The first session of the Wild Angels Poets and Writers group was held last night.  We have been meeting since 1999, but nine years in this format. Normally we meet in both the fall and winter this year we held off and opted for a 10 week winter season. Kathleen Cromwell is the instructor for the series and I am so happy to have her leading this group.  Our theme for this series is rededication. The Wild Angels is a group run by the congregation at the historic Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. The cathedral just reopened fully after a devastating fire in December of 2001. The Cathedral’s theme is rededication and so we thought it was time to rededicate ourselves to our writing.

Kathleen will be using particular method to get us into the writing mindset. Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice is a wonderful book that I have used in the past.  The day I bought the book my chiropractor discussed proprioception and how it related to the body.  I showed him the book and we discussed how it could be used for writing before I even had the chance to open it myself.  Refer to the Wikipedia page linked here to learn more about how proprioception and how it came into being.

How Does Proprioceptive Writing Work?

In Proprioceptive Writing we express our thoughts in writing so that we can reflect on them. It is a self-guided exercise that calls forth your imagination, your intellect, and your intuition all at once to open your heart and clear your mind. You practice it in twenty-five sessions while listening to Baroque music, which roughly reflects the steady rhythm of the huma pulse. At the end of each session you have produced a written work we call a Write.

The beauty of a workshop is trying some thing new and out of our comfort level.  Starting off our weekly sessions with a meditative writing is different for what we have done in the past but not out of the ordinary. We have danced, drawn, sang- trying different methods to stimulate our creativity.

We won’t spend twenty-five minutes but we will spend some time in this practice and looking anew at our senses. We will also have a chance to share the writing we are working on at this time. The benefit of the group is receiving constructive and helpful feedback.

Pulling the body – mind – spirit together to become a fuller creative creature is a goal that we could all aspire to achieve.

if you are interested in attending this workshop in NYC we meet on Thursdays until March 12. Email us at wildangelsgroup@saintsaviour.org.