Understanding seven capacities that shape learning, behavior, relationships, and healthy development.
Professional development, parent education, and practical strategies to foster:
Inspiration • Focus • Confidence • Good Intentions • Emotional Steadiness • Identity & Relationships • Discipline
Creative Lives helps educators, parents, and school leaders strengthen these capacities in children—and in themselves.
93% of participants report significant gains in helping children learn, grow, and develop greater agency.
“I have never encountered a more powerful or meaningful framework for approaching education.”
—Sharon Webster, educator
Whole-Child Learning. School-Wide Impact.
Children thrive when they develop focus, resilience, emotional well-being, positive relationships, a sense of connection, a love of learning, and the discipline to follow through on their goals.
Creative Lives helps educators, parents, and school leaders understand and strengthen the developmental capacities that make these outcomes possible through professional development, parent education, and whole-child learning programs.
Built on A Framework for Wise Education® by educator Ellen Tadd and informed by 16 years of implementation with thousands of children, educators, and families.
The Challenges We Help Address
Discouragement➞ Inspiration & Connection
Poor focus and Decision-Making➞ Focus & Wisdom
Low self-esteem➞ Curiosity & Confidence
Unkindness➞ Caring & Courage
Emotional anxiety and Overwhelm➞ Emotional Well-Being & Empathy
Poor Relationship Skills➞ Balanced Relating & Creative Identity
Irresponsibility➞ Discipline & Accountability
Stories from the Field
We All Belong: A parent and child navigate a painful experience of racial bias. “…During school, another child in her class had told her that “Brown people shouldn’t be at this school...”
Read the Full Story
Discouragement to Engagement: Nine students in danger of expulsion become empowered to remain in school. “…When I entered the classroom, one student flopped her head down on the desk, just to show me how little she cared.”
Watch the 1-Minute Video
Enroll Yourself or
Your Team Today
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Free online Webinar: The Epidemic of Disconnection (click to enroll)
Join director Maureen Burford for a deep look at root causes of discouragement, disengagement, and depression — and what you can do today to support the young people in your life.
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Click to enroll in our bite-size training, The Inspiration Factor
The Inspiration Factor is where we always begin in our longer courses in the Framework approach. Why? Because the first step in working with any child or group is inspiring them to trust and be with you!
The Inspiration Factor helps you build the inner foundation that fuels motivation, openness, and connection — a key to lasting well-being and fulfillment. -
Click the links below to explore options and schedule time with our team:
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Our signature courses empower you with expertise in each of seven essential areas of development. In brief, these include:
Inspiration
Focus
Self-Esteem
Good Intentions
Emotional Well-Being
Relationships &
Creativity
Self-Disciplines
Graduate credit and PD hours available. Click the links below to explore your options: and enroll.
Foundations 1
Foundations 2
Cohort Training for Teams (Includes both Foundations 1 and 2, plus additional support)
The Framework Behind Our Work
A Framework for Wise Education® emerged from educator and author Ellen Tadd's discoveries about the practical role of the human energy system, often called the chakra system, in human development.
Through decades of observation with thousands of children and adults, Tadd found that the chakra system describes seven developmental capacities that influence learning, behavior, relationships, and well-being.
In Creative Lives' work, chakras are not presented as a belief system or spiritual practice. Rather, they provide a practical framework for understanding and supporting human growth.
“If I could wave a magic wand, I would put this Framework in the hands of every parent and teacher around the globe. It’s that important.”
— Liz Wiley, Director of the Marion Institute
The Framework includes:
Seven core developmental capacities that shape learning and well-being
Practical tools and strategies that support children and adults
New insights that strengthen PBIS, SEL, restorative practices, and other approaches already in place
A developmental lens that helps educators, parents, and school leaders better understand both challenges and strengths
Thousands of educators, counselors, and parents have experienced the benefits of this approach. Read More
Hear From a 4th-Grader
In this video, a young boy shares a powerful Framework strategy he learned and used to navigate a challenge with friends.
Note: Although this child uses chakra terminology he learned from his mother, children can experience the same benefits using alternate language, such as “Wise View” in place of “Third Eye.”
Meet Our Director
Creative Lives Director Maureen Burford invites you to explore our free webinar, The Epidemic of Disconnection (register above), and discover how our approach addresses today’s pressing challenges.
Tangible Outcomes
93% of our trainees report significant improvements in their ability to help children learn and develop their unique potential.
73% of our trainees can consistently help children make wise decisions and assess next steps with clarity, compared to 27% before training.
81% of our trainees report experiencing regular joy in their work and/or parenting, compared to 30% before training.
“This program doesn’t just change educators. It transforms teams.”
— Nikki D., Early Education Director