Lucianne Walkowicz

Join me live tomorrow morning for the “Ring of Fire” Eclipse livestream! The free broadcast kicks off on YouTube at 10am CT— my segment is around 11:30am, but you should tune in to catch the whole event 🌞 it might be rainy where you are, but we’ll have observers across the eclipse path with eclipse-equipped telescopes so you won’t miss a thing ✨

🍎✨New post up on my Patreon, all about teaching the early history of life, and the return of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission (which happens tomorrow, and you can watch live! Link in my Patreon post).
🍎✨Teaching my Search for Life in the Universe class has been making me think a lot about this Carl Sagan quote, plus I foraged some apples the other day (by far not enough for a pie, but they were still delicious, and I love that foraging always feels like getting away with something).
🍎✨link in bio!

got to show folks the moon tonight (and Saturn, but she’s camera shy!) and came home w this abundance of plants and gifts (thank you .sunflowersoule! 💛🌻)

As a person who has ✨a lot of projects✨and uh, very little time, I know these feelings all too well– in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten anything done without being haunted by the Thing (at least a little). But that should let you in on a secret:

Anytime I’ve had any of those heavy thoughts about That Thing I Meant to Do, I’ve been wrong. I know this, because I’ve done nearly all of those big, hard, heart-driven projects that seemed so impossible to get done at the time. It got done, and turns out, I don’t actually suck. And neither do you!

You don’t need an exorcism to stop being haunted by That Thing You Meant to Do… you need support. Even though it’s scary when your neglected project or idea comes lurking in the night, what That Thing actually needs from you is attention and care. The specific challenge of providing that care and attention to The Thing looks different, depending on what’s been keeping you from doing it to begin with! That’s why so much generic productivity advice is unhelpful: the blocks we experience– and the kinds of support we need to get past them, and make our ideas a reality– aren’t generic.

If you’re looking for support with taking an idea from That Thing You Meant to Do to something you made real, come work with me! There’s just a few more days to sign up for my workshop, Make It Real, where we’ll work on getting you moving no matter what stage you’re stuck in. Make It Real is a great way to get some of the benefits of working with me in 1-on-1 coaching, with a community support and accountability component with other participants, and at a more affordable cost than private coaching. I’ve also added a flexible scheduling option for co-working and discussion sessions, so you can choose what works best for you! See details and sign up at the link in my bio 🌱

🌱Free thing!🌱 say hello to The Spring Reset, a free/donation-based mini-course for tapping into the freshness spring has to offer. Every day has a short meditation, a creative prompt, and a stargazing prompt (with viewing options suitable for city dwellers and dark-sky-havers alike, no equipment required). Link in bio!

Next Saturday, please join me for this event celebrating ’s new exhibit! I’m so excited to talk w Dario and about these beautiful works and the blurry boundary between science and art. REPOST: We are excited to announce an extraordinary suite of Winter 2023 programming to accompany the exhibition "The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto" opening January 26, 2023.

The exhibition is culmination of 's multi-year residency at The Block Museum of Art and the McCormick School of Engineering bringing poetic and philosophical depth to the intersection of humanistic and scientific research.

View all event details and RSVP for these free programs at link in bio.

Sat February 4, 2PM
Science, Art, and the Search for Meaning: Opening Conversation with Dario Robleto
with and

Sat February 11, 12:30PM
Art Talks! With Block Student Associates – On Heartbeats

Wed February 22, 6PM
Exhibition Conversation: Interstellar Aesthetics and Acts of Translation in Art and Science
with Elizabeth Kessler and Shane Larson of .ciera

Thurs February 23, 12:30PM
Gallery Talk: “Stillness, Wonder, and Gifts for Extraterrestrials:” Elizabeth Kessler on Dario Robleto

Sat March 4, 12:30PM
Art Talks! With Block Student Associates – On Wavelengths

Wed March 8, 6PM
Exhibition Conversation [Online]: Ann Druyan, The Golden Record, and the Memory of Our Hearts
with Ann Druyan in conversation with Dario Robleto and Jennifer Roberts

This past Monday was my birthday, and I’ve decided to mark this year by launching a new class called Moving Through the Universe!
✨Moving Through the Universe was actually the first class I ever dreamed up, a way of bringing together my love of space with my love of movement, and sharing that with others— but, it felt so personal, and so different than any other class, I felt intimidated by the idea and sort of let it marinate in the back of my mind. Fortunately, birthdays are a great way for the universe to remind you that you are flying forward through time, and there’s no time like the present!

