Parening with Art® 101: Online and In-Person Classes Begin in February
Parenting with Art® 101: Deepening Connection Through Creative Encounters
Discover how putting your children in the way of art can transform your parenting journey and help your family flourish. This foundational four-week course explores how intentional engagement with the arts deepens belonging to ourselves, others, the divine, and the world around us in ways that support broader parenting hopes and goals.
Register for the online class here. (Recordings will be available to all online participants.)
Register for the in-person class hosted by The Threshold Center in Birmingham, Alabama here. (Registration coming soon.)
Transform your parenting journey through the power of artistic encounters in this innovative 4-week course from Parenting with Art®. Learn how intentionally putting your children in the way of art creates deeper connections and helps your family flourish.
Each week explores a different artistic medium—literature, music, visual art, and film—providing practical tools for fostering belonging, emotional development, relational intimacy, and spiritual growth in children of all ages.
Through guided exploration, hands-on experiences, prompts, and practices, you'll discover how art can help navigate parenting challenges while creating meaningful spaces for curiosity, dialogue, and connection. Join us to unlock the transformative potential of arts engagement in your family's daily life—no artistic experience required.
Session Details:
Week 1: The Power of Story
Explore how literature opens doorways to emotional and spiritual development. Learn to inhabit a posture of curiosity alongside your children as you discover new ways to engage with stories that foster belonging and understanding.
Week 2: Musical Pathways
Uncover how musical encounters create spaces for connection and emotional expression. Experience practical ways to incorporate music into ordinary daily life, enhancing your children's relational and mental development.
Week 3: Visual Arts as Connection
Learn to navigate the mysteries of parenting through visual art experiences. Discover how engaging with art creates opportunities for meaningful conversations and deeper understanding between parent and child.
Week 4: Film as Family Dialogue
Transform screen time into opportunities for growth and connection. Explore how thoughtful engagement with film can enhance your family's emotional and spiritual development while creating lasting bonds.
All Parenting with Art® classes and offerings are provided by Charlotte Donlon.
Charlotte Donlon is a writer and spiritual director whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging through art and spirituality. Her approach resonates with individuals from diverse faith backgrounds, including those uncertain about their beliefs. She employs a universal framework of belonging and connection to foster meaningful, soulful conversations.
In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte's first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her second book, Spiritual Direction for Writers, is slated for release by Eerdmans in 2026.
As the founder of several initiatives, including Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Spiritual Direction for Belonging®, and Parenting with Art®, Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader in the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others.
Charlotte's academic background includes a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a certificate in spiritual direction, equipping her with the skills to guide others in their creative and spiritual journeys.
Her nonjudgmental approach and inclusive language have made her work accessible and appealing to a broad audience, regardless of their faith tradition or spiritual inclinations. For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte's latest work, news, and insights, subscribe here.