Spiritual Writing for Advent
Spiritual Writing for Advent is an online course for anyone who wants to slow down this holiday season. If you feel like the holidays fly by before you can catch your breath, this is a course designed for you.
I've been a writing instructor for nearly 15 years, with 11 of those years spent as an English professor. I have taught spiritual writing in the college classroom, in workshops for college faculty, at writers' conferences, and online in live, multi-week classes.
Think of spiritual writing as using writing as a spiritual practice. Either on its own or added to spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, and mindfulness, spiritual writing provides the writer with a framework for:
- reflecting on important life experiences
- engaging with the deepest parts of yourself, including your joys and fears
- writing without feeling worried about a critical reader
- asking big questions and embracing life's mysteries
Q&A
How much time do I have to commit to make this class work?
Each day includes a short video introduction of the day's writing activities. These videos are usually 1-3 minutes long, with few exceptions. You can choose how much time to commit to the writing activities; I anticipate that most people can fully participate in 20-30 minutes a day. This is important, though: you can truly do this at your own pace! The activities do not build on each other; you can skip days if you are busy, finish the course after the holidays, play catch-up when you have time, do more than one activity a day, etc. Many days have tiered instructions, too. That means that you've got the low-time commitment tier, with a follow-up activity if you have more time available!
This is Advent-themed. What is the religious slant of this course?
This course was written for people who celebrate Christmas. There are people for whom Christmas is a sacred and religious holiday, and there are people for whom Christmas is a secular holiday full of tradition and personal meaning. This class is written for both of these individuals and everyone in between. If you celebrate Christmas, this course is for you.
Is the course all about Christmas?
Sort of. The course is divided into four thematic weeks, based on the four candles of Advent: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. Many activities focus on these ideas as they relate to the holiday season. The recommended readings and playlists are not exclusively about the holidays, as my goal was to find readings related to the themes themselves, not necessarily Christmas.
Do I have to complete this course during Advent?
No, you can complete this course at any time! The topics are themed on the four candles of advent: Peace, Joy, Love, and Hope. I believe that you can reflect on these ideas any time of year.