The barrage of bad news and intensifying anxiety about the future of our country, world, and planet can feel paralyzing. In this workshop, we will explore intentional ways to approach the page in the face existential angst and overwhelm. We will devote a significant amount of time writing in response to prompts that encourage us to soothe, nourish, and empower the heart. There will also be opportunities for sharing in-class writing and connecting in meaningful ways with other creative people wanting to cultivate more equanimity in life. All the participants in the class will receive a resource packet with work by authors (such as Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Joy Harjo, & Anne Lamott) who inspire us to live courageously and a list of suggested practices that foster peace.

This is a class at The Porch House in Nashville, TN. Learn more and Register here!

As humans, we all know pain. In this class, we will explore how intentionally putting words on the page can help us connect with healing. The word “heal” comes from the old English hǣlan (meaning “cure; save; make whole, sound and well”). While writing may not cure or save us from physical or emotional ailments, writing can help us move toward wholeness. In this class we explore how the page can be a container for painful experiences, a doorway to refuge, and bridge to meaning. There will be ample time for in-class writing and opportunities to receive strengths-based feedback on work from the instructor. This class is for all humans. No matter your writing experience or lived experience, you fill find a soft place to land and learn practices that will support you on your creative, healing path. Learn more & Register here!

I will also be offering 6 week in-person version of this class at The Porch House in Nashville TN starting October 7th. Learn more & Register for the in-person class here!

By sharing her own story of healing, Claire offers a creative model for

anyone who wants to know more about spiritual growth, about healing from

psychological wounds, and about embracing one’s own story as a sacred

gift for moving forward. At our retreat, Claire will invite us into her personal

story—a story of learning how to use her own resources and accessing her

own gift of poetry writing as a tool for self-understanding and healing. To

show us the way, she will do a reading from her recently published book of

poetry titled The Beautiful Keeps Breathing. Timed spent with Claire will lift

your spirits and open a path forward.

For more information, contact Claire: clairecoenen@gmail.com

Claire will be offering a house reading in Athens, GA. Email Claire for more information: clairecoenen@gmail.com.

Free and only available to Porch Members! Register & learn more here!

Become a member of The Porch here!

Join us for a unique and inspiring afternoon of physical and creative expression. Start your experience with a rejuvenating yoga class led by the talented Gillian St. Clair, designed to stretch your body and mind. Following the yoga session, immerse yourself in a guided creative writing exercise facilitated by Claire Coenen. This workshop will help you tap into your creativity and express your thoughts and emotions through writing. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or a budding writer, this event offers a perfect blend of movement and imagination to nourish your spirit and spark your creativity.

Claire will read from The Beautiful Keeps Breathing and talk about the book with members of Write Yourself Free, an online community for women writers led by Julie Fehrenbacher.

The Poetry Lighthouse has shortlisted two of my poems for their Poetry Lighthouse Prize, and I will be reading at this virtual event. You can watch it live on Youtube here.

I’ll be a guest reader at Journal of Expressive Arts Monthly Open Mic Night!