Instructor: Brenda Hudson
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Class Term: 10/03/2024 - 10/24/2024
Tuition/Fees
SCN Member: $125
Non-Member: $165
Class synopsis
Learn to write courageously! Journaling is an excellent way to capture your experiences and work through thoughts and feelings in challenging times. Use structure and creativity to journal in a way that prevents overwhelm and promotes understanding, acceptance, and growth.Class description
In this class, you will be introduced to the concept of journaling for self-care and shown effective journaling techniques and discuss the various situations in which they may be used for self-care. You will also have the opportunity to try these techniques in short writing segments during the class, along with optional sharing.
Class goals
Use different journaling techniques to help navigate challenging times for clarity and healing
Class communication method
Class will be via Zoom on Thursdays from 5 - 7 pm Central Time from October 3 - 24.. Instruction provided via discussion and supported PPT. Each week, I provide explanation for different journaling techniques, participants try them out during class in short writing sessions, optional sharing is encouraged. In this class, we do not critique each others' work but are open to sharing. No additional instructional materials are required.Class outline
4-week workshop, two-hour sessions, comprised of instruction, discussion, in-class writing time, and optional sharing.
Week 1:
- Introduce ground rules (CARES: confidentiality; acceptance, respect, experiment; support)
- Writing warm-up & introductions
- Discussion: keeping yourself safe on the page
- Introduce journaling techniques (sentence stems, reflection write, 4-minute daily diary)
- Writing time for each technique
- Optional sharing
- Optional homework / additional resources
Week 2
- Writing warm-up
- Check-in / Discussion (8 journaling tips)
- Introduce journaling techniques (anguish & action; variation of daily diary)
- Writing time for each technique
- Optional sharing
- Optional homework / additional resources
Week 3
- Writing warm-up
- Check-in / Discussion (writing as “practice”)
- Introduce journaling techniques (sprints, resilience letter)
- Writing time for each technique
- Optional sharing
- Optional homework / additional resources
Week 4
- Writing warm-up
- Check-in
- Introduce journaling techniques (perspectives, inner wisdom)
- Writing time for each technique
- Optional sharing
- Optional homework / additional resources
Class time commitment
two hours of class time per week; any other writing, homework is optionalInstructor bio
Brenda Hudson is passionate about helping others voice their lives through writing, leading workshops where participants discover and capture their life stories using journaling techniques. Brenda has an MS in journalism from Boston University and a PhD from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Writing Studies and is a credentialed journal facilitator through the Therapeutic Writing Institute. Her how-to book Story by Story: 15 Projects to Write Your Family Legacy is based on her legacy writing and memoir workshops. She regularly teaches at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she has received its Excellence in Teaching Fellowship multiple times. She is also the Loft’s resident “Muse,” providing weekly writing prompts and facilitating live writing sessions as part of their new online community Lit!Commons. Brenda loves leading workshops at libraries, historical societies, schools, and youth summer camps and is the founder of VoicedLife.
