In this eight-week writing series, we will explore that holy field that poet, Rumi, speaks about, that field "beyond wrongdoing and rightdoing." The field beyond "good" and "bad." The field beyond censoring and judgment.

"Write Yourself Free" is all about freeing ourselves so that we can write & live from true, rather than writing and living from a place of trying to be *good*. 

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In my poem "The Most Important Thing," I write:

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I am making a home inside myself. A shelter 
of kindness where everything
is forgiven, everything allowed—a quiet patch 
of sunlight to stretch out without hurry, 
where all that has been banished and buried 
is welcomed, spoken, listened to—released.

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A fiercely friendly place I can claim as my very own.

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During this special, pre-holiday series, we will specifically focus on creating the most beautiful shelter of kindness inside ourselves, where all parts of you are allowed, welcomed even. A fiercely friendly place you can claim as your very own. It really is the most important thing. And what better time, right before the busy holiday season, is there to create a beautiful home inside yourself. 

During our time together, we will let our pens go where they need to go. There will be no editing, no critiquing, no trying to be good—no trying, period. As Mary Oliver so beautifully writes in her poem "Praying": This isn't a contest but a doorway.

 

Writing practice is about separating the creator and the editor, setting the timer for a designated amount of time (usually 10 minutes) and then letting our pens fly...the faster we write, the more able we are to outrun that nasty critic that likes to hang out in our minds. Allowing our pens to move faster than our monkey mind, allows us to access that deeper place inside of us that tells it as it is (not how we think it should be). Writing practice is the truest, most healing and powerful thing I know. 

 

Whether you are an experienced writer, a writer who can't seem to bring yourself to the page, someone who is longing for a safe, nourishing circle of women where you can see and be seen, hear and be heard, or/and you simply want a safe refuge during these turbulent times - this is your doorway. Consider it a sanctuary for your spirit, quiet away from the noise. A place to dive into your creative center and hear your own voice speak. A safe circle where you can write, in Natalie Goldberg's words "what your mind actually sees and feels, not what it thinks it should see and feel."

Please Note: You absolutely do not need to be a writer to find great richness in this class!

This eight week offering is rooted in writing practice as developed by author, Natalie Goldberg, in her classic book, "Writing Down the Bones." Many years ago, I had the great honor of attending Natalie's writing retreats in Taos, New Mexico. I’m not sure I would have started sharing my writing or published a book/books without Natalie's permission to "feel free to write the worst junk in the world." Natalie's permission and encouragement, along with my ongoing commitment to writing practice (which is all about separating the creator and the editor), is what gave and gives me the courage to show up and write. And to keep writing.