SHINE U: Poetry in the Community

Explore poetry through local inspiration, creative writing exercises, and community connection in this SHINE U workshop.
About this Event

Join House of Shine for Poetry in the Community: Finding Poetry Where We Are, a SHINE U workshop designed to help participants explore poetry through the lens of local community, everyday experiences, and creative expression.

SHINE U is an in-house House of Shine program that highlights the H — Hobbies, I — Interests, and E — Experiences from the SHINE Framework. These workshops connect people who want to teach with people who want to learn, creating an opportunity for discovery, exploration, experimentation, and community connection.

In this beginner-friendly poetry workshop, participants will become familiar with the foundations of poetry while exploring how creative writing can be inspired by the people, places, and stories within their own community.

Facilitated by Aaryana Sharma, a recent graduate of the Creative Writing Certificate program at the University of Texas at Austin, this workshop will introduce participants to poetry in a welcoming and approachable environment. Aaryana has experience hosting poetry workshops through the UT Austin College of Liberal Arts Wellbeing Collective, has given the opening statement at Poetry on the Pond, and has hosted open mic events in both Southlake and Austin.

During the workshop, participants will read accessible, locally inspired poetry, complete guided writing exercises, and have the opportunity to share their written work with the class. No prior poetry or creative writing experience is needed.