Here’s the basics:

✨Moving Through the Universe runs four weeks, starting February 5. Every week, we’ll be learning and thinking about different scales of cosmic distance, from the planetary, to the galactic, to the intergalactic, and beyond!
✨Each week, I will give you learning materials, including recorded journeys into space (kind of like guided meditations, but no meditating required unless you want to), stretching guides for the areas of the body we’re thinking about that week, creative prompts, and more!
✨There will be a Discord for discussion and weekly live Zoom gatherings together and talk about what we did that week, ask questions, and learn from/support each other.
✨“Movement” can be whatever you want it to be, and it can be physical or mental: so, maybe you like to go on walks, maybe you’re a runner, or a dancer, or maybe physical movement isn’t accessible for you right now, and you want to take a journey of the mind. ✨Everyone’s interpretations are welcome, and seeing how differently people pursue the weekly prompts is part of the fun!
✨10% of sales from this workshop will benefit Ujimaa Medics, a community group that provides emergency medical training to people to help bridge the gap in trauma care on Chicago’s South and West sides.
✨✨✨Most importantly: You don’t need experience of any kind, just openness and curiosity.

Last but not least, the #1 reason to take my workshop, Give An Amazing Talk!, is that I will work with you to help you show up as YOU, not some cookie cutter idea of who a presenter or public speaker should be. Class starts next Tuesday-- register now! https://notnotrocketscience.com/amazing-talk

Reason #2 to take my workshop Give An Amazing Talk! is personalized feedback on a flexible schedule! This workshop spans four weeks, with a balance between independent material (which you can work through on your own schedule) and opportunities for interaction and feedback (both live, and asynchronous). People speak in front of an audience for a wide variety of reasons, and while anyone can give you a few pointers, one-size-fits-all pointers only go so far. Give An Amazing Talk! offers weekly course content and assignments, but also includes live "office hours" for discussion and Q&A and feedback tailored to you and your needs. Workshop starts March 15, register now! https://notnotrocketscience.com/amazing-talk

Reason 3 to sign up for my workshop, Give An Amazing Talk! is Speak So Others Will Listen. A common mistake that speakers make is thinking that all they need to do is show up with a good message and some decent looking slides-- but who is your message FOR? Who's in your audience, and what do THEY care about? Why should your message resonate with them, and what have you done to make sure it lands? In my workshop, you'll learn how to think about your audience, and put their needs first. By engaging with empathy, you'll ensure that your message gets heard! https://notnotrocketscience.com/amazing-talk

Continuing the countdown of top 5 reasons you should sign up for Give An Amazing Talk!, it's #4: Speaking as an Embodied Practice! So many people leave out the physical side of speaking when they teach, or just limit it to what to wear on stage. But anyone who's stood up in front of people (or been too scared to!) can tell you that speaking your mind is a full body experience! As part of this workshop, I will teach you about speaking as an embodied practice, including managing anxiety, learning to use effective body language, and even a thing or two around dressing for the stage so you look like YOU.

Why should you sign up for my Give An Amazing Talk! workshop? This week, I'm doing a countdown of the top 5 reasons! Today is #5: Get Your Point Across! When people envision , they often think about the "sage on a stage"-- someone up in front of a big audience, delivering their ideas. But have you thought about how public speaking skills can help you in your everyday life? In order to give a great (amazing!) public talk, you need to learn to organize your ideas and takeaways, and frame them so your audience will listen and absorb your points. Those skills can help you in far more common settings, like advocating for yourself at work (get that raise!), arguing for changes in policy, even communicating your opinions thoughtfully with friends and family. Become a better communicator overall, and get your point across-- whether your audience is one person, or one thousand people: https://notnotrocketscience.com/amazing-talk