Write with Preeti: Drop-in Writing Workshop (Jan. 29)

In this online, one-hour session, you can expect to enter a facilitated space where you are invited to write with the support of prompts, techniques and strategies to dive deeper into your stories, your ideas and your voice. There will be opportunities to share your work, but never any obligations. No writing experience is required! If you’re looking to exercise your creativity, great! If you don’t identify as a creative person, this is still the right place for you! We will co-create the space in which we write and experiment with different ways to find your flow. Whether you’re looking for a designated hour to write and explore your creativity, hoping to move through a creative block, or just wanting to try writing as a practice to release some of what’s piling up and circling inside of you, I’d love for you to join me, Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, for this freewriting workshop!
Activities will focus on writing but may also include brief experiential activities or mindfulness and breathing techniques. As a facilitator, I strive to centre your agency (i.e. you are never required to follow the prompt, perform the exercise or share your work, but will always be invited to listen to your body and make a decision that’s best for you). Please come with a pen and paper, device to type on, or tools to draw with if you don’t feel like writing.
*The suggested donation for this event is $15-30. There are only 10 spots so make sure you register soon!
Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal (she/her) is a critical race feminist, writer, (former) lawyer, college prof and facilitator who grew up on the traditional territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt, Tsawwassen and Musqueam First Nations (also known as Surrey and North Delta, British Columbia). With over 15 years of facilitation and teaching experience, Preeti is committed to arts-based methodologies as a source of personal and collective empowerment, transformation and community-building. She has taught creative writing at Guelph-Humber College, led arts-based workshops across Canada and the US in various institutions (including universities, law faculties, women’s spaces and youth centers), and firmly believes that stories change the world by altering our ways of seeing, feeling and being with one another and the planet.
Preeti’s creative writing has appeared in PRISM international, Looseleaf, The Fiddlehead, The New Quarterly, We Were Not Alone: A Community Building Art Works Anthology and several other publications. She is a two-time writer in residence at Voices of Our Nation (VONA) and a two-time recipient of Canada Council for the Arts grants. In her academic career (BA, LLB, BCL, LLM, MFA), Preeti has combined law, theatre, performance art and creative writing to investigate race, history and pedagogy. She has received over two dozen awards for academic excellence and community work, most recently the DF Forster Medal.
[Photo taken by Ella Cooper]
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
“What a gift to spend my Sunday morning with Preeti, to be seen, heard and affirmed in the words I’m putting on the page. I can’t express how much I needed this today. Thank you so much, Preeti.” – Workshop Participant
“Preeti concisely provided the set-up, jumped into the heart of the workshop, and created many opportunities for all voices to be heard. The exercises were meaningful and accessible.” – Workshop Participant
“Preeti’s prompts were intriguing and created the opportunity to explore new thoughts through writing.” – Workshop Participant
“These workshops are such a gift to me. They lessen the loneliness and isolation I experience. I feel part of a community for which I’m so grateful. I honestly couldn’t recommend them more.” – Workshop Participant
“I couldn’t think of a better way to kick-start my day than writing with Preeti. She brings care and love to everything she touches. I left the workshop feeling energized and grateful for the opportunity to connect with my writing practice (and other writers!) in such a supportive space.” – Kai Taddei, Workshop Participant