Maybe you've been making art and want to find some themes and forms to organize what you're doing. Maybe you've been writing and want a structure to strengthen your storytelling. These sessions are for you.


















This is a workshop for the artist who wants to see the big picture, who wants to zoom out and create personal images of important themes. This is a workshop for the writer who wants to zoom in on an important life moment when things changed. We'll work with basic art materials to create vivid maps of life journeys, and we'll use plain pen and paper to write about critical moments on those journeys.

Here you'll find information about the workshops, and some examples of work done by participants (their work is identified by name, the other work is Oralee Wachter's).  No previous art or writing experience is required to take part. Click through the pages and learn more about the "hero's journey" as a way tap creative energy and enjoy powerful storytelling. Oralee Wachter and Thomas Boyd are co-leaders of this dynamic new approach to looking at life experiences and telling the stories you discover.

"Mapping my struggle and transformation of the past 35 years sparked a winner's high. I look at the challenges I face now and hear myself say 'I can do this! Bring it on.'" Carol Brennan, author, New York (http://carolbrennan.net/)

"Oralee Wachter is a dynamic artist, rambunctious humanist, thoughtful teacher -- and wonderful friend.
This workshop would be a great way to accelerate your journey as your own hero."
Flash Rosenberg
Artist-in-Residence for LIVE from the New York Public Library
2011 Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts for Film/Video

"Tom, you are so supportive and loving and your comments very encouraging"
Caterina Bertolotto, artist and writer