Weekend Courses at Warren Wilson College
Writing WITH Nature — taught by Dr. Martha “Mattie” Miller Decker
In this course participants will become immersed in practical and life-giving skills and practices of Mindfulness Meditation while spending time reflecting and writing in the forest and other natural settings in order to awaken to their innate relationships with the more-than-human world.
"Mindfulness is paying attention in the present moment, on purpose, without judgment, as if your life depends on it. Dr. Mattie Decker is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, and has been teaching Mindfulness since 2015 beginning with MBSR (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction) at university, and currently teaches weekly Mindfulness Meditation classes online and at the Fairview Public Library.
Ceramics for the Kitchen — taught by Ona Armstrong
Join Ona Armstrong of Firefly Valley Pottery for a weekend of ceramic hand building instruction. Students will begin by making a dinnerware set for two that includes two plates, two bowls, and two mugs. After those items are made, students will have the choice to make other items used in the kitchen such as carved sugar spoons, salt cellars, tea strainers, herb strippers, sponge holders and more.
We Are All Boromir: Embodied Contemplation and Conversation Across Middle-earth — taught by Connie Matisse
Calling all ye star-gazers, power-wielders, tower builders, dig-deepers, loyal companions, and lovers of good tilled earth. Inspired by contemplative spiritual practice across a broad spectrum of mystical traditions, this course supports a personal inquiry into how the archetypes and dramas alive in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth play out across our own interior landscapes. Students can expect to employ a wide-range of tools from the thinking, feeling, and doing Contemplative’s toolbox, including close-reading, meditating, writing, discourse, visual art practice, meditation, and integration. The process is developed to inform and sharpen our own discernment as we learn to carry out the tasks appointed to us in our lifetimes. Curiosity and courage are required as well as familiar with Tolkien’s book, The Lord of the Rings, whether that means you’ve been picking it up every September since high school or you binge listen to it for the first time the month before class commences.
Building a three legged stool — taught by Fatie Atkinson
Tage Frid was a Danish-born woodworker, educator and author. His design work was often in the Danish-modern style, best known for his three legged stool.
Writing WITH Nature — taught by Dr. Martha “Mattie” Miller Decker
In this course participants will become immersed in practical and life-giving skills and practices of Mindfulness Meditation while spending time reflecting and writing in the forest and other natural settings in order to awaken to their innate relationships with the more-than-human world.
"Mindfulness is paying attention in the present moment, on purpose, without judgment, as if your life depends on it. Dr. Mattie Decker is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, and has been teaching Mindfulness since 2015 beginning with MBSR (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction) at university, and currently teaches weekly Mindfulness Meditation classes online and at the Fairview Public Library.
Craft and the Land — taught by Melanie Wilder
Working with materials raised, grown, and harvested from the beautiful land here in Swannanoa, this sampler course introduces students to a variety of fiber arts skills and materials. Projects may include a felted bag or plant hanger made from wool raised at the farm, coiled baskets created with pine needles and other locally gathered materials such as daylily leaves or kudzu, and a set of hand-dyed napkins using natural dyes grown in our dye garden. Together, we will learn where these materials come from, how to process them by hand, and how to transform them into beautiful, functional objects. Along the way, we will explore the histories of these practices while engaging in contemporary making.