Creative
Workshops 2009
Febu Writing Newsletter
The metaphor is one of man's most fruitful potentialities. Its
efficacy verges on magic, and it seems a tool for creation which God forgot
inside one of His creatures when He made him.
(Jose Ortega y Gasse)
Stop Press: Leshiba Soutpansberg - see below
for special Lodge offer
Writing in the Wilderness: Natural
Heritage and Game Reserve Retreat
Fri (early eve) 27 Feb to Sun 1 March 09 (around noon) – booking
cut off date 3 Feb
Dear writer
A number of you have responded to the collage idea in the Jan
newsletter…asking more. Collages call
metaphors into existence. Metaphors within one picture or in the way pictures
relate to each other. For example, in my work collage, one image was of a light
house. Red and white striped. Perhaps this image arose as I had been moved by Clare Morrall’s novel, Natural Flights of the Human Mind. The spontaneous collage text reads:
…like the barber the Lighthouse Keeper listens. To
sea, wind and ships. May I be the
still point, the flashing light, the foghorn in the mist for those boats in
mentoring waters…offering them bearings, signaling
presence and position, showing then
where the rocks are, keeping them safe from shipwreck.
Other collage images such as a black madonna and child…clocks and watches buried in sand
also produced metaphors that rose up unasked from who know where? One
metaphoric definition of metaphor is a ladder set between the conscious and
unconscious mind.
You can trust such as process as it teaches observation, connection
and surprise – three wise ones arriving gift-laden at the writer’s stable.
Dorian’s Febu-March
Workshops
if you want any of these workshop in your area speak speak
Somerset
West
Writing Yourself Alive, A Creative Workshop
Sun 1 Febu 9.30 - 16.30 R390
Like crystals, words can absorb, reflect and give off light
Writing is about a conversation with yourself
and with others. An exchange of energies. It is a
skill drawn from attention and openness – an organic process rather than a
talent. In this workshop we explore our innate creativity and imagination and
find the words to tell our
stories… to make them more alive. We travel in search of our
personal myths - the stories that energise our lives. The workshop also focuses
on how to be present in your writing and engage the reader as a creative
partner. And source your bliss.
You will explore how to
·
align yourself
with the one inside who knows how to write
·
start and
sustain that conversation
·
be thrilled
by words
·
create a
first draft
·
breathe life
into the words and let words breathe life into you
Venue: Crystals & Coffee 12
Bookings: Carol Jaoa crystalcarol@mweb.co.za
021-8513512 or 0833062107 or me
Freewheeling: The Future
Thinking Festival http://freewheelingfestival.wordpress.com
Greening… community… wellness…
creativity… performing arts… stories
12-15 Feb I have a story slot as part of this
extravaganza
Once upon a
Freewheeling Life - the power of stories to put air in our tyres
In
this experiential and interactive story-shop, we consider how our individual
and collective stories (remembered or forgotten) can trap us or free us. We
rediscover how, when we allow the story to enter us, to weigh and sift us, we
release the magic of the narrative to inspire, energise, engage, entertain and
sing us off on our next adventure. Tales raise our awareness, stimulate
heart-head thinking, facilitate leadership and offer us flexibility and
possibility. The telling of and listening to stories opens us to the life of
the imagination. In the great equation: EQ (emotional intelligence) + SQ x 2
(social and spiritual intelligence) = STORY Q. The workshop comes with stories
a plenty and practical tips on how to structure and tell them in our own
voices.
Write
Read Write: Entering
the Great Conversation
Fri 20 – Sun 23 Feb
The books we love are our first
teachers. They offer private lessons in the art of writing.
This retreat in this idyllic spiritual
centre is for aspirant writers and book lovers. Discover how to connect to your
writing and enhance your reading pleasure and so enrich your relationships. We
enter the silence through these twin activities. We consider how readers read,
and how writers
read other writers. There will be time to meditate in the room with a fig tree
built into the wall , reflect, observe birds and walk the labyrinth.
Cost includes 2 nights accommodation
R600 plus surcharge R120-00 and is open to non- residents at R300 plus R120-00
surcharge. I work on a dharma basis for the course .i.e
the workdshop is a gift, a service and participants
offer a donation in return
10 people needed to make the retreat viable.
bookings Elaine Whitwam whitbird@venturenet.co.za 039 684 6745 082 337 7702
Polokwane
23 – 26 Feb Why not come to the festival?
