History of Creative Edge Facilitators

by Don Mathews, Founder of Creative Edge

While attending the 1988 Brugh Joy Year End Conference where various creative presenters from all over the United States were a part of the five day celebration at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, I decided it was time to start the Creative Edge: The Way Of The Arts. It was to be a place where I and other seekers could explore and grow with our creative process. The seeds of this idea had been planted three years earlier while on a Greek spiritual journey with Edith Sulwold, one of Brugh Joy’s regular group leaders and a special person in my life.

The year before at the 1987 conference, newcomer Poet David Whyte introduced his unique style of working both his and others’ poetry line by line from memory. His poetry resonated with many of my own discoveries and personal spiritual quest. It also stimulated a desire to learn more from him about his creative process. At the end of the conference he was overwhelmed by new admirers buying his books, so I stepped in and began helping him sell. The next year (1988) going into lunch with the idea to start Creative Edge in my mind, David Whyte sat down beside me. Seeing this as a sign, I asked him to be the first workshop facilitator in my new organization. He agreed and Creative Edge was born.

Over the next twenty-three years, The Creative Edge invited numerous other special facilitators with unique creative talents from Brugh Joy conferences to conduct weekend workshops in my Monterey home. Often in conjunction, additional evening programs were offered at local public venues including Monterey Peninsula College and Monterey Public Library. Beside David Whyte, facilitators included Brugh Joy himself, poet & priest John O’Donohue, storyteller Jay O’Callahan, mystic Caroline Conger and singer Susan Osborn. I also found other facilitators beside myself who would offer programs to enhance creative growth.

As time passed, Brugh Joy and John O’Donohue died while others outgrew the small group weekend workshop format. However, these special people from Creative Edge history will always be a significant part of our foundation! I honor them!