Ecstatic Writing Workshop w/Toni Oswald

Transmissions in the Field of the Ecstatic: A Writing and Visual Art workshop.

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought,

“This is what it means to be happy.” - Sylvia Plath

The word ecstatic is derived from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "to stand outside of oneself.” In the workshop, we will use prompts, music, pictures, and our sense of smell in an attempt to dislodge the logical mind of self, and enter into what might be called a mystical gateway into presence. Children seem to have a direct path to this experience in their play, laughter, and the ability to let go to life in each moment. In this workshop we will write, collage, and paint our way towards the joy of the creative act in attempt to return to that sense of wonder that we all knew as children.

What makes you belly laugh? How do feel when you dance with abandon? How do you experience sitting in the middle of a grove of trees?

Participants in the workshop should bring a notebook to write in, something to write with(we will also have these items available, along with collage and painting materials), as well as a photo of yourself at a moment in your life when you experienced a state of ecstatic joy. Might be a childhood photo of you laughing, might be your wedding day, the day you climbed a mountain, the day your child was born, the moment you finished a work of art, and so on. If you do not have a photo of yourself, please bring some kind of picture (photo or painting) that represents ecstatic joy to you.

I will also provide a few photos if you do not have anything, that can be used for one of the

prompts.

Bio: Toni Oswald is a writer and multimedia artist who has performed and shown her work across the Unites States and Europe. She has released four albums under the altar ego The Diary of Ic Explura & writing publications include The Oyez Review, Bombay Gin, Heroes are Gang Leaders Giantology, The Tattered Press, Zani UK, Disgust & Shame Radiant, among others. She is currently working on a novel about a girl clown set in the 1950s entitled The Gorgeous Funeral, as well as a collection of short stories called Dying on the Vine. Her first book Sirens, was released by Gesture Press in 2020. Toni is also a core member of the art group The Wilds, and Poetry Audio Nexus: PAN. She likes gold teeth, cats, and trees. She lives with her husband Max, and their cats Kiki Pamplemousse Fontaine and Charlie Chaplin in Boulder, Colorado.

Host or Publisher Madelife