I will be facilitating poetry and story
telling workshops and be involved in Interactive readings as part of a tribute
to the late Es’kia Mphahlele
More information :
Magriet Lotz 015 290 2153 or Abigail Chuene 015 290 2154
Soutpansberg
Writing in the Leshiba Wilderness :Natural
Heritage and Game Reserve Retreat
Fri (early eve) 27 Feb to Sun 1 March 09 (around noon)
What did the grass below the koppie say
Stranger, the yellow grass, when you
looked around,
Then hastened on?...
(Veld Secret : Bosman)
On this retreat atop the Soutspansberg,
we explore our life stories through our connection to nature. We draw images
and symbols from natural life, the landscape and
Lesheba… a holistic space with several ancient rock art sites, wild fig shade for indaba, Venda architecture, white
rhino , mist,
eco consciousness everywhere. We stay in Venda Village Lodge 480 ks ex J’burg www lesheba.co.za
Do yourself a favour and look up this site – it carries the Fair
Trade label.
The workshop is limited to 10/12 folk only... be nimble be quick
(cut of date 3 Feb)
Cost: R1980 pp sharing … This generous special rate for our group
includes: 2 nights luxury accommodation, brunch and dinner, a game drive/walk
or run, writing workshop, Sat eve entertainment.
book accommo (R1400) and writeshop
(R580) separately - 50% for each
secures
accom: Jan 011 726 6347
leshiba@leshiba.co.za 072 286 7302 (R700
dep)(ref “Dorian)
workshop: Dorian (*R290 dep)
car
pooling:
Sybbie Barnett 011 440 1021 sybbie@lantic.net 082 794 3363
March
on…
Journal Workshops
4-8
March and16-20 April
Once
more the generous sponsorship of the Carl Schlettwein
Foundation in
Calling
all
Petro kimberg@mweb.com.na 264 61 301 767
Stellenbosch
Writing and Reading Conversations: Keeping
a Writer’s Journal
Sat 14 March (5-7pm) R65 includes a glass of wine or juice.
Attention closet writers, lovers of words, book clubbers,
book lovers. We meet around the possibilities of journallling to enhance your writing/reading
pleasure and enrich your writing / bookclub evenings.
My Bookshop Die Boord Christine /Mariekie 021-8872997/info@mybookshop.co.za
Egoli
Discovering Meaning through
Creative Writing: ‘Finding Meaning
though Words’
Sun
15 March 2.30 – 6.00
I
know that there is room in me for a second huge and timeless life (Rilke)
Explore the meaning that is unique to you in your life, through the
art of creative writing.
You will be guided in a process that will help you ask questions
about the purpose of your existence. You will explore your creativity and
imagination and find words to tell your story… to infuse that story with
meaning and make it more alive. The
workshop also focuses on how to be present in our writing and engage readers
and ourselves as part of a great conversation that opens into mystery.
Contact Coral
Wilder coralw@telkomsa.net 011 622-8793 083 450-9148 for venue and costs.
Ixopo
Natal
The Halo & the Noose: The Power
of Story Telling/Story Listening in Professional/ Personal Life (with Graham
Williams)
27-29 March bookings brcixopo@futurenet.co.za 039 834 1863
At
the heart of this retreat is our belief that once we raise our Story IQ, we
begin to hear and tell our work and personal life in a new and vital way. We
open up to transformation and new leadership paths. Like the lotus flower, we
bloom and seed new beginnings. We reach into what may be murky depths and
produce something of infinite beauty and worth. In so doing, prosperity and
abundance take on new meanings. The retreat title is taken from Graham and
Dorian’s new book.
Into
April-May… Planning ahead-aheart
Hogsback East Cape– Writing,
Reflecting, Being
Thurs 7 –
Mon 11 May (Thurs afternoon to Mon after lunch)
Celebrate the joy of being alive… a five day
extravaganza…even stood on Hogsback? Join East Cape poets Cathal Lagan and
Brain Walter and
Movement
for Sharing Life Stories in
16 May a
half day workshop to strengthen the
fabric of South African Society - possibly on the fringe at Franschhoek
during the Literary Festival. Put the date in your diary…. more info next
month…. get the rolling effect going
Kirsten Pearson Symphonia 82
936 1898 21 913 3507 kirsten@symphonia.net
Last year I facilitated the event Symphonia
hosted. Carol Scrooby who attended writes:
I
ran a workshop with women in Klapmuts who have
started a community
market initiative. I used what I learnt from your workshop… The women opened up
to their own stories. We ended with each one making a collage of the story they
are creating for the market and their lives. Powerful and healing... I listened
to your cd (Tortoise Stories) a couple of
times before the day and then on the way there to. It was like I was chanelling the story tellers of all the ages.
