The Unravelling e-course is designed to help you heal the way you see your self and your world, using photography and journalling to access hidden thoughts & dreams and encourage personal realisations, all in the safe space of a like-minded community.
The Unravelling process is a new way to view your world, taking time to appreciate the beauty around you. And we do this in the simplest way: we stop and look. Beginning with your feet, you’re going to go on a photo safari into your own life to reconnect with who you are, where you’ve been and where you want to go next.
But this isn’t a photography course – rather, we’ll be using the camera as a tool to unlock how we see not only ourselves but also the world we live in, including the immediate surrounds of our homes, places of work and our friends and family. You don’t need any previous photography experience to do this course – just a desire to get back in touch with the real YOU.
As I guide you through this process I’ll be sharing insights and inspiration gleaned from my five-year voyage through grief and healing.
When Unravellers come together online a tribe is formed, and the encouragement and fellowship found in these dynamic groups supports each person in their own journey… So if you’re yearning to reconnect with the real you, this is the place to start!
THIS EIGHT-WEEK COURSE INCLUDES:
- Weekly photo assignments
- Twice-weekly writing exercises
- Weekly videos from Susannah (accessible even after the course ends)
- Group connecting on the private discussion boards
- A beautiful PDF of the entire course for you to download and refer to again and
again
‘I just wanted to thank you so much for the best treat I’ve ever given myself. I have never felt such a creative awakening as I have taking this class. It’s such a great environment that you’ve created – this amazing tribe of women sharing their stories, their beautiful photos and felt safe in the space to tell their most personal stories. We all bonded so quickly because of it. I literally stayed up until midnight most nights pouring through all the photos and writing – and that’s late for me, I have to get up at 5:30 for work, but I didn’t care. I just felt a natural buzz that kept me going all these weeks. I still have a lot of work to do in terms of my own confidence, but you have set me on the most beautiful path towards it.’
~ Kelly
NEXT REGISTRATION: Autumn 2012
Registration opens – August 2012
Start date – September 2012
Duration – 8 weeks
Fee – £97
Please note that this class is for WOMEN ONLY.
Note: When registration is open a red ‘register now!’ button will be visible at the top of this page
Each week you’ll be given a photo assignment that focuses on an aspect of you and your life. As you complete each project you’ll unravel another layer, exploring your memories, reflection, alter ego and favourite places along the way.
The writing exercises will support your photo projects and encourage greater self-awareness. Some of the assignments and exercises you’ll find quite easy, others you may find more challenging – the aim is to help you really see yourself and begin to tell your story so that by the end of the course you’ll have new appreciation for the journey your life has taken you on. You’ll also have a set of images that provide a fascinating insight into who you truly are.
Give yourself permission to take a couple of hours out of your week to devote solely to YOU. This isn’t self-indulgence, this is nurturing, nourishing soul time!
‘When I first started I was feeling more lost than I have ever felt. I was completely devoid of purpose and now, it’s not that I see a sparkling clear path of what I should do ahead of me, but I feel like I know more about where I want to be headed. Every week, I felt that I was truly spending time on me. Figuring out my own complexities. Things that I may have just brushed aside in the past I really took the time to figure out and understand. I felt like I had this weekly goal and it just opened my mind and my heart to the possibility of learning more about the real me. It has been brilliant. You and the girls created the safest place for me to voice to the world my deepest fears and insecurities. How is that even possible in only 8 weeks!? ;) It has just been a beautiful journey.’ ~ Lauren
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to be in class at certain times?
No, there are no set times when you have to be in class. The assignments and writing exercises are posted to the private course blog on set days, but you can visit the blog at anytime. It’s a self-paced course, so you can fit it in whenever is best for you (perfect for busy mums!) Expect to spend about an hour or two on the course each week – some Unravellers like to check in on the group pool every morning, others save their time for the weekend.
How many people will be in class with me?
Unravelling: Ways of Seeing My Self classes usually have about 100 participants, a number that means there are enough of us to build a community, have some lively discussions and lots of new blogs to visit, while at the same time those of you who prefer to take a step back and work in your own way can do so too. There is room for everybody :)
How much is the course? The course fees are in British pounds – do you accept payment in dollars/euros?
The course fee is £97 GBP. Payment is made via Paypal, which automatically converts currency for you. This is a global community – to date we’ve had participants from 35 countries! To check the current exchange rate, visit this useful online currency converter.
What’s a Flickr account?
Flickr.com is an online photo-sharing website that’s free to join. With an account you can upload photos to your own galleries, share photos with other users or keep your photos private if you prefer.
1. To open a new account go to www.flickr.com and click on the ‘Create Your Account’ button
2. Click ‘Don’t have a Yahoo ID? Sign up’ and create a Yahoo account (if you already have one, you’ll be able to use that to sign in).
