I’ve been deep in the creation cave for the last six weeks and as my journalling course draws to an end this week I’m finally peeking outside and reflecting on all that’s gone down. It’s been intense, people. INTENSE. I’ve chalked up about 25,000 words for this course which is half the length of my book, so it’s no wonder my RSI has flared up and I’m feeling rather drained. But oh, it’s been glorious too! Periods of such intense creative work may take me away from this blog (and I’ve missed you so much, I’ve been counting down the days till I could write here again) but it also opens up my brain to new ideas and connections. While I’ve been birthing Journal Your Life I’ve had so many ideas for new courses, new possibilities, new directions I want to take. I’ve had a new book idea. I’ve dreamt up a line of products I want to create — actual physical things to send out into the world. I’ve had new ideas for my magazine column (hello Simple Things, I’m looking at you). And I’ve been plotting some deliciousness to celebrate my book’s one year anniversary in June (you’re going to love it :) So while being in the creation cave is full-on, it’s also incredibly fertile.

It’s important to me to create a new course in real time. I have the structure and content plotted out beforehand and get the first two weeks written before the class starts. But I like to create the rest of the course as we go along so I can listen to feedback and do the exercises right alongside everyone else. This is what makes the course come alive. Once or twice I’ll hit a day when I’m not sure I have anything to say, so that’s when I go out for a walk with my notebook to get some new perspective. And sure enough the lesson gets downloaded into my brain and I know what I’m going to write. Every time I run a course it gets tweaked and perfected as there are always new insights to add and better ways to share information. That’s why i love to run these classes — they change and evolve just like we do.

I am so proud of Journal Your Life, and as I said to my peeps in a video last week, I could so easily keep writing this baby. It’s made me realise that at some point in the not-too-distant future I’d like to create a much longer course or program. Six or eight weeks is great for an intense journey into a topic, but I can see how beneficial a three or six-month program would be, taking you so much deeper into the material with breathing space woven throughout. I’m working on it…

When I entered the cave it was winter outside my doorstep, but now I see that spring has finally — miraculously — arrived in Londontown. I have ideas blossoming and stories I want to share here. It feels so good to be back xo

I honestly didn’t know I had it in me to be a teacher. Teaching is standing in front of a classroom, surely? It’s exams and text books and grading. It’s what people with The Knowledge do and for the longest time I felt I had no knowledge. I had nothing to share. Yet I’m sitting here putting the finishing touches to my newest course — I am so proud of this one, I think it might be my best — and preparing the space for two more of my babies, and it just hit me that I am, in fact, a teacher.

Who knew?

I’ve been doing this running-of-courses thing for four years now (four!) and with every year that passes I get better at doing it. I know how to make an ecourse awesome. I know how to share information in a way that’s inspiring and encouraging. I know how to build online community. I know how to decant my passions into a course format and share them with others in a way that makes sense. And I really love doing it. I love writing and creating and sharing.

I still have wobbly moments when I wonder who am I to be teaching. But then I remind myself that I’m not teaching quantum physics or cake decorating, two subjects that are equally baffling to me :) No, I’m teaching the stuff that I know inside out. I’m also sharing the contents of my heart, I realised, as I wrote deeper into the journalling course.

When I was studying photography at college 20 years ago I had no idea that something called the internet would be invented, and digital cameras, and phones with cameras (how Buck Rogers is that?). When I was working as a journalist I didn’t know my writing skillz would eventually be shared on the internet for all to see (and without an editor, no less!) When I was healing my way through loss I didn’t know that the lessons I was learning, the unravelling I was doing, would be worth sharing with other women years later. On the internet.

It’s funny how things work out.

I honestly don’t take any of this for granted. I sometimes wonder what I’d be doing now if I hadn’t started a blog in 2006. That blog was the beginning of so much — it’s probably just as well I didn’t know that at the time. The other day someone asked me what I did for a living, and I ummed and ahhed as I usually do, because I never know how to explain what I do. But then I smiled and simply said: I write, I take photographs and I teach.

I think it’s time for me to claim the teaching thing. Which I guess makes this my coming out post ;-)

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The spring sessions of Unravelling and Photo Meditations both start on Monday — I’ll leave registration open till Saturday in case you’d like to join us. Journal Your Life will run again in the summer xo

It was while painting on a hillside in Italy that Megg, Sas and I came up with the idea for our retreat. It’s probably bit of a cliche dreaming up a retreat while ON a retreat, but being away from our routines for a few days gave us the space to think bigger. We talked about connections and soul work and how essential it is to take time out for yourself to keep you sane. We imagined bringing a group of women together in the autumn and sinking into the luscious English countryside, toasting crumpets by an open fire and napping before dinner. We pictured the healing that comes from sharing stories and digging into our life experiences. And the more we talked about it, the more excited we got.


So I’m delighted to announce that our dream has become real. In October 2013 we’ll gather with 27 women in a gorgeous manor house in the Somerset countryside for Unravel Your Story, five soul-nourishing days to get back to the heart of who you truly are. We’re bringing our three superpowers together to create an experience that will stay with attendees for years to come. I’m British so I don’t like to hype things up unnecessarily, but it’s going to be bloody brilliant :)

Plus, this is the only in-person teaching I’ll be doing this year so if you can join us I’d love to see you there!

Learn more about the retreat over here. Registration opens next Tuesday at 4pm GMT. Check your time zone here. x

This was the moment, when I spoke my wishes to the wind and threw a pebble into the ocean.

This is the dead house that we loved to photograph.

These are the women who made my week 100x more wonderful.

These are the sweet souls who took my class on the Thursday.

This is the moment we paused to make coffee.

The was when nature showed her true majesty.

This is how my class participants connected with each other.

This is how the day began, every day, for four days. Bliss.

These are the sweet souls who took my class on the Friday. We all loved Bettie.

This is peek at gallery night.

This is when Elizabeth danced in the ocean.

This is likely the last time I’ll have sand on my toes for a while…

Next stop… LONDON!