CONSTELLATIONS CLASS CATALOG
Listings reflect the current enrollment standing
and are listed in order of start date.
Click the ENROLL button to add a course to your cart,
check out, and secure your seat.
Email us to get any course here added to the
upcoming calendar. Our schedule is driven by requests!
Accessible Poetry
APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
CLASS HAS FILLED AND IS UNDERWAY
5 MEETINGS IN 5 WEEKS
Thursdays, April 2 – 30, 2026
6:30 - 8:30 pm CT
Meets via Zoom
This class is hosted by Minneapolis Community Education.
The button here will redirect you to the class page at MCE’s website, where you can enroll through the school district.
$65
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This course does not care if you know a sonnet from a villanelle, Thoreau from Poe, or traditional poetry from a hole in the ground.
Instead, we are here to play with accessible things. Working with everyday language and themes, we will explore examples of contemporary published poets, do some brainstorming, and puzzle our thoughts into some plug-n-play formats. We will unveil ways that direction actually creates exploration, and restriction actually creates growth.
Expect to relax, wander, and enjoy the ride. We will move with loose expectations and no self-criticism, only freedom to enjoy the process and see what comes. Sometimes you’ll create a shiny gem, sometimes you’ll belly flop and enjoy the happiness that comes from discovering that belly flops create warm belly laughs.
Do you know that April is National Poetry Month? This class is intentionally scheduled to give you a boost of inspiration throughout April. If you want to outdo yourself, some writers take on the personal challenge of writing 30 poems in 30 days in April.
As with any form of writing, poetry doesn't have subject limitations. You are free to write from truth or fiction, heartfelt reflection or playful storylines, beauty or harshness.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Creative Writing Playground
CLASS HAS FILLED
5 MEETINGS IN 5 WEEKS
Wednesdays, April 29 – May 20, 2026
6:30 - 8:30 pm CT
Both sections meet IN PERSON at Camden (formerly Henry) High School: 4320 Newton Ave N, 55412, in northwest Minneapolis
This class is hosted by Minneapolis Community Education.
The button here will redirect you to the class page at MCE’s website, where you can enroll through the school district.
$65
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Writing together in person, away from our now-default world of Zoom, always feels like running around on the playground with friends during school recess. Our collective energy makes our creativity move in new directions when we interact off-screen.
Come enjoy writing time that includes hands-on exercises and word games we can’t do via Zoom.
Exercises will be open ended enough for you to write in any format and direction you want, whether fiction, reflective “I” pieces, poetry, humor, darkness, or anything else.
Bring your pen and notebook/paper of choice, and a beverage to keep you hydrated while you put pen to paper.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Intuitive Writing 1
OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
6 MEETINGS IN 6 WEEKS
Thursdays, May 7 - June 11, 2026
6:30 - 8:30 pm CT
Meets via Zoom
$120.00
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Open to students who are new to the I.W. process, as well as those who would enjoy a refresher.
Weekly materials cover the neuroscience of how our brains store and process information, and how the act of writing changes our interaction with ourselves more than any other modality can. Materials include the clinical studies and science that back these results, and give you a chance to put them into practice for yourself.
This class uses writing as a vehicle rather than a destination. Exercises will guide you as you write your way through your own inner terrain. You will learn to let go and make a glorious mess on your paper as you have guided conversations with yourself.
Instead of leaving class with honed and polished writing, you will leave with writing you can look back on later to identify the insights and connections that surfaced while you were rambling on your paper.
Intuitive Writing gives you a better understanding of your mind from a science standpoint, increased confidence to listen to and trust yourself, and new tools to build on your natural strengths and work through your resistance points.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Gathering Muses
OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
5 MEETINGS IN 5 WEEKS
Sundays, May 31 - June 28, 2026
6:30 - 8:30 pm CT
Meets via Zoom
$100.00
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We tend to fall into the trap of believing that writing rests wholly on the act of putting pen to paper (or sometimes typing). We sequester pockets of time and space where we can sit down without distraction, commune with the inspiration we call the Muse, and allow it to propel our reflection, imagination, and stories.
