Introduction: What Creative Leaders Can Learn from Cézanne
Paul Cézanne’s life in Paris was a story of courage, resilience, and relentless innovation. As a creative leader, Cézanne faced rejection, self-doubt, and the challenge of forging a new artistic path in the heart of the art world. His journey reveals how leaders can transform adversity into growth, remain true to their vision, and continually reinvent themselves. By walking in Cézanne’s footsteps, you’ll discover how the stories you tell yourself shape your destiny—and how, like Cézanne, you can become the author of your own legend, finding flow and fulfillment in your creative leadership.

Timeline & Walking Tour Itinerary

Time	Location & Theme	Reflection & Questions
09:00	Start: Place de l’Odéon The Call to Adventure	What is calling you to leadership? What risks do you face stepping out of your comfort zone?
09:30	Académie Suisse (Quai des Orfèvres) Meeting the Mentor	Who are your mentors? How do you seek guidance and inspiration?
10:30	Louvre Museum Crossing the Threshold	What traditions inspire you? How do you balance learning from the past with forging your own path?
12:00	Jardin des Tuileries (Lunch Break) Tests, Allies, Enemies	Who supports you? Who challenges you? How do you respond to criticism?
13:30	Musée d’Orsay The Ordeal	When have you faced rejection or failure? How did you persist?
15:00	Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie (Café Procope) Reward	What small victories have you celebrated? How do you recognize your progress?
16:00	Musée de l’Orangerie The Road Back	How do you integrate lessons learned into your leadership?
17:00	Montmartre (Place du Tertre) Resurrection & Return with the Elixir	What is your unique contribution? How will you share your story and inspire others?

The Hero’s Journey & The 12 Archetypes: Cézanne’s Paris

• The Innocent: Cézanne’s early dreams and optimism arriving in Paris.
• The Orphan/Everyman: His sense of isolation and longing to belong in the Parisian art world.
• The Hero: His courageous pursuit of a new artistic vision despite repeated rejection.
• The Caregiver: The support of friends like Zola and Pissarro, and Cézanne’s own nurturing of his craft.
• The Explorer: His restless movement between Paris and Aix, seeking his own style.
• The Rebel/Outlaw: Defying the Salon and academic norms, forging Post-Impressionism.
• The Lover: His passion for art, nature, and the people in his life.
• The Creator: Cézanne’s relentless innovation and legacy as “the father of us all”.
• The Jester: Moments of play and experimentation in his work.
• The Sage: His deep study of the old masters at the Louvre.
• The Magician: Transforming perception and technique, influencing generations.
• The Ruler: Achieving recognition and leaving a lasting mark on modern art.

Reflection Moments & Questions at Each Stop

• Place de l’Odéon:
  What is your “call to adventure” as a leader? What fears hold you back?
• Académie Suisse:
  Who are your mentors? How do you seek and accept guidance?
• Louvre Museum:
  How do you honor tradition while innovating? What “old masters” inspire you?
• Jardin des Tuileries:
  Who are your allies and adversaries? How do you handle criticism and support?
• Musée d’Orsay:
  Recall a time you faced failure. What did you learn? How did you persist?
• Café Procope:
  What small victories have you celebrated? How do you reward yourself and your team?
• Musée de l’Orangerie:
  How do you integrate lessons from setbacks into your leadership story?
• Montmartre:
  What is your “elixir”—the unique value you bring? How will you share your story to inspire others?

Conclusion: Lessons from Cézanne’s Hero’s Journey

Cézanne’s journey in Paris was not a straight path to success, but a cycle of challenge, reflection, and reinvention. He told himself a story of perseverance and creative integrity, which allowed him to find flow and leave a legacy that changed art forever. As a leader, you too are the storyteller of your own life. By embracing your journey—its trials, mentors, setbacks, and triumphs—you can create your own legend, inspire others, and find fulfillment in your creative leadership.

Final Reflection:
What story are you telling yourself about your leadership? How can you rewrite it to become the hero—and creator—of your own legend?

Tour Details:

• Duration: 1 day
• Start Time: 09:00 AM
• End Time: 05:00 PM
• Cost: € 595 per person excluding VAT per person

You can book this tour by sending Peter an email with details at peter@wearesomeone.nl

Your Tour Guide

Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey & Hero’s Journey project,  a storytelling firm which helps creative professionals to create careers and lives based on whatever story is most integral to their lives and careers (values, traits, skills and experiences). Peter’s approach combines in-depth storytelling and marketing expertise, and for over 20 years clients have found it effective with a wide range of creative business issues.

Peter is writer of the series The Heroine’s Journey and Hero’s Journey books, he has an MBA in Marketing,  MBA in Financial Economics and graduated at university in Sociology and Communication Sciences.