Thursday, October 20, 2011

Trust Your Instincts to Fly: Family Writing Day, Christakis











Christakis happens to be my favorite restaurant here in Orange County, yes. They happen to serve the most delicious and authentic Greek food, yes. And, the owners happen to be some of the loveliest people I know, yes (but not just because they're Greek, no.)

Well, in August, Christakis became something even more to me. A Family Writing Experience.

As a pretty large group, we settled around the angel (fountain) in the charming patio. Sure, it was a SoCal heatwave --but thanks to Sarah Wallace, one of the generous owners, we had lemonade (fresh,) strawberries, and hummus and veggies. To top it off, we had a community of writers--7 years old to...let's just say-- the age of wisdom. Together, we were ready to write, share, learn, and take risks.

We dove into the writer's toolbox, discussing powerful verbs, sensory details and how to show not tell. Brainstorming. Sharing. Creating. After a sense memory activity, the group got busy and wrote--and what arose was something beautiful. Rich, textured experiences, read proudly, under the sunshine, with our muse standing guard at the door.

It was a magic that I hope lasted well beyond our three hours together.

I am proud of this community of writers. Willing to leap off the cliff and trust their instincts to fly.
Courage, passion, and perseverance.