A great experience! I would recommend it to anybody.”

-Desiree

Thank you so much, Claudia. I love working with you and the space you create for us.”

–CC

Internationally exhibited artist and designer Claudia Palmira is certified in experiential and art therapy. Based in Rome, Italy since 2006, Claudia created her eponymous art and design studio in 1997, soon after graduating Mount Holyoke College (MA). She is author of the forthcoming book Micro Daily Practice (CPB 2024).

She founded Open City experiences, following the success of her initiative, Restart Retreats, the first English psychodramatic retreat in Italy. Certified by the College of Creative Arts Therapy, Claudia receives ongoing mentoring and training from Dr. Tian Dayton, a true leader in the trauma and recovery fields. She led groups on creativity, pleasure, meditation and recovery for a variety of organizations, including the renowned ICAAD conference and IES Study Abroad. Claudia is passionate about developing programs that support spiritual wellness through pleasure and creativity.

In 2021, Claudia launched Clù, a line of luxury silk scarves with her exclusive designs, which are featured at The Met Opera Shop. She is the author of  Her artwork is exhibited regularly, and she continues to work with a variety of design clientele around the world through her Studio.  A native New Yorker, Claudia is based in Rome, Italy where she and her husband, Mauro, are bringing up their son, Ludovico.

In a world that is becoming saturated with life coaching of all varieties, Claudia’s Open City Creative Group stands well apart — a truly unique for makers of any kind, trying to find and hone their creative voice.

My decision to be a part of the creative group was born from both a sense of excitement and trepidation. Excitement at the prospect of becoming “unstuck” from the creative and logistical rut which I found myself in over the last several years within my own practice as an image-based studio artist and writer. And trepidation at how well any such group or coaching might actually help me to achieve these things that I so sorely desired.

I am pleased to say that this experience went well beyond my expectations. Through Claudia’s unique blend of practical artistic experience, boundless empathy, courageous agility and heart, I was able not only to connect some of the logistical dots, but also to go much deeper into some of the more fundamental roadblocks which have long been camped in the periphery of my being, holding me back from the joyful freedom of artistic expression and chronically dampening my shine.

The small group setting was also a perfect way to explore these things and Claudia is quite skillful at both leading the group and allowing it to act as an entity for its own healing and discovery. Having been a teacher in the arts for many years, I can tell you this is not an easy thing to do. Yet, when it is done correctly, working in an intimate group setting — filled with artists of all kinds, from writers, to designers, to photographers — added a layer of collaborative support that proved truly essential. Claudia’s guidance during these sessions helped me open up and rediscover my voice and agency as a maker…being a part of a group of like-minded creators made me feel less alone in my struggles and grateful to learn from and connect with my peers.

If you are an artist, writer, designer, singer, actor, maker or creator of ANY kind, I believe being a part of Open City Creative can help with whatever problems in your practice with which you are currently dealing. Claudia truly is an expert at what she does and her generosity of spirit and genuine care for Creatives absolutely helped me gain critical insight, direction and that oh-so-important “mojo” that had been hiding in the shadows for many years. If you find yourself struggling with the same thing, I promise you this will bring some of those things back out into the sunshine, where they were always meant to live and grow and thrive.

Thank you Claudia for all that you do and for being such a force of good in the universe!

– J.T.

I cannot overstate the benefits I’ve received from being part of Claudia’s group. When I started I was an occasional writer of poetry. I didn’t really believe I belonged in a forum for artists. Over the last 8 months I have become a relatively prolific poet and, thanks to Claudia, I have a daily practice and a new, sustainable way of working which has given me the confidence to write creatively continuously. I have a fully functional framework for my art and I’m truly grateful to Claudia for showing me how to create and sustain it. Claudia has an intimate knowledge of all the barriers and challenges artists face and, more importantly, she knows how to conquer all of them. Claudia has a gift for communicating gently, sensitively, lovingly and supportively. Her courage and willingness in sharing your experience is inspiring, comforting, reassuring. It has also been a privilege, and a joy, to hear a wide range of artists share their experience of their journeys. I gained much confidence from them and much inspiration. I am also really grateful to them. I am not only more at ease in my poetic skin, I am also enjoying my art to the full. I hesitated to join Claudia’s group. I recommend to my friends that they jump at the chance. I’m confidant they’ll be as thrilled with the results as I am.

