Healing through Memoir and Collage

We’ll
work on autobiographical arts in a group workshop setting. People who
want to heal themselves from trauma or illness can try healing by
getting in touch with their inner stories. This is a short workshop
series on nonfiction writing and then assembling collages that connect
the specifics of memory with physical and emotional feelings. Professor
James Pennebaker’s research has shown that this effects healing in
patients, when typical diary-writing does not. In his book, Opening Up: the Healing Power of Expressing Emotions, research shows that it’s never too late for someone to heal emotional wounds, which in turn helps people heal physically.

 We'll meet on Thursdays; don't feel bad about coming late or leaving early.

First meeting: reading the research, some memoirs, and writing the inner story

Second meeting: writing exercises, exploring memoirs

Third meeting: seeing arts that heal, discussion on collage, collage for inner story

Fourth meeting: Collage exercises, writing in response to collages

Fifth meeting: Evaluation, reading our work, explaining our collages