2024 Workshops, Events, and Goals
Join us: Explore Your Whole Creative Self
2024 is right around the corner, and while I’m not one for resolutions—the idea there’s something wrong with us, and we need to fix ourselves because it’s suddenly January 1st—I am one for goals. Daring, loud, tell-the-world goals.
Nothing makes me feel more alive than working strategically, passionately, and unapologetically to create the person I want to be.
Who will you be next year? What will you create?
This year, I took the leap I’ve always hungered for; I quit my 9-5 to make writing the center of my life. I crossed into new genres and made messy, tender art. Wrote wildly, creating work that felt urgently human and achingly true. I created a schedule, met my own deadlines, and put in the work. None of it was easy; only some of it “good.” All of it—every single word—was rewarding as hell. Because stunning or shit, whatever I wrote, I did with joy, with peace, knowing I’ve dedicated myself to the person and writer I want to be. (Currently working on an essay: 10 Real Talk Takeaways About My Leap into Creative Life.)
For me, writing and teaching are almost inseparable. The more I learn, the more I want to share with writers.
Enter The Creative Crossover. Workshops have transformed my craft. But they can also be super pricey, and not all give you actionable tools. This year, I was determined to offer an alternative—to create a warm and fun environment that offered next-level beginner and MFA-level workshops for a fraction of the cost. Once I heard about Substack, I decided it was the perfect medium. My goal was to give it one year—one year of building the plane in the air.
2024 I’m leaning all the way in. Jeannine Ouellette, of the invaluable Substack of
an amazing post, “To Have, Give All to All, or What It Means to Write (& Live) Generously,” and that’s exactly what I plan to do.NEW 2024 WORKSHOPS
My goal is to continue to build exciting offerings and this incredible community. In 2024, The Creative Crossover will offer paid subscribers two workshops a month, including:
Generative Begin With Writing Series. We will look at one aspect of craft and hone in. We will read an example poem or essay, write, share, and discuss the creative life.
Craft Intensives. These lecture-heavy workshops with in-class writing take the mystery out of craft by providing real, replicable tools and templates with strategic moves and formulas to bring your writing to the next level.
Feedback Constructive. Personalized critique in a warm, loving environment where you can learn best practices for strengthening and tightening your work.
Book Club. Read and discuss work that engages and inspires, pushing your art, thinking, and creativity to the next level.
Always wanted to write but never knew where to start?
BONUS GIFT
I’m also offering a free bonus workshop, How to Write a Poem: Introductory Workshops (Sunday, 1/14 // 10:00-12:00) for ALL subscribers and anyone interested in joining The Creative Crossover. This workshops, designed for beginninger, but all levels welcome, provides the tools to translate your emotions and experiences into writing people want to read. Please come and invite your friends.
All upcoming events from now until the end of April are listed below, as well as on the Welcome Page. Click the links below to RSVP.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
Begin with the Image: Generative Writing Session (Sunday, 2/4 // 10:00-12:00)
The Art of the Unexpected Image (Sunday, 2/25 // 10:00-12:00)
MARCH
APRIL
Begin with a List: Generative Writing Session (Sunday, 4/14 // 10:00-12:00)
List and Litanies: Writing Powerful Poems (Sunday, 4/28 //10:00-12:00)
HOW TO RSVP FOR WORKSHOPS
To RSVP for each event, please click on the post link. Once in the post, scroll to the bottom and select the blue RSVP button (only paid subscribers can see the button). From there, you will be asked to register for the Zoom meeting. You will get an immediate confirmation email and then another confirmation 24 hours before the event.
WHAT QUALIFIES ME?
(
another fabulous writing teacher, says you should ask this of everyone you work with, and I agree!)
I’m the author of four books: Boat Burned (YesYes Books); Words Ignite: Explore, Perform, Write Classic and Spoken Word Poetry; Voices in Verse: Poetry, Identity and Ethnic Studies; Stanzas of America: Celebrating BIPOC Poetry. I’m also the winner of the Jane Underwood Poetry Prize and the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. My poems have appeared in The Adroit Journal, Best New Poets, 32 Poems, Los Angeles Review, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere. I’ve received fellowships from Randolph College, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, and Kenyon Review Young Writers’ Workshop. I’m the former Director of Education for Get Lit-Words Ignite, and the craft books and curricula I’ve written are taught in Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest district in the country.
Most importantly, I landed a book deal with my dream publisher before taking a formal workshop. Everything I learned, I learned by teaching myself to read closely and write strategically, by letting my creativity lead, and I can teach you to do the same.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH ME
Looking forward to this wild, exciting new year! May we continue to create ourselves—getting closer to who we are and what we want to say. Hope to write with you soon!
PS: My daring, loud, tell-the-world goal in 2024 is to finish my novel. Eeek! So nervous and excited. What your creative goal? Share in the comments so we can cheer one another on!