Folktime Writing Group - The cathartic nature of creativity and community
Once upon a time....
This is where we start every Friday at 11:00 am. One of the facilitators begins a story and passes the telling to another person. The story goes around the circle of squares in a Zoom room. And as the story passes, we all say, "And then..." to let the next person know it's their turn.
This oral storytelling has become a great way to warm up everyone's imagination as we traverse through castles and giants and poodles named Kitty who befriend elves named Fred, John, and Anastasia. We always laugh and we always reach "...and they lived happily ever after."
After oral storytelling, the facilitators provide a prompt of some kind. The prompt can be a set of objects, pictures, art, or a line of poetry. Most of these prompts are chosen to develop a specific writing concept or skill. Sometimes they focus on an aspect of life. Sometimes they're just for fun! After we spend a few minutes writing, anyone who is comfortable sharing reads what they came up with.
FolkTime's writers group offers a wide variety of people a chance to write about anything they want in a judgement-free, safe environment. The group encourages independent expression and community.
(adapted from the opening of 2017's Writers Group Chapbook)
This is where we start every Friday at 11:00 am. One of the facilitators begins a story and passes the telling to another person. The story goes around the circle of squares in a Zoom room. And as the story passes, we all say, "And then..." to let the next person know it's their turn.
This oral storytelling has become a great way to warm up everyone's imagination as we traverse through castles and giants and poodles named Kitty who befriend elves named Fred, John, and Anastasia. We always laugh and we always reach "...and they lived happily ever after."
After oral storytelling, the facilitators provide a prompt of some kind. The prompt can be a set of objects, pictures, art, or a line of poetry. Most of these prompts are chosen to develop a specific writing concept or skill. Sometimes they focus on an aspect of life. Sometimes they're just for fun! After we spend a few minutes writing, anyone who is comfortable sharing reads what they came up with.
FolkTime's writers group offers a wide variety of people a chance to write about anything they want in a judgement-free, safe environment. The group encourages independent expression and community.
(adapted from the opening of 2017's Writers Group Chapbook)
Memory Lane
by Emily, participant
For some, memory lane for some is happy and joyful, it’s a drive they want to make often and share with their loved ones.
They pack their vehicle and drive to the start of the road.
They ooh and ahh at each sight.
For others, it’s a path we would rather avoid.
But we have no choice in the matter.
Our brain becomes a train that does not give its passengers an option at the ticket booth.
We look out the window at the long winding road.
Some close their eyes and put on headphones to avoid the train conductor’s announcements and not see each stop.
But there’s a few that even though they have no options or say,
they study the landscape to learn how to detour it in the future.
And I Was Free
by Emily, participant
Bound by invisible chains
kidnapped and hidden from the light
she grew in herself, in her conviction
and in her desires
She detached herself from the mess
It hurt her to her core but at least
she did not break
finally able to mutter, "And I was
free!!"
I Had a Pen
by Carol, participant
I was so poor I couldn’t even afford a lime or ink pen. I had a
pen so I wrote love notes. The rain got all the houses wet. A
doctor took the hippie to the hospital and I had faith in God.
My face broke out with the measles. The hippie was in peace.