Art Journaling Workshops

COURAGEworks is an online learning community developed to bring Brené Brown’s research on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness to a global audience. Offerings include eCourses, workshops, and interviews developed for anyone who is ready for braver living, loving, and leading.

COURAGEworks exists to transform the cultures of families, communities, and organizations through connected learning and courageous conversations so that we can all answer the call to show up, be seen, and live brave, wholehearted lives.

When Oprah and I sat down and talked about different ways we could collaborate, an art-journaling eCourse was on the top of my list. Yes, it’s still weird to type “When Oprah and I sat down.” The art journaling idea made so much sense. I love teaching, Oprah and I both believe in the power of journaling, and I think art is one of the best ways to get our hearts around the teachings that often get stuck in our heads. Creativity helps us move things from the “heady space” of knowing to “heart work” of practicing.

I also loved the idea of the eCourse because it gives us the opportunity to build a global tribe of wholehearted folks. I don’t want to just talk about wholeheartedness, I want to live it. I want to do the work that I love AND be home to drive carpool. An eCourse seemed like a great option.

Oprah’s Lifeclass is the perfect platform for teaching so we did it! OWN and Harpo put together an awesome team and we made it happen. We developed an online art journaling eCourse based on the first five guideposts in The Gifts of Imperfection. I had no idea what to expect. The brave students who signed up for our very first class had NO idea what to expect. It was definitely an exercise in vulnerability.

Well, I have to say that it has been an absolutely amazing six weeks. I often talk about myself as a mapmaker and a traveler and this was certainly the case with this class. I put together a map based on the research but that doesn’t mean I’m always on the right path as a traveler. Doing the artwork and exercises with this daring community changed me. Courage is extremely contagious.

I’ve been blown away by the willingness of strangers to share their experiences and practice compassion with each other. I’ve watched people who haven’t picked up a crayon in 40 years fall back in love with their creativity. I opened my laptop one day during the first week and saw that thousands of people were using their perfection pledges as their avatars on Facebook and Twitter. It’s been beyond powerful.

The OnDemand version includes all 10 Guideposts and the Q&A sessions. I worked through the course with my sisters (you’ll meet them in the videos – we’re the ones laughing hysterically and singing old country songs). If you have the opportunity to experience the course with a group or even a friend long distance – do it!