Soulful Writing for Mothers
When was the last time you sat down with pen and paper and wrote something just because? Not a shopping list. Not a note to the teacher. You may not consider yourself a writer at all. You may have set down the pen the day you gave birth and have not yet found the space to pick it up again. Sitting in a room full of mothers writing their stories this weekend it became clear that we all have a lot to share that otherwise goes unsaid.
Peggy O’Mara of Mothering Magazine led us through a workshop entitled “Soulful Writing”, inviting us to simply write in 2, 3, and 5 minute segments. No editing, no pausing, just writing the words as they came. Each segment had a theme such as “when i see cherry blossoms I…”, “my kids…” and the real challenge – “my mother is…”
And so we began to write. The sound of 25 pens scribbling away, our words landing on paper with a speed and flow that we perhaps had not anticipated them emerging. Gathered in small groups we then shared our writing, and we were surprised by the intimacy that quickly emerged.
We at Mama Renew invite you to simply write. On scraps of paper while waiting for school pickup, or in a treasured journal in a favourite cafe. Just write. Or, accept our writing challenge below and comment on this blog entry!
If you’re seeking guidance, you may want to consider three wonderful opportunities:
1. Unleashing Your Creativity Join Mama Renew for our drop-in workshop on creativity & motherhood. Wednesday, May 13th in Vancouver. Learn more…
2. The Momoir Project Workshops for mothers on writing our stories. Based in Vancouver, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. as well as through an online guide. Learn more…
3. Writing Your Mother’s Story A workshop for women who would like to write their own mother’s story. Based in Vancouver. Learn more…
***************
We invite you to write something here on the theme of self-care.
Go for it! Time yourself – 2 minutes or less.
When I think of self-care, I think about all the ways in which I’ve learned to tend to the person who keeps all the balls in the air, many of which belong to my sons and husband. I think about my boxercise class, which I try to attend five times each weeks that builds my body and my soul in a safe and loving environment peppered with strong and fabulous women. We share a secret in that studio but we are happy, delighted even to invite in “newbies”, and even, yes, the odd man, emphasis on the odd! You have to be pretty comfy with yourself as a man to enter that room and stay. I also, thinking of self-care, conjure up pictures of my friends, mainly women, mainly mothers but not all, who I feel compelled to both respect and nurture. Caring for these wonderful people, as essential to my life as much as my family, makes me feel like I am taking the best care of myself because they reflect me and support my efforts like the pillars on the Parthenon, Baby.
[Reply]