Write From Your Heart

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional” – attributed to the Dalai Lama.

It is hard work, when we are grieving, not to suffer; suffering — personal and universal — has become a condition of how we live.

Writing, especially poetry, fiction, journaling and memoir, has always been a place where we can count on being allowed to feel, in physical, emotional and spiritual ways, our connection to loss.

The immense reservoir of feelings we carry can easily overwhelm. Learn to write clearly and honestly about what hurts, from that part of your heart where grief, shame, fear, rage and love lie waiting for a salve. This will connect you with others who are fighting battles of their own. When we share our pain with others, we see we are not alone, but in heartfelt and validating company.

In this interactive workshop, we will use readings and exercises to tap into the thoughts and feelings we carry, and are often burdened by, through whatever medium you choose. We will write, and share our work, when we are ready, with other participants in a safe non-judgmental space. No writing experience required. Every time I sit down to write, I am a beginner.

You can expect to learn

• That your life matters.
• That there is always a place for humour, even when you can’t find anything to laugh about. Example: “This may sound silly, but I’m not here” —Marlon Brando’s answering machine. Brando died in 2004.
• As a writer you are bound by the rule that difficulty of expression is no excuse for not expressing. Poetry expresses what cannot be said in words.
• That there are no rules, only effects.

Testimonial

“An eye and heart opener for me was in understanding permission to be real, to be myself, without self-editing everything — I see how I was holding back from fear of being seen. Thank you for alighting that path of speaking to real heart, real soul, from the beginning. That’s been a remarkable lesson.” – PJ, past participant

Daily Schedule

A detailed schedule will be emailed to you about 30 days prior to your program. Click here to view a sample program schedule.