What we often don’t recognize is that half of the writing process is simply thinking about it outside of our physical writing time. Daily life overtakes us and we gloss over mountains of inspiration that exist all around us.
This course invites you to pay attention — to watch and listen with an open mind, collect tiny field notes, and discover connections that can be carried into your dedicated writing time.
EACH WEEK YOU WILL:1) Receive a theme word or phrase to plunk into your awareness (you’ll get the first one a week before our first meeting).
2) Go about your week with this guidepost in mind. Collect inspiration like a mad hatter. Snap photos anywhere. Save memes and capture screen shots. Jot down lines from books, music, podcasts, TV, web sites, and overheard conversation. Record snippets of your inner dialogue.
3) Come to class ready to write from prompts that align with the assigned theme. Prompts will be flexible enough for you to interpret and expand them through the lens of the muses you’ve gathered and thought about.
4) At the end of class, a new theme will be assigned and you’ll be off and running with a new guide for the week to come.
We write a bit, then read our writing a bit (if you wish). We share supportive feedback, but do not edit or critique.Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Writing Happy Hour
OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
SINGLE MEETING
Thursday, June 18, 2026
6:00 - 7:30 pm CT
In person at UTEPILS BREWING
two miles west of downtown Minneapolis
$15.00
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Who gathers to write, class style, at a taproom? We do!
Writing together in person, out in the wild, is a different energy than we get on our usual format of Zoom. This is a chance to do some hands-on exercises that we can’t do via zoom, and we get to write from people watching, too.
Bring your pen, notebook, and sense of laid back play. Please also enact your No Rain Powers so we can enjoy Utepils’ lovely back yard setting that’s much quieter than indoors.
Come early and/or stay late around our dedicated 6:00-7:30 writing time, to enjoy non-writing time for socializing with your comrades, the food truck of the day, and beverages (spirited and unspirited available).
Invite a friend to enroll, too! This format’s vibe and setting is a great opportunity for someone to experience your writing world for themselves without the traditional “in class” feel.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
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Utepils Brewing
(pronounced “OOT-eh-pills”)225 Thomas Ave North
Minneapolis 55405Utepils is at the magic “zero” line of the city map, where northside and southside writers meet smack in the middle. It is 2 miles west of Target Field downtown, in the NW quadrant of Hwys 94 & 394, at the site of the old Glenwood-Inglewood water plant with its abandoned bottling silos and Minneapolis history. Parking is free (though often sprawling) in a little maze of lots or on the street.
The food truck on June 18 is Sweet Lou’s Meats, in the parking lot 4:00-8:00. Thursdays are a no-events day, so loudspeaker and crowd levels should be low.
For all the news that’s fit to print about Utepils, vist their website:
www.utepilsbrewing.com
Intuitive Writing 2, 3, or 4
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NUMBER OF WEEKS VARIES
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For those who have taken Intuitive Writing 1, Intuitive 2, 3, and 4 are continuations of “the deep end of the pool” where Intuitive 1 ends.
Iterations 2, 3, and 4 are the same levels of practice and there is NO need to take them in order. They simply each use different prompts and tweaks so that the material isn’t exacting repetition.
With Intuitive 1 skills already in your knowledge bank, you are free to jump back in the water and enjoy more swimming.
We will combine refresher information, tweaks to old exercises, and some new exercises. Combined with your own ever-evolving life experiences and perspective, you will keep your practice fresh and relevant.
Better Together
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This is the ultimate freewheeling creative writing course.
We are here for the joy of exploration, and for the sparks of inspiration that ignite when everyone’s creative energy bounces around the room together.
There is no cohesive theme or direction to this class. Prompts span a wide arc and are always open to your own direction and writing style. You are free to write fiction, reflective “I” pieces, essays, poetry, humor… anything goes.
