Wake Up: An Invitation to Creativity, Poetry and Meditation

You know there is something more to who you are and the life you want to be living and you are ready to dig deep.

Created byRobin Norgren, M.A.

Last updated 1/2025

English

What you'll learn

Participants will learn techniques to quiet the mind and listen to their intuition, helping them rebuild trust in themselves and their decision-making abilities
Students will explore how creativity, poetry, and mindfulness practices can work together to foster personal growth, reduce stress, and increase clarity.
Through guided exercises, participants will develop the skills to navigate life’s uncertainties with confidence, trusting their ability to make decisions.
Learners will gain tools to embrace the present moment, enjoy the journey, and find peace with where they are, even during periods of waiting or transition.

Course content

2 sections • 10 lectures • 59m total length

Introduction: What to Expect from the Course3:04
In the lesson, I go over what to expect in this course. All of the resources that I refer to in the course can be found under the resource tabs. I will make sure to remind you to check for those resources so that you have them available during the lesson so you can easily refer to them.
Each session can be a stand alone exercise and can be done in any order. My desire to to structure this course in such a way that you can choose your pace and also choose which session excites you most and create the ideal experience for you.
Lesson 1: What is your Life Telling You?8:54
In this lesson, we will discuss an essay from Natalie Goldberg's book titled "Long Quiet Highway." We will discuss what it means to 'wake up' and how this experience of waking up can potentially change the way you feel about you as a person and your outlook and purpose in your life.
We refer to the book "Inner Excavation" by Liz Lamoreaux briefly.
Please find the handout for Session 1 titled "Scenes from the day" and work through as many prompts as you feel drawn to.
NOTE: This assignment can span over a day or over the course of 1 week.
Lesson 2: What's the Connection? The Value of Noticing7:34
In this session, we discuss the art of Noticing and the book titled"the Art of Noticing" by Rob Walker.
We discuss the assignment of sitting by a window and noticing how you assess the space as you go to sit down, what you expect to see and what you actually see.
You are then invited to take 30 minutes and "notice" either through the lens of your camera phone or through your senses, what you experience on a walk in your neighborhood, to the post office, sitting in a coffee shop or where ever you feel drawn.
You are also invited to try Carla Sonheim's "sidewalk crack" challenge and write about what you see.
Lesson 3: Collecting Words to Build Connection7:30
In this session, we discuss the value of collecting words and the way that poetry helps us to connect in a more succinct fashion to what we are experiencing. Words flow like water when touched with just the right instrument.
We are introduced to the poetry of Mary Oliver.
The invitation for this session: Create your own poetry using one of the templates attached or read through Mary Oliver's poem and underline lines in her poems that you resonate with.
Lesson 4: Using Vintage Pictures as a Resource for Collecting Words6:37
Lesson 5: the Value of "Old" Pictures and Beautiful Words4:28
In this session, we will introduce the poetry of David Whyte and also the value of 'old' pictures to invite soulful connection.
Also, I read selections from Artists Susannah Conway and Stephanie Lee, answering the question "Who Are You?" in the form of free verse poetry.
Your invitations for this sessions are as follows:
-Read the work of David Whyte, found in the resource section, and respond to his work.
-Engage the attached vintage pictures or old photographs you have on hand. Choose two or three and write about the connection you are experiencing.
-Write your own free verse poetry titled "Who are You?
Use the phrases "I am a..." or "I am an..." and respond with up to 10 answers.
Lesson 6: Find Your Breath and Connect with your Life12:12
In this session, we discuss the value of breath and proper breathing techniques. I walk you through a 4 minutes meditation and we talk about ways to create a small breathing practice in your daily routine.
Please look in the resources for the breathing coloring pages and also the questions about breath to write about in your journal.
Lesson 7: What's in the Shadows?6:26
In this session, we discuss the value of a writing practice in the form of daily writing prompts. The unconventional is always the 'go to' for finding out feelings that may not easily be expressed.
In the resources, please find pictures of shadows that you are invited to incorporate in your journaling practice. You are also welcome to go 'shadow collecting' with your camera phone.
This session you have two opportunities to connect with your soul:
Option 1:
Review the shadows and answer the following questions:
Who are you?
Who or what inspires you?
How do you nurture yourself?