3. Sign in with your new Yahoo ID and password.
4. On the ‘Make a new Flickr Account’ page, choose your Flickr screen name and click ‘Create a new account’.
5. Click on the ‘Personalize Your Profile’ link then click option 2: Choose Your Custom Flickr URL. This is where you can choose the URL address that links to your Flickr page (the default address is a series of letters and number that isn’t very memorable, so it’s best to choose a word or name).
6. Back at the home page, click ‘Upload your first photos’, following the steps to locate a photo on your computer and upload it to Flickr.
Do I have to share my photos? And my writing too?
No, it’s not compulsory to share your photos, though sharing as a group is a wonderful way to gain new insights into your images. We’ll all be focussed on the same aim – to learn more about ourselves – so the group will be a safe place to share.
The writing prompts are for you to work on in your own private journal, though you may want to share some of your thoughts and reactions to the photos you add to the group pool – we’ll discuss this further in the first week.
Is there an age limit? Can men join too?
No, there’s no age limit – Unravelling is for women of all ages who want to take a closer look at themselves and their life via the lens of their camera. Which means this is a class for women only.
How is the Unravelling course run?
The class focuses on weekly photo assignments, backed up with writing prompts and exercises. There are two places for the group to meet together: the password-protected e-course blog, where all assignments, videos and exercises will be posted, and also a private Flickr group where you can share your photos each week and take part in discussions.
Photo assignments are posted on the e-course blog on Mondays; video messages from Susannah are posted on Tuesdays. Writing exercises are posted on Wednesday and also on Fridays, ready for the weekend.
What do I need?
A camera, access to a computer and the internet, a Flickr account, a notebook and a pen. Using a digital camera (DSLR or compact – some Unravellers like to use their cell phone camera as it’s always with them!) will make uploading your images to the Flickr group quick and easy, but film cameras can also be used – just scan your prints or negatives before uploading your images to Flickr.
Is Unravelling a photography course?
Not in the traditional sense, no. We use our cameras but it’s not about making amazing pictures (though of course you might!) but rather thinking about what we photograph and what it means to us. We focus on ourselves. I think of Unravelling as a personal growth/self development type of course.
?f you’re looking for a photography class that teaches you how to infuse your images with more of your soul, check out Photo Meditations :)
Are you still running Unravelling #2: Living in My World?
From spring 2012 Living in My World will transition to a do-it-at-home self-paced e-program that will be available to Unravellers who have taken the first class. I’ve had to make space for my new class, Photo Meditations, and as I’m so proud of this Unravelling sequel I felt an e-program was the perfect solution to my how-to-run-all-these-courses-together? dilemma :) Sometimes I wish I could clone myself — i’d have so much more time!
What will I get out of the Unravelling course?
It’s my hope that Unravelling will kick-start different things for different people. For some it might be a space for some me-time during the week; it could be a chance to start getting to know the ‘you’ that you know is hidden inside, to reconnect with yourself and your passions; it might simply be a good reason to play with your camera! By working through this course you may find you start to notice more things around you – maybe you’ll have a sudden burst of creativity, triggered by all this picture-taking or maybe you’ll find you’re feeling more comfortable around cameras.
As with any workshop, evening class or self-help book, the more you put into the course – group participation, photo-taking and private journalling – the more you will get out of it.
This course is a place where you can start to make friends with yourself again – honouring memories, seeing the beauty in your face, thinking about hidden dreams, appreciating your tribe around you, seeing where you are in the world… and finding a lovely online community too. Many many friendships have been made through Unravelling classes – and lots of real life meet-ups have be organised too!
But I’m not a photographer – can I still take part?
Absolutely! No previous photography experience is necessary to take part in Unravelling.
‘When I began Unravelling, I wasn’t sure where I wanted the course to take me; I simply wanted to know a little bit more about myself. Very quickly, though, the adventure of the assignments, and the personal insights from Susannah, raised questions that demanded answers. From there, the process of self-discovery really seemed to take on a life of its own. The photography assignments were wonderful in the way they were able to bring out the individual in everyone, and the journaling exercises took me — an avid journaler my whole life — to new depths in my writing. Really, I feel the course gave me eight weeks to develop the tools to look at myself through a more analytical, but also much kinder, lens, and the rest of my life will be spent continuing to unravel.’ ~ Astrid
‘THANK YOU for Unravelling. What a wonderful and wondrous experience! I knew when I walked out of my home one day thinking “damn, I’m beautiful” that something in the course clicked just so. When you can think that about both your outward appearance and your internal values and lifestyle, you know something is right. I think I’ve probably been unravelling for about three years since my awful, ugly break-up with an ex (which in retrospect was a huge blessing, but isn’t that how it is?). But the course was the push over the ledge AND the icing on the cake that I needed to become more fully self-actualized. I appreciate the energy and love you put into the course and in each student under your care. Thank you for putting together a marvelous, delightful and truly life affirming program. You’re the best!’ ~ Stacy
