Write Now: Expressive Arts Journaling Workshops
Art as Activism From social to environmental justice, there are so many rights at risk in the current political climate. Feelings of isolation and helplessness can dim our outlook and limit our views about opportunities to take action. Turn uncertainty to hope by engaging with art as activism in a supportive setting with other creatives. Join us for one or all of the following expressive arts and journaling workshops themed around human and environmental rights:
Free Speech Rocks! This session focuses on amplifying marginalized voices and experiences through the power of journaling. Using guided imagery to encourage empathy and reflection, we will explore how writing can encourage participants to take action toward a more inclusive, equitable world. Your journal will become a space to not only understand injustice but to challenge it with creative force. Then, set your advocacy and activism intentions for the year by painting a rock that reflects the values closest to your heart. Upon leaving, you’ll be invited to place the rocks around the Rochester area to encourage others to engage and take action.
Since expressive arts journaling is about process over product, no artistic or journaling experience is necessary. All materials needed for the workshop are included in the registration fee.
“I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for last night's workshop. When I originally read the description, it called to me and I immediately registered without having to go through my usual "think about it" first and act later. The short workshop was nothing like I anticipated, but it was exactly what I needed, on so many levels. On finding a new more tactile medium where I can get away from the computer, on finding simple ways to be creative without feeling like I have to produce, and of being in a small group where it was easy to share and hear sound bites from other lives.” - Pat Hauck
Instructor Bio: Tracy Nemecek is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. As an undergraduate, she double-majored in Psychology and English, and discovered that bibliotherapy (the application of storytelling, reading, and literature as sources of healing) is the perfect nexus between her interests in people and stories. In her counseling work, she has applied bibliotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychoeducation to assist children, adolescents and adults in private practice, school and community settings to learn more about themselves, set and achieve goals, and strengthen their coping skills. Tracy is passionate about helping others to build a strong intrapersonal relationship—one’s relationship with oneself—and has found that journaling and expressive arts exercises are helpful in promoting self-awareness.