Empty Nest + New Stories
Enrolling now
Join photographer, empty-nester, and creative team member Kelly Ishmael as she helps you to identify, explore, and challenge the stories you are telling yourself about this transition and new season of your life.
In this four-week workshop, Kelly will share personal stories of her empty-nest transition along with heartening insights to inspire and encourage you in your journey. Each lesson will include an instructional video, specific journaling prompts, a PDF download, and a process video all designed to walk you through the process of documenting your empty-nest transition. (See the Class Schedule for more information on class content.)
In addition, you will have access to the support and encouragement of the Empty Nest + New Stories community as well as to Kelly, who will be available to answer questions and provide guidance on the lesson content. This transition in a parent’s life is often accompanied by feelings of sadness, loneliness, anxiety, or loss of purpose. The goal for this workshop is to help you to acknowledge your feelings + emotions, to encourage you to be brave and ask yourself the hard questions, and to inspire you to embrace and enjoy this new chapter of your life.

Class Contributors
- Amy Gretchen
- Elizabeth Heinz
- Ali Edwards
What you'll learn
- How getting curious and being honest about your feelings is the first step in the journey of self-discovery.
- How leaning into uncomfortable feelings can be the birthplace for personal transformation.
- How the power of gratitude can change the story from that of sad endings to new possibilities.
What you'll get
- Specific journaling prompts for each lesson
- Full color handouts that include inspiration and how-to’s
- A main video presentation for each lesson
- A digital package that includes PNG files (see slider)
- Process videos for each lesson (additional digital tutorials when applicable)
What you'll need
- An openness and willingness to get curious about challenging personal stories
- A journal and pen
- Quiet time for reflection and writing
Class Schedule
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Sep 1Class begins3:00AM EDT
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Sep 1Lesson 1 | Welcome & Introduction3:00AM EDTA video presentation welcoming you to class and process videos for creating my notebook.
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Sep 4Lesson 2 | Letting Go3:00AM EDTExploring the role of parenthood and giving yourself permission to be sad about it ending.
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Sep 8Lesson 3 | The Big Questions3:00AM EDTPeeling back role of parenthood can often expose big questions about our identity and purpose.
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Sep 11Lesson 4 | Exploring the Darkness3:00AM EDTAcknowledging the hard parts of our story with compassion and forgiveness to move towards healing.
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Sep 15Lesson 5 | The Middle Part3:00AM EDTThere are times during this transition that require us to sit with uncertainty and emptiness.
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Sep 18Lesson 6 | The Next Chapter3:00AM EDTThis can be a time to explore things that bring a new, different kind of satisfaction to your life.
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Sep 22Lesson 7 | New Stories To Tell3:00AM EDTThe practice of gratitude can change the narrative from one of sad ending to new possibilities.
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Sep 25Lesson 8 | The Best Is Yet To Come3:00AM EDTEnjoying a new phase of relationship with adult children and the stories they are writing.
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Sep 29Class Contributor | Amy Gretchen3:00AM EDTAmy shares her story
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Oct 2Class Contributor | Elizabeth Heinz10:00AM EDTElizabeth shares her story.
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Oct 5Class Contributor | Ali3:00AM EDTAli shares her story.