Yoga and Journaling with Kristen Zory King
Last fall, you hosted a four session workshop series at Old Town Books. What made you want to host a writing series? Why donation based?
I got my start teaching writing in 2013 when I worked as a coordinator for a literary summer camp in Western New York (hello Writers & Books! I miss you!). That early experience was incredibly formative—showing me the many meaningful and whimsical ways that art can enrich our lives and open doors to a deep knowledge and understanding of ourselves and the great, wide world around us—and it really shaped the last decade of my life. Since then, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to facilitate a wide variety of creative workshops and events for people of all ages and backgrounds, from teaching more traditional writing and craft based sessions to hosting creative salons, poetry hikes, and an annual local lit crawl, among other things.
This is a long way of saying that I have always found community to be a cornerstone of creativity and as such, I am really drawn toward engaging with others in creative ways. Like many, I’ve had a challenging few years navigating the many changes that came with the pandemic and after reaching a particularly sticky point of creative burnout last spring, I wanted to find a way to return to a kind of creative engagement that felt accessible, meaningful, and most of all, fun. So I was thrilled to partner with Old Town Books for four generative, theme-based workshops last fall with no other objective than to help writers get words on the page (and get a little silly while doing so). Taking the pressure out of writing, focusing on the joy of a creative spark, and removing any financial burden for students felt like a good way for me to re-engage my skills as a teaching artist, push myself as a writer, and just enjoy the process of creating again and my hope is that that participants had a similar experience.
What's one thing about this class series that surprised you?
One of my very favorite activities is to spend a weekend morning snuggled up in bed with a big cup of coffee, falling down creative rabbit holes as I read through and research workshop themes and materials (I particularly enjoyed creating the curriculum for the pop-culture session in December!). And while I always find myself excited and surprised by the way different pieces of writing can intersect around a specific topic, I was even more surprised by the acute connections participants made between the writing samples, workshop themes, and their own lives throughout each session. Generative workshops can be tricky, and not everyone responds to my playful (and anti-Capital-L-Literature) approach to teaching, but I was so tickled by the way participants showed up for themselves, for their creativity, and for their peers throughout each and every session. Whether pushing back during discussion of a piece, sharing a small slice of their lives with a room full of strangers, or taking spirited, creative risks, each session left me energized and beaming at the sheer power of a creative community.
What made you to decide to combine yoga and journaling?
I am very interested in the ways that movement can motivate creativity. In addition, I find a nice symmetry in the ways that both yoga and writing can unlock a deep access to the body and the mind. My hope for all upcoming “creativity in motion” workshops (including yoga and journaling sessions and poetry hikes this spring) is to provide participants with a guide for deep introspection through joyful movement, intentional breathwork, and creative prompts.
How does teaching intersect with your own writing?
Over the past few years, I’ve shifted from thinking of myself as a “writer” toward thinking of myself as a “creative,” that is, someone who gets deep pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment from creating something whether that something is a piece of writing, a lesson plan or yoga sequence, an event, a sloppy doodle, a warm loaf of banana bread, or what have you. In addition, I am a naturally curious person and I really enjoy taking the time to learn about, explore, and meander on a topic or theme. With both of these things in mind, I think teaching intersects with my writing in a number of really lovely ways, including providing countless opportunities to stretch my imagination and discover new, interesting, and eclectic information about a whole variety of things, through creating curriculums as well as lively discussions with participants. In addition, I’m trying to choose my programming sites and the people I work with more carefully than I have in the past and in doing so have been honored to learn from and push my own craft further through intentional creative collaborations with organizations like Old Town Books, the DC Writers Salon, and Former Housewife, among others.
What do you look for in a writing class, what do you think makes one successful? (I've attended some expensive bad ones...) Any words or advice to someone hesitant to join a writing class?
There are all kinds of classes out there and I think the answer to this is really dependent on each individual writer. For some, an emphasis on craft is really important. For others, it’s critique. Most often, it changes based on where a writer is on their creative journey (or individual draft!). When I take writing workshops, I primarily and consistently look for two things: compassionate accountability and a safe space to creatively explore. I want to work with peers who will push me to get my own words onto the page, who will respect the inherent vulnerability of the creative process, and who will, when giving feedback, meet each draft where it is. I think that last part is key and part of why I tend to steer away from too much critique in the sessions I facilitate or attend. I don’t mean to be precious, but a creative spark is easy to snuff and reading another’s work and giving genuinely constructive feedback is an art in itself. This aligns with my advice to someone hesitant to join a writing class—know that not everyone is “your” reader. Take what resonates and leave the rest. In addition, experiment! Play! Have fun! I always appreciate (and try and facilitate myself) a workshop that finds a good balance between carefully pushing one’s practice, mindfully honoring one’s voice, and joyfully elevating one’s writing. Find what works for you, continue to seek it out, and remember (in the words of my friend and brilliant poet Dan Brady), “ultimately, you’re the one who gets to decide what you want your art to be.”
What are you writing right now? What are you reading?
For the first few months of 2023, I took a brief hiatus from both writing and teaching to focus on some additional yoga and creative facilitation trainings. As I shift back toward programming this spring, I’m working on finding the right balance of teaching alongside reading, travel, working on a collection of flash fiction, and a few other creative projects. I’m currently reading a few yoga anatomy and philosophy texts while also trying desperately to keep up with each issue of The New Yorker that arrives at my doorstep, and am also really enjoying Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I’m also looking forward to spending lots of time outside this summer, hiking through Rock Creek Park, enjoying the sunshine, and devouring a big pile of cozy mysteries (my very favorite ways to unwind!).
Join Kris for Creativity in Motion: Yoga & Journaling at the Old Town Waterfront on Thursday, June 22nd at 6:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased here.