All upcoming Personal Development programs

Experience the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by works of art by Georgia O'Keeffe and poetry by Mary Oliver, explore the lessons that the summer season offers us when we slow down, look closely, and reflect. Designed for writers of all levels, and for the curious, the workshop invites you to look at the world through the lens of painting and poetry and to respond through reflective writing. 

Why do some conversations leave us feeling unheard and disconnected? Former BBC journalist, executive coach, and mediator Emily Kasriel argues that it’s because we've forgotten how to truly listen. Drawing from her book Deep Listening, she introduces an innovative approach to transformative conversations, illustrating how shifting from surface-level exchanges to more profound encounters can enrich our relationships as friends, parents, and partners—and in the process we can reconnect with others and bridge divides.

In a summer workshop series, discover the power of reflective writing inspired by art guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Step into an intriguing contemporary painting by the German artist Sigmar Polke to discover how close looking at art can help us navigate challenging times and deepen our self-understanding.

In a summer workshop series, discover the power of reflective writing inspired by art guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by the masterful prints of one of Japan’s most innovative artists, Katsushika Hokusai, and by poetry across time, slow down, look closely, and reflect to explore the metaphor of wind in our world and in our lives.

Guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface, discover how reflective writing can offer a creative buoy for engaging with loss. Inspired by works of visual art and poetry, experience a process in which reflection and writing becomes a place of comfort and a space for holding sorrow as well as remembrance. This is part of a summer workshop series.