TwoLine Studios Founder Heather Willems and Gary Ware on a workshop call with Madeline Schwartz.
Gary Ware and Heather Willems met on the phone. 45 minutes later, they were manifesting a workshop at SXSW.
It was the height of COVID. Madeline Schwartz introduced them, thinking they’d get along—and she was right. With a walk-and-talk outside, and by the time Heather circled her neighborhood in Brooklyn, they had declared:
“We’re leading a workshop at SXSW about playing with fear!”
Fast forward to March, Gary and Heather led “Draw Your Future: Move Uncertainty to Possibility” as part of the Cultural Resilience in the Arts track—one of just five live, interactive virtual workshops at SXSW!
At a time of uncertainty, fear, and isolation, we created a space for over 500 people globally to come together, draw out their fears, tell stories of their futures, and embody their inner strength.
Blending Superpowers to Break Through Fear
Gary brought his expertise to NLP and improvisational play. Heather brought her skills for facilitation, visual thinking, and passion for geeking out on neuroscience.
Together, they guided participants through:
Befriending Fear – Understanding how uncertainty triggers fight, flight, or freeze.
Drawing Through Uncertainty – Using creativity to shift from fear-based thinking to clear
Shaping Possibility – Moving from limitations to new opportunities.
Paving a Path to Mastery – Turning ideas into action with practical tools.
The flow of the workshop session being introduced by Gary Ware.
How People Transformed
✨ They felt calm after the session.
✨ They made clearer decisions with confidence.
✨ They walked away with practical tools to use when faced with uncertainty.
✨ They shared vulnerably, connected, and laughed—a LOT.
Draw Your Future Move Uncertainty to Possibility for SXSW.
We are endlessly grateful for the talented collaborators in our network who make magic like this happen.
If you don’t know Gary, grab his book Playful Rebellion. If you haven’t nabbed Heather’s Draw Your Big Idea, be sure to check it out.
And if your team could use a workshop to move from uncertainty to possibility—let’s talk!
At TwoLine Studios, we design immersive experiences, graphic facilitate and our founder, Heather Willems, coaches leaders to reflect on big ideas and put those ideas into action.