Openings: Poetry Workshop

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Openings: 12 Gates to Poetic Inspiration

If you’d love to:

Revel in the play of words and the magic of language
Write poems that surprise and delight you
Learn tools of the poets’ art that expand your creative palette
Deepen your appreciation of the vast world of poetry and get excited about a wealth of poetic voices and styles
Discover a wide range of approaches to inspiration and the writing of a poem
Learn secrets of revision to make your poems shine
Foster a regular creative practice that enlivens your life
Befriend other wonderful creative people

Then, now is the time to join us!

This lively, fun poetry workshop will get you inspired, keep you writing, help you develop your unique voice and art, and deepen your appreciation of poetry, while enjoying the companionship of other creative souls.

Perfect for all levels of experience. You will be inspired and stretched to grow as an artist and poet in a beautiful, supportive environment.

12 Gates to Poetic Inspiration:

Opening to the Magic of Language—waking up to words, word choice and lexicons, the amazing building blocks of poetry, expanding our palettes
Opening to the Sensual World—how opening to our five senses and using vivid sensory details lights up not only our poems but our lives
Opening to Myth and Metaphor—how to use symbolic and figurative language to create wonder, delight and deep feeling in your poems
Opening to the Music of Poetry—attuning your ear to the sounds of words and lines to bring forth one of the most powerful and mysterious aspects of poetry
Opening to Voices and Masks—inhabiting other voices, persons and beings, as well as aspects of self, in our poems to free our voice and expression
Opening to Shapelines and Form—exploring poetic forms, shapes, line breaks and line lengths to find the one that is most right for your poem and how this influences the reading of the poem in potent ways
Opening to Memory and History—drawing on the rich storehouse of personal and collective memories as subject matter for our poems
Opening to the Heart of Emotions—poetry as the language of the heart, uniquely capable of moving people and freeing the writer to express that which needs expression
Opening to the Dream World—opening to the wisdom of our spirits, to the fantastical and imagistic to draw on a wealth of striking imagery and narrative for our poems
Opening to Imagination and Adventurousness—experimental and avant-garde forms, styles and voices, freeing our imagination to play in the field of words
Opening to the Unspeakable and Unsayable—giving voice to that which is difficult to speak about and to that which goes beyond words to express, a key function of poetry through the ages
Opening to Ideas and Questions—playing with the philosophical, with ideas and curiosity as a springboard for our poems that invite our readers to open their minds

You will be introduced to a wealth of approaches, tools of the poets’ art, poetic styles and voices, and gates to inspiration in this adventure into the art and craft of poem-making.

New cycle: February 10 – April 27, 2016. 12 Sessions.
Meets Wednesdays 3:00 – 5:45 pm in downtown Grass Valley.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS COURSE IS NOW CLOSED.

Dive into writing, reading and appreciating poetry as an art and a way of life.

Develop your unique poetic voice and blossom as a writer.

Explore new forms, styles and tools of the art and craft of poetry.

Sustain your inspiration, discovering a wealth of poetic possibilities, and learning how to support an ongoing creative life.

Be a part of a creative community of other wonderful poets and people, where you can share your inspirations and questions, and thrive together.

Structure:

Space is limited to 8, so you gets lots of individual attention.

During our sessions, we:

• Discuss your poems-in-progress. The group’s carefullly-guided, constructive feedback and suggestions are structured to encourage you to keep writing, exploring and honing your craft. Each session we read and discuss four of the participants’ poems in class and take the four others home to write comments on. In that way, you get an alternation of verbal and written feedback to help you hone your poems and stay inspired to keep writing.

• Learn aspects of the art and craft of poetry, such as metaphor, line breaks, vivid imagery, poetic forms, persona and more, as well as approaches to inspiration and ideas for poems that will radically open your sense of what is possible poetically. We read examples of published poems in varied styles and use engaging writing exercises to deepen new skills, draw forth your authentic voice and help you access your innate inspiration.

Inspiring homeplay includes:

• An optional poem idea to help you to explore new poetic terrain and write new poems,

• Practices and playful exercises to deepen your engagement with the vast world of poetry,

• Suggested reading of a handful of poems in a wide variety of styles and themes.

You also get:

An optional poem buddy between sessions that you check in with to give you support to keep writing and an opportunity to develop friendships further.

Dates & Times:
12 Wednesdays, 3:00 – 5:45 pm in downtown Grass Valley.
February 10 – April 27. 12 sessions.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS COURSE IS NOW CLOSED.
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Exchange: $480

Space is limited. Sign up now to ensure your spot![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][invicta_testimonial style=”style_1″ author_name=” “]

“I looked forward to class every week. It was a wonderful retreat from daily life where I could submerge myself into the warm waters of creativity and evoke the poetic muse. It was in intimate and safe setting to simultaneously be creative, challenged, and inspired. …nothing better to get your writing going, or keep it rolling.”