Writing for Stress Relief

We are all stressed. The world is chaotic, busy, full of screens and cellphones, demands from children, aging parents, and close friends coming apart at the seams. And the endless march of lessons and practices--violin, piano, soccer, softball, yoga, and the recurring shame of that unused gym membership. And money troubles. And sickness.

In all this swirl of activity and uncertain emotions and circumstances, stress can overwhelm us. And can become anxiety. Can become sadness. Depression. Isolation.

A creative outlet, like Writing, can help you reduce your stress and put your life into focus. In this class we will focus on self-expression. There are no writing "rights" or "wrongs." We will not focus on correct grammar or spelling. Instead, you will be encouraged to honor yourself, just as you are, and to give yourself caring and compassion.

This is a no-pressure class. If you want to share your writing, you can. If you want to keep your writing private, that's okay. There will be no criticism of your work. You are free to just be yourself.

We will provide pen and paper. Please bring your own notebooks, tablet or laptop if you prefer.

About the teacher:

Rebecca Cook is a writer, performer, speaker, and preacher. She has read her work in many venues, large and small, and is always eager to share her writing or give a lecture. She taught creative writing at UTC (2004-2014) and mentors in Creative Nonfiction’s Mentoring Program. Her writing can be found in journals large and small--from the tiny Waugh Street Journal to the prestigious Georgia Review. She has published a poetry collection, a poetry chapbook, and an e-novel with small, independent presses. Her poems have appeared in the Romanian journals Convorbiri Literare and Poesis, and she has co-translated two collections of Romanian poems with Olimpia Iacob. Her most recent publications are The Best Man in the World, a chapbook with poet Jenny Sadre-Orafai, and The Shape of Water, a Romanian/English book of poems alongside poet Talvescu Dumitru.