Course Outline

“Unearthing Beauty is the most helpful thing I’ve done for developing my craft since classes for my journalism major/English minor 20 years ago.

Mara’s feedback along the way gave me the confidence I was lacking. As writers we can be so insular and it’s hard to answer the questions: “Is this working? Does this make sense to anyone but me? Does what I’m saying even matter?” Mara’s nonjudgemental nature and expert editing ability steadied my shakiness.

It was like I had an adventure guide for the journey of writing my story. Each time I’d trip and fall, she would pick me up, dust me off, and say, “You’re doing fine; keep going.” I’d be uncertain about what direction, and she’d gently help me choose my next right step.

But the most unique and impactful aspect of UB for me was in figuring out who I am and the stories that have shaped me—better than most therapy I’ve invested in. It gave me a framework for learning from past experiences and understanding how I can shape my future.”

“While I love to learn and be challenged to write in new directions, I often fail to finish online courses. Unearthing Beauty was different. Mara is an excellent teacher as well as a keen-eyed editor. The course builds at such a gentle pace that you don't realize the power of her process until you stand back and admire your work. She gently encouraged me to explore a painful topic I had been avoiding. As I wrote, I discovered that what she says is true. When we retell our stories we can unearth beauty in what we thought was ashes.

As I wrote I developed empathy for people who I had cast as villains in my memory. By the time I reached the final period, I was able to see the event with new eyes and truly forgive everyone involved, including myself.

The Unearthing Beauty course was transformational for me on many levels. Mara's teaching style, detailed notes, and insightful feedback pushed me to write a better essay. UB combines instruction on craft as well as encouragement to get out of your head and write from your heart.

I highly recommend Unearthing Beauty to anyone ready to discover the transformational lessons from past experiences. Whether you ever publish the essay you create or not, this course is not to be missed.”

“Unearthing Beauty was such an enriching experience! I am a young mother, a writer, a therapist, and a person working to make sense of my past experiences—this class checked ALL of the boxes. It was a beautiful blend of writing instruction and self-exploration opportunities, packaged in a manageable and time-conscious setting. As a primarily non-fiction writer, through Unearthing Beauty I discovered a memoir that lives within me, and I can’t wait to keep writing it. That said, I think any one could benefit from this course: writers looking to grow in their personal narrative skills, people looking to write down stories for children or family members, people working on piecing together the history of their life. Time with Mara is instructive, inspiring, and encouraging. You won’t regret it! “

“Mara's Unearthing Beauty class was my turning point, a chapter in my life where I grew exponentially as a writer. Her guidance became a revelation, bringing joy to my creative process and unearthing facets of storytelling I never knew existed. Her teaching and feedback not only enhanced my technical writing skills but also touched the core of my storytelling, adding layers of emotion, vulnerability, and heart. Now, I stand as a successful author of a best-selling book Above The Turbulence: Your Ticket Out of Pain to Purpose. My journey is proof that Mara might just be the teacher and mentor you didn't know you needed—a guiding light on your path to literary success.”

“Mara taught us a process of discovering the themes woven throughout our lives, how to get to the heart of our own feelings, and how specific events may have affected the trajectory of our own lives. Noticing details, searching for essence objects, discovering threads of themes woven through our lives…these exercises were incredibly powerful in finding not just one story, but so many. By the end of the class, I walked away with a strong understanding of how to craft a personal essay, along with multiple ideas for my own essays and powerful resources and tools for my future writing. Because of Mara's help, I actually have confidence to dig into this memoir project fully expecting to make progress!”

“I don’t consider myself an aspiring writer, but I have always wanted to record how God has worked in my life. The Unearthing Beauty workshop was the perfect platform for me to finally make progress toward that goal. The weekly lessons helped me organize my thoughts and ideas, and the stories seemed to flow out of my mind and onto paper. Between sessions, all I wanted to do was write! I was especially thankful for Mara’s insightful comments and gentle encouragement to go deeper and be more vulnerable.”

As a lifelong reader and wanna-be writer, I am incredibly grateful for Mara and her Unearthing Beauty course. I’ve been writing and journaling in some form since I was seven, but I lacked direction and confidence. Mara’s writing instruction as well her insightful exercises cracked open the brokenness of my heart, bringing about many life changing revelations. Not only was my writing released, my confidence in sharing it has grown so much. I will be forever grateful that I took a chance and signed up for Unearthing Beauty.

“When I came across the Unearthing Beauty class, I was immediately interested. I was excited about the opportunity of taking a writing class where we weren't just taught about writing but applied what we were learning by writing a personal essay. Mara is knowledgeable, patient, kind, and, most importantly, honest. I appreciated her honest feedback to help me make my essay better. I highly recommend this class.“

This is an unpacking that I’m definitely not used to because I just tend to write. So it’s definitely a challenge for me to approach it this way – so thoughtfully. I’ve been in writing workshops where you’re freely writing and sharing, but I’d never been in a writing course, and I’d say that’s much more what this is. I’ve been writing for 40 or 50 years, and I’ve never unpacked in this way. It’s like, wow, this is hard, but it’s so good.