At Align Your Story Writing School, we bring traditional literary and creative writing studies together with mindfulness, embodied practices, and social and environmental engagement. Join a community of over 25,000 other mindful writers. Get the tools and community to write your best work.
The #1 misconception about poetry—still time to join us!
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Dear Reader, There's still time to join my free poetry masterclass—the first time I'm offering it is tomorrow! This free class is for:
In class, you'll learn:
We'll look closely at poems by master poets, including Mary Oliver, Walt Whitman, and Lucille Clifton, and we will explore the techniques they use to meet and express the wild experience of being human—grief, rage, wonder, joy—and to write poetry that comes alive on the page. There will also be time for generating new work. I'm offering the class three different days, so choose what works best for you, and if none of the times work, choose Friday's class to get a recording.
We live in a world that is out of balance in many ways. To pay attention can feel scary. But not paying attention is more dangerous. Poetry can help us come into greater presence, connection, engagement, and, also, joy. Worried that poetry isn't for you? The number one misconception about poetryThere's a common misconception that poetry is difficult, obscure, and only for a few. This perception is often held by people new to poetry—many of whom then tell me that they don't particularly like or understand poetry. It's also held (if unconsciously) by many academics and professional poets, who feel that they need to work really hard on their poetry—and who often feel constricted in their creativity. Here in the States, because poetry was considered a “high art,” it became associated with the university and the elite. And we've become polarized in almost every aspect of our lives: we like to separate the high from the low, the head from the heart, the mind from the spirit. And over time, that association became self-fulfilling. But around the world, poetry has been and continues to be a popular art form. And, indeed, poetry is one of the very oldest art forms. Poetry comes from the body. And the medium of poetry is language, which we use every day of our lives. The instinct to write/sing poetry is natural; it's a natural instinct to put words to the inexpressible. As the wonderful poet Audre Lorde wrote:
Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action.
Whether you're a poet, a prose writer or new to writing entirely, my upcoming masterclass, like poetry, is for everyone.I teach techniques so that natural instinct becomes more skilled and effective. This is an important time in the world and in the US—we are living through uncertain, volatile times. I teach poetry in a way that helps us pay attention to our world and ourselves, that helps us wake up, and both write and live with more engagement. Poetry is not a turning from the world, but a turning toward it. There's still time to join my online Free Poetry Class!
If you know a poetry lover or someone struggling with their writing or anyone looking to reconnect with their authentic voice, please share this email with them. Poetry is a gift to be shared. :) with love, PS: Finding Joy through Poetry Retreat: Want to dive even deeper into poetry? Join my upcoming In-Person Immersive 5-Day Writing Retreat at the beautiful Omega Campus in Rhinebeck, New York. Read poems, write (in any genre), meditate, move, get inspired, connect with nature, and join a small, intimate community of writers. Together, we'll be exploring the ways poetry can open up new ways of seeing and knowing. Come away with a new body of work, and a deeper creative vision. This promises to be a space of transformation and magic that will last far beyond our week together. September 29th-October 4th. Learn more & register here. (Space is limited and time is running out, so sign up now!) PPS: Don't forget to register for the Free Poetry Masterclass here. PPPS: I won't be sending many more emails about this fall's poetry offerings, but if you don't want to get them, no worries; simply click here. PPPPS: If you live in the US, make sure you're registered to vote; you can check here. :) |
Hi! I'm Nadia Colburn—writer, teacher, yogi, activist
At Align Your Story Writing School, we bring traditional literary and creative writing studies together with mindfulness, embodied practices, and social and environmental engagement. Join a community of over 25,000 other mindful writers. Get the tools and community to write your best work.
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