Making Sense
An 8-week seminar for turning
clarifying ideas into remarkable media
It’s confusing out there! No matter how smart or well-informed you are, you encounter plenty of perplexing scenarios each day—some quite small, others are far-reaching.
We feel confused when what we expect is different from what we observe or experience. What we expect is the product of our mental models—our understanding of how things work.
Confusion is a sign that our mental model needs an update. We need a new way to think about what we’re observing or experiencing.
That’s where you come in. You use your experience, expertise, or boundless curiosity to make sense out of chaos. You give people the feeling of relief that comes from learning a new way to think about a perplexing scenario.
You already have this skill. You see it in the flashes of understanding others have when you explain your thinking. And now you’re ready to share your insights with more people.
Making Sense is a step-by-step framework for doing just that.
In Making Sense, you’ll explore the methods that sensemakers, theorists, and thought leaders use to help their audiences make sense of one small part of the world.
This 8-week seminar combines analysis, research, process, and craft. By the end, you’ll have a draft of an article, episode, video, or social media post (or a detailed outline of a larger work) that makes sense of an experience or question common to your audience.
Making Sense is for media makers of all kinds—writers, illustrators, content creators, speakers, academics, managers, etc.—who aim to turn lived experience and deep analysis into an idea that shifts how others think.
The Syllabus
Project: draft an article, episode, video, or social media post (or a detailed outline of a larger work) that makes sense of an experience or question common to your audience.
The Schedule
We’ll meet for 90 minutes on Tuesdays at 2pm ET (New York)/11am PT (Los Angeles)/7pm BT (London) between September 16 and November 4.
No meeting on October 14 (between Session 4 & 5) to accommodate your research and project work.
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“Sensemaking starts with chaos,” says organizational theorist Karl Weick.
So that’s where we’ve got to start. In this session, you’ll learn what sensemaking is, how chaos creates an opportunity to make sense, and the Who, What, and Why of identifying the chaos at the heart of your project.
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In this session, we’ll analyze the gaps in information and experience that make it difficult for your audience to see what seems clear to you. We’ll examine how sensemakers and media makers do this for the chaos they tackle.
Plus, you’ll create a “map” documenting both the visible and invisible information that allows you to make sense of the issue
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In this session, we’ll examine two common forms of sensemaking in digital media—content that aims to explain the chaos, and content that aims to persuade in response to chaos. We’ll also look at some short-form approaches to sensemaking.
Plus, you’ll create your own “Postage Stamp Thesis” to guide your project.
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In this session, we’ll identify opportunities to add research to your project, consider how to conduct that research, and identify a number of resources and workflows that make research more rewarding.
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Share your thesis and the skeleton of your project with the group for feedback.
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In this session, we’ll consider how various media forms help communicate a meaning beyond the content they contain. Buckle up for a whirlwind introduction to media theory, and enjoy putting these ideas in practice as we consider examples from TikTok, podcasts, YouTube, and more.
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Present your sensemaking project to the group for feedback. No matter what stage it’s in, we want to celebrate the work you’ve put into critical thinking and critical making.
Live, Online Learning
Making Sense is predominantly a live, online learning experience. We’ll meet on Zoom for 90-minute sessions that include lecture, media analysis, in-session assignments, and Q&A.
All sessions will be recorded and available for those who can’t attend or want to review them. Please prioritize attending live for the best experience!
We aim to practice inclusive online meetings—come as you are, camera on or off, mic on or off. We treat participation in the chat as equal to verbal participation.
Critical Making Assignments
Each week, you’ll get your hands dirty and move your project another step closer to completion. Our critical making assignments will not only help you make progress on your project, but also play, experiment, and get to know your own ideas better!
Feedback & Collaboration
Share your work with Tara and the group during live sessions for feedback. Hear how others are transforming their own insights into remarkable media.
Looking for 1:1 feedback and coaching? You can add on private sessions with Tara.
Meet Your Guide
Tara McMullin is a writer and critic who studies the future of work through the lens of philosophy, critical theory, and media. She's the creator of What Works and the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique audio & video production agency.
She believes that care, curiosity, and context create an environment where we can not only learn but experience new and sometimes challenging ideas with grace. She's coached, taught, and facilitated for over 16 years—including more than a dozen classes with CreativeLive.
Tara brings her own experience as an autistic feminist, endurance athlete, and amateur baker to everything she does.
Making Sense was made for you if you are:
A coach or consultant who feels confident in 1:1 work, but don’t know how to translate that into articles or social media posts
An academic who struggles when you try to reach audiences outside the academy
A small business owner who is tired of marketing-as-usual and wants to find a new way to reach customers
A manager or director tasked with getting your team on the same page and getting buy-in from higher-ups
A podcaster or video creator who wants to take a risk and build a body of work around a theory or framework you have
The Details
Making Sense is a limited enrollment 8-week live seminar. The enrollment fee is $400 (or 2 payments of $200). The group is limited to 15 participants.
You also have the option of adding 1:1 guidance from Tara. You’ll get 2 30-minute sessions (timing is flexible, but we recommend one around Week 3 and the other around Week 7). Use your sessions for additional guidance on your project, working on your content strategy, or discussing other craft or business challenges. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to submit your work in Week 4 and Week 8 for written feedback.
Choose the option below that works best for you. You’ll be prompted to create an account and then directed to checkout. Once you’ve checked out, you’ll have access to our private program hub.
Ready to Enroll?
Enrollment closes Monday, September 15.
Making Sense is limited to 15 participants.
Turn your meaningful idea into remarkable media so you can help others make sense of the world.
Get the full Making Sense program, plus get clear and direct feedback on your project and specific guidance on what to do next from Tara McMullin.
Questions?
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This seminar is designed to help content creators and communicators of all kinds. Whether you're a writer, video creator, podcaster, marketer, influencer, illustrator, or work in some other medium, you'll learn a process for upping your game and making the world make sense for those you create for.
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No! If you have an established newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, etc., where you can publish your final project, excellent! If you don't, Making Sense could help you jumpstart one if that's your goal. It can also help you craft better internal communications, draft a speech, or create compelling articles for other channels.
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Expect to spend 5-10 hours on your final project, depending on how ambitious it is! You'll receive weekly assignments so that your time commitment for that project is spread out over the 8 weeks.
Each live session is about 90 minutes, and we’ll have 7 over the course of 8 weeks.
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During live sessions, there will typically be enough time to get to everyone’s questions. If you can’t make it, there is an opportunity to submit questions beforehand.
We’ll do more in-depth feedback during Session 5 and Session 7 when you’ll have the opportunity to share part of your project with Tara and the group.
If you’re interested in even more feedback, opt for the 1:1 guidance option.
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Seminar x What Works often offers reduced fees and sliding scale prices for our programs. Because Making Sense is a limited enrollment, interactive seminar, we cannot offer reduced fees at this time.
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If you register before August 30 and need to drop out, you will receive a full refund. If you register after August 30 and need to drop out, you may transfer your registration to someone else.
Because the program is limited enrollment, no refunds or transfers will be made after September 5.
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You can get a feel for how Tara teaches by viewing her free lessons from her classes on CreativeLive. We recommend checking out this one and this one. You can also check out a recent talk she gave at Plywood Presents in Atlanta, GA.