Creative Journaling: Practices to Help You Find Yourself on Your Pages

For many of us, our creative voice is stifled by oppressive, binary norms like perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking. We want a creative habit that feels nourishing and supportive, but we get tangled up in negative self-talk, worry that our pages won't "look good," or fear of not sticking to an arbitrary goal.

What if you could develop a creative journaling practice that welcomes your creative voice just for the joy of it and holds you in all of your complexity as our world intensifies? What if your journal came to feel like an altar and an ally? What if your creative practices were low stakes but high impact?

In this workshop, lifelong journaler and paper crafter Erin Fairchild of will lead us through an inspired process to find ourselves on our pages. We will learn how to identify and interrupt oppressive social norms that show up in our creative practices and uncover the simple delights of making marks on pages, writing our own narratives, cutting and pasting, and writing with really good pens.

✍️ In this hands-on, 2-hour workshop, you can expect:

• To learn how oppressive norms interrupt creativity
• To build creative rituals that nourish and sustain
• Interactive art & writing prompts
• A personalized Paper Craft Mini Kit with lots of crafty goodies to take home (see more details below)

As we shift inward towards autumn, this workshop will support us in taking root with our authentic creative voices to guide us. Expect to laugh, think critically, get inspired, and feel cared for.

Our time together will include art & writing prompts, creative techniques to try, lecture and conversation, quiet time for reflection and mark-making, tips on favorite journaling supplies, and community building.

Erin will provide original Journal As Altar rubber stamps, ink pads, and other supplies for use during class, and each participant will receive a personalized Paper Craft Mini Kit to keep (stickers, collage bits, vintage ephemera, the best pen, etc). 🖊️📓
Please bring:

• A new or active journal to work in
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Any favorite writing and creative supplies to use in your books
• Any tools you need to create a supportive energetic container (we suggest candles, blankets, and snacks for nourishment!)

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We'll be gathering together at Seagrape Apothecary on September 20th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Please arrive a little early to get settled in. For the sake of the container we're holding, and to minimize distractions, we'll be locking the doors 10 minutes after class starts. Please keep this in mind while making travel arrangements!

Seagrape Apothecary is now located at 2823 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97232. Please DO NOT park in the Centaur Guitar parking lot! There's residential parking available just one block away, and a bus stop directly in front of the store for folks taking public transit.

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NOTES:

Please bring a mask with you! You will be asked to wear your mask throughout class. If you're experiencing any Covid symptoms prior to the gathering, please do not attend the gathering.

Enrollment is accepted up until the day of the event while spots are available.

Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Erin Fairchild (she/her) is the founder of Journal As Altar and Collective Action Consulting. She has been making meaning through journaling and paper craft practices since she was tiny—nourishing her spirit and uncovering her creative voice.

Erin is white and chooses to betray whiteness. She will be in a life-long relationship with what that looks like. Lately, that looks like untangling herself from binary and supremacy thinking and elevating what’s possible when we center collective well-being and our potential outside of oppressive norms.

A few years back, Erin realized that her journals acted as altars in her life, and that felt powerful; Journal As Altar was born. Teaching creative journaling workshops, designing and selling stationery products, and running the Journal As Altar Substack community are endlessly affirming. Erin is also a social worker and (not currently practicing) therapist with expertise related to childhood trauma, attachment, and preventing violence in systems, communities, and families. In addition to Journal As Altar, Erin continues to work in the fields of equity centered trauma informed care and violence prevention at Collective Action Consulting. Erin knows that your journals can hold you, but they hold nothing against you.

This workshop includes tiered ticketing as well as limited FREE tickets for BIPOC. These tickets are first come, first served, so email us at [email protected] to reserve your spot! We're happy to sign you up for one free workshop ticket at a time.

We are able to accommodate varying income brackets through the honesty of our community through these trust-based options. This workshop is a focused offering meant as a dedicated dive into the subject of elemental witchcraft. If this workshop is cost-prohibitive, check our blog for free resources and insights, or email us at [email protected] and we're happy to discuss payment options. We are dedicated to accessibility for all, as well as ensuring fair payment to our valued instructors.

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