Currently Teaching: A Winter Journal

Keeping a Winter Journal

I have been keeping a winter journal for several years now, and this practice gives me the opportunity to track the season in the spirit of a nature journal, but through mixed media. It’s a place to experiment, to document a particular time in life, and to gather emotions, thoughts, and feelings as they surface. Most of all, it helps me stay in relationship with my creativity, especially during the colder, quieter months.

What We’re Making

Class began two weeks ago and we’ve chosen winter palettes to guide our work, and created a stash of gelli printed papers in these palettes. These papers will become base layers for journal spreads, collage, and painting. Each spread is an exploration and an ongoing conversation with the materials and the season. I’ve also introduced a few new approaches to creating spreads, which I’m especially excited to share and see unfold in everyone’s work.

Why I Love Teaching This Practice

Getting to teach my ideas and techniques around a practice I truly love (in person, with a wonderful group of women) has been deeply meaningful. There’s something special about watching people relax into their pages, trust their instincts, and discover that creativity doesn’t require urgency or productivity to be valuable. This work is about building a practice they can return to—this winter and the next. It’s also incredibly rewarding to witness how each person translates the lessons into their own unique, creative language.

I’m always thankful for this season of slowing down and making together.