Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: Studio School
Going to the Elephant: A Creative Writing Workshop
Someone once said, "Writing is the easiest job in the world: all you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until blood comes out of your forehead." This class breaks through the myth of writer's block. Silence your inner critic in a safe, encouraging environment designed for those who have always wanted to write but never followed through--or who used to write, but have stopped making time to do so. Give your best, and you will come away a better writer. You'll also find out what the title means.
1 session, March 7
Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm
Studio School, 2nd floor conference roomEnrollment limit: 10Writing the Shadow
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said that before we can find the Mother Teresa within us, we must first acknowledge the Hitler who is there as well. Each of us has a dark self, what Carl Jung called the "shadow" part of our psyche. Sometimes we glimpse it in dreams; sometimes it appears in dark imaginings. In this class we'll experiment with timed writing, dream journals, guided imagery, and Active Imagination. Our goal will be to draw the shadow out, recognize it for what it is, and see what we can learn from it--and what it can bring to our creative writing. This class is not therapy, but it can be very therapeutic.
12 sessions, Feb. 2-April 27
Mondays 7:00-10:00pm
Studio School, 2nd floor conference room
Enrollment limit: 10
The Studio School is located at 2911-15 Grove Avenue (across the street from VMFA) at the corner of Shepard Street. For information call Mary Holland or Frank Saunders at 367-0816, or go to http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/.
The Visual Arts Center (Formerly The Hand Workshop)
The Creative Spark
Clarissa Pinkola Estes writes about "el duende," the "goblin wind" within us which can breathe our creative spark into creative fire. The ember may be a story, a poem, a confession, a play. It may not even know what it is, or wants to be--but it's there. So we'll experiment. We'll use timed writings, dream journals, guided imagery, Active Imagination, and anything else we can think of to get you in touch with the stories you want or need to tell--and those wanting or needing to be told. Come with an open mind. Be open and brave. You'll come away not only a better writer, but with a better understanding of your self.
6 sessions, Feb. 3-March 24
Tuesdays 6:30-9:00pm
Enrollment limit: 10
Dysfunctional Families in American Theatre
Why do America's greatest playwrights--Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, August Wilson, Lillian Hellman, etc.--write about dysfunctional families? As Steppenwolf's Ed Sobel says, "When people write about families that tend to be just functional, there's not much drama in it." In this workshop, we'll look at dysfunctional families in specific plays--talk about the roles and coping mechanisms adopted by the members of such families--and write scenes and monologues based on this understanding of your own (real or invented) characters' backgrounds. No particular knowledge of theatre (or dysfunction) is required.
1 session
Saturday, Feb. 28
Enrollment limit: 10
1 session
Saturday, March 28
Enrollment limit: 10Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen
Going to the Elephant: A Creative Writing Workshop
Someone once said, "Writing is the easiest job in the world: all you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until blood comes out of your forehead." This one-day workshop is designed to break through the myth of writer's block by using timed writings. Silence your inner critic in a safe, encouraging environment for those who have always wanted to write but never followed through - or who used to write, but have stopped making time to do so. Give your best, and you will come away a better writer. You'll also find out what the title means.
Winter Session
Saturday, February 21 10am-4pm
Cost: $85 plus a $10 processing fee for online registration. (Phone in and mailed registration received one week prior to the class beginning, does not incur online registration fee.)
Going to the Elephant: A Creative Writing Workshop
Someone once said, "Writing is the easiest job in the world: all you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until blood comes out of your forehead." This one-day workshop is designed to break through the myth of writer's block by using timed writings. Silence your inner critic in a safe, encouraging environment for those who have always wanted to write but never followed through - or who used to write, but have stopped making time to do so. Give your best, and you will come away a better writer. You'll also find out what the title means.
Spring Session
Saturday, May 16 10am-4pm
Cost: $85plus a $10 processing fee for online registration. (Phone in and mailed registration received one week prior to the class beginning, does not incur online registration fee.)
Going to the Elephant: A Creative Writing Class
Someone once said, "Writing is the easiest job in the world: all you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until blood comes out of your forehead." This class breaks through the myth of writer's block by using timed writings. Silence your inner critic in a safe, encouraging environment designed for those who have always wanted to write but never followed through - or who used to write, but have stopped making time to do so. We will experiment with timed writings, dreams, and guided imagery. Give your best, and you will come away a better writer. You'll also find out what the title means.
Winter Session
Thursdays, January 15-February 19 6:30-9pm
Cost: $130plus a $10 processing fee for online registration. (Phone in and mailed registration received one week prior to the class beginning, does not incur online registration fee.)
Flying Off the Page
What's involved in adapting a short story into a film? What do you keep, and what do you leave out? Does adding a love interest raise the stakes, or muddy the plot? In this class we'll watch movies based on short fiction, and explore the craft of adaptation. Stories and films may include An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Rocking Horse Winner, The Most Dangerous Game, A Rose For Emily, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Don't Look Now, The Curse of the Demon, The Killers, and The Birds. You'll come away from this class with a fresh appreciation for writing fiction and films.
Spring Session
Thursdays, April 9-June 11 6:30-9pm
Cost: $175plus a $10 processing fee for online registration. (Phone in and mailed registration received one week prior to the class beginning, does not incur online registration fee.)
