Pain To Poetry Class
Pain to Poetry is a virtual space intended for folks who want a creative outlet for some of the hard, brutal, beautiful, joyous parts of life. This offering was born from my journey deconstructing my religious background and finding meaningful connection in the words of poets like Mary Oliver, Nayyirah Waheed, Rilke, Rumi and more. The more I listened to my inner world, the more I found poetry as a way to express big feelings without needing to "fix" or "understand". In the poetry world, there is no "right" and "wrong", there just is what one observes in themselves and in the world. This can be a freeing (and challenging!) space for people like me who historically have felt more comfortable with finding answers to problems than in sitting in the questions themselves.
This doesn't mean you need to be a self proclaimed poet, you might just want a different way to consider and sort through the different parts of you. This is not intended to be therapy, but can certainly be therapeutic in that it is a space to connect to yourself in a meaningful way, alongside others. My professional training as a mental health therapist, and personal and professional trainings will permeate the class structure, tone and prompts.
Okay… I read all of this but what is it??
Each week will have a theme to guide the time but there will also be a bit of unguided space for you to write whatever you might be feeling or want to write about that day. You are welcome and invited to "drop in" and sign up as soon as minutes before!
Each week you may walk away with at least one line of your own poem, maybe just one word, or maybe even an entire poem. This class truly is your space to see what might come up! There will be no obligation or pressure to share what you wrote, but the opportunity to share for those who wish to.
This will happen via zoom and there will be a check in at the beginning and the end of class and having camera on is optional. Bring a pen and paper or something to write on and please be in a space that offers privacy for yourself and other participants.
Tuesdays 4pm-5pm PST virtually
Morgan H.
“Attending Pain to Poetry was an inspiration and comfort to me, even after only one session. I went in open-minded, not knowing what to expect. I left feeling surprised and grateful that taking just an hour of my day to delve deep into one poem and my reactions to it could be so meaningful and connective, both to myself and others. Blaire offered gentle guidance throughout. I appreciated that the experience could be what I wanted it to be without feeling any pressure, whether that was sharing my thoughts out loud with others, or keeping them to myself. Thank you for this special offering, Blaire!”
Emily K.
“Pain to Poetry was the perfect hour to slow down and tune in. Blaire created a safe space to be still and gently guided us through reflection that helped me tap into creativity and reconnect with myself.”