Writing Classes Chicago - Zen and the Art of Writing

Zen and the Art of Writing

with Hillary Johnson

TOP RATED

5.0 | 6 reviews

16 Have Dabbled

ABOUT THIS EVENT

Event Category

Arts & DIY

Event Overview

Calling all writers! Feeling blocked? No worries, that's about to end.

Increasing the capacity for our greatest creativity has long been associated with calming the mind, letting go of stress and allowing the great river of our creativity to flow forth as the mighty river it is.

This class will be an adventure in writing from a place of mindfulness. We'll start with a short guided meditation and then write from that quiet open place and see what emerges. This workshop is designed for writers in any genre and at any level of experience. We'll use fun exercises and poetic prompts to get you into the writing.

Come with any open mind, a willingness to take the plunge and your notebook and pen or pencil.

Leave your internal censors at the door. You won't be needing them. If you want to write something, whether fiction, non-fiction or poetry, this class is for you!

What to Bring

Bring a notebook and your favorite writing implements and an open mind.

Minimum age

All ages welcome

What's Provided

Handouts

Cancellation Policy

Location

There are currently no upcoming dates scheduled for this Dabble. Log in to an account message the host or add to your bucket list to be automatically notified when new dates are posted.

MORE ABOUT YOUR HOST

Hillary Johnson

TOP RATED

Hillary Johnson holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College where she learned the art and craft of writing from so many amazing people like Alexis Pride, Eric May, Patty McNair, Don DeGrazia, Sam Weller and so many others. She's studied at Stonecoast, Solstice Summer Writer's Conference and Writers in Paradise under Sterling Watson and Dennis Lehane, both of whom seriously rewired her writing brain for the better!
She's taught writing at Columbia, The University of Chicago Graham School, Lewis University and DeVry.
Her work has appeared in The Ghost Factory, Prolonged Insult, The Thing About Hope Is..., Hair Trigger, among others. She received first place prize from the CSPA for her creative non-fiction essay, " Unspeakable Things." She's currently at work on a short story collection and a new novel.
Her teaching style blends mindfulness approaches with a go-for-it-all-out attitude that's supportive and fun. A former photojournalist, she he also draws on photographs for inspiration and believes strongly in cross-pollinating to open up those gates of creativity.

She is also the proud caretaker of Tiger, the world's fifth oldest living dog.

MESSAGE HOST VIEW PROFILE

EXPERIENCE REVIEWS

Jenny S.
Reviewed on 09/12/13

Open, honest, inspiring. If you're looking for some inspiration to keep writing or want some motivation to continue, sign up for this class. It doesn't matter what genre you actually write or want to write, just do it.

Very wonderful teacher! I would definitely like to take more classes with her! :-)

From Teacher:

Jenny, thanks for the wicked awesome review. You did some great work. I'm so glad you felt like the genre didn't matter because that's a big thing - whether you want to write prose or poetry, fiction or non, genre or whatever - we are open for you! More class starting very soon. I'll send a message as promised.
Thanks again and meanwhile - write on,
Hillary

Open, honest, inspiring. If you're looking for some inspiration to keep writing or want some motivation to continue, sign up for this class. It doesn't matter what genre you actually write or want to write, just do it.

Very wonderful teacher! I would definitely like to take more classes with her! :-)

From Teacher:

Jenny, thanks for the wicked awesome review. You did some great work. I'm so glad you felt like the genre didn't matter because that's a big thing - whether you want to write prose or poetry, fiction or non, genre or whatever - we are open for you! More class starting very soon. I'll send a message as promised.
Thanks again and meanwhile - write on,
Hillary
Shavahn R.
Reviewed on 08/23/13

I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for this workshop, but I was really excited! It was very interactive, and allowed me to think of reading and writing in a different way. I would absolutely recommend it, no matter your experience!

Hillary (the instructor) is great--very insightful and engaging.

