Zen Buddhism and Natalie Goldberg

Much of what we’ll do is inspired by Zen practitioner and writing teacher Natalie Goldberg’s idea of Writing Practice. Her approach brings the Buddhist notion of practice to the act of writing. Writing and its benefits, she believes, are very like those of meditation: practices that helps us to engage with the world, ourselves, and one another more authentically and meaningfully. To write is to wake up, to live deeply. Goldberg says, “We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded.... A writer must say yes to life, to all of life” (Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within).

Theater and Play

Play and collaboration are at the core of theater. So much becomes possible when we get out of our heads and orient ourselves toward spontaneity; Woods and Words is all about taking creative risks in a supportive group. We’ll play lots of theater games and engage in various exercises to get us into our bodies and into connection with one another. We’ll build stories collaboratively and celebrate silliness and mistakes, finding new surprising entry points for our writing.

Forest School

Forest schools emphasize engaging with the senses as well as the mind. Mary Oliver understood the value of this! At Woods and Words we’ll let the world into our writing, finding inspiration in birds, trees, wind, and one another.