stories, or what they are, or that we can change them — and, in turn, transform our very destinies.

Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction as we navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and helps us interpret our goals and skills. Stories make sense of chaos; they organize our many divergent experiences into a coherent thread; they shape our entire reality. And far too many of our stories, are dysfunctional, in need of serious editing. First, i ask you to answer the question, “In which areas of my life is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I’ve got?” I then show you how to create new, reality-based stories that inspire you to action, and take you where you want to go both in your work and personal life.

Our capacity to tell stories is one of our profoundest gifts. The Hero’s Journey approach to creating deeply engaging stories will give you the tools to wield the power of storytelling and forever change your business and personal life.

DAY TWO: TESTDRIVE YOUR DREAMJOB. MEET SOMEONE WHO HAS THE BUSINESS/PROFESSION OF YOUR DREAMS. In this part of the Hero’s Journey in Paris, you’ll discover how you can identify, explore and experience your dream job, and how or if you want to pursue it. I will offer professional, personal and financial perspectives on how to transition into a new career and turn your dream job into a reality without risking your current job or jeopardizing your financial stability.

By following this practical and encouraging self-discovery guide, you will gain a better understanding of who you are now; what fulfills you both personally and professionally; how to get from Point A to Point B on the road to your dream job; or perhaps satisfy your curiosity and gain a deeper appreciation for where you are now in your life and your career.

DAY 3. WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

Morning: MAKE MONEY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE. Attention all artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, actors, and anyone working in creative fields — even if your chosen profession is not the most traditional one, cultivating and growing a successful, financially rewarding career is still your goal. Peter de Kuster provides you with expert advice on overcoming some of the specific challenges faced by right-brainers who want a career that is both satisfying and successful.

Freelancers, those thinking about changing careers midstream, and even creative people working in corporate environments need a set of skills that will turn their passion into a viable career. These skills include:
* How to chose the career that best suits your talents
* Setting realistic goals using right-brain techniques
* How to avoid the pitfalls that ruin a creative career
* How to schmooze your way to success
* How to create a business plan when you are the business
* How to be disciplined when you are your own boss

When you find an outlet for your creativity in the form of a career, you’ll discover a freedom in your working life that you can live with for the long term. You can follow your passion, build a brilliant career, and have financial security — if you know which skills to use. Let Peter show you the way.

Afternoon: TELLING YOUR STORY TO THE WORLD. Are you a creative person who desperately wants to tell the world about your talents and your art but lacks the time, money, and know-how? Full of clever and creative ideas you can use to successfully get the word out about who you are and what you do quickly, easily, and cheaply.

Everything you need to know about marketing yourself is included. This part is packed with proven techniques that will work for you whether you are an author, actor, artist, or accordion player who wants fresh, off-beat, and cost-effective ways to build a business or develop a successful and fulfilling career.

Full of winning strategies, innovative ideas, and proven sales and marketing techniques, Peter will show you how to go from starving artist to superstar status with smart advice, including:

* How to market without money

* How to create marketing materials that will sell you even when you’re not around

* How to build a buzz using word of mouth

* How to use the Internet in ways you never thought of to promote yourself

* How to get the leaders in your field to endorse and help you

Self-promotion is one of the most difficult things a creative person must do. It is also the most critical. You will find something that can help you overcome this hurdle and get the attention and recognition you and your talents deserve.

Dates

Thursday 21 september, Friday 22 september, Saturday 23 september,

Monday 25 september, Tuesday 26 september and Wednesday 27 september

Thursday 28 september, Friday 29 september and Saturday 30 september

Timetable

9.30 – 18.00

Full programme coming soon. Passion Never Retires in Paris will be led in English.

Reservation

Travel in a small group. Price per person is Euro 1895 excluding VAT, travel expenses, drinks and visits to musea.

Passion Never Retires in a small group of maximum eight people to have the most of the interaction with Peter and each other.

Private Tour: You can reserve for a private tour of three days with Peter for Euro 1.500 per day excluding VAT, travel expenses, drinks and visits to musea.