Volume V, Issue 14 April 4, 2016 Word of the Week: (un)settled Dear ,
When
Under Construction class member Jon Heaslet sent me a quote he thought I'd like about the way we creative people can struggle in finding the balance between being settled and unsettled, I had to laugh. And I had to feature this pair of words that describe not only my current life circumstances, but perhaps yours as well.
Why am I feeling such resonance with the idea of being
both settled and unsettled? Well, largely because just a little over a week ago, on Easter Sunday to be exact, my daughter and her family officially settled into our household with all their worldly goods that didn't get packed by the movers and put into storage awaiting their arrival in the D.C. area two weeks after the new baby is born. (As if awaiting a baby when you're nearly nine months pregnant—or your daughter is—isn't unsettling enough, right?)
Here we
are on move-in day!
I am loving having Amanda, Ross, and, of course, my dearheart Rhys within our walls. And it's unsettling, putting me in a state
that T.S. Eliot describes as being left distracted by the distractions from his distractions.
What saves me from moment to moment is doing my best to remember that these particular distractions are quite temporary, and will be followed by a dearth of Eskimo kisses, bouncy ball walks, trips to check out the frogs in our little backyard pond, readings of Sam Who Never Forgets, and
numerous other sweet gifts of this short era of our lives.
And also the glorious gift of being able to share these thoughts with you in the hopes that they will inspire some writing of your own. Thanks so much for being a Word-zine reader—knowing you're on the other end helps me to turn even the most unsettling days into fodder for writing.
I hope that our paths cross in person soon, either in a WordPlay workshop or retreat (see a few of the offerings coming up below), or perhaps at CPCC's Sensoria, an arts festival brimming with literary events and other cool opportunities. You can check out the full
schedule here. I'm hoping to attend a number of offerings—depending on when that baby decides to join our unsettled household!
Upcoming WordPlay
POETRY ROCKS!
(Learning the Ins and Outs of Poetry; Strengthening Your Writing Skills; Adding a New Layer of Literary Beauty to Your Life)
You’ll receive a daily “Poetry Creation Tool” in written and audio form (23 in all!) beginning on the day you register, AND, at the end of the program, an e-book that contains all your Poetry Rocks tools and
resources.
Would you like your writing—prose and/or poetry—to be more graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you.
Expect a good time exploring what makes a poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres.
It would be a joy and an honor to share what rocks about poetry with you!
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET: - 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday through Friday) to your inbox—in honor of National Poetry month. Use them as you get them, use them when you can, use them over and over to create poems. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem.
Many of them are great for creating prose, too. The tools include:
* a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn
* background information when helpful
* “how-to” directions to create a poem
* an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
* “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered - A PDF document of each tool that you can
print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart — this information
can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- Additional poetry resources
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come. COST: $45
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"WRITING OURSELVES
WHOLE"
Writing Workshop
Come and explore the benefits writing can provide—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In this workshop, you will learn and practice simple yet profound ways to use words to heal, to transform, and to grow, as well as to reflect on the way God is working in your life. These methods can also be used to
create stories, poems, and/or essays. Whatever form your writing takes, you will leave this retreat with a new set of skills for writing and growing. Our time together will be ideal for beginners as well as for seasoned writers as we explore the renewal and deepening of our relationship with God, self, others, and the world.
WHERE: Olmsted Manor Retreat Center. 17 E. Main Street, Ludlow, PA 16333.
WHEN: Saturday evening, May 14 until Monday afternoon, May 16, 2016
COST: $252 (includes tuition, room and board)
TO REGISTER: To register online, please visit the Olmsted Manor
Retreat Center website here.
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WRITE LIKE A GENIUS
(Expanding Our
Creativity; Learning New Tools for Our Writing and Our Lives; Creating New Writing)
Discover your own genius as you learn to apply seven fascinating approaches of Leonardo da Vinci to your writing. These techniques enliven non-fiction, poetry and fiction. Expect fun, inspiration and writing galore in your preferred genre, with opportunities to share your work.
$630 for one
week-long session (lodging and meals are additional – options can be found on the Folk School website) WHERE: John Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902
WHEN: Sunday, August 7
– Saturday August 13, 2016.
TO REGISTER: To register, please click this John Campbell Folk School link to register directly from them.
More WordPlay opportunities here. Featured Writer
Rev. Donna Schaper, Senior Minister at
Judson Memorial Church of New York City
Photo courtesy of http://judson.org/sermons/view/201
Featured Writing
T.S. Eliot described so well … his inability to write because the "distractions from his distractions left him distracted"[.]
Creatives know what it is like to be so unsettled that all they want to do is settle down, only to discover just
how boring settling down really is. Creatives understand the hassle of focusing. Seeing deeply. Finding what is light and gentle and soft in a hard world.
* We want to say a big "thanks!" to Jon Heaslet, who sent us an email recommending this writer. Thank you, Jon, for inspiring this week's Word-zine and introducing us to a talented, thoughtful
writer.
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 "(un)settled."
PROMPT: Write about a time you or a character felt particular settled and/or unsettled.
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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