–A

Its lovely working in a safe group setting with Claudia as our teacher & guide leading us through a creative therapautic session.”

–M

Claudia is professional, sensitive and deeply in tune with the participants of the workshop a great guide!”

–M.

Thank You again for another beautiful 2 hours journey…I am really sooo grateful it is fun healing and adventurous and you are simply Divine 💜”

–SP

 

Thank you for holding such an important space!!!”

–T

Children are known for their ability to absorb new knowledge. Like sponges, their brains are developing, each day filling their growing memory with knowledge and experience. In this way children are like blank pieces of paper. Any stroke of ink looks very impressive. Being a younger student however, doesn’t guarantee efficient learning. With so much happening all at once, many fun experiences can distract students from focusing on a single task. And this is where older students can take advantage. Age is never an obstacle to learn.

After 25 years old, your brain is fully developed, and you are ready to face new challenges. In fact, being an older students means you have several advantages over your younger study-mates.

1. You make the decision to learn – Instead of being forced to study by your parents, you make the decision to learn by yourself. Knowing that learning is what you want makes it easier to motivate yourself and persist along the way. Because you are learning things that you are interested in, you also have more enthusiasm towards the task. By being the boss of your own study, you are more likely to succeed.

2. You are more efficient – After so many years in school and college, you have much more experience than your younger study-mates. Therefore, compared to the younger students, you are able to find out that what is the best way for you to study efficiently, and you are more willing to follow the rules. Look at what you have accomplished, and no matter if it’s graduation or a career, you have far more discipline than younger students, which is another key to succeed in the study process.

3. You have more support – Being a mature student, you have more access to all the technology you need, such as open library online resources and online studying forums. Also, you are free to spend your own money on your studies without having to ask permission from your parents. If you want to make a career shift, being an older student means you can use the skills you gained from your previous work experience to be one step ahead from other younger students.

With a combination of all of these you are guaranteed that you will be successful with your studies.

Learning is a lifetime process. Never be intimidated by age. Different ages have different advantages. Believe in yourself and be ready to open a new page of your life. It is never too late to work on self-improvement.

Claudia is an amazing facilitator, I’ve joined her in 3 retreats and now this workshop for Open City; she never ceases to amaze me – she has a gift for reaching and releasing the inner authentic voice of her students.”

–Carolina

Motherhood is a creative act – from the formation of life to the daily routines of caring for children. Yet, personal expression  can often take second place to the needs of others, the chores and demands of busy parents’ lives. Yet, stoking the flames of personal creativity and giving space for the soul has a ripple effect, from parent, to family to even friends and community.

A lot of moms long for a way to do something special and artful, put off claiming their inner voice day after day. Sometimes, joining a class or a workshop is just the motivation needed to take a break from our routine  – here are a few reasons why:

Take time for yourself

When is the last time you truly took time for yourself? Mothers tend to be very selfless and put the wellbeing of others before themselves. It’s time you take initiative to engage in some self-care. When you take a moment to yourself, you are allowing your mind to focus on itself, which brings out your inner creative being. Our workshops are specifically designed to aid you in self-care that will inspire you.

Meet and connect with like-minded people

Workshops are a terrific way to find a person or a group of people who are on the same path as you. As mothers, oftentimes establishing new friendships is difficult. Workshops allow for people meet others  with the same passion and shared interests. Although it is not guaranteed that a friendship will blossom, it never hurts to put yourself out there and try. At the very least, you’ll be able to find a colleague who understands your life and aspirations.  

Take the power back in your life

Mother’s are usually subjected to feelings of helplessness and defeat. Learning a sense of empowerment is a benefit to getting on the track to creativity and self-development. As a person, you have control over your destiny. Some of the core values of our workshops is self-confidence, education, and development. When you gain back your personal power, you feel like a new person, which can help stimulate creativity.

