Workshops

Notions of wealth: A generative writing workshop exploring poverty and creativity

Friday, Sep 13th, 4:00p - 5:30p

Location: Space in Common (351 W. Hood Ave, Sisters OR 97759)
Facilitated by: Chris/tina Vega (they/them) & tina ontiveros

In her memoir, A House of My Own, Sandra Cisneros says that, “privacy for self-exploration belonged to the wealthy.” When the body has access to limited resources, how does the mind find space to create and explore? When you find yourself in a time of insufficiency, what hidden resources are available to you?

Join authors tina ontiveros and Chris/tina Vega —both of whom grew up in poverty —  for a generative writing workshop exploring these themes and the economic impact of poverty on our writing practices, storytelling, and personal narratives. In this 90-min workshop, participants will engage with writing prompts and storytelling practices that encourage them to acknowledge and release stigmas associated with poverty, and encourage a reclamation of narratives of power, dignity, and alternative notions of wealth. Workshop participants can expect to leave with several writing “seeds” that can serve as the base for future, thoughtful writing in essay, poetry, memoir, and/or hybrid genres.

This workshop is intended to expand the lens with which we all view and discuss notions of poverty and wealth. All are welcome, regardless of where they fall on the economic spectrum or whether or not they have lived experiences of poverty.