Attention queer folk and queer allies! Your zeitgeist needs you to express your authentic selves, because right now we’re beset with challenges. Desperate times, right?
When times have polarised people during history… That’s when queer folk have often stepped in to present – ta dah! – the nuances. Whether as druids, shamans, witches, wise ones or artists, we’ve pointed out the grey shades; the many colors that lie between black and white.
This time though? Frankly, we need the entire rainbow – and a 2.0 version, at that. A new rainbow we will create, tint by shade by tint, during this workshop.
Each time we meet, we will acknowledge our queer and ally-ancestors, those who paved the (often blood-stained) yellow brick road that brought us here. Through safety and confidentiality, we may also acknowledge sadness and trauma we carry – without granting them the upper hand.
And for our new rainbow writings, we’ll draw inspiration from Mother Nature’s mighty Rainbow Eucalyptus trees.
You think these trees only grow in rainforests, by accident? Two words: soft lighting. They actively choose where they will grow the fastest and tallest. Where they will look their best, shedding their bark in gloriously damp and glossy rainbow colours as they climb.
Most importantly, they openly flaunt their sense of humor – their secret key to resilience.
Rainbow Eucalyptus trees always grow slightly twisted: they simply refuse to be straight.
If you’ve read this far, consider this your personal invitation from your quirkily queer co-facilitators, Matthew Curlewis and Meadow Jones PhD. Between us we bring more than a century of fabulous and, at times frightful, lived and writerly experience.
Using AWA (Amherst Writers & Artists) methodology, we provide the safety, the trust and the encouragement to explore and express our queer selves through live in-session writing.
So if you’re interested in writing to queer themes, or writing with fellow queers and allies, or just looking for a safe creative space, then join us for Rainbow Writing.
Let’s create the light we want to see – and to be – together.
Want to Rainbow Write in person? This is also possible on Sunday afternoons in Amsterdam starting April 12.
We’ll meet in person at Singel 82, thanks to the lovely folk from The Book Nook.