Summer Journaling Circle – June 5, 12, 19, 26, July 10, 17

Inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Morning Pages in her book, The Artist’s Way, and modeled after Writing to Wholeness Toolkit compiled by Elena Anderson Eggert and Wendy Brown-Baez (Learn more about this project at https://writingtowholeness.com/)

Where and When

Pine Center for the Arts, Mondays @ 9:00 a.m. – 10:00/10:30 a.m.: June 5th, June 12th, June 19th, June 26th, July 10th, July 17th (these will be recurring in each season of the year with future dates yet to be determined for fall, winter, and spring).

Overview

“In order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it,” says Julia Cameron. One of her suggestions for that quest is called The Morning Pages – daily, long-hand, stream-of-consciousness writing. Let’s utilize The Morning Pages practice as we gather in community to inspire each other to create. Within our Journaling Circle, we will adapt her guidelines and do our Monday Morning Pages together.

Sample Session Outline

• Morning greetings and check-ins; we will each share our connection to creativity and/or our progress on our creative endeavors

• Mindfulness moment

• Monday Morning Pages and prompted writings – 30 minutes

• Self-reflection on our own writing

• Group sharing (optional)

• Inspirational reading from known creatives and thinkers to send us on our way

• Mindfulness moment

What to Bring

• A dedicated journal and writing utensil

• Your favorite coffee or tea or early day beverage

Caveats

The intention of our Journaling Circle to is provide community that encourages creativity. With that, you decide how you want to participate. You can attend all sessions or some sessions. During a meeting, you can share only what you want with the group. There is no requirement to speak and/or to offer up what you have written. Each writing session will also include a prompt; however, you get to decide whether to follow the prompt or not.  Maybe you’ll come for the sake of accountability or to simply be in a calm and encouraging space with others to do your own self-reflecting through writing.

Registration

$5 per session or $25 for all six

Facilitator

Hi! I’m Stacey Foster. I am excited to begin offering some writing workshops through the Pine Center for the Arts; stay tuned for more options to come. I am a long-time resident of Pine City who, after graduating from Hamline with an MFA in creative writing, teaches writing and English at Pine Technical & Community College. I have also taught creative nonfiction writing workshops through an earlier iteration of the Center (another is on the way). In addition, I am a writer myself. I’ve had a handful of poems published and am in the throes of revising my memoir, The Girl in the Mirror, which I hope finds its way into the world soon. Over the past few years, I have come to realize that community and healing through writing and story have risen as priorities, and I am eager to join with you in those realms.