Experience the Creativity of Constraints

2 hours | 6–25 attendees | Remote or in-person | Public sessions available

Unlock the power of constraints. This workshop, with Helen Callaghan, Sunday Times Best Selling author, & Helen Lisowski, Experienced Business Trainer, shows how limitations & constraints — often seen as blockers to progress — actually fuel innovation, sharpen problem-solving, and unleash creativity in teams and individuals.

Why this workshop?

We all experience deadlines, resource shortages, not enough people to do the work, unhelpful processes, expectations, lack of time. Constraints can be frustrating — but they can also be the spark that ignites fresh thinking.

This two-hour, hands-on workshop helps participants:

  • Reframe constraints as opportunities.
  • Discover just how inventive we all really are.
  • See how different perspectives create equally powerful solutions and outcomes.
  • Learn a practical mindset shift they can take back to their work and life.

Whether you're writing a book, creating an online course, building a workshop, starting a business or looking to improve your workplace, constraints are inevitable – but they also lead you to creative solutions and outcomes.

Who it’s for

  • Individuals looking to boost their creativity and problem-solving skills.
  • Teams and organisations wanting to energise their people, build collaboration, and inject fun into professional development.

What to expect

  • A fully guided, interactive 2-hour session for 6 – 25 participants.
  • Delivered remotely (ideal for distributed teams) or in-person.
  • Facilitated by two experts:
    • A multiple Sunday Times bestselling author, bringing storytelling craft and creative energy.
    • An experienced business workshop leader, with a track record of delivering high-value sessions to technologists and senior leaders.

The experience

  • We start by exploring the architecture of stories through a playful, interactive activity.
  • Participants then tackle a series of timed creative challenges, each designed to highlight how differently people solve the same problem.
  • Sharing ideas in small groups creates energy, laughter, and new appreciation for diverse thinking.
  • No writing experience required — this is about problem-solving, not literary polish.

Key takeaways

  • A fresh perspective on constraints as a driver of creativity.
  • Practical insight into your own problem-solving strengths.
  • Greater appreciation of individual differences in thinking and working.
  • (And as a bonus — you’ll walk away with the beginnings of your very own story outline!)

About Your Teachers

Cultivated Management is proud to bring you this workshop in collaboration with Helen and Helen.

Like all other Cultivated workshops, this is focused on skills development, behaviour change and is a joy to be in.

👉 To find out more about our approach and philosophy to teaching, check out the Workshop Mastery book:

master your ability to teach through workshops

👉 Workshop Mastery is your essential guide to designing and running engaging workshops that inspire lasting impact. Packed with proven facilitation techniques, practical strategies, and real-world insights.

Buy the eBook

Helen Callaghan

My name is Helen Callaghan and I write fiction whenever I’m left unsupervised. I’ve always written, it’s my one constant. I was at various points a student nurse, barmaid and drama student.

When I’m not writing fiction I write technical documentation for IT companies.

I also write a blog. The blog is about my writing; including my thoughts on the things I read and see, some digressions on cool little nuggets that come up in the research (I experiment a fair bit with medieval cookery and remote locations), and any other stratagem I can employ to waste the world’s time. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Bluesky.

My novels Dear Amy, Everything is Lies, and Night Falls, Still Missing are published by Michael Joseph Books, and my latest – The Drowning Girls – is available now.

👉 Find out more about my books

Helen Lisowski

I work with companies scaling up from 50 to 250 people.

I help companies pragmatically navigate growth problems whilst preserving their founding cultural DNA, something easily lost as startups focus on other things.

I believe everyone has the right to learn how to do difficult things, but that no one should have to learn on their own. I am a regular speaker at conferences talking about my experiences of Agile Management, Leadership and building an employer's brand as a recruitment tool.

👉 Find out more on LinkedIn

Practical details

  • Length: 2-3 hours
  • Group size: 6–25 people (min. 4 required)
  • Format: Remote Video Call or in-person
  • Requirements: Pen & paper for remote attendees; materials provided for in-person sessions

Ready to experience the creativity of constraints?

Bring fresh energy to your team — or join as an individual — and discover how limits can unlock your most inventive ideas.

For Individuals

Join an upcoming session, connect with others, and discover just how inventive you really are. You’ll leave energised, with a fresh perspective you can apply straight away.

To find out details of the next public workshop:

🏢 For Teams & Organisations

Bring fresh energy to your team.
This workshop is a simple, effective way to build collaboration, spark creative problem-solving, and give your people a fun, shared experience with lasting impact.

Perfect for remote teams or part of an away day.

👉 Enquire About a Team Workshop