Story Mapping Your Origin Story
Creating your visual excavation through myth, symbol, and image
NEXT COHORT: February 17th, 24th, March 3rd, 10th
4 WEEKS
LIVE + DIGITAL
60 MINUTES
$197
You didn’t lose yourself. You buried yourself. For decades, you’ve been Mom, Wife, Professional, Daughter, Caregiver. You played those roles well—maybe even beautifully. You sacrificed, you served, you showed up. You became who others needed you to be.
The Question Culture Won’t Answer
Our society has a clear pathway for the first half of life: childhood, education, marriage, children, career building. There are maps, milestones, rites of passage. But for 50 and beyond? Silence.
Women are slowly erased. Made invisible. Told—sometimes explicitly, usually implicitly—that our most valuable years are behind us. That we should gracefully fade into irrelevance. But what if that’s a lie? What if the second half of life isn’t about disappearing—it’s about appearing? Not as who you were supposed to be, but as who you actually are?
What if you didn’t lose yourself in the roles—you just buried yourself, because you had to? And what if now, in this liminal space of midlife transition, you get to do the most important work of your life: excavating the self beneath the roles?
This Is Your Origin Story
Not the origin of your first life—the one where you built, achieved, adapted, performed. But the origin of your second life—the one where you become.
This 4-week guided Story Map is the archaeological dig. You’re not discovering someone new. You’re uncovering who you’ve always been, carefully brushing away the layers of socialization, expectation, and role-playing. Layer by layer. Decade by decade. With infinite tenderness.
You’ll use visual wisdom keeping—not writing, not talk therapy, but hands-on creative practice grounded in depth psychology—to excavate answers the analytical mind can’t reach. You’ll create a visual map of your journey: who you were before the roles, what you buried and why, who remains now that the roles are shifting. And you’ll do it in community—witnessed, supported, guided—with other women asking the same question: Who am I beneath all of this?
This is the map that didn’t exist. Until now.
Live Zoom Sessions will be held: February 17th and 24th, March 3rd and 10th. All times 7pm ET.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Story Mapping invites midlife women to transform lived experience into contemplative visual spreads—excavating meaning through image-making, color, and symbol. Grounded in Terri Altschul’s 30+ years of pioneering the weaving of coaching approaches with hands-on creative expression.
No art experience needed. If you can hold a brush or tear paper, you can create wisdom.
This four-week live experience blends depth psychology, The Visual Journaler™ methodology, contemplative engagement, and personal mythology to help you excavate wisdom from your lived experience and create your Origin Story Map.
Through guided teaching and hands-on creative practice, participants will design their own Origin Story Map and transform decades of lived experience into visual wisdom. This is not therapy—this is the sacred work of becoming a Wisdom Keeper.
Each live session weaves together 60 minutes of teaching and experiential practice, balancing Jungian concepts with embodied creative work. Whether you’re new to depth psychology or seasoned in archetypal exploration, this workshop offers a tangible, art-based pathway to excavating the stories that formed you—and recognizing which ones still shape you today.
Over the 4 Weeks You’ll Make:
- A Life Timeline mapping every decade (created in Session 1 together)
- A 2-page visual spread excavating who you were and who you are (using the T.R.A.C.E. Method)
- Foundation layers showing what's been buried (with muted earth tones)
- Middle layers revealing emergence (with vibrant jewel tones)
- Symbolic top layers expressing what you've excavated (treasure chest, compass, threads, or quilt)
SESSION 1: WELCOME & THE GENTLE EXCAVATION
Mapping the Site: Honoring Every Layer of Your Life
Week 1 – February 17th, 60 minutes, optional 30-minute Q&A
Welcome to your Origin Story journey! In our first session together, we’ll create the foundation for your excavation work. You’ll experience the guided meditation “The Gentle Excavation”—touching each decade of your life with reverence and gratitude. Then we’ll create the chapters of your Life Timeline together in real-time, mapping the lessons of every decade you’ve lived. This is your archaeological site—all your layers visible at once. You’ll share one discovery from your timeline and hear from others doing this work alongside you.
What to bring: Your journal, pen or marker, and an open heart. No art experience needed.
What you’ll leave with: Your completed Life Timeline—the map of your journey that becomes the foundation for all the excavation ahead.
SESSION 2: EXCAVATING THE BEFORE – TURN INWARD & ROOT
Digging Down: Uncovering Who You Were Before the Roles
Week 2 – February 24th, 60 minutes, optional 30-minute Q&A
This week we begin the actual excavation. After exploring the Selkie tale together, we’ll dive deep into the first two letters of the T.R.A.C.E. Method: T (Turn Inward) and R (Root). Through guided somatic inquiry, you’ll access who you were before the major roles—before you became Mom, Wife, Professional. Then we’ll create together: you’ll start building the foundational layers of your visual spread using colors from the “buried” palette. Terri creates alongside you, modeling the layering process in real-time. This is gentle, messy, tender work—and we do it together.
What to bring: Your journal (2-page spread ready), glue stick, tissue paper or magazines, muted colors from your palette (cream, beige, soft gray, dusty rose), and willingness to get your hands dirty.
What you’ll leave with: The foundational layers of your excavation spread—the archaeological base that holds everything to come.