Gain motivation

If you’re in a bad place emotionally or spiritually, chances are you won’t be feeling at that motivated. A lack of motivation can be a real drag and can affect many aspects in your life, including creativity. Our self-development courses can help you learn about self-awareness and other vital skills so that you’ll feel more motivated. This will give you the drive to hone your creativity and give you the opportunity to improve yourself.

Less stress and anxiety

Being a mother is hard. When you take the time to invest in yourself and your happiness, parts of your life will begin to change. Mothers often are in a state of constant stress or anxiety. Our workshops are the perfect space to destress and relax. When you learn to slow-down and be aware of the times you feel most overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, you cope with your emotions better. Learning how to handle and resolve tough situations allow for more focus to be spent on creativity and self-awareness.

Having fun

Most importantly, our workshops are meant for growth and enjoyment. If as a mother you find that you lack a sense of excitement and joy in your everyday routine, our workshops are the solution. When you’re happy, your creativity and productivity increase. A brighter mood means better content, which is the goal of a workshop to begin with.

Final thoughts

Being a mother is not easy. Make a change in your life and become the creative person you want to become today. Give back to yourself and get to know yourself on a deeper level by engaging with our courses to jump-start your creativity and self-awareness.

Today’s workshop was wonderful- I had no idea what to expect but it was grounding and provoked some insights this afternoon.”

–KK

Being a human means you have to deal with emotions all day long. Some feelings are hard to verbalize, and some of those thoughts you don’t want to speak out loud. Self-expression sounds so abstract, but the creative arts are an amazing outlet for the recovery of your emotions. With art, you have the option to go beyond words and become a vivid, colorful and free version of yourself.

According to a study using hospital data, patients who participated in art theory were found to have better clinical outcomes than those who did not. Similar studies also concluded that hands-on tasks, like making art, help to soothe negative emotions.

Processing emotion by putting it into a physical form could make you feel more in control of your thoughts and feelings, and help you process events more clearly. These tasks provide a healthy form of escape for your mind, and therefore can be beneficial in inspiring creativity.

Self-expression hides behind your artistic creation. When you are creating art, you transform the image from your mind into something physical. In this amazing process you are actually having a conversation with yourself. Incorporating the creative arts into your daily life provides an interesting self-evaluation to your mental health.

Open City experiences introduces virtual experiences during the sheltering periods across the world.

During this time, many people are rightly opting to stay home and self-isolate – or are mandated to do this by their local governments for public health. It’s a time when our routines have been upended, and our social contact restricted.

We aim to provide some pleasurable activities in the spirit of taking a break – but a thoughtful one. With many children doing homeschooling now, our Art Breaks offer a chance to do something creative with a parent or with us – as mama and son Claudia and Ludovico guide us through a bilingual creative session.

Moving deeper, and recommended for adults, are the Art Shifts. These are sessions designed to allow you to express and integrate your emotions through some light artistic methods.

The Living Well Series will also be moving to a Virtual Experience until we are able to meet in person.

Upcoming Virtual Open City experiences

Please check the correct time in your area here: timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

As of March 2020, this series has been postponed until we are free to gather. 

Open City presents our “Art on Sundays”. Artist Kelly Medford leads the way starting in March for a 3-part series on Drawing. Join us for the ones you choose, or come for all.

March 22 | Understanding Drawing
March 29 | Deeper with Drawing
April 5 | Drawing with Flair

Drawing starts from simplicity: pencil and paper. Nearly everyone draws – whether it’s doodles or sketches, scribbles or portraits. It’s one of the most basic forms of communication.

These sessions are a chance to work in an artist’s studio to play with line – seeing, formulating and interpreting. We explore different kinds of marks and styles, from contouring to fast burn sketches and more.

