Creative
Workshops 2009
Janu Writing Newsletter
When the soul wishes to experience something she throws an image of the
experience before her and enters into her own image. (Meister Eckhart)
Dear writer
May the year be good to you. May word tumble though you.
(There was no Dec letter for those who asked)
As
we move into beginnings, here is a quotation (above) and a story (below). (So
above…so below) As I look back over 2008, these emerge large on the landscape.
They echo Keats’ “I’m sure of nothing but the holiness of the heart’s affection
and the truth of the imagination.”
Instead of New Year resolutions, I create a
work collage -25 or so pictures to throw an image ahead then I write about each
metaphor. One picture is of elderly man in a wet suit the colour
of monk’s robes, his face alive as he hangs onto the tow rope. Part of the text reads; “May I ski in the
slipstream, saffron clad, arms outstretched, presence in my eyes and posture,
focused through the waves , play in work, work in passion. “
And here is a story that moves me beyond my
understanding of it.
The Baal Shem Tov, Gabriel and the Rich Man of
Sienna
The aging Baal Shem Tov called his disciples and allocated them
their life’s work - their vocation. “Gabriel, you will be a
story-teller.” Gabriel asked, “How will I know when I have told the Big story?” The Baal Shem Tov responded, “You will know.”
The Baal Shem Tov died. Gabriel set
off on his travels telling stories in many villages. After years, weary of travelling, he heard of a rich man in
Sienna who offered good money for untold Baal Shem Tov stories. Gabriel hurried there. The excited
host called his family and neighbours to witness the story.
That evening Gabriel stood up and opened his mouth. But
not one word emerged. Gabriel could not remember a single Baal Shem Tov story. The host encouraged Gabriel, “Perhaps it is
because you are weary of travelling. Come tomorrow
when you have rested.”
The next day the people assembled and Gabriel once more stood before
them. Not a single story came
forth. He could not remember a single Baal Shem Tov story.
The hosts face reflected a picture of sadness. As he headed out the
town, threading his
way through the streets, Gabriel came across a house in the outskirts with the
shutters closed up. Suddenly he remembered a The Baal Shem Tov story
that he had never told. He hurried back to the mansion to find the rich man
weeping out his eyes. Without asking the
source of such grief, Gabriel plunged into the story.
“Years ago the Baal Shem Tov and I travelled to outlying
villages. As we descended into one village, we could feel the fear lining the
walls. The houses were all shut up, doors and windows barred. A voice called from within one of them. “You
must leave. It is not safe here for Jews.
The priest in village square is inciting hatred against us.”
The Baal Shem Tov gained entrance and sent me, Gabriel, to call the priest who surprisingly came. They were
cloistered for thirteen hours and when the priest came out, he was weeping
copiously. Then he disappeared from the village.
Shaking,
the rich man of Sienna stood before
Gabriel, clutching his shoulders and looking into his eyes. ‘Do you not know
who I am? I was that priest. I was born Jewish then converted to avoid
persecution. To be safe I became a priest and to be even safer, I persecuted
Jews. When the Baal Shem Tov called me that day in the square, something
in me made me come. We were closeted for thirteen hours.
The Baal Shem Tov said to me, “Go back to your roots. Go back to who you are.’ I
asked him. “When will I know that I have been forgiven?’ and he said these
words. “You will know this when you hear your story in the mouth of someone
else… and their big story and your story become one.’
Does
this story begin a conversation for you?
[Dorian’s Janu-Febu Workshops
Stellenbosch
A
Collage around Writing and
Sun 25 Jan (2-4pm) R65 includes a glass of
wine or juice.
Attention closet writers, lovers of words,
book clubbers, book lovers. We meet to make a collage around how to
enhance your writing/reading pleasure and enrich your writing / bookclub evenings. Bring scissors, glue stick and old
magazines.
Egoli
Writing
Yourself Alive A Creative Workshop
Sat 31 Jan 08.45- 12.15 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: eastern suburbs - to be announced… book through me
Somerset West
Writing
Yourself Alive - A Creative Workshop
Sun 1 Feb
09.30- 16.30 R390
see Egoli (above) for workshop description.
Venue: Crystals & Coffee 12
Bookings: Carol Jaoa crystalcarol@mweb.co.za 021-8513512 or 0833062107
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 works on a dharma basis for the course .i.e the workshop is a gift 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
Limpopo indigenous
languages and local authors Book Fair
23 – 26 Feb
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
March on… Planning ahead-aheart
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.
Imagine Life (Coral Wilder) invites you to
a Workshop series that I’m facilitating
Contact coralw@telkomsa.net 011
622-8793 083 450-9148 for venue and
costs.
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 Brian Walter and
Ongoing
activities
Development Work
Last year the Storywell team which I co-ordinate completed a UNICEF
project training caregivers 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. (Like the elderly ski man in the collage,)
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
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.
May the big
story find you.
May you and your story become one.
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