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A growing body of research tells us that a mindfulness practice makes people feel more creative--but why? What is it about the practical art of present-moment awareness that makes people feel more compassionately and creatively engaged with the world around them? And what are ways that writing itself can also support this engagement with the present moment?
In this 4-week course, we will explore how mindfulness practice and creative writing/journaling can interact with one another in the service of healing, self-expression, and the generation of powerful, grounded, expansive creative work. Each week participants will receive an email with suggested writing and mindfulness practices to explore on their own throughout the week. Then, in our weekly Zoom meetings, we will experiment with different mindfulness practices that can increase creativity, focus, and flow. Through practice and conversation, we'll discover how cultivating a state of present-moment awareness can transform our relationship to the writing process and to our own creative nature.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Medium
• Homework: Optional
• Workshopping Drafts: Optional
Melissa Jean is a professor in the Mindfulness Studies masters’ program at Lesley University. She teaches courses in academic writing, mindful creative writing, research methods, and mindfulness and the environment. She received an MFA in Fiction Writing from Lesley, and a PhD in Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Science and Management from Utah State University. Her writing has appeared in The Colorado Review and the anthology Reckoning: Tennessee Writers on 2020, as well as a variety of online journals, including most recently Roi Faineant, Backchannels, The Hopper, Dream Geographies, Waxing and Waning, and Causeway Lit. Melissa is also a Forest Therapy Guide, certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.
“Melissa is a wonderful teacher. She uses a variety of interesting materials to make connections, and I felt the class was structured in a thoughtful manner.”
"Melissa combined her experience and expertise as an educator, writer, and mindfulness guide to create a safe, comfortable, and grounded space for connecting with ourselves, our consciousness, and our written expression. Her work as a nature and forest therapist came through as she encouraged us to use our senses to experience the present moment with awareness and bring a more embodied and non-judgmental approach to our creative writing."
“I’ve loved all of the Porch classes I’ve taken so far. Y’all do an excellent job designing and delivering content. I’m always surprised by how much I grow as a writer, as a human, after taking a class. Melissa was a wonderful facilitator. Wise, grounded, compassionate. I felt very comfortable speaking my mind and my heart. Having taken this class, I’ve developed a more mindful approach to writing and observing Nature. And, to my surprise and delight, I’ve discovered a deep desire to learn more about fungus. Melissa’s instruction was a real gift. Thank you!”
