Here: Touchstones explores gathering lists, letters, photographs, and other “touchstones” into a journal that will help us stay connected to what poet William Stafford calls “the thread we follow.” Registration is open and you can join at any time.

Think of this course as an invitation to explore what guides you, what helps you feel at home, where you find inspiration. Maybe your “thread” is gratitude, joy, or love. Maybe it is speaking up, connecting others, nurturing people, or sharing stories. Maybe you are unsure about your thread, and you’re interested in figuring it out.  

Through prompts, stories, journaling ideas, and so many other good things, you will:

• Get curious about what lights you up.

• Listen and anchor to your inner wisdom.

• Take time for creativity and joy.

• Connect with yourself and other kindred spirits.

• Learn about how you can keep ahold of your “thread.”

• Explore clues about where the thread has appeared in your life in the past and now.

Your journal will be full of touchstones that help you stay tethered to your work in the world - to who you are and hope to be. Creating this journal will not only bring you joy, but will also serve as a map for the moments when you feel stuck, lost, or think you might have dropped the thread. It will help you stay connected to curiosity as a pathway to knowing yourself and where you want to spend your time. We will explore where we’ve been and notice how this “thread we follow” in our lives has appeared in the past and present so we can stay connected to it in the future.

You will be encouraged to pause and listen to your internal conversation, to notice what’s around you, and to remember what’s important to you and what has shaped you. We will experience being present through accessible mindfulness and creativity practices. And we will take a lot of deep breaths together so we can be present to our creativity as well.

Connection is always an important part of my courses, and we gather in an optional private Facebook group. You choose how much you want to connect. I’m also available by email.

Dates

The class is ongoing. (The classroom opened in the fall of 2021 and you can join in at anytime and work through the lessons at your pace.)

Course material in our private classroom: Lessons include things like:

• Touchstone prompts along with inspiration and/or a story about the prompt. There will be writing prompts along with some photography prompts and prompts that combine both.

• A peek into my journals, information about how I get creative with my lists, letters, and photos, and ideas on how to create in your journals. You can get as creative as you want to with your journals or keep things very simple. For those who want to get a bit messy, I’ll have some extra lessons and videos on topics like collaging, how I use my sewing machine, and ways to create your own collage papers

• Lists of touchstones that inspire me that will in turn inspire and encourage you. From books to videos to articles to artists to playlists to poems and so on, I’m gathering up goodness to help you fill up your heart’s tank each day.

Teaching will be done through a mix of video, audio, and writing.

Two community Zoom calls: During October of 2021, we had two Zoom calls that were recorded for you to watch. No matter when you take this course, I believe these recorded live calls will be very beneficial to you.

Facebook group: We have an optional private Facebook group where we can share, connect, and support one another. All the lessons are presented in the classroom, so the group is just an extra way to connect if you’d like to join in.   

Reminders that this is a guilt-free zone. Here’s what I mean: What I’ve learned after teaching at retreats and online for more than 10 years is that we can invite in a lot of guilt when we’re practicing and learning new things. Life happens. You might not be able to finish every lesson or try every prompt. I will repeatedly, gently remind you that going at your pace is the right one for this course. There’s a reason you’re called to this course, and when that desire is met, you will know. So you might simply read each lesson and journal from time to time. You might try every single prompt and create a journal full of images and words. You might just try the mindfulness techniques I share because you realize they are what you most need. You might work through the course over a few months instead of just one. YOU GET TO CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. And I’ll be beside you the whole way.

Cost: $75

To register, just click the button above, which will take you the checkout page over on Teachery - the website that hosts my ecourse classrooms. You’ll receive access to the course website and the lessons will be available on the website.

Emails will be sent to the email address you enter when you check out. If you’re purchasing a spot for a friend, please include their email in the notes section when you check out (and be sure to tell them).

What people are saying about classes from the HERE series:

I didn't know what to expect when I signed up, but Oh My Goodness!! This first email has so many treasures!
I love the poetry and the music (what a wonderful way to start my day) and the links
to so many amazing people. And, of course, the invitation to contemplate and write! What a glorious gift!!

{HERE} is already filling my days with noticing and intention. I love the combination of your thoughts and
gentle guidance to actually put pen to paper, as well as some poetry inspiration and a few places to look
at on the Internet. I have started a journal that is making me smile.

I cannot thank you enough for the gentle reminder of "noticing" the "Now."

Supplies Needed:

• Journal or notebook (a place to catch your writing prompts and put your photos - I prefer blank pages but you might like lined).

• A few journaling supplies: pen, glue stick, magazines and other papers for collage, washi tape, you might want watercolors, markers, or colored pencils to add some color. You don’t need much. I’ll share some favorites and ideas as we get closer.

• A camera (any will be fine from cell phone to DSLR) and a way to print out your photos. (Photos are not required though. You might choose to use photos you’ve already taken or find images from magazones.)

• 10-20 minutes set aside for you each weekday or about 1-2 hours on the weekend during our time together. You will probably take more time with these prompts and with our community, but if you only have this time, you will still get so much out of this course.

• A willingness to look at yourself and your needs with kindness, honesty, and an open heart.

Are we art journaling in this course? Do I need to know how to or make an art journal?

While we will be keeping a journal to gather our words and photos, this is not a “how to art journal class.” No journaling experience is necessary. If you love journaling already or already art journal or scrapbook, you might want to get really creative with your journaling. I will be sharing some simple, fun, easy-to-do ideas to combine your photos and words together, plus there will be a couple of collage prompts. I’ll be sharing some videos of ways I like to create and showing you pages from my journals. (Let’s boil it down: You get to make this your adventure and choose which parts make your spirit hum. If creating in your journal with some “stuff” and art supplies is or becomes one of those things, then you might be doing a little bit of art journaling. If it isn’t, you won’t be missing out on anything and will still have fun with your journal as you make lists, write letters, and add other inspiration to it.)

Do I have to be available all month? How long do I have access to the course?

You can go through the course at your pace. New lessons will be available every weekday during the course and then they will remain available in our online classroom for at least a year (probably much longer). Some people enjoy working through the course “live” with other students because it keeps them going. Others take their own time. You know what is best for you.

I’m not on Facebook. Is the community aspect necessary?

You do not have to be part of the Facebook group to learn or get all that you need from this course. It is simply there for class discussions and connection. The group gives us a place to practice giving, receiving, listening, sharing, and holding space.

I have several ecourse students who have created a private Facebook profile that they only use for groups, so this is one possibility. Within the app, it is now easier to just go right to your groups. Again, though, this isn’t required. You will know if this is a piece you need or want. Listen to that. My groups are one of the things people repeatedly tell me that they enjoy about my ecourses. And each time I teach a course, I have other students who don’t join the group but email me check-ins from time to time during the course.

(Photos of Liz by Lauren Oliver Photography.)