You’re invited: Free Intro to Metaphor and Renewal Poetry Series

Hello,

I’d love to invite you to a free intro session for an 8-week poetry and reflective writing workshop called Metaphor and Renewal happening on Tuesday, June 3rd from 4-5pm PT. The full series begins on June 17th. This series is rooted in the idea that metaphor can be both a tool for personal insight and renewal, and also a seed from which a poem or journal entry can grow.

I taught this series in the spring and it sold out. It was such a beautiful experience that I’m offering it again this summer. You can learn more about this series here.

What does metaphor have to do with renewal and insight?

First, it’s important to know that metaphors are not just fancy literary language you may have learned about in grade 10 English, and which only apply to poetry. No. Not at all. We actually use metaphors everyday in our regular conversations.

When we speak about time getting lost, stolen, or saved, we’re saying that ‘time is a limited resource’ (a metaphor). When we speak about losing our way, finding the right path, or it being all downhill from here, we’re saying that ‘life is a journey’ (another metaphor).

But wait… aren’t these metaphors kind of true?

Yes they are, and that’s what makes metaphor so powerful. A good metaphor feels true, even though it’s only showing us part of the picture. Metaphors illuminate some parts of experience while leaving others in the dark.

Take ‘time’ for example. Yes, it can feel like an external resource that must be used wisely, but it’s also tied to our bodies and the way that we age. It’s also cyclical and tied to the passing and return of seasons.

This striking awareness of how metaphors function comes from the book ‘Metaphors We Live By’ by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson.

In this book, they write about how imaginative metaphors would be capable of:

Which is what this series is all about: Learning to embrace the kind of renewal that can arise from your own imagination and creativity.

Metaphors can restrict our vision. By creating new metaphors, we widen the lens through which we see the world. From these new metaphors (created by you and your imagination), insight may emerge.

Because life can be a journey, but it can also be a collaborative dance: a process of leading and listening, giving and receiving. Or life can be an ocean, where each droplet matters, part of a greater whole.

🍃 Metaphor and Renewal - Free Intro

Metaphor writing can be a deeply easeful and enlivening experience, and you don’t need any prior writing experience for that to be true.

Could I show you what I mean?

In the free intro session, I’d love to guide you through a metaphor-writing practice so you can experience firsthand what your own creativity is capable of.

Free intro details

When: Tuesday, June 3rd from 4-5pm PT (adjust for your timezone)
Where: Online

Learn more about the 8-week series.

By the way, there’s no pressure at all to join the full series if you attend the intro. Truly.
And if you’re a past student and just want to drop in, say hi, and relax into the writing space with us — you’re warmly welcome.

Testimonials

“I first came upon Christine’s drop-in Breath into Poetry class, the summer of 2021, and it really helped me get back into my love of poetry.  I found that the free-write portion activated my own authenticity in writing.  I found my voice and need to write again.  What really surprised me was that sharing my work in progress with a small group of strangers was really cathartic.  Christine makes sure there is space and that it is safe to share.  This class made it easier to open up in other workshops.  The confidence I gained from Christine’s class and her compassion allowed me to try out (and be successful) for a fellowship at The Poetry Lab.”
- Kris Kaila

Other Upcoming Classes:

• Develop a Writing Ritual + Artist’s Way Exploration — starts July 16th

• Embodied Poetry Workshop - starts September 8th.

with thanks,
Christine Bissonnette

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

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