Eye of the Heart Center’s *New* Online Writing Community
Bring your creativity, doubts, questions, and willingness to connect into an online community that names the world as gift. Creation thrives in a flow of giving and receiving. In this space, we orient our hearts toward the gifts of writing–insight, healing, growth, and meaningful presence. Each of us is a gift to the whole, and our best gifts to others are hearts widened by creativity.
Eye of the Heart Center Writing Programs
The Eye of the Heart’s writing programs tend to both writer and writing, trusting that the fruits of creative endeavors nourish both our lives and the wider world. Because we do our most effective work within a caring community, all programs build connections between participants. There are many in-person Minneapolis events and groups, as well as online options. Stay up-to-date by subscribing to Eye of the Heart’s newsletter!
Want a taste of Eye of the Heart’s Writing Programs? Try out a FREE writing class with us.
I created a short, 90-minute micro-course, called “The Gifts of Writing.” This online writing course orients our online writing community to the gift economy and will teach you how to flourish in your writing. Although it is a self-paced class, you will be able to share your reflections with others in a private forum who are also taking the course!
*You will be directed to the Eye of the Heart’s online community, which you will join (it’s free) to enter the course, but there is no obligation to stay after you take the course. I can’t wait to see you there!
New! Asynchronous Writing Your Sacred Journey Classes Online
If you haven’t been able to attend the Writing Your Sacred journey classes in the past, now you can take them at your own pace, online, and with the option to join an online writing community oriented around the same inspiration and themes. You can view all the asynchronous classes here.
Writing the Sacred Journey: Introductory Workshop on Spiritual Memoir
Virtual | Self-paced
During this self-paced, two-and-a-half-week independent study, writers can view Elizabeth’s video lectures, respond to writing prompts, and immerse themselves in the genre and practice of spiritual memoir through readings and a community forum.
Writing Your Sacred Journey: Stories to Transform Self and World
In Person: Monthly on Fridays (except Holiday times) from 1:30-3:30 p.m. (9/27, 10/25, 11/22, 12/20)
4101 Harriet Avenue in Minneapolis
Online: Monthly on Mondays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. CT (9/23, 10/28, 11/18, 12/16)
Join Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew to explore the art and practice of spiritual memoir writing. Each session will give participants the opportunity to write, time for conversation, inspiration from model writers, and insights about craft, content, and practice. These monthly practice sessions are meant for writers of all levels, including absolute beginners. New participants are encouraged to take Elizabeth’s introduction to spiritual memoir workshop or read Writing the Sacred Journey. Because practice sessions are not consecutive, you can drop in as you’d like. Over three years, the curriculum covers the significant aspects of the craft of writing memoir, common themes, and the invitations to transformation inherent in the practice.
Writing Your Sacred Journey Classes this Fall:
September: Parts of a Whole: Finding Your Form
Every bit of creation has an inherent, unique form—including our stories. We’ll experiment with structural possibilities for spiritual memoir, reflect on how form follows function in writing, and practice listening for emergent unity within the fragments of our memories.
October: Holy Play
If we don’t take ourselves too seriously, writing can knock our socks off! We’ll use whimsical entries into memory, learning how to shake off the inner critic and welcome the unexpected, ever-creating spirit.
November: Writing Through and About Grief
Writers cavalierly say there’s no such thing as a bad experience; there’s only good material. When we revisit memories of loss and hardship on the page, we may not alleviate our suffering but we do make something from it. How can we tend both self and reader as we write hard memories? When in the midst of grief, what is the best way to nurture our creativity?
December: Welcoming the Reader
It takes a village to raise a child—and to write a story. Who are the many audiences already at work within our unread drafts? How can we write about loved ones honestly and lovingly? How might writing for an audience become a radical act of hospitality? If every spiritual journey worth its salt lands in community, what does this mean for our most intimate, creative work?
2024 Retreats
May 31 – June 2 Spiritual Memoir: Where a Life Meets Mystery, at the Episcopal House of Prayer, Collegeville, MN. The in-person retreat is full but you can attend online still. Register here!
Sept. 8-12 Living Revision: Writing for Transformation, at the Episcopal House of Prayer, Collegeville, MN. Register Here!