Upcoming events

  • Brookdale - Be The Elephant

    25 -27 Aug 2025, Nottingham Road

    Brookdale guests can look forward to a three night, two day stay at SA’s premier Health Hydro where Ant will launch her latest workshop - Be The Elephant which goes to The Barcelona Journaling Festival in November.

    In the dry landscapes of Africa, elephants dig beneath the surface to find hidden springs - water not just for themselves, but for the whole herd and community. This workshop is an invitation to do the same. To slow down. To dig deep. To listen to your heart and uncover the words that restore and sustain you.

    Gather your friends or your circle, and come enjoy a a few days out to be inspired, encouraged, and reconnected to your heart.

    Click Here

  • Salt Rock - Be The Elephant

    Thursday 21 Aug 2025 (7-9pm)

    Big Tree Africa, The Litchi Orchard - R500pp includes a glass of wine or a cappuccino.

    Be The Elephant: A Journaling Workshop
    This workshop is an invitation to slow down, to dig deep, and to listen to your heart while you uncover the words that restore and sustain you. Through journaling, we’ll explore how to access the strength, creativity, and resilience that’s already within you, not just for yourself, but for your family, your friendships, and your community.

    Gather your friends or your circle, and come enjoy a night out to be inspired, encouraged, and reconnected to your heart. Come and Do The Heart Work.

    https://www.dotheheartwork.co.za/shop

  • Barcelona - Be The Elephant

    8-9 November - Barcelona, Spain

    I’ve been invited to speak and lead a workshop at the Barcelona International Journaling Festival.

    What to expect at Barcelona Journaling Festival'25:

    Inspiring panels, deep-diving journaling workshops, meeting international authors and teachers, new meaningful connections.

    The festival will be happening at BAU, Spain’s most influential arts and design college.

    Two days jam-packed with the most inspiring talks and practical workshops will help you elevate your journaling practice — or discover what it is all about if you’re new to this! — and connect with like-minded people.

    https://barcelonajournalingfestival.com/

  • Jozi - Fireside Chat with Cindy Norcott

    7 August - Johannesburg

    Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or simply trying to live more intentionally, Cindy’s insights will inspire and energise you.

    This event is full. Join the waiting list by emailing info@dotheheartwork.co.za

  • Hillcrest, Durban - Seize The Season

    Tuesday 2 September - Hillcrest, DBN

    Join Cindy Norcott and I as we cheer you into the beauty of Spring. A morning of inspiration and fresh perspective. Includes breakfast. Olive & Oil, Lillies Quarter. R330pp.

    Email reception@proappoint.co.za to book

  • Online Workshop

    Saturday, 13 September 1-4pm

    An intimate online workshop created especially for a small group of women in the USA. Email info@doteheartwork.co.za to book your own online event.

    Private Event

Events, workshops & retreats

Workshops, retreats, courses & journal mentorship

For more information, including pricing, please pop us an email.

  • You can book Ant to speak at your event. In an hour, she will inspire and encourage listeners to journal. She will delve into the history and science behind journaling, providing your audience with thought-provoking and engaging content, as well a practical exercise to kickstart a life-giving journaling practice.

  • Ant will host this workshop and give your group the tools they need to start journaling and stay journaling through all seasons of life.

  • For those who have attended Ant’s Intro to Journaling Workshop. Dive deeper into your journaling practice. Learn new methods to unblock creative expression, get new techniques to work through personal issues in your journal, heal broken relationships, access your subconscious, interpret your dreams, and heal from childhood wounds.

  • Includes an A4 handstitched leather journal, art supplies, drinks and snacks.

    Ant will open some of her journals and, page by page, teach you to fill up your journal with the things that are closest to your heart. In this fun, creative, and incredibly interactive workshop, you will learn to practically pour your heart (and paints) out on paper.

  • Ant will lead you through three-hour sessions a day for three consecutive days. A beautiful way to learn how to journal and to practice what you’re learning, day by day. This retreat concept is inspired by Ant’s Journaling Getaways hosted at Brookdale Health Hydro in Nottingham Road (visit www.brookdale.co.za for more).

  • For those who have attended Ant’s Intro to Journaling Workshop. Dive deeper into your journaling practice. Learn new methods to unblock creative expression, get new techniques to work through personal issues in your journal, heal broken relationships, access your subconscious, interpret your dreams, and heal from childhood wounds.

  • Tailored to suit your group, Ant will deliver an engaging, inspiring, and empowering session on Journaling.

    • Session One: Introduction to Journaling. The history and science of journaling. Foundations of a life-giving journaling practice and keys to keep journaling.

    • Session Two: Helpful tools to creatively unblock, clear out the mental debris, and journal through the everyday ordinary in a way that reveals how extraordinary it really is.

    • Session Three: Using your journal to set and cast vision; How to journal through day and night dreams.

