Although every person's process is unique, there are general phases and traits that show up when we do creative work.
How is the beginning of the process different from the middle? What is especially enjoyable about a phase--and what are the pitfalls? How do I know what works best for me? How can I work with my process rather than fight it? Will include lecture, discussion, and writing exercises.
Vinita Hampton Wright recently retired after three decades as a book editor. She currently writes, freelances as an editor, and teaches courses for the University of Chicago's Professional Development Editing Certificate program. She has published three novels and more than a dozen nonfiction books, two of them on the creative process and writing nonfiction for publication. A spiritual director trained at Loyola University Chicago, she has, over the past twenty years, facilitated numerous workshops and retreats on creativity, writing, prayer, and spiritual development. She continues to be a sought-after speaker and presenter on these topics.
During Vinita’s residency she will work on her current writing projects including a novel, a collection of essays, and possibly an adaptation of St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises that focuses on women's experiences. Vinita will lead writing classes that engage creativity with individuals’ experiences. Participants will explore the creative process, develop self-care while dealing with both light and dark aspects of creative work, experience writing for personal development and discovery, and learn the practicalities of the writing craft itself, including self-editing.