Writing for Mystic Activists meets at Collegeville Institute

From July 10-16, the Collegeville Institute hosted Writing for Mystic Activists, a workshop facilitated by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. This workshop was designed for faith-rooted activists and clergy who want to engage writing as a contemplative practice, and provided participants with the opportunity to connect with a long tradition of resistance writers, develop their craft, and build community with others who experience a similar vocation.

In addition to individual, self-directed writing time, this workshop included morning discussions about the writing life, group workshops of each participant’s writing, and individual time with the facilitators. 

The morning discussions provided space for the participants and facilitators to share their questions, challenges, and insights into prophetic writing and the writing life. One participant described these discussions in their workshop evaluation as “both practical and compelling.” Another described them as an invaluable opportunity to “be in intentional conversation with other people asking the same and different questions as me, as we navigate the mystical activist life for the purpose of our great calling and for our communities.”

In the group workshops, participants discussed and provided constructive feedback on one another’s work. “I loved interacting with other people’s work,” wrote one participant. “I am in the process of getting my first book into the world and this workshop has been critical in me continuing the process,” wrote another. 

Participants also had the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the facilitators. Many considered this one of the most valuable parts of the workshop. Writers described Chanequa as wise, genuine, approachable, and “welcoming to so many of us who come from marginalized experiences, helping us to collectively reclaim our wisdom and power.” They described Jonathan as kind, engaging, thoughtful, and deeply generous with his wisdom on writing and the writing life.

Midway through the week, the workshop pivoted to a hybrid model due to Covid; even with this hurdle, participants described feeling cared for and supported by the facilitators and the Collegeville Institute. “I’ve never experienced that level of hospitality before,” wrote one. 

Overall, the writers of Mystic Activists described the experience as a deeply meaningful week. “I cried, felt affirmed, supported and a sense of clarity around writing that I have never felt,” wrote one in their workshop evaluation. “This workshop was not just for me,” wrote another, “but also the communities I serve. It was life changing.”

Like this post? Subscribe to have new posts sent to you by email the same day they are posted.