Option 2:
Choose one or more of the following essay prompts and answer using poetry, pictures or essay form writing:
-Write about a time you did something you didn't want to do
-Complete this sentence: "This is not about..."
-Complete this statement: "Something seems different."
What's Next?3:10
For our final session, we discuss how to take these practices into your life. These can become quarterly assessments or something you return to yearly.

Please check out my other classes if this class has been a blessing to you. And share my work with those you feel will value in it.

It has been my honor to journey with you.

Why is Reading Poetry a Soulful Experience?
Poetry can be a really powerful meditation practice because it invites you to slow down and really listen—both to the words and to your inner thoughts. Much like meditation, it helps you focus on the present moment. When you're reading or writing poetry, you're paying close attention to each word, the rhythm, and the feeling behind the lines. That kind of focus is a key part of meditation, where you let go of distractions and just be with the experience.
One of the beautiful things about poetry is that it often carries deep meaning in just a few lines. The brevity of a poem can allow you to reflect on its message slowly, savoring each word like a meditative mantra. You can take your time with it, letting the language sink in, and even return to the same poem again and again, each time finding something new.
Writing poetry, too, can be a form of meditation. It allows you to express your thoughts and emotions without needing to explain or rationalize them. It becomes a way to tap into your subconscious, offering a space to release tension or connect with something deeper inside yourself. It’s a way to process feelings, much like how meditation can help us work through mental or emotional clutter.
So, whether you're reading or writing poetry, it can really help you cultivate mindfulness, letting you step outside the rush of daily life and find clarity in the present moment. It's a peaceful, reflective practice that lets you connect with your thoughts and emotions in a gentle, artistic way.

Requirements

Wifi access for good quality video experience
Journal or notebook with pens, pencils and adhesive like tape, glue stick
Access to a copier to print off the worksheets and journal writing exercises.

Description

You’ve spent years working hard, doing your best, and following the rules, believing that this would lead to the life you’ve always dreamed of. Yet, the longer you’ve traveled down this path, the more you’ve started to realize that something feels missing—or that life hasn’t turned out quite the way you expected.

So, what do you do now? Do you leave everything behind and start fresh? What if you’ve already tried that and still feel stuck? And what about that nagging feeling that time is slipping away?

What if that feeling won’t go away until you make time to get quiet and listen to yourself?

I invite you to join me in a course called Wake Up—an invitation to creativity, poetry, and meditation. These are the very practices I’ve used in my own life for over 15 years, and they have truly been life-changing. Through these tools, I’ve learned how to enjoy the journey, sit with uncertainty, and trust that when the time comes for change, I’ll have the clarity and confidence to know what steps to take.

It might sound like a big ask—learning to trust yourself again, especially after years of being second-guessed or minimized. But yes, it’s possible. This course is designed to help you rebuild that trust in yourself and tap into your inner wisdom, so you can move forward with confidence, peace, and resilience.

You’ve got everything it takes to create the life you want—let’s explore it together.

Who this course is for:

Those who are at a crossroads, feeling the need to reassess their life’s direction and purpose, and looking for a deeper connection to themselves.
People who have followed conventional paths but now feel something is missing or are struggling with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
Individuals who are eager to explore new ways of thinking, grow through creativity, and build resilience to move forward with confidence and trust in themselves.
Women who have faced self-doubt or been minimized by others in the past, and now seek a supportive space to rediscover their strength and trust in their own intuition and decisions.

Wake Up: An Invitation to Creativity, Poetry and Meditation

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction9 lectures • 1hr

Bonus: Thinking of Poetry as a Meditation Practice1 lecture0

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: