Creativity on the Page: Exploring Self and Community Through Written and Visual Art // with Angie Ebba

Creativity allows us to speak to who we are as individuals, and to our place in communities and in the world as a whole. How do we communicate these ideas though? There are some things that words can’t say, and others that visual art can’t. But when combining the two, we come up with creative pieces that more fully express our ideas and emotions. In this workshop we will explore our personal and collective identities through a series of readings, videos, and by using writing and art prompts. Participants will make creative pieces that combine visual art with words, using a variety of artistic mediums and writing techniques. Get your creative energies excited in this class! All levels welcome. 

Week by Week

Every week includes readings about the topic with discussion questions, along with multiple paired writing and visual art prompts focused on the topic of the week. Students are encouraged to engage with each others’ work, in addition to me as the facilitator providing feedback.

Week 1 - Creativity and Self: Mark-Making and Making Our Mark

• Introductions
• Discussion of what creativity is and its importance in our lives
• Meditative mark-making practices paired with reflective journaling

Week 2 - Poetry, Place, and Self

• Discussion of the importance of place and how it relates to individual and community identity
• Personal map making paired with collaborative and individual poetry about place

Week 3 - What We Carry: Identity Through Items

• Reflection on the importance of items to our sense of self
• Pattern-making with found items paired with odes and using repetition in writing

Week 4 - Our Visible and Invisible Selves

• Discussion of the parts of our selves we show versus keep hidden, and the parts of us society tries to hide, as well as ways we can make those parts seen
• Intuitive art journaling paired with reflective writing

Week 5 - The Body and Identity

• Reflection on communicating the body through arts
• Self-portraiture and self-portrait poem, including a collaborative writing piece

Week 6 - Communicating and Collaborating Through Art: Ekphrastic Works

• Discussion of how arts build community and how we can communicate with it
• Ekphrastic art collaborative project
• Thoughts on moving forward with creative practices

Who Should Take This Class

This class is ideal for anyone wanting to further explore their identity, or to find ways to communicate about themselves and their place in the world through artistic means. It may also be of interest to those wanting to build community. All levels of writers and artists are encouraged to take this class.

Format

Class lessons, assignments, and discussion forums will be accessible via the Wet Ink platform. There will also be recorded videos from the instructor each week posted in Wet Ink. We will meet once via Zoom to build community, share our work, and reflect on the experiences we had during this course. The Zoom meeting will be scheduled in conversation with students at the beginning of the course, and will be recorded for students who cannot attend.

About the Facilitator

Angie Ebba is a queer, disabled poet and essayist, an educator, and a performance artist. She has taught writing workshops and performed across the United States. Angie is published in the “Queering Sexual Violence” anthology, several literary magazines, and various online publications. She teaches writing in Portland, Oregon as well as online, and as in the beginning stages of writing a memoir. Angie believes strongly in the power of words to help us gain a better understanding of ourselves, to build connections and community, and to make personal and social change. You can find more about Angie at her website: rebelonpage.com