Blazing Creative Trails at Pembina Trail
When it comes to creative writing workshops, I have worked with small groups before – as few as three people. It’s fun to be able to get to know each participant when you have an intimate group. I have worked with classrooms before, and there the spirit of a large group where everyone knows each other helps make individuals comfortable and able to share. When I walked into the room at Pembina Trail library and saw that it was set up for 28 young writers, it was yet another kind of workshop to experience – a large group of writers who for the most part had never met each other before. Well, the result was FANTASTIC!
Before I move on to talking about your creativity, let me say a bit about your “positivity”. Some of you knew each other from school, which is cool. But a lot of you met for the first time at the workshop. Your respect, attentiveness, and good humour throughout the workshop was totally great. I think that everyone, including me, felt at ease and willing to share. It’s not easy walking into a room with lots of new people and instantly get creative, but you did it – boy, did you all do it!
This is a creative group with a HUGE love of fantasy, and also a talent for drawing and writing (love that!). I also met readers who enjoy magazines and medical mysteries – very original (makes me me want to find new kinds of books to read!). I was struck by your expressiveness as you read from your very colourful “apple” sentences. I know that the exercise was about the senses, but you reminded all of us that EMOTION is just as important to explore. In fact, I’m going to add that in to my next workshop – great writers not only make the senses tingle, but the emotions bubble. Thanks for reminding me with your vivid writing!
I hope that each and every one of you enjoyed yourselves – I most certainly did. I was smiling for the rest of the day!
Thank you to the excellent and friendly staff who set everything up, provided cool name cards for the participants, and made me feel right at home at a library I’ve never been to before (but would love to visit again!).
Karin 🙂