We try on a variety of writing formats for size (one size does not fit all!) and play with exercises to help you find cool new ways to say what you’re saying.
We have discussions to share ideas and resources, and along the way we learn from pieces by published authors.
We write a bit, then read our writing a bit (if you wish). We share supportive feedback, but do not edit or critique.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Better Together Lite
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This version of Better Together holds all the benefits of writing in community with others, but with less direction than the regular version.
Like the original Better Together…
We write from prompts that span a wide arc of themes and are open to interpretation.
You are free to write fiction, reflective “I” pieces, essays, poetry, humor, darkness… anything goes.
We write a bit, then read our writing a bit (if you wish). We share supportive feedback, but do not edit or critique.
What makes the LITE version different…
Instead of working with format blueprints and structured exercises, this version is 100% free writing. You simply take the prompt and run with it in your own way.
This simplicity means we have time for more… more prompts, more writing time, more sharing, and more freedom overall.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Prompts are continually updated, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Embracing the Darkness
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Yes, we all have a dark streak, we are human. Creative people know that what some label as “negative” is actually rich soil for compassion and growth.
When this class was initially developed, we all expected we would channel our inner Stephen Kings. That did happen, but writings also bubbled into humor, and just as often became a deeply compassionate response to the vulnerability and resilience of the human spirit. This course has turned out to be a favorite because it generates such depth and breadth.
We write from prompts that are open to interpretation and imagination. In a series of short exercises, you will be be free to write in any format or style you choose.
We write a bit, then read our writing a bit (if you wish). We share supportive feedback, but do not edit or critique.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Jam Session
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NUMBER OF WEEKS VARIES
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Grab your instruments (your pen and writing voice).
Warm up and find your groove (writing prompts).
Riff with your band (classmates).This class is intentionally flexible and interactive. It’s all about stepping into the creative process with no plan, enjoying the ride, and harnessing the sparks of inspiration that ignite when writers hang out together.
Prompts are all over the place, wide open to interpretation, and quick enough to keep your imagination and pen moving every which way. Expect sprints, word pools, and short springboards that get you writing pieces you otherwise would not.
Riffing happens when we share our writing, chat casually in response, and collect hooks that call to us along the way. It’s amazing how creative energy expands when we’re together, and how it opens doors to interpret ideas in fresh and imaginative ways.
As with all Constellations classes, we gather to expand our writing selves through enjoyment and support. We do not edit or critique.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Mind Full
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NUMBER OF WEEKS VARIES
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Life is filled with stress and challenges. We all have our stuff, and our stuff is as varied and individual as we are.
How’s your mind? Too full!
How do you cope? Oddly enough, with mindfulness.Personal and reflective writing is a deeply effective and clinically proven tool for meeting yourself where you’re at and navigating your path. Checking in with yourself and writing whatever comes is a practice in mindfulness and a form of meditation where you can…
– internally stretch, exhale, and restore
– talk with yourself and listen for what resonates
– increase awareness
– integrate logic and emotion
– find insight and understanding
– develop perspective and clarity
– foster your own center for balance and resilience
It’s a reality that when writing time is hardest to find, it’s usually the time we most need to write. So this class often happens at the winter holidays and at the height of summer, when we are all stretched thinnest and most need to “uplug the machine and plug it back in.” That said, we can schedule it at any time there is interest.
We will work with prompts and guided exercises that exceed standard journaling practices, but don’t go as deep into neuroscience as our Intuitive Writing courses do. We will borrow a few exercises from IW along the way, but an Intuitive Writing class is NOT a prerequisite.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Constellations Sampler
PAST/FUTURE OFFERING
6 MEETINGS IN 6 WEEKS
Weeks 1-5 meet online via Zoom,
Week 6 meets in person in Minneapolis.
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Explore a variety of formats and subjects in a six week window. Browse our class listings to find full descriptions of each course by name.
