Writing the Collective

Last week at the shore, I took an amazing writing class with Maya and Amy, of Food for the Soul Train. It was called Writing the Collective: Transcending Creative Solitude. They are hands down some of the most brilliant women I've ever known. I could listen to them speak for hours, as they have endless wisdom to offer around creativity and the writing process.

The majority of my writing experience tends to be in a quiet room with only a cup of coffee or glass of wine for company. Entering a group setting was exciting and definitely a little scary. Tasting trepidation is always a good sign that I'm pushing up against my edges and stretching myself.  It was hard to let go of my previous experience with words and dive into unfamiliar waters. I write slowly, methodically... and use the delete button constantly. I chose a pen and paper for this day and learned to handle fast and furious sessions with prompts.  I produced what I perceived as garbage in the morning. Really. Somehow that liberated me to loosen up and let go. By afternoon I was in all new territory... and loving the words that came flowing out. Some of it was funny. I'm not usually funny, so that was thrilling... to witness something foreign emerging. What a gift. There were many women that day who experienced a similar shattering of the old. In sharing it with others, I recognized how they were growing and stretching too. That only pushed me farther. Oh it was so GOOD- can you tell? 

Maya and Amy know how to pull out your truth and help you to express it in a way that resonates universally. In essence- they teach you how to write your best stuff. In the midst of such big exercise for the mind, they feel it necessary to shake things up- so always find ways to incorporate some serious play. We did an egg and spoon race in the morning and wrote "what we were done with" in the sand with butter knives, before the waves could wash it away. And on a side note... butter knives are the most brilliant sand writing tool ever- just so you know to pack some the next time you head to the shore!

 In the midst of writing this post, Maya and Amy announced that they would be offering this class online! Serendipity for all of you! I would recommend anything that these two do, but after experiencing this very class, I can tell you- it has potential to stretch and shift your writing... and even your life. Here are their thoughts on the teaching experience last week that inspired them to bring it to life on line.You can find out all of the details right here.