Starting Where You Are: The Autobiographical Lens

Instructor: Flynn Larsen | Tuition: $395 (Members) $465 (Non-Members) | Dates: Mondays, July 7 - August 11 | Time: 6 - 8 PM ET | Class Size Max: 8

Sometimes the richest subject matter is right in front of you. This six-week, process-oriented course invites students to find inspiration in daily routines, domestic spaces, and personal experiences to develop bodies of work. Through weekly assignments, writing prompts, group discussions, and supportive critique, participants will explore storytelling and image-making within their own environments, embracing the spontaneity that working in one's personal space allows.

The course encourages students to see their everyday life with fresh eyes and new creative potential, while gaining clarity on the stories they want to tell. Students will look at other artists working in an autobiographical vein and experiment with approaches such as self-portraiture, how to document family life, working with found materials, and exploring how everyday items can reveal personal stories and emotional connections. Emphasis will be placed on shedding perfectionism, developing a daily practice of image-making, working to articulate emerging themes and ideas, and considering photography as a tool for self care.The aim is to cultivate a habit of seeing that transforms the mundane into rich visual narratives within a supportive, safe space. By the end of the course, students will have begun or deepened a body of work rooted in personal experience.

Flynn Larsen is a photographer, artist, and writer using self-portraiture and the domestic landscape to explore the fabric and feeling of everyday life. A 2025 Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts fellow, Flynn has exhibited work nationwide, and self-published three photo books. She writes about photography, literature, and the creative process.