Our creative thinking workshops are often mistaken for Paint & Wine experiences. One of the questions we’re asked often is whether our workshops are like Paint & Wine. It’s an understandable question. Our business workshops use painting as a thinking tool to help teams communicate better, solve problems and discover new perspectives together.
So there is painting. Occasionally there is even a glass of wine or a celebratory glass of bubbly, particularly if the workshop is the finale of a strategy day or part of an employee wellbeing day. The atmosphere is relaxed, people laugh and they genuinely enjoy the experience.
But that is where the similarities end.
Our workshops are not about creating a beautiful painting.
They are about helping teams slow down, make their thinking visible and discover new ways forward together.
The paintbrush is simply the tool we use to make that happen.
Painting is simply the medium. Through structured reflection and discussion, teams explore ideas, strengthen communication and discover new perspectives together.
Why use painting in a creative thinking workshop?
People often ask why we use painting in a business workshop.
The answer is actually quite simple.
Using painting as a thinking tool helps people slow down and make their thoughts visible, allowing them to step back and see challenges from a different perspective.
When we stop trying to find the right words and instead work with colour, shape and images, our brain begins to process information differently. We move away from automatic thinking and become more curious, reflective and open to new perspectives.
The canvas gives us a way of exploring ideas before we start talking about them.
It’s the process that matters
The painting is only the beginning.
What makes our workshops different is the process.
Every workshop is designed around the needs of the team. Through a structured combination of painting, reflection and facilitated discussion, participants explore challenges from different perspectives and often uncover ideas and insights that would be difficult to reach in a traditional meeting.
The painting is never the outcome.
It is the thinking that happens through the process that matters.
Why it works in business
Whether a team is looking for new ideas, solving a problem, improving communication or aligning around a strategy, the process creates space for everyone to contribute.
It encourages people to listen, question assumptions and build on each other’s ideas rather than jumping straight to solutions.
By slowing down first, teams often discover solutions that weren’t visible when they were focused on finding the answer as quickly as possible.
Time and again, they leave with fresh perspectives, practical ideas and a clearer understanding of both the challenge they are facing and the people they are working with. It is almost magical what can happen within a team in just 2 hours.
Much more than a wellbeing activity
Our workshops are a popular choice for employee wellbeing days because they are enjoyable, relaxing and genuinely restorative. Research has shown that even 45 minutes of painting can help lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. Creating together also encourages people to slow down, connect and simply enjoy being present with one another.
These wellbeing benefits are real, but they are only one part of the experience.
Every workshop is built around a specific business theme or challenge. It might be strengthening communication, generating new ideas, aligning around a strategy or finding fresh solutions to an ongoing issue. Painting provides a different way of engaging with these topics, helping teams reflect before they discuss and discover perspectives that might otherwise remain hidden.
That is why organisations choose our workshops. They combine the restorative benefits of creativity with meaningful business outcomes.
The real outcome
Long after the paint has dried, it isn’t the paintings that people remember.
It’s the conversations.
Conversations that are more open, more honest and more meaningful than they expected. Conversations that create new insights, strengthen relationships and build a shared understanding of the team, the work and the way forward.
Again and again, we see the same outcomes. Teams communicate more openly, approach challenges with fresh perspectives and leave with a stronger sense of connection and purpose. Our creative thinking workshops are designed for organisations that want to improve communication, strengthen collaboration and solve business challenges in new ways.
The painting is simply the medium.
The real value lies in the thinking it unlocks, the reflection it encourages and the conversations it inspires.
The thinking behind the painting
Our workshops are business workshops that use painting as a thinking tool. The focus isn’t on creating a beautiful painting or learning painting techniques. Painting simply helps us step away from our usual ways of thinking. It gives us the space to reflect, see things from a different perspective and have conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves, each other and the way we work together.
The paintbrush is simply the tool.
What matters is the process. Creating, reflecting and sharing helps people slow down, make their thinking visible and explore challenges together before rushing to solutions. That is where new ideas emerge, communication improves and teams begin to align around a shared understanding.
More on creativity as a thinking tool
Creativity is about much more than painting. Explore how reflection, communication and psychological safety help teams think, connect and work better together:
Why Creativity Builds Psychological Safety in Teams
Why Change Management Fails When We Forget Feelings
The Power of Painting for Teams
Why Teams Struggle With Change
About the author
Peppi Stünkel is the founder of Team Creativity, helping organisations improve communication, collaboration and innovation through structured creativity. Her workshops use painting as a practical thinking tool to create meaningful conversations, fresh perspectives and stronger teams.
