steph rue

Description: 

Hanji + Spirit is a six-week online cohort for Korean diaspora interested in deepening their creative and spiritual practice through hands-on exploration of Korean papermaking and related craft traditions. Topics and activities include papermaking, bojagi, joomchi, reflection, sharing, community building, and learning about Korean paper history.

Who This is For:

This cohort is for artists, makers, creative practitioners, art appreciators, spiritual seekers, and anybody else wishing to draw closer and deeper into their creative and spiritual practices through hands-on learning, community, reflection, and artmaking. This version of the cohort is specifically for people of the Korean diaspora.

Learning Outcomes:

Through this cohort, we hope to: 

• Learn history and technique of Korean papermaking and related craft traditions

• Learn modified and alternative tools, materials, and methods to make hanji 

• Learn how to set up a mini papermaking workspace at home

• Learn collage techniques to make a small bojagi out of hanji

• Transform hanji into felted, textured paper using the joomchi technique 

• Discuss suppliers and resources for further study

• Explore our spiritual story, identity, and ancestral connection in a communal setting

• Build community with others in the cohort

• Complete three craft projects from start to finish and share finished works with other cohort members

• Create weekly rhythms for creativity and rest

What you get:

Over the course of our time together, you’ll have access to:

• Six 90-minute group sessions consisting of instruction, demos, guided reflection, sharing, and open studio artmaking, facilitated by Steph and Chris

• One 1:1 spiritual accompaniment session with Chris

• A material kit valued at $100 containing specialized tools and materials for making hanji and related paper crafts, curated by Steph

• A reflection guide with tailored exercises, written by Chris

• Access to a closed community chatroom

• Hanji + Spirit PDF resources

Values:

• Exploration over perfection

  Perfectionism is a tool of white supremacy; allow your art practice to be a space of freedom, risk, and creativity.

• Paper as portal

  Papermaking as a craft is rooted in ancestral connection. We engage paper as a doorway to explore our stories, lineages, and futures.

• Listen to your body

  Your body is not a machine; trust your intuition, honor your needs, and honor your pace.

• Resist isolation

  Isolation creates disconnection; community is medicine. Creativity thrives in shared care, collaboration, and mutual support. 

• Small is all

  Every small act of creation is part of a larger revolution; our nature kin show us that change begins in the quiet, the rooted, the small.

• Present moment, wonderful moment

  The present moment holds the seeds of transformation. When we create from presence, we disrupt urgency and reclaim time as our own.

• Community as sacred

  Community is a practice of justice; we co-create a space of care, imagination, and possibility together.

*These values have been shaped by the wisdom/teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, adrienne maree brown, and Prentis Hemphill amongst others.

Pricing:

As this is a beta version, we are pricing this cohort accordingly. We are offering three pricing tiers:

• $250 reduced rate

• $350 standard rate

• $500 solidarity rate

Please indicate in your application which rate you will be able to pay.

A note on pricing: For future iterations of Hanji + Spirit, we hope to receive enough donations through Steph’s workshop scholarship fund and/or to partner with orgs or individuals who may be able to help sponsor this offering. Our hope is to offer this cohort again in the future, with pricing that is accessible to both the instructors and the participants. (If you are inclined and able, please consider donating to the workshop scholarship fund and/or reach out if you have ideas for sponsors!)

Cohort Schedule:

Dates:

Every Wednesday for six weeks: October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 2025

Time:

5-6:30pm PST / 8-9:30pm EST (90-minute sessions)

Priority will go towards applicants who are able to attend all sessions. All sessions will be recorded for participants only, for the duration of the cohort.

In addition to the live sessions, participants should expect to spend anywhere from two to four hours a week on cohort activities including material preparation, reflection exercises, optional readings, and projects. Participants will also schedule a one-on-one 30-minute spiritual accompaniment session with Chris, to take place during the six-week cohort period.

applications close August 22, 2025, 11:59pm PST

Facilitators:

MATERIALS:

Participants will receive a physical material kit with specialized tools and materials needed to complete the cohort activities. The kit includes:

• Papermaking screen and frame for making 3x5” sheets, custom-made by Jeffrey Yoo Warren

• Dried dak (kozo) pulp

• Felts and press boards

• Wide drying brush

• Variety of hanji sheets

• Wheat starch and formation aid

• Shipping

Participants will also receive a digital reflection guide, resources, and handouts.

Please note: in order to follow along with the cohort projects, participants will need to gather/acquire/have access to a blender, vat, basic bookbinding tools and kitchen appliances. A detailed list of items to gather will be distributed to registered participants.

Questions?

For more information, register for the upcoming Hanji + Spirit Info Session on August 18 at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

Email hanjiandspirit [at] gmail [dot] com with questions.

applications close August 22, 2025, 11:59pm PST