Workshops

Work with the ancient concept of “the Four Elements” – Earth., Water, Fire & Air.  Through collage, creative writing (memoir, poetry, essay) and guided imagery, we’ll explore how these ancient forces are showing up in our daily lives, and what messages they might contain about ourselves and our journey.

For anyone who has ever kept a journal (or wanted to start one!).  This “tour” of visual journaling will feature several opportunities to experiment with visual expression, as well as some writing practice along the way. Discover the magic of line, color, texture and come prepared to PLAY!   Please bring a writing implement and “beginners’ mind” – all art materials and a small art journal will be provided.

Deep play with clay, discovering what emerges. A full day of working with hands in clay, then writing from the experience.

This is a very flexible format – combines modalities of collage and creative writing .  The collages can be large or small – individual or “group” – as in creating a Collage “Quilt” of memories around a particular topic or theme – Gratitude,  Renewal, Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter, Nature, Travel, Family etc.   Could focus on creating a “Life Map” (a visual memoir). Can also include “SoulCollage®” a very reflective process where participants choose images, create a “Card” on a 5 “ X 8” matboard, and then write from the collage they have created.  Writing can focus on memoir, journal, poetry or simple free-write response to the visual experience.

It looks like nothing is growing—spring seems like an impossible dream—but in deep winter so much is happening underground!  Roots are deepening, small animals are burrowing, seeds and bulbs are gathering energy to push above the frost line when daylight lengthens and the sun returns to our latitude. We’ll do writing practice, image work and visual journaling to honor the spirit of deep winter. You will come home with some tools for “digging out” of creative stuck places.

Discover new ways to light your “creative fire” – we will approach writing through a variety of playful and engaging exercises – free writes, “word bowl” poems, collage, scribbles, writing from images.   We will use oil pastels, markers, cut out images from magazines, art papers and/or paint You do not need to be “an artist” or “a writer” to participate in this workshop!  (Minimum time frame for this workshop:  2 hours)

Each one of us has lived a unique and remarkable life, and we often fail to recognize that.  Memoir is simply a way to tell your story: first for yourself, and then perhaps for children, grandchildren, your community, and/or the larger world. This two session workshop will offer many different doorways into our stories – through the power of place, memory, connection….. Come and explore ways to remember and share your experiences and stories!    You  do not have to be an experienced writer to benefit from these sessions – all are welcome. (Time frame for this workshop – Two 2 hour sessions. The two sessions are independent of one another.  Participants can attend either or both.)

SoulCollage® is a process for connecting with the Universal and the deeply personal, by making small collages (usually on 5”x 8” background), dialoguing with the images and through this work mapping your soul and psyche. Working with the energies contained in the images is like waking dreamwork, amd can be deeply spiritual experience. The resulting SoulCollage® cards become a uniquely personal deck of intuitive cards.  The cards can be used for meditation, divination, writing and journaling prompts. The SoulCollage® process was developed by Seena Frost, an artist, therapist and writer.

Many of us grew up thinking that poetry was kind like an exclusive club which required great analytical skills to write and understand, that
“poets” were somehow different from the rest of us.  The news is we are ALL potential poets!   This workshop will feature a series of writing experiences that invite wordplay and wonder, which are two important ingredients in any poem. Come with “beginners mind” and be ready to dive it!

Where the veil between worlds thins….where the spirit world meets the material world, where humanity and holiness intersect. Thin places can be points in time, or actual places – Late October/Early November are THIN PLACES – Samhain/Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, All Souls Day.

In this workshop, we will explore our relationship to “thin places” with writing and visual. – No previous writing or art experience needed!!!

Where do we find our own sense of “personal power”, the force that carries us through our lives and allows us to “act on our own behalf”? How do we use our personal power lovingly, to bring healing and growth for ourselves and the planet? We will explore what “power” means to us, by reading quotes and poetry about power, by writing our own reflections on power and by creating a three dimensional “totem” to symbolize  our sources of personal power.

Throughout history, humans have made and used masks for ritual, ceremony, prayer, play, celebration. Masks can hide, protect or transform.  Masks can show us who we were, who we are, who we are becoming. 

Masks are ancient and contemporary.

 A mask can evoke joy, terror, reverence, memory, tears or laughter.  Sometimes the masks we wear are invisible – and yet they are still quite real. Masks can confine us or free us to discover new aspects of ourselves.

In this workshop,  we will decorate mask forms as an act of discovery….and allow the masks themselves and the process of their creation reveal the Artist within each of us.