SESSION 3: THE ART OF WISDOM MAPPING – ARTISTIC EXPRESSION & SYMBOLS
Bringing to Light: Making Your Excavation Visible
Week 3 – March 3rd, 60 minutes, optional 30-minute Q&A
The excavation continues—now we’re revealing what’s been buried. We’ll explore the middle letters of T.R.A.C.E.: A (Artistic Expression) and C (Crown with Symbols). You’ll add vibrant colors to show emergence—the journey from buried to visible, from who you were to who you are now. Then you’ll choose and integrate excavation symbols (treasure chest, threads, compass, or layers) that represent what you’ve uncovered. We create together in real-time, then share in small groups. By the end of this session, your spread is nearly complete—and your excavation is becoming visible.
What to bring: Your in-progress spread, vibrant colors from your palette (teal, coral red, plum, golden ochre), scissors, glue, images/symbols (provided or your own), and trust in your hands.
What you’ll leave with: A nearly complete spread showing the full arc of your excavation—from buried to revealed.
SESSION 4: EMBODIMENT & CELEBRATION – THE WISDOM KEEPERS CIRCLE
The Treasure Uncovered: Witnessing & Claiming Your Authentic Self
Week 4 – March 10th, 60 minutes + optional 30-minute Q&A
This is our completion and celebration. We gather in sacred circle to witness each other’s excavations. Each person shares their completed spread and tells their story: who I was before the roles, what I buried, what I’ve uncovered. We practice the E in T.R.A.C.E.—Embodiment—learning to move wisdom from page to body, from knowing to being to action. You’ll stand with your spread and speak your truth aloud. We’ll celebrate what you’ve done: you didn’t just make art, you excavated yourself. You’ll be named as a Wisdom Keeper and invited into what’s next on your journey. This is powerful, emotional, transformative work—and we do it together.
What to bring: Your completed (or nearly completed) spread, tissues (this gets tender), and readiness to be witnessed.
What you’ll leave with: The identity of Wisdom Keeper, a community who has seen and honored your story, and embodied knowing that you were never lost—just buried, waiting to be uncovered with tenderness.
Terri Altschul has guided women through depth work for over 30 years, pioneering the weaving of coaching approaches with visual creative expression. She integrates Jungian psychology, Celtic wisdom, and The Visual Journaler™ practice into a contemplative creative pathway for midlife transformation. She is the creator of the T.R.A.C.E. Method, Wisdom Mapping, and the Eight Gates of Wisdom framework, as well as The Visual Journaler™ and the Wisdom Keepers community.
Terri’s work is for women in the second half of life who are ready to excavate wisdom from lived experience, reclaim rejected parts of themselves, and create a visual record of their becoming. This is not art therapy (Terri is not a therapist)—this is The Visual Journaler™, the practice of transforming your life stories into sacred texts that witness your journey.
When she’s not facilitating depth work, Terri can be found in her studio creating her own Wisdom Maps, working in her own book of wisdom, or sitting in her backyard with a good cup of tea and reading wisdom stories.
Do I need art experience?
Absolutely not. This isn’t about creating “good art”—it’s about excavating wisdom through visual practice. If you can glue things to a page, use colored pencils, or tear paper from magazines, you can do this work. Visual wisdom keeping bypasses the analytical mind and reaches the places where transformation happens. Your pages don’t need to be pretty; they need to be true.
How much time will this take?
Plan for 4-6 hours total over 4 weeks, or about 1-2 hours per week. This includes:
- Self-guided Story Map lessons (work at your own pace)
- Four 60-minute live sessions (weekly)
- Creating your visual spread
- Community engagement (optional)
What materials will I need?
Keep it simple for this introductory map:
- A journal or sketchbook (2-page spreads)
- Glue stick and scissors
- Magazines for collage (or printed images)
- Colored pencils, pastels, or paints (whatever you prefer)
- Optional: tissue paper, washi tape, ephemera
What if I can't attend the live sessions?
All sessions are recorded and available for replay. However, the live experience—creating together, witnessing each other, building community—is powerful and recommended if possible.
Can I do this if I've never done your programs before?
Yes! This Story Map is designed as an introduction. We teach The Visual Journaler methodology step-by-step, and you’ll create alongside Terri and other participants during live sessions. This is the perfect place to start.
What if I fall behind or can't keep up?
The self-guided content is yours for life—work at whatever pace feels right. The live sessions build on each other, but recordings are available. There’s no “behind” here, only your own timing. Many people revisit this Story Map multiple times as they continue excavating.
What if I don't like sharing in groups?
Sharing is invited, never required. You can participate by witnessing others without sharing your own work. However, being witnessed is a powerful part of wisdom keeping. We create a safe, judgment-free space with clear community guidelines. Many women find this is the first place they’ve felt safe to be seen.
What's included in the $197 investment?
Everything:
- Complete 7-chapter digital, self-guided Story Map (lifetime access)
- Four 90-minute live facilitated sessions via Zoom with Terri
- Recordings of all live sessions
- Private community space for sharing and support
- All downloadable resources: guided meditations (MP3), symbol graphics, color palettes, worksheets, curated reading lists
- Personal guidance from Terri during live sessions
What happens after the four weeks?
You’ll have:
- Your completed visual spread documenting your excavation
- The T.R.A.C.E. Method as an ongoing practice
- Access to revisit the Story Map anytime
- Option to join the free Wisdom Keepers Community for ongoing support
- Invitation to explore other Story Maps on different themes
This isn’t just art-making. It’s archaeology of the self.
Who am I beneath these roles?
Ready to Excavate?
This is your answer—not given to you, but created by you, excavated layer by layer through visual wisdom keeping.
We are delighted to invite you on a journey of transforming lived experience into wisdom—where depth psychology and visual wisdom keeping create sacred texts of your life.
