Living Arts

When a speaker feels grounded in their body, alive in their voice, and truly attentive to listeners, the whole room leans in. This participatory module helps you build those qualities through physical and embodied practice. Each session blends discussion, guided instruction, and hands-on exercises in movement, breath, and vocal exploration, so you learn how to inhabit what you want to say with greater ease and authenticity. You’ll cultivate comfort, dynamics, and empathy for audience-centered speaking, discovering how breath, posture, rhythm, and voice can make your ideas resonate. From the spine of this module—purpose, passion, perspective—you’ll come to anchor yourself in what matters and sustain your listeners’ attention without strain. This module is for anyone who speaks to groups online or in person—teachers, lecturers, scholars, writers, actors, facilitators, students, or community presenters. All you need is a familiar excerpt of your content, curiosity to investigate your presence, and a commitment to practice. By month’s end, you’ll leave with a reliable and grounding process you can use for any presentation, reading, or speaking engagement. [show less]

Do you love the physical object of a book just as much as the information it contains? Do you smell your books when you get home from the library or the bookstore? Do you like working with your hands to make things? Then this module is for you! This class is an introduction to the materials, tools, and methods of making books by hand. Whether you're looking to make "junk journals" on a tight budget or want to rebind your favorite tome in leather, you'll find the information you need in this module! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Course Outline: • Class 1: Brief History of Book Binding and Tools Overview • Class 2: Materials and Terms - The Anatomy of a Book • Class 3: Text Block Assembly 1 - Glued Binding Options - Perfect Binding and Double Fan Binding • Class 4: Text Block Assembly 2 - Sewn Binding Options - Kettle Stitch, Coptic Binding, and Japanese Stab Binding • Class 5: Cover Assembly 1 - How To Make a Softcover - Paperback and Wrap Covers • Class 6: Cover Assembly 2 - How To Make a Hardback - Classic/English Binding and Hollow Back Case Binding • Class 7: Cover Decoration and Finishing - Traditional and Modern Methods • Class 8: Overflow, Resources for Further Research, and Final Q & A • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • [show less]

This module introduces you to the grammatical structure of a programming language. It's designed to give you the mental framework to learn any programming language more easily; though the syntax of programming languages can differ, the basic principles are the same. You'll learn about building blocks like variables, objects, and functions, and common patterns like if statements, switches, and for loops. And you'll put it all together and write your first simple program. Note: Two class sessions will be considered lab sections, one in the middle of the month and one at the end. They will give you dedicated time to ask questions about your own projects, and explore topics we may not have covered in class. [show less]

Do you love to look at paintings, but aren’t sure how to make them yourself? Do you want to paint, but you don’t have room to store flammable, smelly chemicals like turpentine? Do oil/acrylic canvases and easels take up too much room for you to work in a small space? If you’ve painted watercolor before, have you wondered why they looked washed out or why you get certain unexpected textures in your color mixes? Then this module is for you! This class is an introduction to the materials, tools, and methods of watercolor painting. Whether you're brand new to making art, a seasoned painter who wants to connect with other makers, or you just want to find out how Tolkien created many of his Middle-earth illustrations, you’ll find a place in this module! Course Outline: • Class 1: Defining Watercolor – What makes Watercolor different from other art media? • Class 2: Materials and Terms – What you need and where to get it • Class 3: Prep – What to do before you start painting • Class 4: Composition – Tips for visually interesting paintings and how to save your whites • Class 5: Values – How to get good tone, range, and contrast • Class 6: Color Mixing – Sediments vs. stains and how to make harmonious paintings • Class 7: Texture – Tips for interesting textures and brushwork • Class 8: Overflow, Resources for Further Research, and Final Q & A [show less]

An in depth discussion and exploration of the various musical settings of Tolkien's poetry. Students are encouraged to write their own melodies for poems for discussion, as we listen through and discuss various other versions. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem, and student's own contributions. [show less]

