A 6-week creative writing and storytelling class

*Intimate group, max 5 students

*Beginner friendly. No previous writing experience necessary.

Spring Writing Group - May/Jun 2024

Thursdays 12-2 pm Pacific (5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6) - open for enrollment

$180

  • I dreaded the first session so much that I had knots in my stomach, but this has been such an amazing and safe space to process all the stuff I’m going through. I’ve dealt with so much criticism in the past, but Michael’s encouragement to express myself and allow whatever comes out to come out has built my confidence. Writing with this group has been a tremendous gift and it makes me want to write more!

    -Nicole

  • Writing in segments of ten minutes is a really valuable and effective structure for me because it keeps me from ruminating. It helps me get past my initial blocks and to discover the words that are wanting to flow. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know others in the group. It’s been a great experience and I feel energized by the process.

    -Sean

  • My life has been chaotic recently, and this is the one time a week I really look forward to. It’s been cathartic and meaningful and therapeutic for me to have this space and time to process and work through some of that chaos. It’s also a joy to get to see other people’s writing styles and hear their voices, which really helps me appreciate how unique my own voice is.

    -Tom

  • Michael’s prompts helped me get out of my head and start writing. I enjoyed the discipline of showing up every week and felt safe to share my inner thoughts. I’ve noticed how the more I write with the group, the more I’m seeing things from a much more reflective place when I’m not in the group. The space for self-expression and fellowship that this group has allowed is very valuable for me.

    -John

  • I’m grateful for the confidence that Michael gave me as a writer, a confidence that I’d lost in seven years of chronic illness. Michael is a skillful and gifted facilitator and he holds space like I’ve never had in a writing group before. The depth of his empathy and clear-seeing has been above and beyond anything I hoped for. This class has truly been the part of my week I most look forward to. I feel like I’ve put the pieces of myself that matter back together.

    -Amy

Benefits of Writing:

  • access your creative flow

  • safely process thoughts and emotions

  • expand your imagination

  • get in touch with your internal world

Writing together helps you:

  • practice accountability

  • take risks / step out of your comfort zone

  • make connections and find camaraderie

  • get strength-based feedback

 FORMAT

  • (6) 120-minute group writing sessions on Zoom.

  • We use a simple prompt and write for ten minutes. (You are free to ignore the prompt.) Then, we read what we wrote, reflect and repeat the process until the end.

  • This is not a critique group. It is safe space to explore your voice, exercise your creativity, tell your stories.

  • Maximum six per group. No previous writing experience required.

All you need is a pen, paper, and a desire to express yourself.

ABOUT MICHAEL

Michael Namkung is an artist, writer, performer and multiple world champion athlete. He has received awards from the San Francisco Arts Commission, The Center for Cultural Innovation, the Tanne Foundation, and the James Rosenquist Artist Residency. He is best known for Drawing Gym, a hybrid of art and extreme sports, and for his one-man spoken-word performances Seeing The Invisible and Good Pain: The Art of Being Hurt. His work explores the intersection of trauma, physical and emotional pain, healing, and creative expression.

He holds a Master of Education degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University. He is a former Assistant Professor of Art at Florida International University, and Visiting Assistant Professor at Lewis and Clark College.

To learn more about Michael, click here.

Questions? Get in touch here.