(VIEW UPCOMING POETRY WRITING CLASSES)
Poetry Writing Workshops: Commonly Asked Questions
1. What do you learn in a poetry writing workshop?
How to deeply enjoy the experience of writing creatively.
Together, we’ll notice the obstacles (beliefs, ways of approaching writing) that are causing you discomfort, and explore how to make space in your life for creativity in a way that actually nourishes you.
Here’s something else I hope you’ll learn in my classes: How to write poetry that belongs irrefutably to you and your body. You don’t need to change who you are to write resonant poetry. Your poetry can be a celebration of the logic-leaping delights of your imagination, and of the life experience that transports the listener to your way of seeing the world. Your poetry can be a way of discovering what wisdom you carry within your body when you bravely give it voice.
2. Who are these classes for?
I’ve worked with writers at various stages of their career. I’ve also worked with herbalists, leadership coaches, gardeners, school teachers, accountants, visual artists, marketers, mothers, fathers, and folks in the process of figuring out what they want to do next.
My students take my classes:
- To engage with how they approach writing;
- To be in community;
- As a form of self care;
- To work through writer’s block;
- To reignite their imagination and nurture their creative self;
- To receive guided instruction that will carry them to places that are new to them as writers and creatives;
- Because they’re simply curious about poetry, and what this form of writing may have to offer them.
3. What does a typical poetry writing workshop look like?
The topics we tackle in every workshop are huge: anxiety, love, longing, loss, authenticity.
We open each session with 2-3 journalling prompts that will invite you, right away, to engage in mindful reflection. Beautiful commonality and difference in experience emerge as folks share their reflections with one another. The direction this opening conversation takes depends on the curiosity of the group, and serves as the foundation for each session.
We move from here into a 45 minute writing practice. This practice includes:
- a 15 minute Breathexperience practice as an entrance into writing (here, we add the perspective of the body and breath to what we’ve just been discussing),
- 4 freewriting questions that are more poetic in nature and that encourage creative thinking;
- 15 minutes of space to write a poem (you’re encouraged to turn off your camera during this segment).
Afterwards, we come together to share what we’ve written, and to respond to what we hear in each other’s work. The sharing portion is where everything comes together, although it is never mandatory. A student once described it as theatrical climax of each class.
4. What is Breathexperience breath work?
Breathexperience is the mindfulness practice that I offer as an entrance into writing. This style of breath work encourages the breath to come and go on its own without intervention. It is a Western practice that was developed by Ilsa Middendorf in 1965, although it has roots in lots of other modalities including Feldenkrais.
5. Where should I begin?
Visit the upcoming classes page to see what’s coming up. My Embodied Poetry workshop is a wonderful place to begin, and will deepen your experience of all my other workshops — although it is not a pre-requisite. You can also drop-in to a Develop a Writing Ritual session for free, which is a great opportunity to meet me.
If you have any questions about any of the workshops or classes, you can send me an email at christine@9creativelives.com