Designed for writers of all levels, Mark’s online classes explore themes that awaken creative potential, promote psychological insight, and deepen spiritual awareness. They are intended to help individuals explore their inner world from the privacy of their home, while being part of a like-minded community.
Whether you are writing for publication, personal awakening, or both, these intimate and thought-provoking classes provide a safe environment for growth and exploration. Students are encouraged (but not required) to share their work with the class and join in the rich online dialogue. Participation in group dialogue is optional and anonymity is guaranteed.

“Writing to Awaken is an opportunity to claim the life that you’ve been given, take ownership of your experience, and stop apologizing for having a point of view.  Whenever you sit down to write, you are declaring to yourself and the world, ‘My life matters enough to remember.’ Having lived, you have the right to describe your existence in whatever way you choose.” 

~Mark Matousek

Current Online Classes

The Bright Side of Living:
How Optimism Changes Everything
A Six-Week Guided Writing Series

April 20 – May 25, 2023
Thursdays from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Eastern

(4 pm Central, 3 pm Mountain, 2 pm Pacific, 10 pm BST, 7 am +1 AEST)

Are you tired of the cynicism and pessimism pervading the world today? Do you despair of the hopelessness and doomsday thinking that dominate these challenging times? Do you wonder why precious little attention is paid to what’s right in a world where so much has gone so terribly wrong?
In this paradigm-shifting series, you’ll explore optimism as a life-saving human trait that comes naturally when you practice insight. Optimism is a philosophical choice, in fact, that is available to every one of us when we open our eyes to our human potential, and the goodness of the people around us. This radical, uplifting way of seeing is the antidote to the catastrophic worldview so fashionable in these troubling times.

Home Study Guided Writing Series

Become A Light Unto Yourself:
Writing to Awaken the Truth Within

A Seven-Week Guided Writing Series

Life is fragile, unpredictable, and heartbreaking, in addition to being a gift beyond measure. We find ourselves often in darkened corners, unable to locate the best path forward, or the truthful witness that exists within us, ready to light our way. In the confusion of everyday life, we long for pragmatic philosophical principles to guide us, a time-honored toolkit of wisdom lessons to cultivate insight, decrease suffering, and increase our level of happiness.
In this new guided writing series, you’ll explore seven essential aspects of awakened living, as drawn from the ‘perennial philosophy’ at the heart of the world’s great spiritual traditions. These practical, experiential exercises are designed to reveal the guidance within you, the universal Self at your core. When you learn to access witness perspective, you become a light unto yourself, improving your life immeasurably.

“Mark Matousek is a masterful and loving guide: his wisdom teachings
and brilliantly conceived questions will enable you to open to life-changing truth.
You don’t need skill in writing to partake; all that’s required is the longing to awaken your heart.”

~Tara Brach, bestselling author of Radical Acceptance