We find ourselves in a world where women’s stories and accomplishments continue to be erased from history. Join us for an intriguing webinar series presented by author and educator Clara Oropeza, PhD. This program will delve into a literary lineage of voices that help to inform a path forward admits harmful rhetoric towards the feminine. In this webinar series we will explore how a connection to the works of influential female authors can strengthen our personal passions and possibilities for our own individuation work. This program will survey literary works that inspire us to engage in changing how patriarchy wants us to think of the feminine within ourselves, creativity and in greater society.

What You Will Receive:

• 4 Live Webinar Sessions with Q &A
• 4 Links to the Recordings
• 4 CECs

This Course is Ideal For:

•  Those who are looking to discover ways to infuse a fresh feminine orientation in their own creativity.
• Those who are interested in thinking deeper about the relationship between creativity and individuation.
• Educators or counselors working in the field of depth psychology.
• Those interested in Jungian Psychology.
• The general public.

 

Course Overview:

Week 1: Setting the path: We will read the introduction of A Re-mapping of Womanhood and Creativity, to set the theoretical framework for this seminar. We will discuss the impacts of a disconnection from a maternal heritage, define individuation, matrilineal ancestry, and the maternal wound in connection to creativity.

Week 2: For the first two weeks, we will read about the interwar periods in connection to the tumultuous times we are living. We begin with “A Sketch of the Past,” Virginia Woolf. Here emphasis will be placed on how Virginia Woolf’s ideas can be read within a paradigm of individuation and creativity.

Week 3: “Refusal to Despair,” Anais Nin. This week will focus on what Nin offers us as we seek strength to resist patriarchal structures today.

Week 4: “La Güera,” Cherrie Moraga, “La Prieta,” Gloria Anzaldúa and “Breaking the Code,” Jesmyn Ward. This week we analyze the ways that these influential and contemporary writers take on rewriting the harmful narratives that have impacted their lives.

 

Learning Objectives: (For CECs)

1. Critically analyze seminal literary works that reflect on the ways that dominant cultural constructs impact womanhood and creativity.
2. Survey how personal and historical paradigms of womanhood impact individual and collective experiences.
3. Articulate the relationship between individuation, womanhood and creativity.
4. Describe reflective and creative approaches to writing personal narratives about accessing agency amidst personal and cultural narratives, inspired by literature and mythology.

 

Bibliography:

Anzaldúa, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera. Aunt Lute Books, 1999.

Hinz, Evelyn. A Woman Speaks: The Lectures, Seminars and Interviews of Anaïs Nin. Swallow Press, 1975.

Moraga, Cherríe Native Country of the Heart. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2019.

Oropeza, Clara. A Re-mapping of Womanhood and Creativity: A Literary and Depth

Psychological Perspective. Routledge, 2025.

Ward, Jesmyn. “Cracking the Code.” The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race.

Scribner. 2017.

Woolf, Virginia. Moments of Being: A Collection of Autobiographical Writing.

Harcourt, Inc. 1985.

Recommended reading:

Atlas, Galt. Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma Little, Brown Spark, 2022.

Baring and Cashford. The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image. Penguin Books, 1991.

Buqué, Mariel. Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. Dutton, 2024.

Cleary, Heather and Gabriela Jauregu. Tsunami: Women’s Voices From Mexico. The Feminist

Press at CUNY, 2025.

Lèger, Nathalie. The White Dress. Les Fugitives, 2020.

Nin, Anaïs.  The Diary of Anais Nin Volume 2 (134-1939). Harvest, 1967.

Perera, Sylvia Brinton. Descent to the Goddess: A Way of Initiation for Women. Inner

City Books, 1981.

Phillips, Shelley. Beyond the Myths: Mother-Daughter Relationships in Psychology, History, Literature and Everyday Life. Penguin Books, 1991.

Trethewey, Rachel. Mothers of the Mind. The History Press, 2023.

Viramontes, Helena Maria. The Moths and Other Stores. Arte Público Press, 1995.

Walker, Alice. In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens. Harcourt, Inc., 1983.

Webster, Bethany. Discovering the Inner Mother: A Guide to Healing the Mother Wound and Claiming Your Personal Power. William Morrow, 2021.

 

 

Course Textbook:

 

Endorsements:

‘In A Re-mapping of Womanhood and Creativity: A Literary and Depth Psychological Perspective, Clara Oropeza explores the profound impact of mother-daughter relationships on our personal and creative lives. Oropeza illuminates how our mothers, both biological and literary, empower us to claim our place as artists in the world. This book is sure to spark important conversations about the unique challenges and opportunities faced by women of color in claiming our creative power and healing the mother wound.’

Reyna Grande, author of The Distance Between Us

‘Join Dr. Oropeza in A Re-mapping of Womanhood and Creativity on a scholarly and deeply personal journey as she explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, creativity, and identity. This book offers a fresh perspective on the ways in which women can re-map their lives, challenging patriarchal norms, and reclaim their feminine gaze. This book is a must-read for scholars and individuals interested in feminist theory, depth psychology, and literary studies, as well as anyone looking to explore the transformative power of maternal relationships.’

Nora Strejilevich, PhD, author of A Single Numberless Death

‘A Re-mapping of Womanhood and Creativity examines the lives of multicultural women across generations. Oropeza taps into her personal experiences to access her matrilinear legacy and a deep connection into how it inspires her creativity. Oropeza contributes a fascinating psychological analysis of Anaïs Nin’s creativity, voice, and feminine imagery as she dives into the formative relationship between Nin and her mother. This book is important as it comes to fruition at a key moment in history, when the lives of women are evermore threatened by a patriarchal order attempting to gain control.’

Sylvie Eve Blum-Reid, PhD, University of Florida, editor of Impressions from Paris: Women Creatives in Interwar Years France