THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Sebene has been dealing with a serious health issue that arose suddenly this week. We were hoping that it would resolve with enough time for us to move forward with the workshop but unfortunately that has not been the case.

To be clear about what this means: Neither the April 9th or April 16th gatherings from 1pm-5pm EST will be happening. I will be reaching out to all ticket buyers with more details, and will be refunding your registration fees. 

We may try to offer this workshop at a different time in the future, but I cannot say yet for sure. We are both sorry for the inconvenience. If you have any questions, please contact me at hello@jkg.co.

Much love,
Jocelyn, 4/6/23

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Get access to the Finding Your Voice workshop, led by Sebene Selassie and Jocelyn K. Glei, for two sessions on Sunday, April 9, 2023 (1-5pm EST) and Sunday, April 16, 2023 (1-5pm EST). 

This workshop will be recorded and available for all who register. Scroll down for a full content overview + details on our pricing structure.

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Finding Your Voice: Overview

Our world is hurting, and we each hold a piece of the cure — a sacred truth that wants to be expressed. Yet we keep quiet, we hold back, we look for permission.

How do you discover the truth that is yours to speak? Lean into the flow of self-expression? Protect and care for your voice in this noisy world?

We will explore these questions and more in this two–part, experiential workshop.

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We’ll start by examining the cultural influences and contexts that promote silence and suppression, investigating why you might feel stuck, unable, or unallowed to speak your truth as freely as you wish. Whether you are constrained by cultural conditioning handed down through generations, unable to hear your voice because of relentless content and media consumption, caught in cycles of comparison to friends and strangers, or saddled by fears connected to your identities or social location, you will unpack what keeps you from finding your voice.

Then we’ll begin to explore how to understand what it is that you want to say and clarify the expression that longs to emerge. You will engage in contemplative practices for deep listening and discovery so you can honor your intuitive wisdom, identify your unique message, and learn to trust what wants to be said.

From there, we will uncover how to begin speaking in ways that feel right for you. You will explore your specific rhythms and styles by encouraging play, experimentation, and improvisation. Understanding that your voice will inevitably develop over time, you will also make space for transformation and consider how to welcome and accept change.

Finally, we will consider how to care for yourself in this process. You will understand what you will need to resource yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually as you begin to move into deeper self-expression. You will investigate ways to invite and respond to feedback, and explore how to navigate the anxiety of cancel culture.

As facilitators, we will be encouraging a sacred, intentional process that centers embodiment, kindness, authenticity, and courage. The sessions will incorporate meditation, journaling, creative prompts, and invitations to tune into your energy body. We will also provide opportunities for questions and engagement with each of us.

We both view stepping ever-deeper into “divine self-expression” as a central part of our work in this world, and see ourselves as seasoned guides rather than experts. You can read a little bit about our respective backstories and journeys to finding our voices below.

** Please note that this workshop will be recorded and available for all who register. **

About Sebene & her journey to the voice:

As a child, I was intuitively drawn to expression (I recited Shel Silverstein poems that I memorized from neighbor kids’ books – Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too!). Then, as a teen, I became fascinated with all things esoteric and spiritual (I led my first meditation session for an 11th grade Asian History class – with questionable results).

However, as an immigrant daughter, I did not believe I deserved a life path that centers divine self–expression.

After (radically) majoring in comparative religious studies, I began a professional life of working with children, youth and families in arts-focused, social justice organizations — basically, encouraging others to exercise their voices (sublimate much?). Outside of work, I started meditating, keeping journals, taking writing/video/art classes, and exploring the transformative power of expression. Yet, even with a pit stop in grad school to focus on cultural studies, race and media making, my voice remained very contained — it was mostly me whispering to myself in private.

In 2010, I created my first website and began to share writing about creativity, culture, and contemplative life. In 2014, I sent my first newsletter to less than 200 people. Inconsistent as my emails were, they allowed me to practice sharing publicly all that I longed to say. Slowly and with many fits and starts, my voice (and my audience) began to grow. In 2020, I published my first book, You Belong: A Call for Connection, which has been included in the curriculum of UC Berkeley Law School, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center, and other institutions, as well as dozens of meditation groups, yoga centers, and local book clubs.

And, my expression continues to evolve — today, I’m writing less from the place of expertise, more from experimentation (which is why my “advice column” is called In My Experience… and doesn’t offer advice). Currently, my newsletter has almost 10,000 subscribers and I make a unique collage for each one (voice can also be visual). But whether my voice reaches thousands of people or a few, I cherish every opportunity to honor the deep desire I feel to express myself in the world about the things that matter most to me: love, joy, beauty, faith… freedom.

I “find my voice” again and again in an ongoing process of nurturance and care, and I'm honored to explore that here with Jocelyn and, hopefully, you.

About Jocelyn & her journey to the voice:

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with understanding how to make things and how to express transformative ideas. When I was a kid, I loved woodshop class and learning how to sew and trying to get the hang of coding. When my family got our first PC, I rounded up a bunch of my friends to contribute poems and essays and used it to create my first zine.

I studied literature and film in college, where I managed to sneak into the MFA screenwriting program as an undergrad. After college, I continued writing screenplays and worked as a jane-of-all-trades at a few graphic design firms. I was trying to understand my own voice as a writer as well as how the internet and design could be used to create spaces for self-expression.

In my late 20s, I worked at a startup called Flavorpill — one of the first email newsletter businesses — where I was a writer & editor covering the arts & culture and collaborating with designers on launching new publications. After that, I found my way to another startup, 99U, where I oversaw the creation of a Webby-Award-winning website about productivity and creativity, executive produced the 99U Conference, an annual gathering at Lincoln Center, and created the bestselling 99U book series, including Manage Your Day-to-Day and Make Your Mark.

In the process, I learned a ton about creating spaces, publications, and live experiences where people could share transformative ideas, but I still felt like I wasn’t expressing my full self. I was still curating other folks to speak onstage, editing books that showcased other people’s voices, expressing ideas that weren’t entirely in alignment with my truth. (Did someone mention sublimation?)

I didn’t really start to step into my voice until my late thirties, after I left my startup job due to burnout. First, I started a blog and a companion newsletter, then I wrote a wonderful little book called Unsubscribe, and then I moved into hosting my own podcast — Hurry Slowly, which now has almost 3 million downloads. I also started developing my energy practice (Light Heart Project), and eventually — once I felt more confident in my voice — I started teaching online courses — RESET, Hi-Fi, and Tender Discipline — which have now served thousands of students.

Along the way, I began to change my relationship to my voice from one of abstract longing to one of lively channeling and flow. I also shifted from a creative practice based on rigorous planning and control to one that’s more improvisational, experimental, and emergent. And I feel I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible.

I’m incredibly excited to share some of the observations, tools, and practices I’ve gleaned from my own transformation with you & to continue to learn from my wise co-pilot, Sebene.

A note on our pricing structure:

When you click the button to reserve your spot, you will see two registration options: Full Tuition and Scholarship.

The full tuition price for this course is $198 in US dollars.

The scholarship price is $118 in US dollars. We are offering this rate for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, differently abled folks, and/or folks experiencing financial hardship.

How to choose your level:

We offer tiered pricing to make the workshop as accessible as possible. These prices are offered on the honor system because we don’t wish to require anyone to “prove” their identity and/or financial situation.

This means that when you click through to register, you can simply select the registration option that applies to you: Full Tuition or Scholarship. You do not have to check in with anyone first.

Our only request is that you consciously reflect on your situation before you opt into the registration option that feels most appropriate for you.

* 10% of all proceeds will be tithed to the Manna-hatta Fund and Translifeline.org. *