Class Descriptions

             Are you a workshop coordinator at a school, arts center, or other organization looking for a speaker or hands-on instructor? I'd love to work with you. The workshops below can be adjusted for your time needs and budget. My teaching resume can be found in my CV on the "About" page. 

Beating the Beast of Block

  A boot camp for writers and artists experiencing blocks to creativity and production. We'll use many tools to get you going again, such as exercises from The Artists' Way and Wild Mind, and be inspired by studies on the creative process. We'll look into the whys of procrastination, perfectionism and self-sabotage. We'll go hiking, do homework, and experience lots of support for dreams. You won't leave empty-handed or headed! Students stay in touch afterward via an internet group to share victories and challenges.  This workshop is suitable for retreats of four to eight days (although it has been condensed to as little as an hour-long offering at writers' conferences)

​Haiku, Haibun & Flash Fiction

​ Discover how to express the essence of life and memory in the ancient Japanese forms of poetry called haiku, haibun, and the contemporary prose poetry of flash fiction. Our time includes a walk in nature for inspiration, writing time, and group critique. This is a weekend or one-day workshop. 

A Shamanic Approach to Creativity

Designed for writers, artists, shamanic practitioners, and anyone interested in these realms. Winter shares the technique of the classic drum journey (and other shamanic experiences) and explains how they inspire writing and art. You will experience a personal journey and apply it to your medium. Text for the class is: 4 Warnings: Shamanic Journeys. Please bring your chosen art or writing supplies. Reserve four hours for this workshop

The Shamanic Journey

Utilizing the steady beat of the drum (sonic driving) participants enter a trance state in which they can receive information from the "other world"(or your subconscious imagination, depending on your world view). You don't need a drum. The session includes ceremony and an explanation of the shamanic paradigm. Reserve three to four hours for this experience.

From Tea Leaves to Tarot: Divination Skills

Human Beings have always longed to know the future. Some are gifted with prescience but all of us can learn to use our intuition to gain insight. Divination methods from many cultures will be explored in this workshop. Learn Rock Reading (Native American), Scrying (Celtic), Throwing the Bones (African), Runes (Scandinavian) Card, and Cloud Reading to name a few. You'll discover which method works best for you. Lecture with demonstrations and an exercise. One to two hours.

Dream Work and Interpretation​

Based on the techniques of Jungian psychologist, Robert Johnson, Gestalt, and Tibetan lucid dreaming practice. Understand how to interpret and control your dreams, how to use insights to change your life, and jumpstart your creativity. Are you forgetting your dreams? This class will help, so you can experience that “other world” we spend so much of our lives in. We assist each other in groups, explore rituals and ceremonies connected to our dreams, and practice Active Imagination. The text for the class is Johnson's Inner Work. Suitable for a weekly series or multi-night retreat.

Textile Surface Design & Quilting

​ Separate workshops are available in: Arashi Shibori, an elegant Japanese form of tie-dye in which participants create a silk scarf and learn the basics of fiber-reactive dyeing. Batik, an Indonesian wax-resist method that involves both fabric painting and vat dyeing. The Art Quilt explores techniques such as applique', trapunto, embroidery, beadwork, and photo printing along with a history of the movement and the difference between "art" and "craft". Traditional Quilting: Morning Star or Seminole Patchwork. Workshops emphasize precise piecing, strip piecing techniques and Native American traditions. Projects will be completed. These are 12+ hr. workshops.

Street Medicine and First Aid

Winter studied with the Chicago Action Medics to be a trainer for the 20-hour course one needs to become a street medic. She maintains a page on Facebook called Mesa Medica if you'd like more information on this specialized field of emergency medicine. She has been a street medic and EMT since 2005 and served at Burning Man, the Democratic National Convention, Mountaintop Removal training camps, Occupy Wall Street, Standing Rock and other protest events. Winter studied Disaster Relief and Psychological First Aid with the Red Cross and is certified in New Mexico as a mental health support specialist. At least 6 people are needed to make this class happen. Twenty hours.

Past Events...