"What do I hope to get out of each workshop? Actually I am beyond hope - I am at a near-certainty that I will get wonder, pleasure, surprise, fun, challenge, companionship and inspiration."
~ D.L., workshop participant
Fundamentally, Portland Women Writers workshops are based on the Amherst Writers and Artists method developed by Pat Schneider. By offering a safe environment, these workshops support participants in finding and expressing their authentic voice, accessing their creative power and building community with other women. The foundation of Schneider's approach is the revolutionary notion that writing is "an art form available for all persons." PWW workshops draw from Schneider's "Five Essential Affirmations:"
1. Everyone has a strong, unique voice.
2. Everyone is born with creative genius.
3. Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level.
4. The teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer's original voice or artistic self-esteem.
5. A writer is someone who writes.
During a Portland Women Writer workshop, facilitators offer inspiring prompts into the freewrite that spark creativity and encourage writing from one's authentic voice. These doorways help the writer bypass the critical mind and go where they most need to go with the writing. The writer is always welcome to disregard the prompt and write whatever she wants. We write for different time periods and always have a chance to share what we have written, although sharing is always optional. Sometimes we open the circle for non-critical feedback. We write by hand in order to connect more deeply with our body, breath and heart.
Writing is often a solitary practice. Writing in community offers us a chance to learn from one another as both writers and human beings. We witness each others' stories in a respectful, inspiring, uplifting environment. In this day and age of technology, social media and electronic devices Portland Women Writers consciously chooses to bring people together in the same space. We believe this real-time human connection promotes health, happiness, authentic connection and a diminishment of isolation. The majority of our workshops are held in a participant's home. Having the opportunity to write in the beauty and comfort of a home environment is a treat for writers. It also gives us the opportunity to offer writing circles at different locations aross the metro area.
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