In botany, corona refers to crownlike flower structures, such as the central part of the daffodil. The coronavirus has pressed a giant pause button for all of us, granting, for some, more time for thinking and reflection.
Wellspring Writing is my name for the expressive writing workshops I facilitate. In each 90-minute session, we’ll typically write together three times. Here’s what happens in a Wellspring Writing session:
We do a simple warmup.
I read a carefully selected poem, or occasionally a prose excerpt. Then I read it again. I offer a couple of prompts from the poem to get you thinking about your own writing. Then we write.
We write in 10- to 15-minute bursts, pen moving the whole time, saying yes to what comes and allowing it to flow onto the page.
Then we each read what we’ve written, held by a supportive space that only includes listening: no criticism; no crosstalk.
The mechanics of continuous, short writing allow us to bypass our inner nag. We’re not concerned with cleverness or proper grammar or correct spelling. We’re trying to write with openness and honesty, to say yes to what comes, write it down, and share it with our compatriots in the group.
We’ll hold the sessions on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. Zoom is easy and intuitive to use. Via email, I’ll send the Zoom link out to those who register shortly before each session. If you have no experience with Zoom, I’ll do a one-on-one, five-minute orientation to acquaint you with the platform before our first session. (Let me know if you’d like to do that: wellspringwriting1@gmail.com)
Here are the nuts and bolts:
Each session will last 90 minutes. The series will happen on four consecutive Tuesdays:
April 7th
April 14th
April 21st
April 28th
We’ll meet from 9-10:30 am PST.
You can sign up for one or more single sessions for $60 each. Or you can sign up for the four-week series for $200. Signing up for all four sessions allows participants to really become familiar with the practice, which in turn can make writing more fluent and easeful.
To register, please fill out the form on this page. Registration is complete after payment, which is due at least 48 hours before the session begins. If you sign up for all four sessions, payment is due 48 hours before the first session. You can pay using either PayPal (mmpurpura@gmail.com) or Venmo (@mmpurpura).
Please contact me with any questions: wellspringwriting1@gmail.com
I wish you all good health and time outdoors.
Mary Purpura