1. Group Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls with The Threshold Center
Any time The Threshold Center invites me to lead anything, I say yes, of course.
Here’s what The Threshold Center believes about the importance of thresholds: “Thresholds are liminal spaces where we transition from one reality, one chapter, or one physical space to another. Some thresholds we anticipate, while others arrive unexpectedly.”
Group Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls is a nourishing break from the chaos with a sacred community of people who care deeply about personal and world turmoil AND want to show up for their ART, WORK, and RELATIONSHIPS anyway.
You will leave the session with a greater sense of connection to yourself, others, your creativity, and the presence of the sacred
You will be more comfortable navigating this world without letting its chaos take you off track from your personal desires and goals.
You will be more prepared to embrace the Flourish Anyway® mindset through choosing small, real moments of flourishing even in hard seasons.
What to expect in a program session:
-Two participants will have a 15-minute 1:1 spiritual direction conversation with Charlotte with time to process with the group.
-We will engage with an intentional liturgy that includes silence, conversation, listening, encouraging, stillness, and togetherness
Dates and registration details:
Three Online Sessions
Nov 3, Nov 10, Nov 17
1:00pm - 2:30pm (online)
Registration is required. The fee is $99 and includes all 3 sessions. Scholarships are available.
For details and to register, click here.
2. Autumn Rhythms & Rituals: A Retreat for Creative Souls
Another offering with The Threshold Center is a 3-Hour Retreat taking place next Friday, November 6 from 9 a.m-noon.
Participants will explore rhythms for the season of autumn that sustain rather than deplete, rituals that cultivate meaning rather than mere habit, and retreat practices that make space for the creative work you long to do.
Autumn Rhythms & Rituals: A Retreat for Creative Souls with Charlotte Donlon
The contemplative writer Thomas Merton reminds us that “there is in all things an inexhaustible sweetness and purity, a silence that is a fount of action and joy.” What if autumn itself became our instructor? How might falling leaves, cooling afternoons, and lengthening evenings form and inform our creativity?.
What to expect in a program session:
Each hour includes 20–30 minutes of contemplative practices, brief teaching, and group discussion
We’ll behold poems, art, and music made by Birmingham writers, artists, and musicians as we explore what it means to live a sustainable, soulful creative life.
The remaining 30–40 minutes are open for your own retreat rhythms
Optional journaling and creative prompts provided
Dates and registration details:
Nov 6 (9:00am–noon)
Registration is required. The fee is $75 per person. Full and partial Scholarships are available.
For details and to register, click here.
What to Bring:
Please bring a journal or notebook and a pencil or pen.
Bring any creative work you may want to give time and attention to that can be done easily at a table.
Bring headphones or airpods since some of the prompts might include listening to music.
Wear comfortable clothing and bring whatever you need for an outdoor walk if you’d like to take one during the individual time.
Snacks and beverages will be provided.
(Optional)Bring your lunch if you’d like something more filling and satisfying.
3. A FREE Session on Establishing Personal Rhythms for Group Retreats
I recently had a lovely conversation with Breelyn, the founder of RVA Readers and Writers, The Richmond, VA community of readers and writers that gathers to chat about books of all genres + meets to do all things book-ish. We hit it off immediately and concocted a 60-minute session that will meet online (while many book club members will be joining together from their retreat!). Our time together will help the retreatants prepare for their weekend retreat and help other particiapants be more thoughtful about how to care for themselves personally during any group experience, conference, retreat, etc.
Here are the details:
Establishing Personal Rhythms for Group Retreats with author Charlotte Donlon: Join us for a 60-minute session on how to inhabit group retreats and gatherings in ways that honor your body, mind, and soul. We’ll explore rhythms and rituals for rest and creative flourishing so you can receive good things and get the most out of your group retreat experience.
All are welcome to join us for this free gathering.
To register, you must first join RVA Readers and Writers via the Bookclubs website and platform. This link should take you there. Please let me know if you have technical difficulties.
4. Becoming & Beholding: An Online Advent Mini Retreat for Mothers & Artists
During this 90-minute mini-retreat with Wellspring Mother Artist Project, I look forward to exploring Advent rhythms and rituals for creative souls and helping participants think about how to inhabit the season of Advent in ways that nourish their bodies, minds, souls, and creativity.
Also, everyone is welcome. I will make sure those who have a broader view of the work of care and spiritual mothering feel comfortable and included. We will also look at different stages of motherhood, including mothering and caring for adult children, etc.
Here are more details:
Are you longing for a meaningful, soulful Advent—but know that you usually get too caught up in the rush, chaos, and overwhelm of December? If you’ve ever set beautiful intentions for the season only to watch them unravel in the reality of busy schedules and endless to-do lists, you’re not alone. What if, this year, you could show up as you are and discover new ways to flourish in your creative practices and other areas of life, even when life feels far from peaceful?
Wellspring: A Mother Artist Project invites you to participate in a 90-minute online workshop led by Charlotte Donlon for mothers who want to Flourish Anyway® during Advent. Using Charlotte Donlon’s frameworks for spiritual direction, practices for belonging through art, and ideas from her new book, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life, we will explore how you can nourish your heart, soul, and mind with rhythms, rituals, and a regular mini-retreat practice during Advent.
You will learn more about how to:
-Belong to Yourself, Others, God, and Your Creativity During Advent
-Become More of Who God’s Forming You to Be During Advent
-Behold More Goodness During Advent
-Bestow More Gifts, Beauty, and Creativity During Advent
DETAILS:
WHEN: Sat, Nov. 7
TIME: 10-11:30am ET
WHERE: on Zoom
COST: sliding scale, $35-75
$75, includes a copy of Charlotte’s new book, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life, as well as a full in the mail Wellspring Visio Divina kit
$50 includes a Visio Divina kit in the mail
$35 includes a digital Visio Divina kit
Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encounters, and spiritual growth--even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018) and a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection. In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in September 2026. Three volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art—will also be published in 2026 and 2027. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Writer’s Digest, Brevity, Lit Hub, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.