From Teacher:

Shavahn, Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You really got some writing going too! Hope to see you in a workshop again sometime. Best, Hillary

I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for this workshop, but I was really excited! It was very interactive, and allowed me to think of reading and writing in a different way. I would absolutely recommend it, no matter your experience!

Hillary (the instructor) is great--very insightful and engaging.

From Teacher:

Shavahn, Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You really got some writing going too! Hope to see you in a workshop again sometime. Best, Hillary
Kimberly R.
Reviewed on 08/16/13

What a wonderful surprise! I have a M.A. in journalism and have participated in various writers' conferences and seminars and this was on par with some of the best ... but way, way cheaper! Hillary is also friendly, knowledgable and nurturing.

From Teacher:

Kim, Thanks so much for the kind words. It was wonderful having you in the group last night. Loved hearing your party story.

I hope you enjoy your time in Chicago. There's such a lively writing community here. Welcome to it!

Best,
Hillary

What a wonderful surprise! I have a M.A. in journalism and have participated in various writers' conferences and seminars and this was on par with some of the best ... but way, way cheaper! Hillary is also friendly, knowledgable and nurturing.

From Teacher:

Kim, Thanks so much for the kind words. It was wonderful having you in the group last night. Loved hearing your party story.

I hope you enjoy your time in Chicago. There's such a lively writing community here. Welcome to it!

Best,
Hillary
Kim K.
Reviewed on 08/03/13

Whether you're interested in writing fiction, non-fiction, memoirs or just have the desire to hone your writing skills, Hillary Johnson's workshop is the perfect place to do so. Hillary provides writers of all different levels the opportunity to develop their craft in an intimate, inviting setting. Her down to earth, supportive attitude along with her inspiring and insightful exercises allowed me to realize that there are no limits when it comes to writing and your imagination. I left the class knowing that writers block is all in your head. There is no need to sensor, edit, or stop yourself during the writing process. Just keep your ideas and thoughts flowing and tell your story. After just one class I felt more confident about my skills as well as more motivated and encouraged to keep at it. I have a lot more to learn and I'm excited to do so with Hillary! I highly recommend Hillary Johnson's workshop!P

Whether you're interested in writing fiction, non-fiction, memoirs or just have the desire to hone your writing skills, Hillary Johnson's workshop is the perfect place to do so. Hillary provides writers of all different levels the opportunity to develop their craft in an intimate, inviting setting. Her down to earth, supportive attitude along with her inspiring and insightful exercises allowed me to realize that there are no limits when it comes to writing and your imagination. I left the class knowing that writers block is all in your head. There is no need to sensor, edit, or stop yourself during the writing process. Just keep your ideas and thoughts flowing and tell your story. After just one class I felt more confident about my skills as well as more motivated and encouraged to keep at it. I have a lot more to learn and I'm excited to do so with Hillary! I highly recommend Hillary Johnson's workshop!P
Matt Johnson V.
Reviewed on 08/02/13

This was an excellent class that helped me push thru my barrier. Now I feel like I CAN write my book. Hillary made it super easy to understand and I learned a lot. Definitely worth taking this class! and I will be signing up for the ongoing workshop.

This was an excellent class that helped me push thru my barrier. Now I feel like I CAN write my book. Hillary made it super easy to understand and I learned a lot. Definitely worth taking this class! and I will be signing up for the ongoing workshop.
Mia B.
Reviewed on 08/02/13

Excellent class. I learned a lot and got a feel for what the creative arts are really all about. The teacher was very positive and open to everyone's ideas and comments. I look very forward to using this knowledge in future endeavors.

From Teacher:

Thanks so much for the sweet review, Mia. You also turned out a great bit of writing last night. Good for you! Can't wait to see where it goes.

Excellent class. I learned a lot and got a feel for what the creative arts are really all about. The teacher was very positive and open to everyone's ideas and comments. I look very forward to using this knowledge in future endeavors.

From Teacher:

Thanks so much for the sweet review, Mia. You also turned out a great bit of writing last night. Good for you! Can't wait to see where it goes.

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