Please be sure to read all of the information/description below & feel very free to ask any questions you may have. You can email me at writeyourselffree [!at] gmail.com with any questions.
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An 8 week series with poet/author Julia Fehrenbacher
With a focus on Radical Self Love.
WHEN? Wednesdays, October 2nd—November 20th, from 9-11:00am (PST)
Where? Online via Zoom
Price? $299​​​​​
​This will be an intimate group limited to 11 women.
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Julia's Write Yourself Free class shows us the way was within us all along. It’s not about good writing, it’s more about seeing. Being. Speaking. And being freed from self criticism and the bondage that the opinions of others can bring to us. It’s the field of spaciousness where we come face to face with life.
- Leah Griffith
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.
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"The aim of writing practice is to burn through to first thoughts, to the place where energy is unobstructed by social politeness or the internal censor, to the place where you are writing what your mind actually sees and feels, not what it thinks it should see and feel." Natalie Goldberg
Our weekly time together will include:
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Mindful poetry. Short readings about presence, trust, courage, brave, wholehearted living, etc...
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We will alternate between periods of timed writing, reading our writing, and listening deeply while others share their writing, not from a place of judgment or analysis, or trying to be "good," but rather, from a place of deep presence, attention & acceptance.
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Our own private Facebook page to connect & share during our five weeks together.
I would so love to have you join us!
From my heart and home to yours,
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Julia​​​​​​​
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October series is sold out.
Please email at: writeyourselffree@gmail.com to be added to the waitlist
—Theresa
"Write Yourself Free was one of the first brave steps I made in my journey back to health and myself. Julia, thank you for holding space for me when I was locked up so tight and buried so deep under the pile of shit life had mudslided upon me. Thank you for creating the online safe space for me to write the worst shit and still be a valuable member of the sacred circle, a space for me to weep after writing words that wrote themselves, and hearing them as I read them out loud. Few have penetrated my inner circle as you have. I'm a better woman for it. Thank you."
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"Julia creates such a safe and positive space in her Write Yourself Free classes. My writing in daily life is limited to far too many work emails, so Julia’s class has been a revelation. Her thought-provoking writing prompts and complete acceptance and non-judgement have given me a place to express myself, work through issues, and even surprise myself sometimes. Sharing my writing with the group in the moment is both validating and liberating. I love that there’s no critiquing and only deep listening. It makes me realize what a gift it is to have people listen to me in an accepting, kind, and curious way. I love this class and the way Julia facilitates with heart!"
—Lisa
Julia brings a beauty and an acceptance that is utterly heartwarming, tender, and kind of like the comfiest couch you can ever imagine.
- Elloa Phoenix Barbour
"Julia’s class was a wonderful opportunity to connect with my deeper self and write from that sacred space. It was so wonderful to gather with other women in a creative and supportive circle—joined by our shared love of writing."
—Michelle
"It’s been so interesting because I’m used to holding so much back, but when I start writing without evaluating what I’m saying or if I should say it, everything just comes out. After the classes I always feel so drained, but in a good way, like after having a really good workout, when you’ve left it all out there. It’s been transformative in ways I never imagined."
—Denea
"Thank you, with all of my heart! Julia, I have felt supported and safer with each week. When I signed up, I honestly wasn’t sure that I’d feel comfortable to read anything out loud. You have been true to your word, created such a soft nest for us, and I’m very grateful for that.Thank you for your encouragement and speaking to my fears. You have helped me write again, get out of my head, and trust in the process of writing practice. You have given so much beauty and love to us, and opened up a new world to me. It’s been a long time coming! Very blessed."
—Jeanette