Writing for Winter

drawing by Carol Rosinski, © October 2006

“...winter has a concentrated and nutty kernel
if you know where to look for it.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Winter is a time of turning inward, of turning away from the darkness
and towards warmth, friendship, and the fires that burn within.

This winter you are warmly invited to join me for a 6-week Creative Writing course, beginning on Thursday, January 8th 2009. Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.

Writing for Winter is ideal for both beginners and more experienced writers looking for the encouragement of a supportive group.
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WHAT: A 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Thursdays from 7 to 9pm, beginning on January 8th

WHERE: London House, High Street, Mayfield, East Sussex

HOW MUCH: £70 for the 6-week session

WHO: A writer of fiction and poetry for children and adults, Rebecca Hurst has developed and led creative workshops since 2002. The programs she creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality. Rebecca earned her BA at Smith College in Massachusetts and is currently in her final year of the MA in Creative Writing and Personal Development program at the University of Sussex.

For more information or to register please email Rebecca.

Writing the Way: Our MLG Services

drawing by rebecca, © 2003

Writing for self-exploration, personal development,
and as mindfulness meditation practise.

Since 2002 Rebecca Hurst and Sean Madden have developed and led groups and individuals in creative workshops and meditation practise. The programs we create incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality. We work in partnership with schools and museums, and within the wider community.

Our objective in facilitating these innovative workshops is to inspire self-exploration and understanding, stimulate the imagination, promote critical thinking, build upon existing literacy skills, reduce stress, and help develop empathy and mindfulness.

Rebecca and Sean are available to develop and facilitate:

• Creative writing groups (including creative writing for self-exploration or personal development)
• One-day or weekend creative writing workshops
• Creative writing and mindfulness retreats
• Guided walks, combined with writing workshops or meditation
  
• Poetry workshops
• Zine-making for young people and storybook-making for children
• Writing-for-memory groups
• Private or small group tuition in writing, literature and the humanities

All of our creative workshops can be especially tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients.

Advocates of life-time learning for adults, we also believe that children and young people should have access to high-quality educational programs, regardless of their past performance or socio-economic background.

We have extensive experience working with adults and young people from diverse backgrounds, including those within the special educational needs (SEN) community. Convinced, through experience, that “learning how to tell a story is a process of empowerment”, we are committed to enabling those we work with to become the storytellers of their own lives.

More information about our backgrounds as writers and educators can be found on our profile pages. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments you might have about our work. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mindfully yours,

Rebecca & Sean

What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

No Matter Who's Elected President

by Sy Safransky
Sun Magazine
November 3, 2008

photo by Nshepard, © November 2006

NO MATTER WHO’S ELECTED president, daffodils will bloom in the spring. Men and women will fall in love and, sadly, out of love. Inconsolable grief will still be inconsolable. A broken heart will nonetheless keep beating one hundred thousand times a day. No matter who’s elected president, writers will write. Painters will paint. Three in the morning will still be three in the morning. The door in our psyche we don’t want to walk through will still be just down the hall. No matter who’s elected president, life will hand us the invisible thread that connects us all; love will hand us the needle.