There are plentiful benefits of drawing such as improved memory, stress, creativity, communication, and a plethora of many other great benefits to the mind and body. In this series of workshops, topics touch upon many areas of drawings such as what drawing even is and interpretation, drawing in between spaces, and the understanding of different kinds of mark making. When you have a better understanding of drawing and a understanding it, it will then guide you to looking at things with a various point of views than just one.

Workshops are priced at 50 Euros each with discounts available for students and Free Exchange members. Purchase the whole series for 120 Euros. Each participant receives an artist kit with artist-grade materials at a terrific wholesale price of 20 Euros. 

I love working with you and seeing what comes out. You are very good at this.”

–S

Negotiation means to find a common ground for your best interest with other people who disagree with your opinions or ideas. It is so important, but it is also easily neglected by the people outside of the business world. In fact, negotiation skills are essential in every aspect of daily life, not only exist in the Wall Street movie, but also in your sweet home. Be able to master at negotiation skills represents the ability to fight for you own right with the consideration of other people’s feelings and needs. Although negotiation sounds pretty aggressive, if you actually get a hand on it, a stress free life without misunderstanding would be brought to you in a snap. 

Good negotiation skills contribute to maintain a relationship

Daily life is full of arguments and disagreement. If you don’t have good negotiation skills, conflicts can happen anywhere anytime, probably with your coworkers or with your family members. The vital function of negotiation skills is to settle a mutual agreement with people you cared in order to protect a relationship from some silly arguments that you would regret later. Meanwhile, a satisfying result from a successful negotiation would create a deeper bond which could improve your relationship in the future. 

Good negotiation skills also provides a satisfying result for all

Most of time, arguments and conflicts are caused by the different opinions from people. Good negotiation skills would help you to understand the situation much better than others. You could give away the things that are less important to you than to the other party to look for a win-win solution that satisfies both parties. This is so important in the business world. A good negotiation would increase the trust between you and your partner company for the future cooperation. 

Great! Now you may get a clue about how crucial negotiation skills are in your daily life. Another great news is that negotiation skills actually are learnable. For your own success, take a look at classes that can help you quickly grasp the important skills of the negotiation, and apply them to have an even better life.

Positive experience overall”

-L.

Mauro Benedetti was born in Palermo in 1960 and has lived in Rome since 1973.

His interest in photography was influenced from his elementary years by his grandfather and father. His grandfather was remarkably passionate about travel and technology, and his father was a renowned soccer player in Italy’s Series A League. Through them, Mauro grew up very close to the world of photography and cameras.

His prestigious career in corporate finance has allowed him to travel continuously throughout Italy and Europe. During his spare time and vacations, he has visited diverse cultures and ambiences far removed from the structured atmosphere of corporate life – always with a documentarist approach to his travel. He has traveled to Africa, the Americas and throughout Europe with his camera.

In 2006, he met and later married the artist Claudia Palmira of New York. Thanks to the influence and stimulus of her multimedia work, his photography began to integrate a personal style, in which the human figure became the central element amidst juxtapositions, gestures and expressions.

He has mentored the photographers, Alex Webb and Livio Mancini. His work has been exhibited in New York, Greenwich, CT, Rome, Milan, Bologna and Novafeltria.

Mauro collaborates with Rome Photography Workshop, a group of photographers in Rome and New York who provide tours for traveling photographers by local ones. He also co-founded the agency Mauro Press and is a member of the photography collective La.Strada.

These are urban mini retreats and open to all online

Open City experiences presents a year-long series of monthly workshops aka mini urban retreats by Claudia Palmira focused on all aspects of living well. Join us for the ones you choose, or come for all. We are able to hold these sessions online until it is safe to do so in-person.

It’s been said that “living well is the best revenge.” When we can transcend shame, guilt and fear about truly embracing our authentic joy in life, we can live freely and comfortably in our own skin, day by day. In this series of workshops, topics touch upon all areas of our lives: from our deepest hopes and wishes, to having fun, spirituality, making a home, abundance, career, and relationships. Using art and experiential therapy techniques, these workshops will guide you to new places of self-acceptance, wonder and possibility as we dissolve the blocks and inhibitions holding you back.