There is a certain magic that happens when a group of women gathers together and shares from their hearts. I have witnessed this every time I’ve led a Process Painting coaching workshop. I feel like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, waving my magic wand, and letting the wonders unfold. I have no control over the outcome. I merely put the pieces in motion, and the rest is serendipitous.
Yesterday, I was on the receiving end of a workshop, a participant at my first writing workshop with Jessica Bram, founder of the Westport Writer’s Workshop. Ever since becoming a Life Coach four years ago, I discovered a writer’s voice that I didn’t know I had. I always considered art to be my form of self-expression. Writing was what my mother did well, not me. Suddenly, I began to wake up with exciting ideas and thoughts racing through my brain, and now I can’t wait to write my blog or newsletter entry. I love Jessica’s style of memoir writing, as evidenced in her well-crafted, easy to relate to, recently published book, Happily Ever After Divorce. I chose this writing course to enhance my own creative writing skills and work towards publishing a book of essays, something on my bucket list.
At the workshop yesterday, I traveled in my imagination as six women shared their heartfelt stories, each in their unique writer’s voice. In respect to the confidentiality of the group, I will not disclose the content of the essays read. The subject matter is irrelevant to the point I am trying to make. I was awed by the sacredness of the space created when these women courageously revealed a piece of their soul through their writing.
These essays were real slices of life, and readily elicited tears and laughter. It is wondrous to have created such a strong sense of community, of deep knowing in such a short time frame. Within two hours, a group of strangers had an intimate window into each other’s lives, the pain, the joy, the anger, the sadness, and the passion.
I didn’t feel intense emotions when I was writing my piece, yet reading it in such an safe and loving setting, each woman in rapt attention, I was surprisingly moved to tears. I don’t cry easily, and I was actually grateful for the emotional release. It was cathartic for me. And the feedback that I received filled me with a sense of who I am as a writer. I saw how my words touched these women, and that is pricelss to me.
I look forward to the next workshop, to experience once more the sacredness of the space created when women share from their hearts and souls. The more vulnerable we are, the more deeply we can connect with each other. And of course, this experience is not unique to women. It can be created with any group. Families, groups of men, mixed groups, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to get vulnerable. Go transparent. That is when the magic happens.
Do you have a story to share about creating a community of sharing from the heart?
