Are You Ready?

Invoking the Dream

June 21 & 22, 2008

Join us at a remote location in the Loess Hills
of Monona County, Iowa
for a weekend
of defining your future.

Participate in group discussion and a variety of activities
designed to assist you in calling forth your dream.

Leaving from Lincoln at 8:15 am on Saturday, June 21st

Omaha options available, likely leaving at 9:00 am

Location is approximately 2 hours and fifteen minutes from Lincoln

Leave for home 11:30 am Sunday

Activities may include a short hike, kayak or canoe experiences,
bonfire, humor and challenging discussion.
All activities are optional.
Sleep on a quilt in the meadow for two days if you like.

No cost. Volunteers requested for meal preparation
and clean up. All participants please contribute
food and/or nonalcoholic beverages.


Some indoor sleeping spots available.
Tent camping encouraged.

Let us know if you plan to attend by emailing Kelly
at kme@inebraska.com

Further details will be available via email.

Please Join Us...

Stories of Creation

Friday, August 24, 2007
Olive Creek Lake

Meet us at Area 2 at the lake anytime starting at 4:30 pm
for an opportunity to paddle around before dark.
Canoes and kayak available to share.

At dark, the fire will be ignited
and we will invoke the tradition of the Talking Stick.
Each person is invited to share a story of something they created--

(a baby, a nurturing community,
a system that benefits others,
a poem, a work of art, a song, a new business,
an invention, an alternative lifestyle,
or something that hasn't occurred to us)

We welcome both the listener and the storyteller.

Listeners should be prepared
to ask questions
and share their internal response
to what they have heard.

Those who contemplate telling a story
might consider these aspects:

where did the idea come from?

how long did it incubate?

who or what influenced your thinking
as your idea developed?

did you keep the idea to yourself
or was it shared with many?

what was the tipping point
at which your thinking became action?

was the opinion of others a consideration?

did this creation have lasting impact on you?

Items to bring along:
You can show up empty-handed
and be absolutely welcome.
Things you might consider include
a canoe, a kayak,
a camp chair, insect repellant,
sunscreen, snacks, firewood,
flashlight, nonalcoholic beverages,
food to share with others during an evening meal.

Questions ahead of time?
Email Duke at dukeengel@hotmail.com
(Because he is off having an adventure,
he will not reply until the evening
of August 22nd. If it can't wait, email Kelly
at kelly@kellyerlandson.com)

Want to caravan or catch a ride
with Duke and Kelly?
Meet in the Indian Village parking lot
at 13th and Arapahoe at 3:30 pm.

Otherwise, feel free to arrive at any time
throughout the evening.
You will need a state park permit
on your vehicle. Get info here.
Although Duke and Kelly
are not camping over night,
there is camping available
for those who wish to stay.

If you get lost and all else fails,
stop at the bar in Kramer
and ask for directions.

Saturday, May 5th

Exhuming the Spirit

~ a day of guided exploratory questions ~

Date: Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Location: Brownville, Nebraska
Techniques: Journaling, Introspection and Discussion

Join us in historic "booktown" Brownville, Nebraska
for a day of guided journaling.
Utilizing a variety of settings
and exploratory questions,
we will seek a sharpened sense of self,
purpose and direction.

Be prepared to go deep within.
One segment will be conducted underground,
where you will need a jacket
regardless of the daytime temperature.

Bring a notebook or journal and a pen.

There is no cost, but we suggest
that you generously patronize
the venues that will be providing space
for our activities.

http://www.brownvillemills-ne.com/village/

E-mail to say you are joining us:
kelly@kellyerlandson.com

Join us in Brownville or meet to car pool from Lincoln.
(Leaving from Indian Village parking lot at 8:45 am)

Logistical questions answered via email.

Wanderers Gather in the Wilderness

Meet us at The Lodge at Wilderness Ridge at 1:00 on Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 for more lively discussion of the creative process. Ask to be seated with "The Wanderers."

