Wisdom Workshop

👋 Hello!

It’s me, Sean Waters. I am delighted you’re here!

Last updated June 14, 2025.

About me

I started the Wisdom Workshop in 2021. I love learning and connecting with curious and crafty characters. If that’s you, please set up a call.

I turned 42 last year. I write to explore midlife as a process of emergence, of becoming who we are in the world. Professionally, I am an educator, philosopher, and musical artist. At a deeper, archetypal level, I am a teacher, warrior, healer, lover, and child. I love to read. I write for wisdom and discernment, love and joy.

I teach full-time in the Dept. of English. 

I’ve been teaching for eighteen years at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Currently, I am teaching College Composition (CO150) Writing Arguments (CO300), and Writing in Digital Environments (CO302). I also love teaching Introduction to Humanities (E232) but rarely get the chance to. My Master’s thesis in English Education provides a way for high school English teachers to introduce philosophy.

I used to teach in the Dept. of Philosophy

My first love was the love of wisdom. I’ve taught Logic and Critical Thinking (PL110), Introduction to Ethics (PL104), and World Philosophies (PL170). I wrote my Masters thesis in comparative epistemology: “Metaphysics, epistemology, and depression: the philosophical and pragmatic dimensions of the modern biomedical and Tibetan Buddhist approach to well-being.” I love for east/west contemplative approaches to a life-well-lived. I am a pluralist, pragmatist, existentialist, and positive psychology enthusiast.

I’ve made a living making music

I am an active recording and performing artist who has played 1000+ shows and 150k+ streams with  Sean Waters & the Sunrise Genius on Spotify or Apple Music. Most of those shows were logged with a group called the Seers, with pianist Brian Collins. Fun, bizarre fact: my mom had a dream she should name me ‘Seers’ when I was in utero. ‘Sean’ was as close as she could get in good conscience.

I am an educational artist

They say “write the book you want to read.” I’m creating the courses I want to take. Wisdom is our skillfulness in relating to ourselves, to our world, to others, and to the cosmos. With the Wisdom Workshop, I’ve designed the courses that I would want to take over and over again to maintain quality relationships. This has led to over twenty groups of Writing the Good Life (W101), three groups of the Art of Living Beautifully (W201), and three groups of Facilitating Flourishing (W301). The process-design (read: art) is magic: with usually five to seven people, we draw from contemplative inquiry east and west, practical philosophy, group psychodynamics and creative psychology. Given these testimonials, the wisdom workshop is my greatest running creative accomplishment alongside my music. Paul Marcus, a retiring psychotherapist, said: “It’s the most educational thing I’ve done outside of my education, and the most therapeutic thing I’ve done outside of therapy.”  

I write by hand every day 

I’m going into year twelve of a daily writing practice. Loosely following The Artist’s Way “Morning pages,” I write for mindful self-care and creative expression. Some writing makes its way to TikTok and YouTube and Clubhouse. I’m on my 245th cranberry red moleskin pocket journal. I recently graduated to an A5 Muji Open-Flat Lined Notebook. My new favorite pen is a Muji gel ink cap-type ballpoint .5mm.

About the Substack

This newsletter is a continuous extension project of the Wisdom Workshop, whose mission is to cultivate clarity via connection. We believe wisdom is relationship, and that a quality education should connect beautiful people with beautiful lives, connecting small learning groups with the work and play that truly matters. A lot of the writing here is inspired from the workshopping wisdom with small groups of other curious characters. We gather to make better dreams and better worlds.

Why subscribe? Why pay?  

You’ll be joining in with hundreds of other readers, writers, creators, teachers, students, mentors and leaders who care about cultivating wisdom. That’s no small thing. Paid subscribers get the benefit of office hours, quarterly alumni and subscriber meetings, pop-up gatherings, pop-up DIY courses in philosophy and psychology, and more in-depth invitations to read, listen, reflect and grow. Plus the full archive if you want to see — and support — my growth as a writer.

I hope you enjoy! 

Yours truly, 

Joining the Wisdom Workshop FAQ

From NotebookLM, with quotes from participants and learning materials 2021-2025.

1. What is the core philosophy behind the Wisdom Workshop, and how does it define "wisdom"?

The Wisdom Workshop operates on a profound philosophy that centers on personal transformation, self-discovery, and meaningful engagement with oneself, others, and the world. It defines wisdom not just as intellectual intelligence, but as a "set of embedded relationships" that encompass our inner lives, our connections with other people, our interaction with the physical world, and our place within the larger cosmos. This holistic understanding moves beyond abstract knowledge, emphasizing that "you are the medicine" – meaning individuals possess the inherent capacity for their own healing and growth. The program aims to "empower 1 billion people to heal themselves" by cultivating a "wisdom habit" that transforms how people learn and live a life "worth examining" and "worth living."

