Workshop
Touching the Transcendent in Everyday Art
Discover the sacred in your favorite movies, playlists or paintings.
Do you have a favorite song that you listen to all the time, or a favorite movie that you could watch over and over again?* What makes us do this? In this interactive class, filmmaker, writer and program host Joel Gunz will share examples from his experience (fair warning: he’s an Alfred Hitchcock scholar), invite you to share what moves you and lead a few group exercises to discover the sacred hiding in plain sight. Bring a spirit of playful detection as we join in the search for meaning together!
*According to this study, almost everyone does it.
What you’ll take home
Even your guilty pleasures have something profound to offer. Learn how to tune more closely into the art you already love and hear it whisper its deepest truths.
Discover the three-way connection between art, the numinous and you.
Explore techniques to activate your artistic intuition, including how to:
Build a one-on-one relationship with your favorite works of art.
Study a work of art in order to find its transcendent qualities.
Recognize ancient archetypes expressing themselves through images, music, or film.
Leave with a renewed sense of wonder and stronger trust in your inner wisdom.
Perfect for:
Museums, cultural centers and creative communities.
The spiritual-but-not-religious and the religious-but-not-stuffy.
Universities, adult education programs and places for learning.
Conferences and retreats on art, soul and the search for meaning.
Format Options
60–90 minute participatory workshop.
Half-day immersive experience.
Optional follow-up salons or discussion groups.
About Joel Gunz
In addition to his own creative work and film scholarship, Joel is a program host whose events meet at the intersection of art, metaphysics and meaning. Known for his slyly philosophical takes on film, he is host of the annual HitchCon International Alfred Hitchcock Conference and the weekly MacGuffin Film Club—online screenings that are followed by inclusive round table conversations that last long into the night. Joel brings a warm, reflective and slightly sideways view to the question: how do we find the sacred without losing our taste for the profane?
Booking and contact
Let’s bring the conversation to your organization. Reach out: joel@hitchcon.org
Explore
Here’s a sample of Joel’s previous presentations on Hitchcock, cinema and the search for meaning. Still curious? Check out a few more of his talks and film essays.