Good morning everyone, happy Saturday.
Heres the TL;DR version: Writing workshop is tomorrow and there is space available. Read more and register here.
Some folks have reported issues registering off their mobile devices so if you notice that either try from a desktop/laptop or email me and I’ll get it sorted <3
If you need a little nudge off the fence, I offer a story to share how this style of workshop got me back into writing after putting it off for years…
On March 13th, 2015, at 12:34am, my beloved grandfather crossed over.
It so happened that
I was the only person in the room with him at the moment of his death, and
March 13th is my birthday.
Have you ever had a “turning point” moment in your life? This was one of mine.
In the couple of years prior, a familiar itch I’d back burnered for a long time came roaring back into my consciousness. This was the itch to write, to place more focus on something that had always brought me so much joy and meaning, and to make space for it in my life instead of continuing to put it off.
From a very young age, probably from the time I started reading, I imagined that I’d be a writer when I grew up. And though I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when that dream when underground, somewhere along the line I made the decision to focus on more pragmatic and practical pursuits.
What this translated to: in 2015, I was 31 and had found myself hamster-wheeling my way through what one might call a career in business-operations-type roles, while at the same time magically thinking that if I just tried harder at teaching yoga I would be able to support my most-expensive-city-in-the-universe life in San Francisco. I had started questioning these choices (it was around this time that I was getting so exhausted of being broke all.the.time) and realized that after I had landed my first job after college, I just kinda kept going in similar roles, even though I hated the work.
I started following a local writing teacher and kept promising myself that I’d sign up for his next workshop. Years passed, and then one day I opened his weekly column and read that he was moving to Italy. I berated myself for not having taken earlier action and promised myself that I would find a similar style workshop and sign up ASAP.
Instead, time continued to pass.
If you’ve experienced loss, you know the rearranging that occurs it its wake. After my grandfather died, the puzzle pieces of my inner world shifted. One of the shifts was understanding that I did not want to die not having pursued the longing of my heart.
Within weeks I’d found another workshop in the style I felt comfortable exploring, which is to say, the style of workshop that I now offer. Most magical of all, I got to join a group led by someone who has become one of my dearest humans (please check out and subscribe to his Substack if you are curious about diving deeper into writing and creativity).
I was so nervous that first night, arriving at Chris’ house to a roomful of people who’d been writing together for years. I was immediately put at ease by Chris’ warmth, and the warmth of the people who are drawn to learn from and write with him. After the first prompt, I surprised myself by reading my work aloud.
But the best part was the way I was received. I was offered generous and encouraging feedback, and people shared with me “what they like, what they remembered, what stood out.” Being able to share my words in a critique-free environment as I made my way back to writing was the thing that had me feel safe enough to eventually take bolder steps in the direction of my dreams - including going back to school for an MFA in Creative Writing, finishing a novel, and beginning to teach writing myself.
If you see yourself in my story. If you long to write, to express yourself, to spend some time with your imagination. If something calls you to get what’s on your heart out and onto the page, I offer my sincerest invitation that you join us tomorrow.
You will be met with care, and kindness, joy and encouragement. That’s my forever promise.
P.S. Some folks have reported issues registering off their mobile devices so if you notice that either try from a desktop/laptop or email me and I’ll get it sorted <3