In this module we'll work together to create individual goals, projects, and action plans for the year to come and establish a journaling system to keep you accountable. We'll also cover techniques that I've found helpful and figure out how they best apply to you individually. Each session will begin with a 15–20-minute mini-lecture on the session’s topic followed by examples from my own life. We will then take however long is needed for Q&A and discussion on the topic. The rest of the session will be a workshop format where we will share with one another the results from your own work on the previous session’s topic and “assignment”. To get the most out of this class, expect to spend 1-2 hours outside of each class session and be prepared to share your personal goals and projects in class so that we can help each other refine and reach our goals. As this is a SPACE module, there are no requirements. But I do encourage you to take 1-2 hours or so between sessions to work through your implementation of what we talked about in the previous session. Class Outline A very rough outline is as follows. I want this class to be focused on what you need to succeed in the year ahead so I am open to changing this as we go to best serve you all. Part 1: Introspection • Class 1: Establishing Your Foundation (alt. Finding Your Why): Pillars + Roles • Class 2: Pursuing Excellence: Arete • Class 3: Guiding Principle(s): Your Annual Theme & Journaling Part 2: Planning • Class 4: Habits + Goals • Class 5: Projects + Tasks • Class 6: Reviews + Plans: Annual, Quarterly, and Monthly Part 3: Action • Class 7: Taking Action: Weekly and Daily • Class 8: Following Through: Tools, Tips, and Techniques [show less]

The Art of Healthy Living”is an interactive wellness module designed to help participants create sustainable habits that support physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Through a holistic approach, the course explores nutrition, movement, rest, stress management, relationships, and healthy habit formation. This course is ideal for those who are looking for practical and sustainable tools to improve their lifestyle, build healthier routines, and develop a more mindful and balanced approach to everyday living. [show less]

This month-long module would teach students the art of juggling, from the absolute basics to some of the more advanced flourishes and tricks. Juggling is actually much easier than most people think, and as long as students put in the practice and repetitions necessary to learn, most people can start successfully doing a 3-ball fountain by the end of the first session. Class 1: Basics, Concepts, Philosophy, 1/2/3-ball patterns Class 2: Review of 3-ball fountain, advanced 2-ball patterns Class 3: Overhand and Underhand Patterns Class 4: Knees and Bounces Class 5: Pillars, The Crane Class 6: Spins, Flourishes, and Back Patterns Class 7: Mill's Mess and the Weave Class 8: Synchronizing and The Kick [show less]

Have you ever wanted to understand why a painting grabs your attention or what an artist might be trying to say? The Art of Seeing is a friendly module designed for anyone who feels they don't "know enough" about art. In this module, we'll explore key concepts in art that will provide a powerful toolkit to unlock the world of art. You'll learn how to "read" a painting by looking at color, line, and composition. We'll decode hidden symbols, explore different materials, and dive into fascinating genres from portraits to landscapes. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to look at many different artworks from different styles and time periods and engage with the works. Most importantly, you'll discover that the goal isn't to find the one "right" answer; it's to have your own personal and meaningful connection with art. This module is for everyone who wants to engage with art. No previous knowledge is required. The module is as follows: Session 1: What is Art? Session 2: The Artist's Toolkit: The Formal Elements Session 3: The "How": Materials, Techniques, and Meaning Session 4: Putting It All Together: “Reading” a Work of Art Session 5: Applying Your Toolkit: The Human Form Session 6: The World in a Frame: Landscapes & Still Lifes Session 7: Looking Beyond the Canvas Session 8: Your Journey as an Art Appreciator [show less]

One of the most crucial elements of education for millennia was teaching the ability to harness the potential of the memory. From the time of Homer until the 19th century, bards and bureaucrats both would have used established methods to organize and categorize their thoughts and remember crucial pieces of information. The legendary memories of men from Homer to Cicero to Shakespeare had less to do with their unique genius and more to do with their application of ancient methods of memorization, that can still be learned today. In this module, students will learn the ancient memorization techniques that allowed bards to recite thousands of lines of poetry and Shakespeare's actors to perform dozens of complicated monologues, and discover its applications to life in the 21st century. [show less]

Is your child struggling to learn how to read? Do they have trouble sounding out words, or understanding the meaning of new words? Do you struggle to explain why "one" begins with an o, and not a w? Then come learn more about the Science of Reading! This introductory module will show you all about the Science of Reading, and why everyone should understand these fundamental linguistic principles throughout their reading journeys (not just kids!). We will discuss the history of the American Reading Wars and how they have impacted reading instruction, what happens in your brain as you learn to read, and how to use systematic, "building-block" approaches in your own home when reading with your little ones. If you're interested in the "why" and "how" of reading, then this module is for you! [show less]