Thoughts coil and catch, like yarn in a cat’s paw. The hook-ended practice of word-smithing catches a strand of thought and pulls it out in linear form, laying the words on a page. Tug by gentle tug, the unexamined thoughts become disentangled and lay before you on the paper like a river with clear and obvious direction.
In this writing-focused workshop, we will explore the emphasis of painting pictures with words in your journals rather than relying wholly on visual imagery for translating your thoughts. We will engage in a series of exercises and techniques both in the classroom and outdoors in interpreting the thought strands and putting the words to paper. Word-smithing specific exercises including poetry play, partner and prompted dialogs, word walking and “yarn unraveling” will be examined and practiced in depth.