Please Accept Our Invitation

The Day of Wandering

Saturday, October 21st, 2006

Outside of Fairbury, Nebraska

We have been granted access to 180 beautiful acres
of land for a day of contemplation, renewal and creativity.

Not all who wander are lost.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Be our guest for a day of options:

Hike the woods and prairie
Join a facilitated discussion about creativity
Lie down on an old quilt and study the clouds
Learn the history of this Oregon trail land
Observe in silence during Contemplation Hour
Enjoy a campfire meal and sing-along

Accept our invitation by e-mailing Kelly:

kme@inebraska.com

Leave Lincoln at 1:00 pm, return approximately 11:00 pm. We will caravan from Lincoln so that you can follow us there, or if you will need transportation let us know and we will connect you with others who are also going so that you can arrange to car pool. We will provide group facilitation, access to the land for the day, the evening campfire meal, old quilts and optional activities. Please bring your own camp chair, appropriate clothing, flashlight, a notebook and pen, snacks and beverages.

Join Us For This Free Event

A Creativity Roundtable

Sunday, September 17, 2006

12:30 to 2:00 pm

In the living room at ANTLERS, housed in the historic Woods Mansion

2501 South Street
on the southwest corner of Sheridan and South Streets

Join Duke Engel and Kelly Madigan Erlandson
as we explore the nature of creativity,
its role in our lives,
and how we can access our creative core.

We will lead a brief creativity exercise, followed
by open group discussion which may include:

• barriers to living creatively
• interesting life paths we can use as models
• techniques for getting yourself “unstuck”
• important lifestyle issues for creative people

Plan to attend and add your thoughts and questions to this free, roundtable discussion. Please e-mail Kelly to say you are coming so we can plan for the appropriate number of guests: kme@inebraska.com

Registration for Writing on the Water
is now closed for 2006.
Please check back for upcoming events.

Writing on the Water

AUGUST 18 - 21, 2006

Longing for time in the natural world?

Interested in skills and techniques to enhance your creative writing?

Join us for a writing workshop on the river.
Canoe or kayak on a gentle, clean, sandhills river
frequented by white tail and mule deer,
muskrat, beaver, grouse and wild turkey.

Gather together on shore for workshop sessions
that will enhance your writing practices.

The river is a little-known treasure,
a five hour scenic drive from Lincoln
near Mullen, Nebraska.

Deep solitude will surround us at our private campsite.
We are likely to have the river all to ourselves.

What To Look Forward To:

• Beginner’s Canoe or Kayak River Excursions
• Quiet Afternoons to Rest, Contemplate, Write or Read
• Campfire Meals, Camaraderie with Fellow Writers
• Wade, Swim, or Plant Your Camp Chair in the River
• Energizing Workshops on Creativity and Writing
• Positive Support of the Writer and the Creative Work
• Visiting Emily's Soda Fountain in Broken Bow along the Way
  

Workshop Topics:
Getting Started; Writer's Block; Finding Material;
Essential Lifestyle Issues for Writers;
Simple Devices to Make your Work Stand Out;
Finding Time to Write; Accessing Your Creative Core

We provide transportation to and from Lincoln, canoe and kayak trips and instruction, workshop facilitation and handouts, meals at the camp site, campfires, tent set-up, sunscreen, bug spray, drinking water, morning coffee, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. A limited number of blow-up mattresses are also available, and will go to those who register early. If you miss out you can bring your own and we’ll help you inflate it. The camp site has toilet facilities but no running water. Free, hot showers available a short, ten-minute ride into town.

You bring a notebook, pens, a sleeping bag and pillow, clothing, flashlight, and personal items. You bring or purchase snacks, meals and beverages during the road trip, but not at the camp site. If you have your own tent and wish to bring it, contact us in advance.

Cost: $350 per person, $100 nonrefundable deposit required to reserve your space. The remainder is due by August 11th. There are a limited number of openings, so register early to secure your place.

To register: Send name, phone number and email address, with $100 deposit, to:

Writing on the Water
PO Box 23015
Lincoln, NE 68542-3015

E-mail Kelly at kme@inebraska.com with questions. Discounts for referring others.