MC101: Writing at the Wellspring
A Course in Daemonic Creativity
This course concluded in December 2024 and is now self-paced.
Presented by author, educator, and friend of Weird Studies Matt Cardin, MC101: Writing at the Wellspring is based on Cardin’s book A Course in Demonic Creativity, as well as his new book Writing at the Wellspring: Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius.
This course goes beyond the typical writing or creativity workshop. Across five self-paced modules Cardin guides students through the interconnectedness of creativity, nonduality, and the daemon muse.
Please Note: This course debuted in Fall 2024 and is being reopened for enrollment, for a LIMITED TIME, in Fall 2026, as self-paced. Registrants will receive access to five modules’ worth of notes and suggested readings, discussion prompts and exercises, plus video recordings of all Cardin’s lectures and office hours with the course’s original cohort.
Through video lectures, readings, and exercises students will:
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Delve into the concept and experience of creativity as an inner collaboration with a separate force or intelligence within the psyche
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Spark the imagination and deepen an understanding of the self, the world, and how the reality that gives rise to both can tell us what we’re here to do
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Discover ways to understand and navigate the tension between the drive to create and what can sometimes feel like an opposite impulse toward total stillness and inactivity that can accompany spiritual insight
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Examine the possibility of using writing and other creative work as a “monastic option” that makes a monastery of one’s life and provides purpose and meaning in a time of apocalyptic cultural transformation
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Practice effortless action or creative quietude as a way to align personal creativity with the creative current that animates the cosmos
To capstone a period of self-directed learning, Cardin will host a live, interactive session, over Zoom, on Sunday, Dec 6, at 3 p.m. ET. The session will be recorded for those unable to attend live and will be added to the course materials for all registrants of the course.
Schedule
This course concluded in December 2024, and will be reoffered for a limited time, in Fall 2026, as self-paced. A live Zoom event with Matt Cardin will capstone the experience on Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.
Why Take This Course?
By the end of this course students should be able to:
- Understand and articulate the concept of the daemon muse and its historical and cultural context.
- Develop a deeper understanding of the psychological aspects of creativity and the role of the unconscious mind in the creative process.
- Connect with their inner creative source and cultivate a collaborative relationship with their daemon muse.
- See through creative blocks and resistance to experience a sense of flow and ease in their writing practice.
- Align their writing with their life’s purpose.
- Integrate a spiritual perspective into their creative practice.
- Find meaning and fulfillment in the creative process, even amidst outer uncertainty and change.
Instructor Bio
Matt Cardin is an author and educator with a Ph.D. in leadership studies and an M.A. in religious studies. As a published writer and editor for the past quarter century with a signature focus on the intersection of religion, horror, creativity, and spirituality, Cardin passionately shares his insights and perspectives from an ongoing journey of creative and spiritual exploration. Cardin was a college English professor for a decade and a high school English teacher before that, with additional subjects including world religions and classical mythology. Cardin’s professional resume also includes university media producer, piano salesman, and live video director for music legend Glen Campbell.