Each week we will sample a different Constellations class:
Weeks 1-5 are online via Zoom:
1 - Better Together
2 - Gathering Muses
3 - Mind Full
4 - Embracing the Darkness
5 - Accessible Poetry
Week 6 is IN PERSON:
6 - Reading our creations in a casual roundtable style, applauding one another and sharing discussions in real life.Open to all writing levels, from first-timers to sages.
If you are a distance student and can’t commute to the final week in Minneapolis, you will be able to Zoom in.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
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Weeks 1-5 meet online via Zoom.
Week 6 meets in person. We sometimes meet in public, sometimes at Tammy’s house in Minneapolis. Location specifics will be shared here when the class is scheduled and enrollment is available.
Finding Your Footing
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We hear it all the time. “I’d like to try a writing class, but I’m nervous or intimidated because…”
Some people have taken zero classes, some a handful of them. Some have been away from the game for a while and want a reset. Some have never written but think, “I’d like to learn to play that instrument.” Some of us write for artistic expression and fun, some for personal reflection and stress relief, some to be published in the future.
There is no right or wrong. Any reason you are drawn to writing is a good reason. This is a safe space to explore without pressure, with people who get you.
Whatever your genre, it’s ok to arrive here uncertain. You will leave with a new confidence. And you’ll have a good time along the way, because creativity is buckets of fun, never work.
We are here to relax and be inspired; we do no critiquing.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Of a Certain Age
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As we roll and fumble through life, we gain wisdom and perspective. We break and heal, conquer and let go, learn and unlearn. We fall down seven times and stand up eight, and we become more secure with who we are. We stand in awe, shake in rage, roar with laughter… and eventually we get replacement knees and go to bed early.
This is a class built to explore the grace, gravity, and humor of your own journey. Writing prompts and samples of published works will serve as a springboard, and you will have time to write, read your writing (if you wish), and share in discussions without editing or critiquing.
Open to all writing levels, including first-timers.
Open to all ages because every age is a “certain” one, filled with experiences to contribute, and we can all learn from one another.Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Creating Characters
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NUMBER OF WEEKS VARIES
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As we roll and fumble through life, we gain wisdom and perspective. We break and heal, conquer and let go, learn and unlearn. We fall down seven times and stand up eight, and we become more secure with who we are. We stand in awe, shake in rage, roar with laughter… and eventually we get replacement knees and go to bed early.
This is a class built to explore the grace, gravity, and humor of your own journey. Writing prompts and samples of published works will serve as a springboard, and you will have time to write, read your writing (if you wish), and share in discussions without editing or critiquing.
Open to all writing levels, including first-timers.
Open to all ages because every age is a “certain” one, filled with experiences to contribute, and we can all learn from one another.Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Sprinting Marathon
PAST/FUTURE OFFERING
SINGLE SESSION
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What are writing sprints? You receive a random word or phrase as a prompt, and you have only 2 or 3 minutes to write anything that comes to mind. Then here comes the next random prompt and you dive into that one.
Sprints allow you to fill your page with raw writing that is richly and wildly creative in its spontaneity.
They help you loosen up, find your own fringe ideas and connections, and generate material you can then transfer to more thoughtful writing.
They also help quiet your Inner Critic. The quick pace squeezes out the overthinking, second guessing, and judgment your Inner Critic depends on.
This workshop is a blitz of open prompts, not formatted exercises. There are pauses for stretching your hand and sharing your writing (if you wish) — but the primary focus is to write with abandon.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Bedtime Stories
PAST/FUTURE OFFERING
USUALLY A SINGLE SESSION MEETING
BUT CAN BE SET UP AS MULTI-WEEK
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Cozy up in your flannel jammies, heat yourself a warm drink, and come as you are.
We will gather late and close out a Saturday night together with writing creativity and camaraderie.
Prompts will be open-ended and flexible enough to write in any genre or format you enjoy. You can unwind with some self-reflection, giggle with humor, create fairy tales to ease into sweet dreams, or purge some darkness onto your paper to displace potential nightmares.