  • In-person or online, you can book Ant for private journal mentorship sessions. In these sessions, you will work together to set a goal for your journaling practice, and Ant will help you to not only achieve this goal but will coach you through several different ways to journal and access the depths of your own heart, mind, and soul.

“..she is a kind and patient teacher, who gives much of herself as she imparts her wisdom.”

Testimonials

The online journaling workshop was a powerful tool for our Grade 11 girls. It was helpful to consider the benefits of journaling and some of the various methods. Thank you Ant for creating a safe and practical space for our girls to learn and grow.

– Meg Meeding, Head of Life Orientation, St Anne’s Diocesan College

Ant inspired us to inspire the boys we teach! As life-long learners, we are constantly looking for ways to reinvent ourselves as teachers. A journalling-day with Ant reignited a love for writing while reminding us of the importance of reflection. We use these strategies in our classrooms daily.

– Tanith von Mayer, Head of English Department, Michaelhouse

Ant spent an afternoon with our marketing and communications team, providing an amazingly authentic experience. She helped us connect as a team and explore different aspects of ourselves, fostering a broader and deeper level of connection. Through her coaching on journaling, especially vision journaling, she equipped us with a valuable tool to understand our current state and envision where we want to be. This perspective is crucial in our fast-paced school environment. We highly recommend her and encourage you to invest in what she offers—it is truly unique and impactful.

– Pete Storrar, Director of Advancement, Hilton College

Antoinette has a beautiful gift to write, which she shares diligently through her journaling course.

She provokes and challenges you to throw caution to the wind and write!

Her methods encourage you to start scribbling first thing in the morning with "morning pages" to more deeper reflective writings that encapsulate your pain, worries, joy, peace and gratitude....and even perhaps being emboldened to write a love letter to God. I've been inspired to write, and as I look at what I've written, maybe....just maybe a book could be birthed.....

A huge thank you, Antoinette for sharing your love word for word.

– Verna Douman

I attended Ant McDonald’s journalling retreat last year at Brookdale. I was unsure what to expect from the retreat and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. Ant has a very warm, vulnerable and authentic approach and she speaks from a space of faith, experience and intuition. Ant has an incredible mastery of the English language and was able to put concepts into words unlike any other facilitator I have encountered. The journalling retreat covered so much more than journalling. I took away many practical tools, life-hacks, nuggets and tips for journalling as well as for everyday life and I left the retreat feeling more equipped, calm and inspired.

– Cindy Norcott

It's hard to actually explain how much three short days with Ant has given me. I have always written my feelings and thought it was fun - the therapeutic benefit of actually having a gifted teacher guide us towards understanding the WHY and HOW to deeply connect to our innermost thoughts, feelings, dreams and desires was incredible. Ant spent three days guiding us towards falling in love with the magical art of journalling - she is a kind and patient teacher, who gives much of herself as she imparts her wisdom. It was such a special experience and I would HIGHLY recommend this course, this teacher and this experience to anyone; even if you have a daily diary ritual or if you've never written a word in a journal. Well worth it and a gift that grows in its preciousness each day you put the skills into practice.

– Caroline Holley (LinkdIn)

Past events

  • MeiTafel Launch

    8-9 November 2024

    Private Retreat, Fairland, Johannesburg

  • Wrapping The Year

    Friday, 29 November 2024

    Johannesburg

    Looking to start journaling or deepen your practice while reflecting on 2024 and setting intentions for 2025?

  • Advanced Journaling Retreat

    26 & 27 February 2025

    Nottingham Road

    This workshop has two spaces left…

  • Wave Church, Salt Rock

    28 February 2025

    The Litchi Orchard, Salt Rock

    Closed Event - Leaders Workshop

  • The Vine Church,

    15 March 2025

    Ink & Intimacy - Closed Ladies Workshop

    https://www.vinechurch.co.za/

  • St Stithians Boys College Charity Event

    15 March 2025

    Speaker: CHOC Fundraiser - 2-5:30pm

  • Kingsmead Book Fair 2025

    24 May 2025

    Antoinette McDonald shares the best ways to kickstart a life-giving journaling rhythm.

  • Whole-Hearted Ladies Conference

    Saturday 31 May 2025

    Speaker - The Wave Church, Salt Rock

  • Clifton Prep Nottingham Road

    12 May 2025

    Online Lessons - Grade 6’s

    What is Journaling and How do I do it?

  • YPO Pretoria Chapter Retreat

    June 24 2025

    Women’s Retreat - Hosted by YPO Pretoria

    https://www.ypo.org/africa/

  • St Anne’s Diocesan College, Hilton

    18,19,20, 23 June 2025

    Online Workshops - Grade 11’s

    The Joy of Journaling

  • Nice, Parkhurst

    26 June 2025, 17h30-21h00

    Workshop