72 Seasons of Mindful Play: Feb 2025
Expand your curiosity with a year of gentle, guided Writing and Art Explorations based on your local cycles of Nature and the Japanese micro-seasons
I love the way these classes are organized. It is relaxing. Something I look forward to to set my head right. I really do see myself and the world differently when I take the time, a few minutes, to lean in. Thank you.
Course Summary
About every 15 days, a bundle of 3 weeks of micro seasons will open up in the course platform. New poetry, haiku or other writing prompts will be paired with art demos like paint, ink, mono-print, etch, cuttings, paper stitching, and connections to our own inner and outer worlds, that will guide us gently through the 72 micro-seasons, growing presence, curiosity, mindfulness within ourselves and our perspectives. YES!
We will be brought home to ourselves through our environment and becoming part of the cycles of nature, inspired by the moon, the 72 micro seasons of historical Japan and China, applied to where we each live.
Each weekly prompt will be done on the same size paper. We will create a box for them. We will also show how to bind them with 4 different beautiful stitches, creating each season into its own book if you would like.
Birdi Sinclair and Beth Blakesley have come together to guide you through this year of easy, short yet meaningful micro-season prompts and demos.
It is FUN, energizing, supportive. PLAYFUL. We lean into the idea of YES. What happens if we add yes to our senses and being-ness?
NATURE
72 Seasons of Mindful Play is based on the ancient Japanese calendar of living in tune with nature. We'll find our own connections with our cycles in our own natural rhythms through the year around us.
WRITING
Exploring Haiku, various poetry styles, journal prompts, even using oracle cards and other fun ways to be in tune with the micro-seasons and our own selves, we will expand our joy and mindful play.
ART
We will use basic supplies in new and common ways, different techniques and styles to companion the micro-season, the writing and our cycles to have a visceral connection with this moment in nature.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is this class for?
Anyone. It is for you, you and your partner, you and your young person, you and your elderly parent. It is a lovely experience to be in tune with the cycles of your environments, and in turn, be in tune with your belonging to these cycles. It is grounding, joyful, opening.
What will we do? What supplies will we use?
We will always give a supply list, but also, use what you have. Please don't feel the need to get anything fancy. This is a class on simplicity and connection. Also, please, don't skip a section because you don't have what we have, modify! Enjoy! We will share techniques, ideas, skills to match the 5 day micro-seasons with 2 connected activities: 1 brief writing and 1 brief art exploration. Other content and concepts will support the micro-season, too.
Where will we find our content?
Our course platform is so easy to use. Everything is in one place. All the content, like demonstrations, videos, downloads, guidebooks,even ways to comment and share in each lesson that is just for those taking the course. There is also a FB group, but there is no additional content there. It is completely for those who enjoy having this kind of space for community. You will be able to share right in your lessons and comment for each other, too. (Birdi is such a 70s child and has a tough time wrapping around social media. She completely gets that if there is content there, she'll simply miss it despite best intentions!)
When will new content show up?
In our year-long course, our content is delivered about every 15 days. The dates are on the lessons. When you enroll, you may be in the middle of some dates, and something may show up sooner, but then it will be on the 15 day cycle. The dates for the 5 day micro seasons are in there. You will have 3 micro seasons to play with before the next delivery! After the year, you will have it all, AND you can begin again, because that's what nature does, and we are a part of nature. This is a life of living in our cycles of presence, mindful play!
How will the class be taught?
Birdi and Beth will each create clear videos, audios, and downloadable files. We will have images, lists, guided instructions, clear ways of kindly sharing for many learning styles. We will be clear about the materials we're using, offer resources to extend your own learning beyond this space. There are also options for 3 live retreats and a Facebook group for those who would like more connection with each other and the material. Beth and Birdi are always accessible through the course chat and email! We are with you. xo
Basic Supplies
- your favorite pen, a pencil, eraser
- a simple notebook or journal for ideas, writings
- Paper choices: OPTIONS (use what you have and like - mixed media and watercolor papers for art/acid free bristol, any nice paper, or mixed media for writing prompts if not done on your art. Strathmore has precut Watercolor paper cotton 5x7 packs in 25 sheets "Ready Cut" cold press and hot press. I will be using these in the Cold Press. These are GREAT. 3 of these will cover the art course, 4 - for extra wiggle room for the ART pieces.. You can also purchase an 11x 14 mixed Media XLCanson or Strathmore pad and get 4 pieces p/page. - Ultimately we will be using the same size paper every time. 5x7. If you write on something, you may want to transfer it to that size on any paper you choose, and if you create, use that size on a paper that suits your medium. Stick to 90-140lb for ease of binding if you decide to make each season into a book. :D Paper is the #1 investment for joyful results. Have fun with this. Mix it up, collecting pretty things, if you like. It's a WHOLE YEAR. You don't need to get it all at once. Size, quality, project match, simplicity, honoring budget.
- Cereal boxes or similar weight box board (book covers)
- 1 sheet Posterboard for box
- Double sided tape, glue stick, golden or similar Mat Gel Medium
- your favorite art supplies - inks, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, paint brushes, bits of this and that
- Basic Book Binding Kit and embroidery floss or similar - just a little in colors you like.
- Pretty papers or fabric for the end sheets of your 4 books. Your might make them or have them.
- A surface like gel plate, acrylic, picture frame glass
- Any other supplies will be mentioned if needed with enough notice, and kept reasonable, to be prepared before the lessons appear
Beth Blakesley
Inspired Creative, Author, Artist
I work as a librarian, teacher and administrator in a university and live as a writer, painter and needleworker. Both of these lives I live are lifelong aspects of me that find their voices in these ways that I work and live. I am energized by color and texture and love working with pigments and fibers and words on a variety of canvases.
I have written and published extensively during my academic career and is shifting into sharing writing that feels more personal and relevant. My first oracle deck, a flower-centric photography deck called The Re-Deck, and is available now. Visit my site, Blueberry Blackbird Studio or social media to learn more about me, my interests and projects.
Rev. Dr. Birdi Sinclair
Interfaith Spiritual Care & Wholeness Arts Specialist