Online Classes

I have a new addition.

Online classes.

I'm signed up for four of them right now: Soulology Project, Stories in Hand, Journal Your Christmas, and Get Organized, Be Inspired. One was free and three had fees attached.

Here's a brief description of each:

Soulology Project/Hosted by Erika Martin: "Many times, we find ourselves behind the camera, but hardly in front of it. We create beautiful pages about holidays, milestones, children, family and everyday life, but often times, we’re missing from those pages. Sure, our creativity and journaling went into the pages, and in that sense, we’re present on those pages but our actual presence is often what’s missing. If you think about the pages of the albums that you’ve completed (or are still working on….let’s admit it, our albums are a constant work in progress), really think about them, how often do you find pictures of yourself, along with journaling ABOUT yourself, on those pages? Probably a lot less than you think. That’s what this course is all about. Getting yourself on your pages….not just in your creative presence, but your actual presence in photos and journaling about what makes you who you are. This course is an exercise to get you started on a journey that I hope will far outlast this online course experience. It will be eye-opening, joyful, full of discoveries, sometimes painful, surprising and it will definitely be liberating. It’s time to tell your story. It’s time to leave your legacy. It’s time to dig deep and share your soul."

Stories in Hand/Hosted by Jessica Sprague: "I am so excited to go on this journey with you! I have been thinking a lot in the past few months about stories. As I've looked through my scrapbook albums, I have realized that while I've told many of the stories I've wanted, there are SO MANY MORE stories in my head and my heart that need telling. I decided to create a system for capturing the stories I would like to tell, so that when I sit down to storytell (whether that's scrapbooking, taking photos, blogging, or any other of the various ways I can record the stories of my life), I can have some stories in hand. This class is really not about writing, or about scrapbooking, but about the gathering process. About the remembering process. About collecting the experiences, big and small, that have shaped us and made us who we are. The stories worth telling. I anticipate that this will be a life-changing experience for all of us, and I am so excited that you've made the decision to join me on this journey!... What you have to say matters. The things you think, the experiences you've had, the people and places and things you love, and why, are worth talking about. I believe that. And I believe that each of us has a story to contribute. I'm often reminded as I go throughout my days of experiences I've been through, or little moments I've savored, that I've never written down or told anyone. Stories in Hand is a system I created in late 2008, to help me gather the stories of my life that I wanted to tell. I decided to create a class to share this system with you, to help you tell the stories that matter most to you. Stories in Hand is not a journal, but a companion to your storytelling. It is not a place to write, but a tool to get inspiration, a guide to spark memories you've forgotten, and a system to organize and gather the stories you want to tell. It's designed to sit right alongside whatever method you currently use (or would LIKE to use) to tell your stories."

Journal Your Christmas/Hosted by Shimelle: "The holidays are just around the corner and in my world that means one thing for certain: it’s time to journal even more. It’s something that started small. One year it was just me and my pen and my book, trying to take back Christmas and rediscover my love of the holiday after a few years when Christmas lacked a certain sparkle. The second Christmas, I shared the idea with a small group of crafty friends, just to see if this reclaiming idea was something that made sense outside of my head. It did. And from there, Journal your Christmas became an online class that I shared with the rest of the world. And by ‘rest of the world’, I mean we now have Christmas journallers from more than forty countries. This is the most magical time of the year, so it’s time to make Journal your Christmas just a bit more magical yet. Like every year, Journal your Christmas includes daily prompts from the 1st of December to the 6th of January, the twelfth day of Christmas. The 37 illustrated PDF files are delivered straight to your inbox so you can read them over your first cup of coffee and mull over each topic for a full day. There’s also an archive of the class materials online in case you can’t get to your email or in case something dreadful happens to your computer. And like every year, you can go it alone or be as social as you like, with a private discussion forum where you’ll find other Christmas journallers who will cheer you on and share your excitement, but if you prefer to stick to the prompts only, that’s completely fine too. And like every year, if you’re participated once, you can join us every Christmas for as long as you like at no extra cost. But what’s not like every year? Well, there’s definitely a bit of extra kick this year. A few kicks, perhaps. A kick-start for your writing… Journal your Christmas isn’t just for crafty types. If you love to write or want to improve your writing, you’ll have thirty-seven different topics for daily journal entries, whether you use your favourite pen, a typewriter ribbon or a blog to compile your stories. Each prompt offers a few quick tips for making your story that little bit more memorable. A kick-start for your photography… Rather document Christmas through your viewfinder than by picking up a pen every day? Or just wishing your Christmas photos had a bit more sparkle? This year we’ve got experts on board! Fabulous photographers share their secrets for taking your holiday photos to the next level, from family portraits to Christmas lights to making Christmas morning photos into works of art. A kick-start for your crafting… For the past few years, the daily prompts have featured one or two scrapbook pages per day to provide visual stimulation for you crafty types. This year the visuals get a big kick: you’ll see more than 250 amazing pages over the 37 days, and that doesn’t include the hundreds more you can view in real time as participants share their work online."

Get Organized, Be Inspired/Hosted by Wendy Smedley and Big Picture Scrapbooking: "Do you wish your scrapbooking space were more organized and user friendly? Are you drowning in piles of paper, a slew of supplies, or an explosion of embellishments? Do you want to be organized but don't know where to start? If so, don't despair; help is on the way! In this three-month class, expert Wendy Smedley takes you on a guided journey to understanding your scrapbooking approach and organizational needs. Using her book The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker as a resource, Wendy will help you create a space that is organized to fit your unique approach. In addition, she will help you understand what inspires you, and she will teach you how to organize that inspiration so you can actually use it!... Join us on this organizational journey that will help you scrapbook more efficiently as you work in a space that is based on how you work. During innovative "Super Saturday" events, we'll bring together hundreds of scrapbookers working and organizing LIVE with Wendy. You'll even receive bonus storage and labeling downloads to use in customizing your space, making it all your own and one you love to work in! Wendy's class includes:

• Weekly reminder e-mails when the classroom is refreshed
• Weekly audio messages guiding you through each week's assignment, available as streaming audio, downloadable MP3 files and transcripts
• Colorful, step-by-step instructions for each lesson/project
• Two live "Super Saturday" events designed to direct you through purging, sorting and storing your supplies
• Video-enhanced presentations illustrating key topics, plus guided video tours of real scrapbookers' spaces
• Friendly, step-by-step instructions and bonus downloads for customizing your storage containers
• Multiple ideas for recognizing and displaying your inspiration
• Monthly online chats
• Insight into other BPS experts' and teachers' scrapbooking goals and approaches
• "Ask Wendy" feature on message board where you can seek organizational and inspirational advice from your instructor
• Community building private message board to share thoughts with other students
• Weekly supply lists for each project
• Private posting gallery for posting your assignments and viewing those of other students."

So that's it - they're all scrapping-oriented. I'm not going to save the world, cure cancer, or convince anyone that global warming is a bunch of whooie. But I will have a chance to expand my creative right brain, learn some techniques, write more, put all that stuff I bought for scrapping to good use, and (bonus!) get that scrap-room-to-be done!!!