My
life
prompted
____________.
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If you are reading this now, it’s because you want someone to read you. You have a message to share, a story to tell, a compulsion to get something out that you think is buried within. At this point in time, I am inviting you to learn to listen to yourself, and to gain comfort in seeing your words meet a surface outside of you. This invitation is especially for those who have never done a writing exercise before. And even if you end up painting, sculpting, or knitting instead of sticking with writing, the practice of writing responses to prompts will kick-start your creative process.
Who you are ____________
You are someone who has a desire to express themselves. Period. It matters not if your writing becomes a best-selling memoir or you craft your words into customized poetry for the people in your life or if you write the neighborhood’s juiciest diary entries and promptly bury them in the garden. Or perhaps writing is simply a step you’ll take in your exploration of another creative, artistic pursuit. The first step is to connect with your content. Additional steps will emerge as you create your path.
This workshop will be tremendously helpful if you …
___ are new to writing or any creative practice
___ want to get unblocked and unstuck but aren’t sure how to start
___ want to receive kind and constructive feedback on your writing
___ want encouragement as you work to develop consistency in you creative practice
___ are looking for a creative community and to build relationships with similar sojourners who are exploring their creativity and writing practice
___ want to develop chops, skills, and confidence in expressing yourselfWhat we’ll do together ____________
Together we will use a series of prompts and prompt-based exercises to generate a body of content - your content, representing your perspective on your experience. The point of these exercises is to develop the practice of regular writing and encourage confidence in your unique style.
Who you’ll be prompted to become ____________
My goal is to create a transformative experience. I have crafted a process designed to increase your confidence in your ability to express yourself with greater clarity. Through this process you will gain a deep understanding of what might be holding you back in your creative pursuit. And you will walk forward from this experience with the tools you need to build and nurture your creative path.
How we’ll do it ____________
Daily practice
Each morning for one month you will receive a writing prompt; I recommend spending at least 10 minutes on your response. If you would like to receive comments or feedback, I will happily provide those each day.
Weekly meetings
Each week for one month the participants in this workshop (10 maximum per cohort) will have the opportunity to meet virtually on Zoom for 1 hour. Each virtual meeting will include a 10-minute overview message from me, a group activity, and time for sharing. I’m a big believer in community and the role that community plays in supporting creativity. So while these meetings are not at all “required,” they are fun, safe spaces to share, deepen our growth, and develop a creative network.
1:1 session
As a workshop participant, you’ll also get one, hour-long creative session with me. We’ll plan to schedule this towards the end of the workshop or once it has already concluded, so that we can talk about how your experience might prompt what comes next!
Heaps of resources
In addition to the prompts, optional feedback, and weekly sessions, I will provide a list of references curated towards deepening your creative process.
Who I am and why I’m doing this ____________
I’m Emily Nava, a writer who started her own writing business, Tumbleweed Pioneer, in January 2024. I created this workshop because a prompts-based writing method is what led to my own creative unblocking. I’ve written since I was a young child, but chose a career in the tech industry until I felt the pull grow stronger and stronger to commit to my creative calling. Now I work as a full-time writer, choosing the projects and clients that fulfill me. Prompts aren’t the only thing that contributed to my path, but they have been a huge part of it and I want to share the practice with others.
Through the process of working with my clients, I’ve developed a unique and easy way for people to start trusting themselves and their voice. And I am a firm believer that having more people in touch with their creative selves in this world is a great thing! It would be an honor to support you in your creative journey.
Ready to commit? ____________
Sign up for the dates and weekly meeting time that best suits you. The financial commitment is $400. The time commitment is at least 10 minutes a day of personal writing practice, 4 one-hour, virtual group meetings over the course of a month, plus a 1:1 meeting with me. The personal commitment is a valentine to your truest expression of self.
Included in this price ($400):
____ 30 daily prompts
____ 30 opportunities for feedback on prompts (optional)
____ 4 creative, small group meetings and community engagement (virtual, weekly for one month)
____ A 1:1 creative session with me
____ Loads of resources to inspire you along the way! -
What’s the deal with the prompts?
A prompt is _________. A prompt is an invitation to be creative. A prompt is an open door that doesn’t care where you go once you’ve passed through. A prompt is a beginning. A prompt has no right answers. A prompt is make-believe until you respond. A prompt is magic once you do.
A prompt invites spontaneity and asks you to take it seriously without requiring commitment. The idea behind the prompt method is that it gets you to loosen up and let go based on its unexpected nature. There is nothing prescriptive about the prompt, so let yourself be descriptive in your response.
What kinds of prompts are we talking about?
The prompts for this workshop will reflect a range of styles. Some of them will be fiction-based in nature, others will be decidedly non-fiction. I might include quotes or works of art, or you might get a very pointed question or two. The recipient will decide in what direction to take the content as part of their response. That choice is part of the creative path-building exercise.
Why is 10 mins the recommended amount of time to write each day?
Truth be told, you’ll probably write more than ten minutes once you get going. Ten minutes is the recommendation because it’s a reasonable amount of time - anyone can find ten minutes lying around in their day. The point is to commit to an amount of time as a means of creating the regular practice of writing. If you want to express yourself you need to develop skills. Skills take practice. This is how you start practicing yours.
What kind of feedback can I expect to receive?
The feedback will not be a critique of your work, but rather an honest response to the experience of reading what you wrote. You will receive suggestions about what could strengthen, provide clarity, or otherwise extend the content. It will always be encouraging, and I hope that it will always prompt you to continue.
Will there be opportunities to continue with this approach after this workshop?
There sure will be! A number of follow-ons will be offered after this initial workshop that will range in topic, focus area, and intensity. Additionally, you can continue to engage with your small, creative group community and support each other on your writing journey.
What if I can’t complete the workshop for some reason?
Things happen. If you start the workshop and a scheduling conflict emerges, please email me so that you can be added to an upcoming cohort. Please read the refund policy for any additional questions.
More questions?
Feel free to reach out to me directly by emailing tumbleweedpioneer AT gmail DOT com
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January dates
Prompts start on January 5 and end on February 3.
Choose a day for the virtual, creative group meeting:
- Saturdays from 1-2pm PST (January 11, 18, 25, February 1)
- Sundays from 1-2pm PST (January 12, 19, 26, February 2)
- Wednesdays from 6-7pm PST (January 8, 15, 22, 29)
February dates
Prompts start on February 2 and end on March 3.
Choose a day for the virtual, creative group meeting:
- Saturdays from 1-2pm PST (February 8, 15, 22, March 1)
- Sundays from 1-2pm PST (February 9, 16, 23, March 2)
- Wednesdays from 6-7pm PST (February 5, 12, 19, 26)
Refund policy: If you are unable to attend the workshop after registering, a full refund can be issued up to 48 hours before the workshop start date. If you are unable to join or continue with the workshop after that time, you will be issued a credit for a future workshop.