9 Reasons I loved Alexandra Franzen's Writing Workshop
I'm occasionally very grateful for the impulsive side of myself. I can thank Miss Impulsivity for a recent magical two days that included many many cups of tea, handfuls of trail mix, scribbled lines of words, tarot-etry poems, a steam bath/sauna, and (freaking finally) a way to describe who I am and what I do.
You see, some months ago I opened the newsletter from one Alexandra Franzen. If you don't know her work, then please do go acquaint yourself. You will giggle and be inspired.
In response to said newsletter, I invited her to host a Write Yourself into Motion workshop chez moi. Little did I know that 18 women comfortably (if cozily) fit in my living room and that, yes, the toilet can flush that much.
Logistics aside, Alexandra took us on a tour of her mind and gave us the same delightful prompts and scripts that she has used to transform the prose of hundreds of websites around the globe.
Herewith, my top 9 reasons for loving the workshop:
1. We all now have a way to answer the question, "What do you do?" We started out by crafting (or watching Alexandra conjure before our very eyes) a glorious statement in response to that least creative of questions. THANK THE LAWD! (Yes that was typed in a Southern preacher's voice.)
2. We saw genius in action. The process of item number one? It looked like this: Slightly bashful woman entrepreneur would give her most likely garbled and rambling description of what she does. Out of Alex's mouth would fly concrete descriptors and elegant phrases that capture effortlessly both the meat and the magic of What You Do to make money. She would deliver the prose perfection on a silver platter that almost needed no editing and offer it to us with an offhand, "or something like that." Golden.
3. We all have 50 Ways to Say You're Awesome! Yeah!!! We received copies of her new book.
4. It feels damn good to write poetry again. Alex introduced us to her version (you'll have to attend a workshop to get the full scoop) and it was SOOOOO great to write. Will post my poems shortly.
5. There's something special about watching others unfold. Perhaps it is permission or transformation by association? Whatever it is, when you have a sacred space that holds a group, everyone benefits from it.
6. Generosity abounded! I treated peeps to my home and flowers and perfume and champagne and also was treated to yummy noshes and generous help and more yummy noshes. It is delightful to give and receive without expectation or attachment.
7. Mr. Rogers's spirit was alive and well. Alex does an excellent job of embodying that delightful mix of parental pride, encouraging questions, fabulous imagination and straight up dork-dom we knew and loved as children. She adds a killer cat eye, some sparkles and sass too!
8. A launch is not a launch. Alex had an utterly refreshing approach to growth. She waited a LONG time to do her first workshop...and they've pretty much sold out ever since. As for her book and the machinations that many authors undergo to manipulate an "Amazon best-seller" designation? She's not super concerned about it. She lets things unfold.
9. You have time to create your chef d'oeuvre. (Ok, chef d'oeuvre is my word choice and it means your masterpiece en Francais. Now the word oeuvre by itself means "your body of work.") Alex reminded us occasionally very near-term-thinking biz owners that it is ok to play the long game much like Kevin Spacey on House of Cards. If it takes more than two seasons to become president, well that's a-ok!
She let us know that what matters is the sum total of all your work, your oeuvre. And that will take time. So even though overnight success can happen with the zap of a neon lightening bolt, it's more likely the result of being true to your creative inclinations, cultivating generosity, and Doing Good Work.
Thank you Alexandra for the faboo weekend. So glad that we're internet neighbors.