Soothe any need for perfection, and learn to approach the blank page with focus, presence, and joy. Join the nourishing writing community that is developing through these classes. No previous experience with poetry writing is necessary.
Class Details
When:
Tuesdays at 6pm PST or
Wednesdays at 1pm PST
JOIN A CLASS
(Classes are 1 hour 45 minutes)
Where:
Online, over Zoom
Who:
All ages. Everyone is welcome.
12 students max per session.
Cost:
Your first class is free.
View package options.
Questions:
Email christine@9creativelives.com
Join the Metaphor and Renewal Series (March 22nd – April 27th)
Register for the remaining 3 poetry writing classes in this series, or drop-in to an individual class that excites you.
First time here? Your first class is free.
“[Christine] provided just the right balance between participant sharing and instruction. She managed to elicit such a range of poems and poetry practices from a very disparate group. I learned a lot. Thank you.” – Marlene
(Read more testimonials)
WHAT TO EXPECT:
We follow a similar class format every week.
1. Mindfulness
Reconnect with the sensation of the movement of your breath. This gentle entrance into writing will help you to approach the blank page with focus and presence. Based on Breathexperience work.
2. Guided Freewriting
Get your pen moving and ideas flowing. My freewriting questions invite you to truly wander within the vastness of your memories and imagination, with an awareness of your body and your breath.
For a sense of what kinds of questions to expect, go here.
3. Poetry Writing Practice
‘Practice’ is the key word here. You’ll have a spacious 15 minutes to explore for yourself the process of writing a poem. Notice when distraction arises and return to the page. Notice when experiences of flow arise, and lean into it. This is your chance to engage with your own creativity.
4. Conversation
We begin and conclude every class with conversation and sharing. You’ll have an opportunity to share your poetry and/or experience with others in the class, and to listen to the poetry or experiences of others. Sharing is not mandatory, and you are also invited to simply listen during this portion.
2022 CALENDAR
What’s coming up…
- Jan 18th – Feb 23rd: Voice and Narrative Series (6 classes)
- March 22nd – April 27th: Metaphor and Renewal Series (6 classes)
- May 3rd – June 8th: Sound and Sensuality Series (more info coming soon…)
COMING UP:
Metaphor and Renewal Series (March 22nd – April 27th, 2022)
Classes happen every Tuesday at 6pm PST and Wednesday at 1pm PST. Choose the class time that works best for you. Classes are 1 hour and 45 minutes (last 30 minutes of class is dedicated to sharing).
Join for an individual class or register for the full series. Discount available for new students!
Metaphor and Renewal – Poetry Writing Series
“Metaphors are essential to our understanding of our world, and can be used as a mechanism for creating new meaning in our lives… ” –– George Lakoff and Mark Johnson ‘Metaphors We Live By’.
Every week, practice writing new, imaginative, and embodied metaphors that enliven your way of seeing the world. Then turn your reflections into poetry.
Week 1: ‘The World has Changed’
March 22nd at 6pm PSTor March 23rd at 1pm PST
In this session, we’ll be writing new metaphors for life. ‘Life is a journey’ is a familiar metaphor that weaves itself into our language, but what else could life be?
Take stock of where you are and explore how you’ve moved through the changing landscape of your life, and then… write a poem.
(Title of this class is inspired by the poem ‘The World has Changed’ by Alice Walker).
Week 2: Longing
March 29th at 6pm PSTor March 30th at 1pm PST
“Longing, we say, because desire is full of endless distances.” – Robert Hass, Meditation at Lagunitas.
What endless distances do you look upon with longing? Explore and reimagine your relationship to those destinations that feel beyond your grasp or ability, and then… write a poem.
In this session, we’ll be writing new metaphors for longing and desire.
Week 3: Fear & Anxiety
April 5th at 6pm PST- or April 6th at 1pm PST
“Fear and joy come from our centre.” – Claude Kipnis, The Mime Book
When fear arrives, what happens next? Consider your relationship to the sensations, thoughts, and imagery which accompany fear’s arrival and departure, and then… write a poem.
In this session, we’ll be writing new metaphors for fear and anxiety that centre the experience of the body.
Week 4: Time
- April 12th at 6pm PST
- or April 13th at 1pm PST
“Each movement is an ocean / whose currents mingle. / Day is a moment held with countless others / in a world obsessed with time” – Robin Skelton, On Waking (from ‘Facing the Light’)
Do you treat time as a limited resource? As something lost, stolen, earned, wasted? Reflect on your relationship to time, and then… write a poem.
In this session, we’ll be writing new metaphors for time that feel nourishing and supportive.
Week 5: Awareness
- April 19th at 6pm PST
- or April 20th at 1pm PST
“From a morning with expectations a surprise, a word unanticipated and meant.” – Vievee Francis, A Small Poem
Let’s revisit a memory where awareness slowed down the tempo of a moment. Relish, examine, and explore that experience and then… write a poem.
In this session, we’ll be exploring new metaphors for awareness and notice how we process the world around us.
Week 6: Confidence and Belief
- April 26th at 6pm PST
- or April 27th at 1pm PST
“Poets, I think, are simply magicians without quick wrists.” – Gwendolyn MacEwan, Julian the Magician
When your body and imagination finally demand the nourishment of your belief, how do you give yourself what you need? Reflect on your experience and then… write a poem to return to whenever its needed.
In this final session, we’ll be writing new metaphors for confidence that are both embodied and imaginative.
PRICING / PACKAGES:
1) Attend the Metaphor and Renewal Series —
Attend the remaining 3 classes in this series for $72 CAD (or just $47 CAD for new students — this price is adjusted to include your first free class).
*12 students max per session.
2) Purchase a bundle and come when you can...
INDIVIDUAL CLASSES
$25 CAD
5 CLASS PACKAGE
$120 CAD ($5 discount)
*use within 5 months
10 CLASS PACKAGE
$240 CAD ($10 discount)
*use within 10 months
Cancellation Policy
If registering for a series, there are no refunds for missed classes. If you know your attendance will be unpredictable I’d recommend registering for a 5 or 10 class bundle instead.
REGISTER FOR CLASS:
Class payments can be made via e-transfer or Paypal (to bissonnette.cm@gmail.com), or by cheque.
PayPal payments include a processing fee.
After registering for class, I’ll be in touch with the Zoom link as well as further information regarding payment.
About the Facilitator:
Christine Bissonnette is a performance poet, poetry educator, and authorized teacher of Breathexperience breath work. Based in Vancouver, BC. She has designed and facilitated poetry workshops through ArtStarts in Schools, Vancouver Bienalle, Creative Mornings, Kudoz, and more.
Questions? Email christine@9creativelives.com
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