We write a bit, then read our writing a bit (if you wish). We share supportive feedback, but do not edit or critique.
Open to all writing levels, whether first timers or experienced sages.
Exercise prompts and formats are continually rotated and added to, so that you can repeat this course on an ongoing basis.
Writing Alone Together
PAST/FUTURE OFFERING
USUALLY MEETS ONCE PER MONTH
OVER MULTIPLE MONTHS, AS A SERIES
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The majority of writers are introverts by nature, but that doesn’t mean we want complete isolation. The practice of Writing Alone Together strikes a quiet balance for us, among people who get it.
Many of us have a hard time holding ourselves accountable for writing time. Life is hectic, we let writing slide, then wish we hadn’t. This is a perfect low-impact way to schedule time for your own practice.
This is a NO PROMPTS & NO DIRECTION situation. You can work on a piece you already have in progress, dive into something you’ve been meaning to explore but haven’t yet, or wing it with any arbitrary thing that pops into your mind in the moment.
We will…
1) Take a few minutes to chat about our process and step into our writing minds.
2) Turn off our Zoom microphones, but leave our cameras on so that we all remain present together, and write solo for a solid 45 minutes (you can take a short break at your leisure).
3) Wrap up with time to read an excerpt of your writing if you wish, and share supportive feedback. End time will be +/-8:00, determined by discussion energy. -
Because your writing here is self-directed, the cost is greatly reduced from standard class costs.
This course is generally set up as a multi-month series, meeting once a month. The enrollment fee covers the entirety of the current offering regardless of:
– how early or late in the series you enroll,
– how many sessions you attend,
– the risk that we may need to cancel a session.There may be a random month where Tammy will be traveling or dealing with an emergency at home. At best, a Zoom guest host will be able to fill in; at worst we will be forced to miss a meeting. Please build this “one person show” reality into your expectations, understanding, and cost decision — thank you!
A SPECIAL EVENT WORKSHOP
Embracing the Darkness
Field Trip
WHAT A FABULOUS EXPERIENCE THIS WAS!
WANT TO DO IT AGAIN?
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Because you have taken an Embracing the Darkness class, you already know the class format.
Twelve Vultures owner, Adam, is generously sharing his shop space with us after business hours so we will have the place to ourselves.
There will be time to wander the giant selection of supreme Darkness inspiration, and time to write and read workshop-style at shared tables.
Note: This workshop is not eligible for any discount codes.
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IN PERSON EVENT at
Twelve Vultures
507 East Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis 55414A HUGE shoutout of gratitude to owner, Adam DeJarlais, for sharing his shop with us after hours.
Please support Adam’s business during regular business hours, too! https://www.instagram.com/twelve_vultures/
in fabulous Nordeast, where Hennepin and Central Avenues intersect (about a mile east of downtown).
Off-street parking is available in the vacant Wells Fargo Bank lot at the corner of 5th and Hennepin. If the lot is full, grab street parking anywhere nearby.
A SPECIAL EVENT WORKSHOP
a Fright to Remember
A COLLABORATION WITH TAMMY & ROBIN SAUERWEIN
WE HAD A GREAT TIME!
TAMMY & ROBIN WOULD BE HAPPY TO JOIN FORCES AGAIN.
PLEASE CONTACT US TO EXPRESS INTEREST
IN PUTTING ANOTHER SEASONAL WORKSHOP ON OUR CALENDAR.
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This is an evening full of surprises as we unearth both the light and dark of the Halloween season, and write from both sides of the proverbial coin. Join us to play and see what "falls" for you.
Robin and Tammy, both MCE instructors, team up to co-lead this in person event.
Open to all writing levels, whether newbies or seasoned writers.
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Our location host is fabulous, and we encourage you to support their business:
The Coffee Shop Northeast
2852 Johnson St NE
Minneapolis 55418
https://thecoffeeshopne.wordpress.comTheir sister business is a restaurant and bar:
Relish
700 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis 55414
relishmpls.com