Creative Writing Workshops

Health professionals and learners often confess that they were really nervous going into the workshop. Afterward, they report that the supportive and encouraging environment and complete control over their creative expression gave them the courage to open up and write. In the end, they say the workshop was something they really needed. As one family physician said, “We should create more opportunities to get together and only say nice things about each other.” Some use the writing time to explore the difficult things they have carried for a long time. Some write to reconnect with the reasons they went into healthcare and the ways in which they derive meaning and satisfaction from their practice. Some connect with their (often neglected) life and identity outside of healthcare. Experienced writers will often use their writing time to make headway on their works-in-progress. Through the practice of writing, important clinical skills related to observation, interpretation, point-of-view, verbal and non-verbal communication, empathy, and stress management are strengthened.

I have created workshops for courses, academic half days, wellness and appreciation days, and professional development seminars. Each workshop is customized to the group and their needs and goals.

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I began facilitating a writing peer support group through CancerCare Manitoba in 2022 as part of my work with the Alan Klass Program in Health and Humanities at the University of Manitoba. The workshops gave patients and caregivers who had experienced cancer a place to share their story, rewrite or recast it, and begin new chapters as they moved through and out of treatment. We were also able to play with creative expression and sometimes be silly and have fun. Some writers rekindled their love of creative writing, and experienced writers were able to continue building their portfolio. This workshop series is offered twice per year and is exclusively for patients and caregivers receiving care through CancerCare Manitoba.

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The Power of Story is an initiative of Amherst Writers and Artists that brings the power of creative writing to groups whose voices are too often unheard or discounted. The Caregiver Project became one of the first branches because, as Rosalynn Carter famously said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” Caregivers sacrifice a great deal to support and care for their loved ones and patients, and the workshops give them an opportunity to engage in self-care and give and receive peer support. Caregivers have told us how wonderful it is to share their experiences with people who understand the rewards, challenges, and complex feelings that go along with care work.

This workshop is open to both personal and professional caregivers. We welcome beginner, rusty, and experienced writers who are presently caregivers or who have been in the past.

Workshops are offered throughout the year with 4-week series in fall, winter, and spring, and standalone workshops in December and over the summer. The full list of current offering can be found here.

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Do you have an idea for a workshop that you believe would be valuable!

Reach out to me here and let's discuss.