Aucitya is congruity. It is aptness, attunement, propriety.

It is what is achieved when Dharma is in consonance with Ṛta, the cosmic order. And creative endeavor is a means to this congruity. A means of arranging all things just right, in an apt, fit and proper manner. The Indian tradition drives towards this with truth, beauty, and the sacred in symphony. And therefore, any meaningful creative endeavor must encompass all three.

The Reason

The modern world of design, content creation, and programming thrives on superficial engagement, hijacked attention spans and manipulation; and exponential technology compounds this impact. This reduces creativity and art to either a political movement against tradition, or an indulgence of individual whim.

The Instrument

In order to address this challenge, we envision a workshop that looks at creativity as a responsibility, and helps cultivate conscious creatorship and a dhārmika mindset among creators, enabling them to approach media for meaningful impact, ethical engagement, and creative expression.

After a successful completion of the first edition of a one-day workshop in Hyderabad, that saw over 40 participants, we are delighted to launch a two-day workshop that shall go deeper into the content creation process reflecting the principle of ‘aucitya’.

The Experience

Our experience and learning from the first workshop has helped us design a 2-day immersive experience with interactive components that will help the participants gain insights and tools for creating content that finds currency with social media engagement, while being meaningful and uplifting. Over two days, participants will not only hear of the basics of creativity from an Indian lens, but also engage in activities that help experience this real-time.

The Setting

We place this workshop at the feet of the Ādi Śaṅkara. We find inspiration in his Saundarya Lahiri where truth and beauty meet the sacred. You’ll wake to the sound of the birds of dawn, as you prepare for a day of creative immersion. And, you’ll end the day in meditative silence in the hallowed space that birthed the Ādi Śaṅkara.

The Chinmaya International Foundation at Adi Sankara Nilayam in Kerala, the location for this workshop reflects our vision for a holistic creative space. One that not only inspires meaningful creative expression, but is also a place of sacrality, collaboration, and well-being.

Workshop Contents

The workshop shall cover the following themes over a period of two days:

The Indian Theory of Aesthetics and Poetics

Guidelines from the Nāṭyaśāstra for Audio Visual Content

Research and Creative Storytelling for Conscious Creatorship

Enabling Creators Through Heritage Tech

The Art Process: What to Work Upon to Create Great Artistic Content

Algorithms and Reach: The Ethical Navigation

Beauty, Aesthetics, Creativity in Script and Video