Wild Writing Groups
The deets.
Who.
Anyone wanting to write and unleash their creativity, discover your voice, write more, and be more present in your life and the world around you.
What.
This generative writing practice uses poetry as our entry point to let go of our inner critic and write our lives. This small group offers a space to explore, be vulnerable, and form deep connections to the natural world, others in the group, and ourselves.
This group is a safe, supportive environment to share a simple writing practice that becomes so much more powerful when shared with other writers.
When.
In-person: TBD in March!
Zoom: TBD in March! Email alison@cascadeendurance.com if you’re interested.
Where.
In-person group meets in our space above NCMG in the building next to the Mazama pub.
Zoom group meets anywhere you are!
How it works.
In each class, I'll bring poems to share with you along with jump off lines from the poems and one other prompt. I'll keep the time, and we'll all write as quickly as possible, letting ourselves be messy and loose. Then, we take turns sharing what we wrote. There is no feedback, just quiet presence of a wonderful group of women. I almost didn't do the class once I learned I had to share what I wrote, but I was blown away at how sharing changed both how I wrote, and how I processed what I wrote. By signing up for the class, we all agree not to share anything about anyone's work, and we trust that everyone takes care of themselves. We don't refer to anyone's work without permission and it is up to each person to say yes or no, so that the writing space can free to hold whatever comes up that day. The other side of this is that listening to each other's lives through our writing is a practice in presence and connection that is so important and has the power to transform our tiny little valley (we'll go over all of this much more in the first class).
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If you are interested in writing, this group is for you. The goal of this practice is to explore our lives on the page in a safe, supportive environment.
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Good writing comes from honesty and this group helps your inner voice find a way onto the page. We don’t offer any feedback, but rather listen deeply and allow you, the writer, the space to see what happens when you let go of the inner critic and let your words flow onto the page. Often these sessions become the first draft of essays, stories, or poems. You’re welcome to refine and expand on them on your own. Many writers are surprised at the beauty that comes from letting go of what they think they “should” do or write about and allow their true voice to shine through.
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In addition to the ground rules we all agree to, we all will be modelling and practicing the power of vulnerability and trust, especially in a small community. Imagine a world where people from different backgrounds or perhaps even more radical, people you think you know very well, trust you to see their full selves: magic.
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We use lines from poetry as our prompts and write away, for a set period of time, then take turns reading what we wrote, without comments or talking. Rather, we simply listen, acknowledge, and move on to the next person. We find that using poetry offers a new access point to our life’s stories, and reading our writing connects us to the work and the human experience in a beautiful way.
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We know that much of training is mental, and another big part of it is the practice of doing the work, day after day. This practice is another form of that, which strengthens the muscle of being bored but continuing on, showing up for yourself, and being more present. Whether you want this practice to help your training or not, you’ll find new insight into the relationship you have with your surroundings, other people in your life, and yourself.