Ongoing activities
Development Work
Last year the Storywell team which I co-ordinate completed a UNICEF
project training caregives who look after vulnerable
children in story telling and listening.
I’m currently
writing this up as a resource book (see site for details)
Corporate Work
Story
work in organisational development is growing. Stories shape our world of work
– leadership, training, mergers, marketing, product development, client services, strategic planning. Stories influence organisations (the larger body) as much as
they do individuals (the smaller body). Unconscious stories can sabotage an
organisation. Stories made conscious can save it. When employees’ stories are heard
and received, they feel valued as an asset and are more present at
work. They feel a sense of belonging and begin to use their initiative.
Speaking Engagements
Be still when
you have nothing to say but when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got
to say, and say it hot."( D. H. Lawrence)
During 2009
I’m building up this aspect of my work.
Anywhere: Spring Stories at Home
This season I will be a storying for
groups of friends…an evening, wine, cheese, breads and tales for the telling.
Any rhyme or reason – birthdays, TV fatigue, the art of conversation, sommer. Gather a group for Summer.
Mentoring
Walk with me in words. Memoirs, mindfulness
adventures, work
in the word… genres tumbling out of folk on the one-on-one path. Such a richness of story here.
5-
Email
Courses: Poet’s Voice Course
Some folks respond to structure, assignments… if so, ask and it shall be
negotiated. Here is one possibility:
Do you love reading and writing poetry? This one-on-one
apprenticeship aims to take you further up the writing mountain and offer you a
deeper engagement with your craft. This course is structured in the nature of
an ongoing conversation with a few chosen poets, (ancestral or alive) with me
and with yourself. I encourage you to keep a poetry journal to record your
observations and reflections.
Books
Corals
Publishers is publishing one of my children’s stories, The Water Diviner.
Should be out by Autumn.
The
Halo and the Noose, the Power of story-telling and story listen in Business
Life with Graham Williams will be out around Feb through Pat Grayson of
Graysonian Press. Watch this space for launches in
Egoli,
“ I am SO excited about this publication
and even more excited about having this kind of resource available....” (Louise
van Rhyn - BSc / MBA / DMAN
(Doctorate in Organizational Change), MD of Symphonia,
lecturer at
Writer-sites and News (see site news on my web. Erna thank you for new design – I love
that tortoise, that turtle). A new web address
dorianhaarhoff.com has arrived . The longer old one is
linked to it.
Events: other writers/ story
tellers
Jan/Feb Novalis Centre
Ashley
Ramsden is visiting
for bookings contact Emma on
0736054070 revjohn@iafrica.com
Fri 30 Jan – The Gift of Story (Ashley Ramsden
and Sue Hollingsworth)
Fri 6 Feb For
Generations (Kurt Egelhof)
Fri 13 Feb The Hilarious Adventures of the Hodja Nasruddin (Ashley Ramsden)
Fri 20 Feb
Fri 27 Feb The
Storyteller in the Community
All performances suitable for adults and children
over 12 years of age. 8pm - 10pm.
Entrance R55 (R45 pensioners/
children/students.)
Feb 4/11/18/25 7.30-9.30
pm R250 The craft of the storyteller (Ashley
Ramsden)
A storyteller
is more than a teller of tales. Storytellers are teachers, entertainers
and healers with a long spiritual tradition. To be true to this tradition
requires ongoing renewal and inspiration. These four evening sessions will
provide you with some of the essential skills storytellers use in their
craft.
Johannesburg
Launch
Ilana Slomowitz's Touching the Earth
- poetry and drawings Thurs 26 Feb 2009 at 10.00 Alliance Francaise
Gallery
17
Lower Park Drive, Parkview. (across the road from
May metaphors energise your senses.
Dorian
PS Thank you to all those
who scatter this letter into the breeze.
Dr Dorian Haarhoff
021 855 3937 / 082 873 6802/ fax 086 511 4751
http://dorianhaarhoffwriter.homestead.com
and dorianhaarhoff.com