Hello,

Tuesday was my FIRST TIME teaching an in-person version of one of my workshops in Vancouver and…. can I be honest?

I had so much resistance to making this leap.

Teaching in-person involved finding a location, insurance, renewing my first aid for the insurance, and then adapting my curriculum for an in-person setting. Whew!

It felt GREAT to invest in my business AND… transitioning from teaching online to also in person has been a humbling experience.

On Tuesday morning, there were only TWO people registered. I felt this very palpable experience of dread that maybe comes from taking a leap and it not working out the way you hoped.

Many thoughts ran through my head, including:

• Should I cancel the workshop?

• Move it forward another week?

I felt like I should be doing, doing, doing. Emailing everyone I know to fill at least one more spot. But no! That is not the energy I want to put out into the world. I will not let fear take over. That is not how I want to share my work with you.

At 10am that Tuesday morning, I logged into a Zoom call with a friend who has become my accountability buddy. She reminded me of something:

I know that I can create a beautiful container for reflection for a group, but she reminded me that I could also offer a beautiful container for two people.

“You’re right,” I responded. And I felt my energy returning.

So I sent the reminder email to the group (and was honest about there being only two of them), prepared binders with the material and loose leaf for writing, packed my bag, and headed to the venue.

And… it was a huge success.

With just two people we were able to really focus in on their questions and curiosities when it came to writing, poetry, and voice. We were also able to drop in to our topic of the voice’s relationship to silence with vulnerability and an enlivening spirit of inquiry.

We talked about so many things!

We talked about what it means to listen to your voice as it resides silently within your body. We noticed how it is through silence that we actually get to know ourselves — which can be a challenging thing. We wondered together if perhaps that’s why we’re so prone to seeking out distraction when faced with a blank page, or with a moment in time when there is nothing to do but sit and be.

I left the venue at the end of the night feeling both peaceful and grateful that I took this leap.

Whereas before I’d been feeling embarrassed for the small class size, at the end of the session I felt enlivened, inspired by the participants, and completely in my own power.

I can’t wait to see where our explorations lead us next week (different theme each week).

I’ve left registration open for the in-person Voice into Poetry workshop until Tuesday, March 11th. There are still 4 spots available. Since you would have missed the first session, if you’d like to join us for the rest of the series, please use the discount code LATECOMER for $25 off at the checkout.

Oh! All of this said, I would be remiss if I didn’t share that at the same time as all of this was happening, I sold out the online Metaphor and Renewal workshop!

At the end of the first session, each participant shared one word they were leaving with. One participant who had found me through Google and signed up without having met me, said ‘contentment’. Saying that she felt she was exactly where she needed to be.

UPCOMING CLASSES

Voice into Poetry - 7 Week Poetry Writing Workshop

When: Tuesdays, March 4th - April 15th 2025
from 6:30 - 8:30pm PT
Where: IN-PERSON at The Gallery @ Artech, 336 E 1st Ave, Vancouver
*6 spots max. (4 spots remaining)

** Our first class happened on March 4th BUT registration is open until March 11th. If registering late, please use the discount code LATECOMER for $25 off. 

Workshop description:

A 7-week in person exploration of your spoken and written voice, using poetry as your tool and companion.

Every week, we’ll read poetry by authors writing about their relationship to their voice and use their poems to reflect on our own. Next, you’ll speak these poems out loud and learn strategies for reading a poem, both for your own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of a potential audience. In the second half of each class, you’ll explore the benefits of a writing ritual for working through perfectionism and self-doubt, and you’ll write poetry about your relationship to your own voice. 

Testimonials

Read more…

Poetry and Prose about the Voice

Below are a series of five passages of prose and poetry that I've collected over the years all about the voice (I have a lot more).

Passages are by Robin Skelton, Durga Chew-Bose, Vievee Francis, Carol Shields, and Margo Tamez. Each approached voice in a slightly different way.

I played with laying them all out in a way that told a story).

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

 How would you write about your relationship to your own voice? What language would you use? What metaphors would rise to the surface?

Questions or comments about anything in this email? Send an email to [email protected] . I’d love to hear from you.

with thanks,
Christine Bissonnette

P.S — Know someone who would enjoy receiving this email? Pass it along! 9 Creative Lives Studio is a small business run just by me (Christine Bissonnette). Your support and referrals make a big difference.