2. How does the Wisdom Workshop approach personal development and self-discovery?

The Wisdom Workshop employs a multi-faceted approach to personal development, encouraging participants to "get out of my head to get deeper into my mind, and deeper into myself!" It emphasizes an "unlearning and learning" process, moving beyond fixed ways of thinking to embrace "paradigm breaking, over and over and over again." Key to this is a focus on "intuitive strategy" and "human-centered systems thinking," which, while seemingly oxymoronic, aims to help individuals allow insights to emerge while also taking intentional action. The program utilizes "seven essential questions" (Establish Presence, Inquire Purpose, Invite Play, Explore Projects, Confirm Process, Connect People, Savor Perspective) and a "Genesis Cycle" (Person, Presence, Purpose, Play, Projects, People, Partnerships, Perspective) to guide participants. It encourages "self-assessment" and "Odyssey Plan" exercises to help individuals identify "what matters most now?" and explore "who am I becoming?"

3. What practical tools and practices does the Wisdom Workshop offer to cultivate wisdom?

The Wisdom Workshop integrates a variety of practical tools and practices designed to foster wisdom. A central component is the "Daily Writing Practice," which is seen as a "personal incubator for experiences and projects" and a way to "keep me sharp with my writing habit." This includes timed freewriting exercises, encouraging participants to "just write what's in your mind without judging it!" Beyond writing, the workshop promotes "Mindful Presence," drawing from Buddhist teachings on mindfulness and skillful means, to cultivate non-judgmental awareness and deep listening. Other behavioral tools include "Daily designing" and "Artist date." The program also teaches "Attention Design," helping individuals to develop a "useful awaring" of the present moment and their environment, which extends to "Ecology and Responsibility with the Climate."

4. What kind of community and relationships does the Wisdom Workshop foster among its participants?

The Wisdom Workshop places a strong emphasis on fostering meaningful connections and community among its participants. Testimonials highlight the formation of "powerful friendships and connections with people all over the world." The program aims to create a sense of "unified purpose" and "psychological safety," promoting vulnerability, insight, and engagement. It cultivates "deep humility" by honoring each person's wisdom and leveling the playing field, and encourages "courageous generosity" through notes of mutual support and unconditional positive regard. The idea of "co-liberation" suggests a shared journey towards greater freedom, emphasizing that "if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together." The concept of "space-holders" suggests that participants are actively involved in creating a supportive environment for collective growth.

5. How does the Wisdom Workshop encourage a "beginner's mind" and continuous learning?

The Wisdom Workshop deeply values the concept of a "beginner's mind," drawing inspiration from figures like Tom Yorke who noted that "if you've discovered it works, it no longer works." This encourages an ongoing process of "unlearning" and a willingness to explore without attachment to previous successes. The workshop believes that "whoever is doing the talking is doing the learning," positioning itself as a "personal incubator for experiences and projects." It emphasizes "radical inquiry" into what truly matters and views philosophy as the "art of defining your terms" and a "search for self-understanding." Participants are encouraged to "give yourself permission to let something emerge and roll with it" and to embrace a "process of rebirth" and "burst of creative reframing."

6. What is the Wisdom Workshop's perspective on the relationship between "play" and "being human"?

The Wisdom Workshop champions the integration of "play" into personal and professional life, aligning with Frederich Schiller's idea that "Man only plays when he is in the fullest sense of the word a human being, and he is only fully a human being when he plays." Play is viewed as an essential component of the "Genesis Cycle" and a pathway to purpose. The workshop encourages participants to "invite play" and to explore activities that are so engaging they induce a state of "flow" where one loses themselves pleasurably "in the moment." This perspective also ties into the concept of having a "first-rate second childhood," which involves more play, reigniting wonder, and a philosophical plan for old age. It suggests that embracing play helps individuals avoid taking themselves too seriously and fosters new relationships.

7. How does the Wisdom Workshop help participants define and pursue their personal "good life" and purpose?

The Wisdom Workshop guides participants in articulating and pursuing their personal "good life" by focusing on three key elements: "Purpose, People, and Projects." It encourages deep reflection on "What matters most now?" and "What do you live for? (that’s bigger than you)." The program asserts that "whoever has a why can endure almost any how," emphasizing the importance of a clear sense of purpose. It also introduces the Japanese concept of "Ikigai" – "a reason to live" – which encompasses a sense of purpose, motivation, engagement, and accomplishment. The workshop helps individuals design "passion projects" that are personally meaningful demonstrations of skills, abilities, and values, and encourages participants to invest their "energy as a currency" wisely in alignment with their evolving definitions of success.

8. What transformation can participants expect from engaging with the Wisdom Workshop?

Participants in the Wisdom Workshop can expect profound personal transformation, often leading to a sense of empowerment and clarity. Many report a feeling that "it's Okay to be more than one thing at once, it's also healthy," realizing they can "live inside a self-transforming mind" and that their work doesn't solely define them. The program aims to "wake people up to their hidden potential" and foster a "process of rebirth" with "bursts of creative reframing." Outcomes include increased self-awareness, a clearer understanding of what matters, the development of daily writing and mindfulness practices, and the forging of "powerful friendships and connections." Ultimately, the workshop strives to enable individuals to "determine the quality of their lives," leading to greater happiness, health, and a more integrated sense of self, described as becoming "the miracle you were born to work."