Volume IV, Issue 47 November 23, 2015 Dear ,
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so thankful for you in this time when the news is so often full of hate, full of violence, full of loss. Like many, my heart is still heavy with what happened in Paris. Now, more than ever, our world so
needs people who invest their energy in creativity, the common good, and outright love and generosity of spirit.
And even, sometimes, pure, childlike fun. Like when my friend Kathy shared one of her favorite seasonal traditions with me recently—every autumn, she catches a falling leaf midair. We ran around like fools together, laughing as we
leaped toward scraps of russet, crimson, butternut as they swirled downward from the treetops.
Here we are, celebrating Kathy's success. (Thanks to Wendy Gill, who's teaching the Artist's Way classes listed below, for this photo.) Kathy is more agile and experienced than I am; however, I did not give up, and was able to send her news of my leaf-in-the-hand moment this past
Friday. How can we engage in something so frivolous in such heart-wrenching times? Because, I believe it is our work in dark times to appreciate all that is
good, to, as poet Adam Zagajewski urges, "Try to Praise the Mutilated World." For praise is an act of faith, of hope, of charity -- of Thanksgiving. What lifts our spirits more than the genuine gratitude embedded in praise?
In this
vein, my Thanksgiving gift to you is this week's prompt based on Barbara Crooker's "Praise Song"—it's one I turn to again and again. I hope you find a few minutes this week to savor the sweetness of savory praise! (Okay, I confess I have pumpkin pie, cranberries, and sage-tinged stuffing on my brain—I'm cooking for 17+ people
on Thursday. Praise my husband who's grilling the turkey so I don't have to wrestle it into a roasting pan!)
Love and light, and a praise-filled Thanksgiving, Upcoming WordPlay
WINTER WRITING
RETREAT only 3 spaces left!
(Writing as Renewal/Creating New Writing/
Tools for a Writing Life)
Renew and delight yourself. The Winter Writing Retreat is an opportunity to create new pieces of writing and/or new possibilities for our lives. Enjoy various seasonal prompts; they elicit beautiful material that can be shaped into essays, poems, stories, or articles. After a
communal lunch, you’ll have private time which can be used to collage, work with a piece of writing from the morning, or play with a number of other writing prompts and methods. You’ll take home new ideas, new drafts, and new possibilities. $97 includes lunch and supplies.
WHERE: South Charlotte area. Details will be provided upon
registration.
WHEN: Saturday, December 19th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To pay online with your credit card or PayPal, click here.
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CHECK OUT THIS UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY, TAUGHT BY WORDPLAY CREATIVE COMRADE WENDY GILL* THE ARTIST'S WAY: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (Expanding Our Creativity;
Creating Joy and Fulfillment in Our Lives)
Are you ready to discover the joy of
creativity? Using the proven tools and structure of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, this course will spur your imagination and guide your journey toward creative self-expression.
Our 2-hour sessions include weekly check-ins, hands-on activities, and creativity exercises. The encouragement and support of this small in-person community (what Julia Cameron calls a “creative cluster”) will help you fully
experience the power of The Artist’s Way.
COST: $260 for 13 classes, if registered on or before December
20, 2015 (Early Bird Special)
$295 for 13 classes, if registered after December 20, 2015 WHERE: Downtown Matthews, NC WHEN: Session A: Thursday mornings, 10 AM – Noon, January 14 –
April 7, 2015 Session B: Thursday evenings, 7 PM – 9 PM, January 14 –
April 7, 2015
TO REGISTER: For more information or to register, please email Wendy directly at Wendy@ProfessionalCommunications.com.
*Wendy H. Gill was a special education teacher for 22 years. One of
her greatest joys as an educator was adapting stories, rhymes and songs to engage her students and instill a love of books. She left full-time teaching in 2000 to create a literacy enrichment program for young children. She is currently a writer, producer, and the owner of Professional Communications, a creative video production agency. Her poems and
essays have appeared in a variety of regional and national publications.
More WordPlay opportunities here. WordPlay Featured Writing
Praise Song
by
Barbara Crooker
Praise the light of late
November, the thin sunlight that goes deep in the bones.
.... Praise the blue sky that hasn't cracked yet. Praise the sun slipping down behind the
beechnuts, praise the quilt of leaves that covers the grass: Scarlet Oak, Sweet Gum, Sugar Maple…
...to read the full poem, please visit this link:
WordPlay Now! Writing
Prompt This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "praise."
PROMPT:
Write your own praise song. Set a timer for seven minutes, and keep your pen moving as you praise everything and/or everyone that brings you joy, both the full-out and bittersweet varieties. Use Barbara Crooker's lovely "Praise Song" as an example, and let it rip. Come back to the word "praise" as
often as you need to so that you can write continuously until your timer sounds.
Share with someone you love. Maybe even over Thanksgiving dinner...
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word
work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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