Storytelling helps us make sense of the world and who we are. I bring three decades as an award-winning journalist and photographer to classrooms and workshops to help other people colorfully tell their stories. I also teach them how to slow down and pay attention to details and observations and to use written and visual journaling to spark creativity and chronicle joy in their lives.

• Using journals with guidance in mind-mapping, telling stories through illustrations, lists, essays, and observations.
• How to take great photos (even with phones) and to use them as a way to capture a sense of place, sense of culture or to visually tell a story.
• Mapping your own story through memoir chapters or essays that capture pivotal people and events.
• Ways to interview elders or family members and write their stories.

A Writer’s Toolbox: Write chapters about your life or interview and write about family members in this workshop that includes exercises for interviewing, creating a sense of time and place and writing with cadence and pace. This works for multi-generational groups and can be adapted to themes, such as historic events (language arts, social studies).

Unlock Creativity with Visual Journaling: This blend of words and simple pictures can be powerful for any age to tap emotions, identify the best and worst of each day, identify dreams or goals, celebrate personal strengths, and find the creative spark and inspiration for stories. This can be adapted for groups such as children or adults struggling with mental health or trauma or dealing with illness (language arts, visual arts, social studies).

Unplug with Nature Journaling: Perfect for a fall or spring workshop, nature journals inspire all ages to use their skills of observation to capture sensory details, textures and observances outdoors as they look for signs of each season (science; language art).