Pen on Fire? Write It Out

Free workshop at CCNY combines writing and healing by Shira AnsbacherBeginning again; Robin D. Stone knows that well. The author and former New York Times and Essence Magazine editor has a new gig: certified holistic health consultant and facilitator of healthy-living workshops.On Thursday, she’ll combine her skills to present Begin Again: This Body of Mine, an “intimate” writing workshop at City College. With 55 registrants signed up, Stone, a former CCNY adjunct, is excited to be bringing the event to our campus.  “These workshops help to cultivate a sense of community,” she says. After being introduced to a world-wide initiative called One City One Prompt in her holistic health coaching graduate studies, Stone, who has years of experience reporting on wellness and healing, decided to share her knowledge with the public. The result: interactive healing workshops where participants discuss their own narratives with others while also becoming better listeners to the people around them. “By connecting on issues that affect everyone, and creating an open dialogue, it deepens the level of how we come to understand ourselves as well as those that surround us,” she explains.The One City One Prompt workshop operates through a series of prompts, where topics are thrown out to the audience and everyone is allotted time to express their thoughts. While some may opt to use poetry to convey their feelings, others may choose alternative writing styles. Finally, participants can share their creativity with the group if they choose. The use of expressive art within these exercises serves as a prescriptive therapy that can aid in preventing health-related issues, says Stone.If you’d like to attend the free workshop (June 5, NAC Ballroom, 6:30 to 8:30 PM), click here for more information or email: OCOPHarlem@gmail.com.