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Soul Card Responses ~ Spring 2024, 12-week class
Class #12: My heart is both full and a bit sad as we say goodbye to each other… this has been a lovely circle of women. I leave happy, inspired, and grateful. I found the writing suggestions to be a wonderful and flexible tool for not only our fast-writes,, but useful in providing inspiration for all our writing adventures.
Class #11: I continue to be inspired by the creativity of the women writers and by the thoughtful, helpful feedback given by the women in my small group. I have learned a lot about the writing process this semester and it has been wonderful.
Class #10: Today I was inspired by the check in of women, and a discussion of feed back requests that work. This group of writers has such depth of self-awareness and deep listening techniques. Small Groups are a powerful connection and inspiration.
Class #9: The greatest gift is to have time in which people listen intensely to your writing and give their heartfelt and supportive feedback. The gift to be heard is so valuable.
Class #8: As always, this time is a treasure that I end up valuing so much. I was struck by the beautiful writing shared both in my writing group and in the large group read a round…
Class #7: Every week I am grateful I have to set aside this time and focus only on writing and being in community. I wish I had this this entire year. My group has been invaluable in providing a new set of eyes to my work as go through the roller coaster of writing excitement, doubt, dismay, and renewed excitement. I hope to give the same encouragement and helpful insight. I also want to express my gratitude for the wonderful handouts we are receiving on writing.
Class #6: Today we had a lovely discussion about Care of the Container and it was fun to get everyone’s input on it. We read the same lines and filter through our brains in different and insightful ways. As always, this class brings joy and inspiration for next week’s writing.
Class #5: So much wonderful writing during the group read a round. It was exciting to hear the great variety of works. And it was another thought provoking small group session, never enough time:) I appreciate all the ideas I have after class. Thanks to you all!
Class #4: Every session seems to get better with my small group. Feedback is thoughtful, balanced and helpful. We are all enjoying our time together and growing from the experience. These meetings are a special respite from an otherwise crazy world. A gift we give ourselves each week.
Class #3: My small group is very committed to creating well-crafted and interesting pieces, a well as being true to the protocols of WWf(a)C. Feedback felt balanced, helpful and honest. I am delighted to be with these women and anticipate we will have many wonderful hours of writing and sharing our craft.
Class #2: I am grateful for the respect and care that I was afforded in small group today and I hope to grow as a participant to give respectful and authentic feedback as well. You all inspire me to grow my craft of writing.
Class #1: I hope that I both gave, and I know I received inspiration to try and write SOMETHING every day because we are ALL writers! I can’t wait for next Wednesday!
Soul Card Responses Spring 2022:
This class has been so inspiring. A true treat to hear the variety and depth of writings, to see the time so deeply treasured and connected in small groups, to feel the inspiration of women together creating their own space for hope, love, creativity, respect, inspiration.
I am always grateful for the gift of coming together to share pieces of ourselves through our writing. Thank you for bringing this group together and providing a space for us to share authentically and without fear of rejection.
As usual, this class has been so inspiring, and I think it helps me as a writer to give feedback to others, as well as to write. Thank you for a wonderful session again.
The community has provided me with inspiration and I hope I will carry that forward. I plan to continue writing and developing new ways to express my words. Thank you for holding us in a community of creativity.
The end to another wonderful semester. Very bittersweet. I so appreciate my small group and the beautiful women I did not get to be with in small group. I wish everyone love, health, happiness, and an abundance of creativity~ until we see each other again.
In this small group we took the opportunity to thank each other for the support mixed with affirmation of our work as real writers and encouragement to keep going. This group has been a blessing and I will miss our time together. Bless you my friends and thank you.
I am grateful for this 12-week container of creativity and sisterhood. I will take away the gifts of affirmation, laughter and insights. It was so good to hear so many varied voices and writing styles. I learned that the group energy really does hold space for my writing voice to appear with ease. The weekly accountability helps so much. I appreciated the extra time to socialize then settle into silence before opening the circle. Thank you for all of this, Karen, and everyone.
Soul Card responses~ Fall 2021 8-week classes (via Zoom)
Note: We spend a few minutes and fill out Soul Card Responses each week while still together, and the next day I send the responses for all to see. This becomes a wonderful feedback loop for us. I randomly chose one response from each of our 8 Fall classes this semester to share with you here.
Class #1: It’s so great to be back with these wonderful women. I would like to encourage all the new participants that this group is safe and supportive. Enjoy writing without fear of judgment. I’m excited to see where it leads me in my musings.
Class #2: Our small group was delightful! Feedback was spot on… I loved hearing the wonderful words of the beautiful women in the the group. I am inspired by them!
Class #3: This class felt so warmly accepting and sharing positive. I feel we are involved in deep listening and caring both in small group and whole circle. Thank you.
Class #4: Gifts: feedback, affirmation and confirmation. Joy and excitement in others talent. Soul of the Community: care and enthusiasm
Class #5: The small group deep listening lifted my spirits today. I am amazed at how our time together inspires me to write, creates a container in which I am responsible to myself and to others and motivated to create finished products to share. It is deeply satisfying. I love hearing the large group Read a Round readings.
Class #6: The soul of the community speaking to me today is deep appreciation. I always feel better about my writing, more encouraged, after our class meeting. My writing sisters in our small group are kind and compassionate. Our laughter is an immeasurable gift.
Class #7: I find that it takes time to go deeply with another person’s writing, but when you do it is very rewarding. That is where our group is now.
Class #8: It was a bittersweet morning. Our last gathering of Wwf(a)C this semester. Our small group of incredible women will be greatly missed. I adore them and their writings. I look forward to the December Read a Round- so nice to have that to look forward to. Thank you, Karen, for another wonderful class!
Soul Cards Fall Class 2020 ~WWf(a)C ~ GJ
I am happily surprised how much I enjoy and needed the collaborative sense of my small group, having kind companions willing and available to help me sort through the story trajectory, the big picture, the affirmations and suggestions. It’s just what I needed and what I was missing.
I love the poems and epigraphs as powerful reflections, to help us see how words impact other people in so many ways, and that our job as writer is to share from our hearts and trust that it will speak to the hearts of readers without us needing to control how that looks.
I’m grateful for the technology of Zoom and the social technology of WWf(a)C practices~ and Karen, your excellent, gentle, heartfelt facilitation that allows us to connect during COVID 20/20, because it’s the community gathering in support of our voices that invites our personal and collective light to a very dark year.
I have always befriended possibility and the unknown, despite my extreme shyness. But my voice! Yes, I found my voice! Having been shut down more than a few ties, this experience with you, Karen, and the group, came close to healing the shame and trepidation I have come to feel. It was a beautiful experience for me.
And here are Soul Cards written after our ALL CLASS READ A ROUND on December 1st, which took the place of our traditional Public Read a Round at Koinonia Church. Our morning and evening class gathered together on Zoom, as Readers and Listeners, to connect and appreciate one another’s writings. It was a delightful evening. We kept the gathering to women writers from our two classes and it went really well. A new tradition!
Soul Cards from our ALL CLASS READ A ROUND:
Being able to ‘be’ with a wonderful group of women and hear their stories. Share their pain, grief, joy, angst, and hope through their writings. The time together filled a void in socialization caused by the pandemic.
What grace and connection! What a blessing to be with such a beautiful group of creative souls! Thank you, Karen. And thanks to each woman who joined this circle, for each is the link that makes this whole.
A beautiful blend and delightful evening. Thank you all!
It was wonderful. I enjoyed every moment and every reading. The breakout room worked very well. I love having both classes together.
Women Writing Grand Junction 